Bonjour à tous,
J'ai posté dans la rubrique 'Textes courts' la version française de ce texte, mais comme il se passe en Amérique, et que je m'ennuyais, j'ai décidé de l'écrire également en anglais 
Ça fait longtemps que je n'ai pas rédigé directement en anglais, alors il y aura certainement quelques fautes, je ne prendrai pas ombrage si vous souhaitiez m'en faire part 
Motherly LovePrologueThe radio was throwing up irrelevant news in the cold night. Revolts in Middle-East, global financial crisis, protests in Europa. And, of course, the newscasters were still blabbering about the earthquake that crushed the old bowling center the week before, fortunately with no casualty. Alicia Jones let a long sigh, slammed the door of her car shut and hurried toward the building. Of course, news had been better. Of course, things were going sour.
But what the hell am I to do about it!?Alicia, barely containing her strength and anger, opened the door of the sheriff office in the little country town of Paris, Kentucky. Sheriff Wilson was about fifty, a chubby man with thin hair and keen eye. “Jones, you’re late!” he said without even looking at her. On his desk was a model of the Eiffel Tower. This was the kind of things they did in a small town like this, Alicia thought. And she was always surprised to find it funny, usually. But the situation she was in was all but usual. It was why she had to come this early, although she didn’t know it yet.
‘What in the world can be so important that I had to be here at 5 in the morning, sir?’ she asked in a tone that showed strict professionalism with hints of weariness and annoyance. After a few second of reflection, he turned his serious face to her and said: ‘The end of the world, actually’.
Skeptical, Alicia chose to remain politely silent. Her way of saying nothing had the particularity of increasing the already tangible tension in the room. A subtle staring context, disrupted only by raised eyebrows and long, tired sighs, took place. After a few minutes of this, Sheriff Wilson finally said ‘Hell, Jones, you’re not making this easy on me!’
‘Ain’t a thing I can do about that, sir’, she answered in what may pass for a neutral tone, if not for the little grin she so easily concealed. This was the skill that made her such a dangerous opponent come poker night. Sheriff Wilson was chewing his lower lip, as he always did when there was some piece of information he had to break to her, but didn’t know how.
And as always, he’s gonna beat around the bush for hours.‘See, Jones… I… For quite some time… No, I shouldn’t start this way…’ Looking from outside, it was really moving to see him trying so hard. It was also quite pathetic. Alicia then took it upon herself to stop him in the best way she could. ‘I love you too, sir, but what about your wife?’ The silence that followed this declaration was tense. As if they were the two last lovers on earth, the two cops stared at each other through the cold office, before bursting out laughing.
‘For Chrissake, Jones, I think I could hit you for that’, he said in tears, still grasping for air. He then pulled himself together so fast that Alicia was caught unawares. ‘Listen to me now, Jones. Last week, something weird happened. I was just going home, whistling, holding some flowers I had bought for Betty’s birthday, when all of sudden, a lil’ girl comes and tugs my sleeve! I remember thinking the child was going to ask for change, but she doesn’t. She stares at me with eyes like drills, and simply says: “Mom is upset. Mom will grumble tonight”. I think to myself that the girl is going to get a scolding from her mother, when she starts pointing at the old bowling.center. “Mom will grumble there tonight”, she says. Then she leaves the scene. I come home, give a birthday kiss to Betty, give her the flowers and forget all about what just happened’.
‘Until this morning?’ she asked barely stifling a yawn.
‘Until last night, actually. When I went back home, by the same way I take every day, and who do I see? The same kid. She comes up to me, tells me and mother is going to grumble once more “before sunrise”. And that’s when it hit me. You know, Jones, it’s been a few years that the planet is sending us signs. Earthquakes in China, in Italy, big waves in Asia, hurricanes, storms, global warming, more and more natural disasters waiting to wipe out humankind, and frankly… You know, those prophecies… Mayan, or Azteq, or whatever… I think they’re not far from the truth. I think that girl may be…’
‘You’re pulling my leg, sir?’ Alicia interrupted himwith a mixed tone, between incredulity and annoyance. Seeing as he was keeping a straight face, she raised her voice angrily. ‘The hell you’re thinking you’re doing, waking people up at 4 in the morning for total BS like that!? Whaddya think!? That you stumbled upon some kind of freakin’ human seismograph!?’
‘Jones, do I have to remind you I am your boss?’
‘Sir, do I have to remind you I don’t actually eat bullshit with a paddle? That bowling center was old as fuck! Didn’t need an earthquake to fall down, just someone leaning on it! And now you’re expecting me to believe that a little girl could…’ A seism, as deafening as it was sudden, cut her short.
Walls were trembling, windows were shaking, and the Eiffel tower model fell on the ground, splitting in two. This scene reminded Alicia of a terrible disaster movie she’d seen some weeks ago. First thing she did while getting back on her feet was shooting the sheriff a darker-than-night look. ‘This is just a coincidence. This is ridiculous, and I’m leaving now.’
‘Jones, your days starts in a hour, is it really worth leaving now?
‘See you in an hour, sir!’ she answered back in an icy tone.
‘One last thing, Jones’ he said as she was already out, looking for her car. ‘We need to find the girl’.
Her only answer was raising her middle finger in his direction, slamming the door shut, and driving off into the sunrise.
