SODIUM:2 Apocalypse by Stephen Arseneault

of rats and they were probably going to eat everything in their path. I could only guess that it might be the first of many such plagues with the constant dominance of Man removed. After the rats there would probably be cats and after the cats there would be dogs. And all of these would most assuredly bring about a massive gator explosion as small prey was their favorite food. I had already noticed an increase in the mosquito population which would also bring about a growing bird empire.
    As I sat in my bunker I could hear the rats skittering across my roof for what seemed like hours. Later that night I could hear the howl of dogs in their chase. The plague of cats was most assuredly happening somewhere else, but it seemed the dogs were next in my little corner of the world.
    I poked my head out of the bunker the next morning expecting a pack of something to be sitting there waiting for me, but the plague of rats and dogs had gone as quickly as they had come. After a bit a checking around I made my way back to the garden to check on the damage. To my surprise the cows had survived and were grazing as usual. And the chickens had also held their own, with what looked like only a couple having been caught and devoured.
    The garden was a different story. The rats had stripped it of every ripe or nearly ripened tidbit. The plants themselves still looked good so I would be several weeks without fresh vegetables.
    With the plagues having subsided I again ventured back to what had been Orlando. As I reached downtown I stopped at Lake Eola Park to have lunch. Once again it was an eerie landscape that confronted me. Except for the fountain not working in the center, the small lake looked like any other day, only there were no people.
    The swans and ducks were happily paddling around. Both birds and squirrels were fluttering and hoping about in the few remaining downtown area trees that bordered the lake. The band shell and the surrounding buildings of course were flat, but the lake looked quiet and peaceful.
    It was noon so I got out my cooler and fumbled for some water and food to quench my thirst and growing hunger. That day it was an egg and green bean sandwich, courtesy of the pre-rat Kendall’s garden.
    The taller buildings bordering the lake had been so compacted from above that they actually pushed the surrounding ground out and up from its previous position. As I surveyed the devastation and began thinking about my lunch something caught my eye.
    Something had moved in a nearby mound of pushed up rubble. I drew a pistol and began backing towards my car. I was in no mood to tangle with a pack of dogs at this point. They would most likely not bother with me, but I was not willing to take the chance. I shoved the cooler into the passenger seat, climbed in and closed the door before a feeling of security returned.
    Whatever had moved in the rubble was certainly worth investigating, but I was not going to do it without the safety of the car. I took Suzie down the sidewalk for a ways in order to get a look around behind the mound, but I still had no good view from my vantage point. With no further visible threat I decided I could once again abandon the safety of the car.
    I left Suzie running just to give a little added noise cover and began to work my way slowly around the rubble. I continued to circle the debris until I could see something or someone attempting to hide. It was a girl! I was so excited at the thought of seeing another living human being that I began waving my arms and shouting as I ran towards her.
    The girl darted and was followed closely behind by another. They were moving quickly and there was no way my shouting and waving was turning them around. So, I hustled back to Suzie and headed their way. With all the flattened structures and trees there really were very few places to hide. As I drove in their direction I saw them disappear into what was once someone’s well-manicured hedge.
    I stopped Suzie just short