The Days of the Deluge

It was, as they later said, something approaching a bit of a bugger. However, at the time everyone was too busy erecting their defences against the feared encroachment. Each town, village and hamlet in the area had lookouts posted at strategic points around the area to ward of the approaching flood. Local shops reported a run on sandbags and other defences as well as wood and nails to board up doors, windows and any other weak points where the deluge could worm its way inside.

Still, as the time approached ever nearer, people grew more and more nervous. Some began stockpiling food, fearing they could be cut off from civilisation once it began. All had little or no idea when they would walk the streets in safety again.

It began slowly, the lookouts reported the first signs of the beginning early one morning with reports of TV news vehicles sighted on the horizon and a local radio reporter found wandering the streets.

These were early days, though.

Then it began.

First it was somewhat desultory, a few election leaflets posted through the door with the party activists fleeing before the disturbed householders could complain. Some hoped that if they kicked up enough fuss in these early days then they would be safe.

But it was not to be.

Soon the flood began as doorbell after doorbell was rung, as loudspeaker van after loudspeaker van began to plague the streets. Soon the dribble of leaflets turned into a flood.

People were too scared to stay at home in case they were trapped there by the politicians seeking their vote, and too scared to venture out in case some roving rabid media report captured them for an impromptu vox pop.

Most just cowered inside, curtains drawn, lights and TV off. All living off cold canned goods until the word filtered through that the by-election was – at long last – over. Only then could they, if they'd survived, pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and try to live as normal a life as possible once again....

Until the next time.

 

[Books by David Hadley are available here (UK) or here (US).]