Short Story - End of the World - Grant Eagar

     
Short Story - The End of the World – Grant Eagar
 
It was noon on November 3, 2020 'Election Day'. Senator Snurfdog sat at the head of a banquet table in his campaign headquarters hotel surrounded by his minions. They had opened several dozen bottles of champagne served with fine cheeses, crackers, and an extensive fruit blend. Those present wore tuxes and formal gowns.
His bid to be elected president was going well, he was ten points ahead in the polls. He was what you would call a sure bet. 
Tyler, a Vietnam veteran homeless man walked up to him holding a sign that read “The End is nigh” and said, “Senator, justice is upon you, your chance to repent and change your ways is past. The end soon cometh, you’re going down. When this election is over you'll not be able to get a job picking up garbage.”
The senator glanced at Tyler whom he had used as a photo prop. He winced and said, “Can someone clear the riff raff away? We already me with him in a photo. Put him back on the street where he belongs.” He covered his mouth with his hand and glanced at the CSPAN camera, the lone camera active at the moment and hoped they didn’t catch what he had just said. He did not notice the man slipping truth serum into his drink.
His assistant tapped his shoulder and handed him a microphone and before turning it on whispered, “Senator, it’s time for your toast and speech. Thank everyone and talk about your plans for the future of the country. Today’s buzz word is job creation.”
The senator took another gulp of champagne then stood on shaky legs and tapped his chest with his fist. He looked into the lenses for CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC and a dozen other cameras, and raised his goblet. "Ladies and gentleman, I propose a toast to all of you and your staff for your hard work and everything you have done to insure my victory.” At this there was enthusiastic applause. He raised his hand to recognize the applause then struggled to speak. The truth serum that his drink had been spiked with was taking affect and he was fighting to come up with good lies.  This along with too much champagne was loosening his inhibitions. Sometimes a few inhibitions are a good thing.
“F-First I'd like to give thanks. I’m thankful that none of my mistresses have come forward. Obviously the campaign funds I used to hush them up, paid off well.” He covered his mouth with his hand then struggled to hold it in place. He finally removed it and continued, “Also I’m fortunate that none of those whom I’ve bribed to be silent about my embezzlements have ratted me out. “He covered his mouth with his hand again and was able to keep it in place for a full minute. Finally he pulled it away. “I’m appreciative that the Russians, the North Koreans and the Chinese have all secretly agreed to help with my election using their clandestine election rigging schemes. I’m going to win in a land slide and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.” This was followed by gasps and polite-nervous laughter from the audience. He gestured to his assistant.  “Did I just say what I thought I said?”
His assistant whispered, “What are you thinking? You confessed your infidelity and you told everyone about the election rigging? You also confessed that you embezzled to the whole country? Are you trying to destroy yourself?”
 “I don’t quite know why I said what I did, I just feel compelled to tell the truth and let it all hang out. The citizens of this country have the right to know who they’re getting as a president. Don’t worry, I’m so far ahead in the polls it won’t make any difference.”
“Well stop it, the election is still not over, people are still voting so talk about your plan for job creation.”Senator Snurfdog turned the mike back on and continued his speech. "Ok, my dimwitted campaign chairman wants me to talk about jobs in an effort to get you to forget about what I just confessed to. I would say this is just a joke, but of course it's all true. Job, jobs what can I say about job creation, Oh yea, if you don't have a job it sucks to be you and if you do have a job good for you, you can pay some taxes." The mike was wrestled out of his hands by his campaign manager and the senator was led away from the cameras.  
 He was confronted by several big spending donors.
He began shaking the men and women’s hands. “We want our money back said a woman in a business suit.”He said, “So you sharks want your money back? It’s not happening. I got your money and I’ve diverted it to an off shore bank account. I’ll be spending it on women, gambling, drugs and booze and there isn’t anything you can do about it.” Unfortunately he did not realize the camera's had followed him.
“We’ll see about that,” said a wealthy business man. “You haven’t been elected yet.”
Snurfdog’s wife walked up and grabbed his arm and dragged him away whispering loudly, “What possessed you to confess to those things? Now get in the game, you’re ruining everything. Tell them it was all a joke.”
He asked, “Why does a president have to have such a shrew as a wife, as soon as I’m elected I’m going to replace you with one of my mistresses.”
She raised her hand to slap him and noticed the camera’s trained on her and forced a smile. She adjusted his hair and lowered her hand. “Honey, you’re such a kidder, the champagne is bringing out your sense of humor.” She then forced a small laugh.
The homeless man returned and said, “Did I not say that today is the end of the world, well at least it is the end of your world. How does it feel to finally tell the truth?
Snurfdog grabbed the homeless man by the lapels and started pummeling him. “You filthy swine, you’ve ruined my life. Now get the hell out of here. You talk of the end of the world, well I’ll show you the end of the world.” He was restrained by a couple staffers and the man was led away.
This tirade along with his confession speech was playing on all the networks again and again which made his polling numbers drop like a bad day on the stock mark. That night he ended up losing in a landslide. There had been the biggest drop in the polls in the history of modern elections. He had gone from being up ten point to losing by twenty-five points.  His wife had left him and he was under investigation for election fraud and embezzlement.     
 
 
 
 
Back Story - Ok it is not quite the end of the world, but something is happening then. In the bible in the book of Revelations chapter 8 verse 1 it reads:
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
I think the opening of the seventh seal would be the beginning of the seventh thousand years. The year 2000. Considering that a day with god is a thousand years to man, half an hour would be 20.833 years or November 2 of the year 2020 or if we use the "about" term then we could surmise the day would be November 3, 2020 'election day in the US'. So the world will end when the new president is elected. Cool!