pulse

by Tom Misuraca

Was it a solar flare? An alien energy attack? The hand of God?

Scientists are still trying to figure it out.

Whatever the pulse was, it wiped out all digital creations.

In a flash:

All websites gone.

All social media gone.

All electronic storage wiped out.

All digital pictures vanished. Pixels a thing of the past.

Phone memories obliterated.  

Digital music erased. If an artist’s original recordings were made digitally, the source material was abolished, too. Only reel-to-reels remained for some mysterious reason.

CDs were also wiped clean, while old cassette tapes (and even 8-tracks) still held their recordings. Vinyl, as always, was fine.

Digital books and comics ceased to be. As well as any digital books-on-tape. Authentic books-on-tape survived.

Streaming services erased. As were Blu-rays and DVDs. Video tapes of all types continued to work. Most new TV shows were lost, but the classics remained. Anything shot on film was fine.

Everybody’s digital footprint was deleted, like it or not.

. It’s like we’ve stepped back in time. Cell phones still don’t work, so people can’t text, post on socials, or even call. Many cars with digital components are unusable. So, people walk to check-in on their friends. People were spending more quality time together.

Parks were filled with picnickers.

Hiking trails more crowded than the old Los Angeles freeways. With people greeting each other as they passed.

Movie theaters that showed movies on film, as well as live theater, had lines around the block. And after, cafes were filled with people discussing what they just watched. 

Live music was more appreciated than ever. Nobody cared about filming or taking pictures.

People were living in the moment. Acknowledging the world and people around them.

At the same time, violent crimes dropped.

Many struggling with mental health issues saw vast improvement.

Cruelty was no longer tolerated. People focused on the good things around them.

Our differences were accepted. And eventually… cherished.

Maybe it was the hand of God.

Photo of Tom Misuraca

BIO: Over 160 of Tom Misuraca's short stories and two novels have been published. His story, Giving Up The Ghosts, was published in Constellations Journal, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. His work recently appeared in Flint Hills Review, The Paradox and Southern Florida Poetry Journal. He is also a multi-award winning playwright with over 170 short plays and 14 full-lengths produced globally. His musical, Geeks!, was produced Off-Broadway in May 2019.