January 6th

             That sixth day of the new year. The year we were supposed to have it all together finally. That sixth day. Even now, with the benefit of time between then and now I hesitate to discuss it but I have to. I have to talk about it because if I don’t I won’t be able to talk about the rest. 

            Day six was the day that the tweet arrived. “Those who do not accept my advice are traitors.”

I saw it. I want to say a shiver went down my spine but at that point, after I had found that I could not unsubscribe to this account, my spine was no longer able to shiver. It was permanently stiffened in worry. And regret, there was a bit of regret for even looking at that first tweet for the beginning of the year.


I looked out the window and saw people roaming the streets, looking down at the phones in their hands. Some people were gathering in small groups and others were solo but they all seemed to have the same look.


They were all walking up and down the streets and roads, glancing at houses. I looked at my neighbor and saw her walk out her front door, stand silently in front of a group of people and then join them. They came to stand in front of my home.


I sat in my chair. I saw then out my front window. I didn’t now what to do. Tehy looked at each other and one of them walked to my front door and knocked.


The sound of the knocking shocked me out of my stupor. I stood up and opened my front door.


“Coming out?”, was the question that greeted me. 


“Why?”, I asked.


“You know why. Are you with us or not?”, this stranger said.


I closed the door in his face. And locked it. He turned around and walked back to his group. They stared at my front door for only a few seconds but it felt like hours. Then they simply continued on.


I hid that day. Nothing happened. Nothing obvious. But I still hid. I didn’t go out to get my mail. I closed the drapes to my windows. I tried to stay away from any obvious places where they could see me. I don’t know what it was - maybe just an animal premonition of what was going on - but I knew I was in danger.


Obviously it wasn’t until a couple days later that my premonition was shown to be right. But I huddled in darkness, not even turning on a light that day. Some part of me knew what was coming.

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