Chapter 27
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After Adam left Eve tried to re-adjust to "normal." She went to school, made cards for Ark workers, watched tv. But her parents were once again largely absent after this little crises. Cujo was always there for Eve, perhaps the only real friend she still had. The stability act easily passed both houses of congress. People might soon have to adjust to food rationing. For Eve. this meant long lines at the gas stations. She would keep her mother company in the car during these waits, it was the best way she knew to see her mother these days. President Mason tried to set an example by keeping the heat down in the white house during cold days, and not using the cooling system on hot days. Eve watched the celebrity scandals. The singers who imitated Bonnie and Clyde were killed in a shoot-out with the police. Their music continued to sell big, they were billed as genuine outlaws. The first lady was caught in a love nest with a secret service agent. The president had also been suspected of infidelity, possibly with his press secretary Erica. Mason was a grandfather, but Erica was barely older than his daughter. These all seemed stupid compared to ELE, but Eve liked these minor diversions. She also began watching reverand Walker. If he was right, the only way to get into Heaven was to be saved by Christ. Eve still had no idea what that meant, and this claim worried her. But then some of Walker's claims were outright innacurate. Walker caimed that people were still turning away from God, embracing paganism more than Christianity. The truth was that people were embracing christianity and islam more since 2/4. Buddhism, Hinduism, and judaism all had decreases in membership. Eve had heard one theory. Buddhism and hinduism believed in reincarnation. But with this world slowly going downhill many weren't sure they wanted to come back. Eve had believed in reincarnation before 2/4, now she found herself wanting to believe in this less. Similarly people in Japan were killing whales for oil. Eve might've protested this once. Now, she couldn't really blame them, not if it meant fuel for the Arks. Judaism never emphasized much of an afterlife, and with ELE coming the idea of no afterlife seemed less appealing than usual. People thus turned to the two major religions that emphasized an afterlife of eternal joy. Eve found herself getting angrier in the two weeks since Adam left, and she feared she knew why. She was angrier with Adam for leaving her than for hitting her. As much as it hurt,Adam had always seemed to protect her. He had promised to never leave her, but he did, just when she needed him the most.