The car ride was a blur of traffic, frustration and worry. Vanessa remembered little of it save for this same song that seemed to be playing on all the radio stations no matter how often she changed the station.

                “It’s the end of the world as we know it.”

Damn R.E.M. damn them she thought. She changed the station.

                “Here is an oldie that we all remember from the nineties…. That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aero plane –“

She changed the station.

“Wire in a fire, represent the seven games in a government for hire and a combat site. Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck”.

She changed the station.

                “Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves it own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the reverent in the right – right!”

She cussed and then changed the station.

                “It’s the end of the world as we Know it-“

She changed the station.

                “and I feel fine…”

She put a Rascal Flatts CD in

                “Prayin' for daylight waiting for that morning sun So I can act like my whole life ain't going wrong;”

She changed tracks.

                “There ain't no load that I can't hold  The road's so rough this I know-“

She briefly considered flinging the disc out the window; instead she ejected it and tossed it into the back seat. The radio returned to more of “It’s the end of the world as we know nit.”

She turned the radio off and pulled to the curb in front of her parent’s house.

A car passed as she was getting out and;

                “It’s the end of the world as we know it!

She cringed.

                “And I feel fine!”

The song faded away as the car pulled away on down the street.  Vanessa said three particularly choice swear words and felt like stamping her feet but didn’t.  She squared her shoulders took a deep breath and turned towards her parent’s house. The house she had grown up in most of her life.  The house had not changed much since they had moved in 20 some odd years before. It was a 4 bedroom rancher with a central lounge, moderately sized kitchen and sunken den that her father had put in about 5 years after moving in.