Leaving Home

(Magpie 53, "E" is for "Exodus." Writer's Island and Sunday Scribblings)
When your community has broken the sacred laws, who can foretell what fate has in store for it?
“I don’t want to have to tell you again. You’ve got to get your things together now so we can get out of here!”
“This is all so strange...”
“It’s more than strange; it’s dangerous. We’ve only got another half-hour or so before the whole place blows up. Where are the girls?”
“Well, they’re trying to get their things together too. It’s awful that we have to leave; they’ve been doing so well in school and of course they have their friends here. And I've got a week's food in the pantry."
“You just don’t get it! This is a life and death situation! We should have been on the road an hour ago.”
“How did you learn about this – this emergency? Nobody else seems to know about it.”
“I haven’t explained it because it would take too much time, and you probably wouldn’t believe it anyway. But did you see those two strange-looking men around here this morning?”
“They’re from out of town, aren’t they?”
“Yes.” (laughs) “You could certainly say that. From way out of town. They aren’t really men, you see; they’re angels.”
“Angels?!”
“Right. You know what’s been going on in this place, all the drinking and carousing and screwing around and God knows what else. Well, Yahweh sent these angels to see if there are a few righteous folks in our town.”
“Who sent them?”
“Yahweh – you know, God.”
“This is all very weird.”
“The idea was that if there were at least ten righteous men in this place it wouldn’t be destroyed. Well, these two fellows – er, angels – couldn’t find even ten, so the whole area is going to be blown sky high.”
“How will – er, you know, He – do the destruction?”
“Not sure. Something to do with fire and brimstone, I suppose.”
"I've never really understood just what brimstone is, actually."
"Well, let's not wait around to find out."
“Will it be all of Sodom?”
“Not just Sodom; Gomorrah too.”
“Oh, dear. I rather like Gomorrah.”
“Yeah. A real fun town – too much fun, as it turns out.”
“So where are we going?”
“I have been told that we can be safe if we get to Zoar; it’s outside Sodom’s city limits. Ah, here are the girls. Seriously, my dear, we've got to get started.”
“It’ll be sad to leave. In spite of its rather racy reputation, I’ve really enjoyed living here. There’s a hill on the road to Zoar. When we get to the top of that hill, I’m just going to have a good look back at our dear old town!”