copyright Jan Wayne Fields
Gotterdammerung
We couldn’t face New York City sober, so out came the last of the whiskey and we danced a frenzied, forgetful dance on the deck of the last fishing boat in the Atlantic.
Around 6am, the boat entered the Narrows, the AI effortlessly navigating the spidery, rust corpse of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
Belle crawled to the railing and peered ahead into the darkness. “There’s hope, right? Deep down in the subway system. People could survive.”
I nodded, took another drink.
The sun rose and Belle suddenly laughed and pointed. “She’s still there, torch held high. There’s still hope after all.”
The Green-Walled Tower 
September 11th, 2013 at 7:33 pm
Dear David,
You never disappoint. You set the mood and the scene. I was there from dismal beginning to hopeful end. Well done. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
September 11th, 2013 at 7:34 pm
And a perfect title I might add.
September 11th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Thank you so much. 🙂
September 11th, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Carries tons of positive energy…
Good!
September 11th, 2013 at 9:11 pm
Good tale there..
September 11th, 2013 at 10:28 pm
Oh, nicely done, David! I think we too often forget that there’s hope and only dwell on the negatives (although there are always plenty of them.) Thanks for adroitly pointing this out.
janet
September 11th, 2013 at 10:40 pm
I kind of wanted to do this story like this because in every apocalypse movie, the Statue of Liberty is destroyed right away, so I liked the idea that it survived. 🙂
September 11th, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Good job!
September 12th, 2013 at 1:23 am
apocalypse, yes! 🙂 it’s true, why’d they always destroy the Statue of Liberty? imaginative and impeccably executed as always.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Yep, she is a disaster magnet in most movies. 🙂 Thanks for the kind comments.
September 12th, 2013 at 3:09 am
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were two of the most beautiful and meaningful places I visited there in 1998 with my husband while on vacation as I sat on the ferry thinking about my own grandfather and family immigrating from south Russia in 1889, and seeing the statue of Liberty. After researching my family tree for over 30 yrs. there are still new things we can learn, and unfortunately the tragedies as well, as today commemorates the twelfth anniversary of 9/11.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:49 pm
I’d love to go there myself sometime. The only time I even had a chance, the Statue of Liberty was closed for repairs. It would be quite significant, especially for those whose family had come through there.
September 16th, 2013 at 12:28 am
Yes, it was I know an emotional thing to see for all the immigrants and today for visitors and tourists it remains just as impressive and representative of freedom and new beginnings.
September 12th, 2013 at 4:04 am
I’m glad you saved Lady Liberty. Now if we can only save what she stands for.
September 12th, 2013 at 4:18 am
Ah.. a little apocalypse… of course the statue would be standing still 🙂 great tatle.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:50 pm
I like a little apocalypse now and then. 🙂 Sometimes stories just jump out at you when you see one of these prompts. At least that was the case with this one.
September 12th, 2013 at 4:26 am
Hope reigns after the cataclysm. All in how you frame the story.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:51 pm
Yep. I wanted to end this one on a hopeful, uplifting note, even in the face of so much catastrophe.
September 12th, 2013 at 8:39 am
The Statue of Liberty is a the perfect symbol of a new beginning after the collapse of life as we know it. Well done.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Thanks. I really liked the mood of this picture and the Statue is a symbol of new beginnings for some many people.
September 12th, 2013 at 8:53 am
Now here’s the start of a movie… Nice, David.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:52 pm
I’d watch that movie. Heck, I’d like to write that movie too. Hmm…. 😉
September 12th, 2013 at 11:15 am
I love all the details you put into this. It made it “realer.” Great job on this one!
September 15th, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Thanks~
September 12th, 2013 at 11:20 pm
You had similar thoughts as I. Well delivered.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Yes, I think we’ve been conditioned by disaster movies to think apocalypse when we see the Statue of Liberty. 🙂
September 13th, 2013 at 1:24 am
Looks like we both touched on hope this week in a sad sort of way. Well done and I ditto what JKBradley said.
Tom
September 15th, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Yeah, I just read yours. I like that you ended on a hopeful note as well. There is always hope.
September 13th, 2013 at 1:32 am
Very well written.
September 15th, 2013 at 10:05 pm
🙂
September 13th, 2013 at 4:16 am
a shred of hope to hang onto/ a very effective build-up to the conclusion
September 13th, 2013 at 4:36 pm
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September 13th, 2013 at 11:09 pm
Oh, that’s a chiller! And is there any chance at all for our main characters to survive??
September 15th, 2013 at 10:06 pm
I would hope so, although it would be a hard one. There might be a novel in there somewhere. 🙂
September 14th, 2013 at 12:18 am
Good stuff, I love a bit of sci-fi as you know. I wonder how many sci-fi films feature the Statue?? Planet of the Apes, Day after Tomorrow, Cloverfield, Ghostbusters (2?), X-Men . . .
September 15th, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Tons of them, right? I think Hollywood disaster movie directors have it out for the Statue of Liberty.
September 14th, 2013 at 1:42 am
Never a better time for whiskey I should think. A really neat and clever story.
September 15th, 2013 at 10:37 pm
I think that situation would make me take a few swigs, for sure.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:22 am
I got completely caught up in the story. I didn’t even notice the writing. Bravo!
September 15th, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Thanks. That’s a great compliment.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:48 am
Splendid writing, David! I would not want to end up in the subway. What a bad way to survive.
September 15th, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Yeah, I can’t imagine it would be a great way to be. I’d rather stay on the boat, I think.
September 14th, 2013 at 4:06 am
Your theme matches mine – I felt the desperation.
September 14th, 2013 at 7:13 am
Well done, David. I’m glad Lady Liberty survived. Still supplying hope to those struggling just to survive.
September 14th, 2013 at 7:22 pm
Dear David,
Why, oh why, can’t all the stories be as good as yours? That’s all I’m going to say here. Just know that it was, from the title to the last line, pretty perfect.
Aloha,
Doug
September 15th, 2013 at 10:43 pm
Doug,
Wow, I’m honored by your high praise. Thanks, as always for reading my work.
-David
September 15th, 2013 at 5:20 pm
Really well crafted, with fine description leading to the siting of the statue. And apocalyptic, which fits right into my frame of mind, only I would worry about those survivors….
September 16th, 2013 at 1:37 pm
A very sophisticated tale.
September 21st, 2013 at 7:30 pm
she was there in planet of apes too, in a toppled up condition but was there
September 21st, 2013 at 8:09 pm
Yeah, I thought of that too. I guess she has some survivability. 🙂