Amy Brashear - The Incredible True Story of the Making of the Eve of Destruction

“Why are you here again?” Principal Parker asked. My permanent file on his desk.

“I laughed at a joke in Mr. Truitt’s class.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And Mr. Truitt didn’t think it was funny enough to laugh at.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But it was Max—”

“Stop right there.”

Max had a reputation.

Principal Parker took a deep breath. “I get it, I really do, but you have to show respect to the teachers. We’re not here to test your intelligence.”

I blinked at him. “Then what are you here to test for?” I asked.

“Honestly?” he muttered. “Start with my patience.”

I made it back to class just in time for the school sirens to go off. It was a drill—another drill.

We made our way into the hallway and sat in front of the lockers. Terrence sat beside me, and Rodney was on the other side. Max was across the hall making faces. Not exactly following the rules, but certainly testing Principal Parker’s patience, had he been there.

“Chuck, sit down now,” Coach Brooks shouted.

We all cringed, waiting for him to blow his whistle.

Coach Brooks was the assistant varsity football coach and civics teacher. He wore his whistle everywhere he went. I once saw him at an afternoon showing of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . [35] A sci-fi movie directed by Steven Spielberg. It came out in 1982. It’s basically about a boy who befriends an alien and tries to get him home before the government kills them. He blew the whistle when two adults started having a conversation during the scene when Elliot thought that E.T. had died.

Sure enough, there it was: a piercing screech.

“Coach, I can’t,” Chuck groaned. He stood against the cold metal of his locker with Dana and Kathy. They supported him as if they were adoring cheerleaders without brains, which they were. But they also had a reason to support him: Chuck had a broken leg.

“Chuck, get your ass down now before a nuke takes you out,” Coach Brooks yelled.

In case of nuclear attack, I’d decided I wanted the pointy end of the bomb to fall right above my head—I’d be skeletonized.

Chuck shook his head. “Coach, listen, it hurts. I won’t be able to get back up.”

Dana’s and Kathy’s indignation on Chuck’s behalf was too much for them to bear. They ran down the hall. Coach Brooks wasn’t happy. He called out their names but once he saw Chuck sliding down the lockers and falling to the floor, he smiled and spat his whistle from his mouth. He knew that Dana and Kathy had made the right decision. Chuck lay flat on the floor, turned on his stomach. His head in the middle of the hallway. His leg touching the wall.

His face was creased in agony as he writhed on the cold linoleum. He wasn’t faking. I felt bad for him. “Cover your head now, Chuck,” Coach Brooks ordered, and Chuck obeyed, even though he was in DefCon 1 [36] DEFCON 5: Normal Readiness. DEFCON 4: Above Normal Readiness. DEFCON 3: Air Force Ready to Mobilize in 15 Minutes. DEFCON 2: Armed Forces Ready to Deploy and Engage in Less than 6 Hours. DEFCON 1: Maximum Readiness. in pain.

“You’re all going to die—so kiss your asses goodbye,” Chuck said.

Is this appropriate? I wondered. I would have asked it out loud if another teacher had been present. Where was Principal Parker during these drills?

The sirens seemed to go on longer than usual. I felt queasy. Like something was looming on the horizon. And it wasn’t good. It could be Thanksgiving—in three days—with just Mom and Dennis. Terrence would be with his mom for the holiday. The sirens went on and on. These days those lilting doomsday whistles seemed to erupt more frequently—sour and out of sync and coming from every direction. I always pictured a chorus of limp-winged fallen angels, booted out of heaven for singing like crap. Stripped of their harps. Wailing for our attention while we marched toward the apocalypse. (But maybe that was because I was still bitter that Mom made me try out for chorus in ninth grade; when I didn’t pass the audition, it ruined extracurricular activities for me for good.) Still, the world continued not to end. Our butts continued to remain firmly glued to the dirty hallway floor.

And then: blessed silence.

A collective sigh of relief. We all stood. Well, all of us except for Chuck.

“Can someone help me up?” Chuck asked, raising his right arm in the air and waving his hand for anyone with strength to grab it.

I took a step forward.

“No, don’t help the dead person,” Coach Brooks commanded, laughing.

I couldn’t tell if Coach really meant what he was saying. I wasn’t sure what to do. So I froze in place, staring as Chuck clumsily tried to get himself into a standing position.

Orwell was right. All you have to do is keep people scared.

FEMA was created to ensure that the United States government survives a nuclear attack. In a nuclear attack, most people will be killed instantly, due to the blast, heat, or the initial radiation that follows.

This is in no way meant to frighten you; however, in a State of National Emergency declared by the President of the United States, it is best to be prepared because there will be casualties.

An attack warning signal will be heard. An attack warning signal means that an actual attack against the United States has been detected—and protective action is necessary. An enemy attack on the United States is possible in these rising global tensions. In the event of an attack you will receive a warning. To be prepared, know there are Alert Signals: a 3 to 5 minute steady blast of sirens. In the event of a real attack, there is an Attack Warning Signal: a 3 to 5 minute wavering sound on sirens. Please familiarize yourself with the distinction of each.

In the event of an attack on the United States, if you live in a target area, it is best to be prepared to evacuate to a safer location. In the event of an attack, locations in your area have been designated as safe places to go. These locations have been marked with a sign—black-and-yellow with three upside down triangles with the words fallout shelter clearly visible. Please locate and be familiar with the nearest shelter. You will live in the shelter for fourteen days. There are things you can do in order to survive. Make sure that all windows are blocked in the room. Possible items of use: bricks, concrete, building blocks, sand, books, dirt; furniture can also be used in an emergency. Sanitation arrangements need to be made because there will be no water or toilets. See your local FEMA office for more instructions.

A list of suggested items to have in your shelter:

The temperature of the heat and blast will be hotter than the sun. It will destroy surroundings up to many miles from ground zero. To protect your shelter from the heat blast, it is recommended that you paint your interior walls with antiflash white. It is the brightest white paint color. It will reflect thermal radiation. Contact your local FEMA office for more information.