Apocalypse Drift Read Online Free Page A
kill those without climate control.
Wyatt started his grand tour of the house, flipping latches and tugging at window frames. There must have been a threat of rain this morning. That’s the only reason why Morgan would have closed them all before leaving for work. His wife disliked that muggy feeling more than he did. The house was stuffy, and he hoped it wouldn’t take long before the hot changed places with the cool. The sun would be going down in a little bit, and it might actually get comfortable enough to doze off tonight. He made sure the master bedroom’s glass was wide open.
Out of habit, he grasped the TV remote, hoping to fill in more details of the day’s foreboding financial reports via cable news. He stopped just as his thumb moved to press the power button – they didn’t have cable anymore. The provider had disconnected their service a little over a month ago, and he hadn’t had time to hook up the rabbit ears.
All of this was so new to Wyatt and his family. Some 18 years ago, he established a small accounting and financial services firm. Its customer base increased steadily. Three years ago, the company reached its peak, providing employment for 32 workers. Growing a small business hadn’t always been a bed of roses. While there had been periods when money was tight, those lean spells were normally offset by generous bonuses later. Walking the tightrope of expanding his corporate blueprint versus raising his family’s standard of living constantly challenged Wyatt. It seemed like every time Morgan and he put a little money back, some company emergency required a reinvestment of their savings.
It wasn’t always bad news or cash flow problems that motivated them to empty their reserves into the firm. There were times when expansion or improvements depended on cash. After remitting an ever-increasing rent for 10 years, Wyatt decided the firm’s office space should be one of those improvements. An intense search resulted in acquiring a modest building in a stable section of town. The sales price was $1 million even. Morgan reluctantly agreed to allocate a chunk of their savings for the down payment. Wyatt never minded writing a check for the mortgage – it was an investment in their future. He thought of the equity in the building like a savings account.
Wyatt had always placed a high value on real estate. Reasoning that, “They aren’t making any more of it,” Wyatt convinced Morgan that the majority of their savings should be invested in property. He didn’t believe in anything speculative or risky, just conservative, practical assets. The couple purchased the largest house they could afford in an up and coming neighborhood, thinking that it would increase in value over the years and become a wise investment. That financial plan worked well for over a decade. No one could have predicted home values would plummet in such an unprecedented manner.
The Houston Sunday paper contained a graph in the real estate section showing property appraisals in various parts of the city. Wyatt could be found with a calculator on many a Sunday afternoon, estimating the current value of his home and office investments. Until recently, the news had always been good.
Anyone who knew Wyatt and his family pictured them as a fine example of the American dream. Casual observers took note the sizeable home, nice cars, boat, wonderful vacations, and successful business. It was all real – an accomplishment by any measure.
Their financial situation began changing in 2010. Wyatt thought Hemingway described it best in one of his old novels. When asked, “How did you go bust?” the character answered, “Slowly at first, and then quickly.” I resemble that remark , Wyatt thought. In that tragic year, clients began to pay late, claiming their business was down. Others never paid at all and closed their doors, still owing Wyatt thousands of dollars. New clients were very difficult to find, and competitors
Wyatt started his grand tour of the house, flipping latches and tugging at window frames. There must have been a threat of rain this morning. That’s the only reason why Morgan would have closed them all before leaving for work. His wife disliked that muggy feeling more than he did. The house was stuffy, and he hoped it wouldn’t take long before the hot changed places with the cool. The sun would be going down in a little bit, and it might actually get comfortable enough to doze off tonight. He made sure the master bedroom’s glass was wide open.
Out of habit, he grasped the TV remote, hoping to fill in more details of the day’s foreboding financial reports via cable news. He stopped just as his thumb moved to press the power button – they didn’t have cable anymore. The provider had disconnected their service a little over a month ago, and he hadn’t had time to hook up the rabbit ears.
All of this was so new to Wyatt and his family. Some 18 years ago, he established a small accounting and financial services firm. Its customer base increased steadily. Three years ago, the company reached its peak, providing employment for 32 workers. Growing a small business hadn’t always been a bed of roses. While there had been periods when money was tight, those lean spells were normally offset by generous bonuses later. Walking the tightrope of expanding his corporate blueprint versus raising his family’s standard of living constantly challenged Wyatt. It seemed like every time Morgan and he put a little money back, some company emergency required a reinvestment of their savings.
It wasn’t always bad news or cash flow problems that motivated them to empty their reserves into the firm. There were times when expansion or improvements depended on cash. After remitting an ever-increasing rent for 10 years, Wyatt decided the firm’s office space should be one of those improvements. An intense search resulted in acquiring a modest building in a stable section of town. The sales price was $1 million even. Morgan reluctantly agreed to allocate a chunk of their savings for the down payment. Wyatt never minded writing a check for the mortgage – it was an investment in their future. He thought of the equity in the building like a savings account.
Wyatt had always placed a high value on real estate. Reasoning that, “They aren’t making any more of it,” Wyatt convinced Morgan that the majority of their savings should be invested in property. He didn’t believe in anything speculative or risky, just conservative, practical assets. The couple purchased the largest house they could afford in an up and coming neighborhood, thinking that it would increase in value over the years and become a wise investment. That financial plan worked well for over a decade. No one could have predicted home values would plummet in such an unprecedented manner.
The Houston Sunday paper contained a graph in the real estate section showing property appraisals in various parts of the city. Wyatt could be found with a calculator on many a Sunday afternoon, estimating the current value of his home and office investments. Until recently, the news had always been good.
Anyone who knew Wyatt and his family pictured them as a fine example of the American dream. Casual observers took note the sizeable home, nice cars, boat, wonderful vacations, and successful business. It was all real – an accomplishment by any measure.
Their financial situation began changing in 2010. Wyatt thought Hemingway described it best in one of his old novels. When asked, “How did you go bust?” the character answered, “Slowly at first, and then quickly.” I resemble that remark , Wyatt thought. In that tragic year, clients began to pay late, claiming their business was down. Others never paid at all and closed their doors, still owing Wyatt thousands of dollars. New clients were very difficult to find, and competitors
Readers choose
Greg Pace
Katherine Cachitorie
Jessica Knauss
Kate Douglas
Ryan Schneider
Sherry Turkle
Christie Ridgway
Rebecca Demarest
Michael Fowler