[ WP ] `` America has fallen . ''

It was all over the news. Washington DC had been laid to waste after the perfect president had revealed himself to be Satan, after which he proceeded to destroy the city with an army of demons. Not long after, their entire nuclear arsenal detonated in the bunkers; reportedly, terrorist extremists had infiltrated the army and manually set them to go off. The entire American soil was now a barren, dead wasteland, and the world stared in awe at every news screen on the planet. 
 
 `` America has fallen'', large news banner exclaimed while the pretty brunette silently spoke of the terrible tragedy with fear in her eyes. Was it the realisation that the most powerful country in the world was wiped from the face of the earth in less then a day? Or that whatever caused it might spread out to the other nations? 
 
 According to some of the foreign reports, it already had. All over the planet crops, even those that were grown artificially, failed. From the rice field in China to the lettuce farms in Europe. An airborne viral disease with two dozen names had wrecked havoc in the entire southern hemisphere, and the Middle-East was tearing itself and everything around it to pieces in an all-out war for salvation. 
 Suicide rates and accidental deaths were through the roof everywhere. The human population had dropped by over a billion, maybe even two, and was expected to have doubled by the end of the week. 
 
 And with all this tragedy, these four guys still had time to drink the finest whiskey in twenty miles around and play liar's dice. 
 
 Harry could barely believe all of this had gone down the drain as fast as it did. one day he was simply cleaning the glasses in his shoddy pub, and the next he looked out the window and saw hordes and hordes of people had come to Scandinavia to run. The cold did n't carry the disease apparantly, and it was one of the places where the governments had n't gone mad with power. Yet. 
 
 `` Four fives'', the sick looking one said. He did n't have the symptoms of the virus, but he looked like he was about to keel over and fall apart. 
 
 `` Four sixes'', the big one said. He was the loudest, whether it was laughing at his companions or cursing him for calling out his bluffs. He must've been at least over two meters tall, for his knees knocked the table every time he moved. 
 
 People listened to the play and watched, as a distraction but also out of curiosity. 
 These strangers had showed up here, led by the big guy, and simply made their place here two hours ago and started playing. Kids occasionally came along to watch them play, but they gently shoved them off. The adults were shoved less gently, except Harry when he came to bring drinks. 
 
 `` Six sixes'', the gaunt one said while sipping on a 1907 Heidsieck he brought himself. He did n't like sharing, from what Harry saw, which was understandable since it was one of the most expensive wines in the world. 
 
 `` Seven threes'', the plain one said. He was the most unremarkable of the four of them. A common man, black hair, green eyes, plain face. Nothing out of the ordinary. 
 
 `` Liar'', the sick-looking one said. 
 
 They lifted their cups, and the sick-looking one sighed as the big one chuckled. 
 
 `` Of course everyone has threes'', and he tossed a dice tot he middle of the table. 
 
 `` What's your secret boys? ``, Harry blurted out. 
 
 All four of them tossed their cups on the table as they looked at Harry one by one. They did n't like being interrupted, he could tell by the stares that froze his heart and soul. 
 
 `` Excuse me? ``, the gaunt one asked politely, not taking his eyes off of the bartender. Other people were watching now as well. Harry gulped. 
 
 `` That one looks like he's about to breathe his last, and you lot do n't care one bit. People are dying by the millions every day, some even as close as across the North Sea. And you just... play dice. How do you do it?''. 
 
 `` It's quite simple really'', the common man said, `` Once you accept the fact that no matter what happens everyone will be dead in less then a month, you will start to enjoy the simple things in life. Make peace with it in some way. I suggest you do that too, Harry''. 
 
 Harry did n't recall telling these men his name. 
 

