[October 2025]
I went to bed on Sunday night on what appeared to be just another day.
When I awoke Monday morning, the world had changed dramatically, Overnight, a group calling themselves the "Anti-Putin League" had eliminated everyone in North America who had any sort of power (politicians, judges, financiers, executives, religious leaders, members of law enforcement/security organizations, civil servants, even newscasters and popular social media personalities) who, in the APL's judgment, was "a stooge of Vladimir Putin."
When I awoke on Tuesday morning, the APL had done the same thing in South America. And Putin himself found a note on his bedside table, written in Cyrillic, reading YOUR HOURS ARE NUMBERED.
The next night, it was all of Oceania. Then all of Asia, and despite switching locations four times in 48 hours, Mr. Putin found another note, again in Cyrillic, on his bedside table. This note read ANTICIPATION OF DEATH IS WORSE THAN DEATH ITSELF.
Next, Africa. Then the next night, every remaining country except Russia. And on the seventh night, Russia itself.
The APL then posted a chilling warning on social media to all the remaining powerful people and leaders on the planet. "We will be making our demands this afternoon. Any of you who does not obey them instantly will be considered to be a stooge of the late Vladimir Putin and treated accordingly."
Of course, after seeing what the APL had already done, everyone hastened to obey their demands to the letter. That week became known as "The Week of Turmoil": the surviving Putin supporters (the ones, that is, who were not in a position of power of any kind) instead called it "The Week from Hell."
[January 2047]
I had been a young boy, just seven years old, when the Week of Turmoil happened. But even I could see the radical changes in society. The newly formed world government eliminated the concepts of war, capitalism, money, military, criminal gang (those had all been wiped out by the APL in any case: they were all deemed to be stooges of Putin), greed, hatred, and selfishness. Humans collectively focused on eliminating or mitigating global issues. There was a lot more entertainment, and people had time for it now that they didn't have to slave away in a capitalist hellscape to survive.
Linda had been ten years old when the Week of Turmoil happened. She was now an entertainer -- a singer, to be exact. She was a curvy, busty brunette, and had a beautiful voice. I had been crushing on her for a while. I walked over to the park, sat in the center of the front row, and listened to her sing, never taking my eyes off her. She noticed. After she was done, she stepped over to me.
"It's obvious you really like me. What's your name?"
"James."
"Want to meet me by the fountain tomorrow and chat? We can each bring a lunch. Say at noon?"