Gone

The show-off Goldbergs went first—the middle of the night and their whole house swallowed up with a crash fit to wake the dead. Friday evening the Duponts’ garage vanished, taking Mr. Dupont’s Porsche that he wouldn’t let his wife drive, and leaving a hole that was nothing but darkness that had a stink all its own.

On Sunday when the Universalist Church at the corner was taken, we knew what it meant, because what sort of a religion is that? Us, we got down on our knees and prayed, and we’re praying still, while all around the earth trembles.

Gerri Brightwell is a British writer living in Alaska with her husband and sons. She has two published novels: Cold Country (Duckworth, 2003) and The Dark Lantern (Crown, 2008). Her writing has also appeared (or is forthcoming) in such venues as BBC Radio 4’s Opening Lines, The Guardian (UK), Camera Obscura, Word Riot, BLIP, the Dirty Napkin, Redivider, and The Brooklyn Review. She teaches in the M.F.A. program at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Photo Credit: Michael Gil

One Response to “Gone”

  1. Orcus Morituri says:

    Seems like the narrator is being left in hell while the others are being taken to a better place…

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