A full moon always scared him. Full and white, shiny, glowing behind clouds that crossed it’s path. He’d look up at it in the early morning hours with his binoculars in the backyard. Just stand there in the wet October dew looking at the moon and thinking, The end of the world is soon.

The sounds of diesels running up and down 41 set a kind of soundtrack to his viewing of the heavens. Very few stars were out, mostly pitch black, he couldn’t see his hands in front of him. Vrmmm…another semi went down the highway. Errr…air brakes were applied. Sounded like a dysfunctional symphony. He continued staring at the moon.

The old man noticed the kitchen light come on through the back window. His wife was up standing at the sink. Probably filling a tea pot with water. Watched her as she walked away. Looked at her through the lenses. Noticed she was knocking on the window and waving at him. She thinks my moon watching is a joke, he mumbled. The whole world’s ’bout to come crashing down and she thinks it’s a joke, he continued. Some joke.

And he waved back at her. These being the final days he thought it’d be best if there was a peace between them. So, he waved real hard and smiled when she turned on the flood lights outside attached to the garage. She waved for him to come inside. Get out of the cold. Leave your moon chasing for another night. He followed her directions.

They sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in front of them. I better check my sugar level, the old woman said. Been feeling funny all night long, she got up and walked over to a drawer by the refrigerator. Took out the tiny pin and pricked her right finger. Blood was drawn.

It’s the moon, he said. First full one on this date for seventy-six years. That’s when they saw it up in the sky; seventy-six years ago on Halloween night. Strange what the moon can do to ya, he told her.

She shook her head. Next thing you’ll be tellin’ me is the four horsemen are comin’, he nodded. You get scared too easily, she laughed. You think that moon is out to get ya. I should’ve never got you those binoculars. Should’ve never done it.

Trump being president. The pandemic. A full moon on Halloween seventy-six years later. He knew the world was ending soon. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

The sun was coming up. The moon was going down. And the day would begin soon. He looked outside at the orange ball in the sky. Just looked at it. Said, Thank you Lord. Thank you.