Ulysses Kessler

Named after Ulysses S. Grant, Ulysses was a history buff from birth. His parents were both American History college professors and their son followed in their foot steps by obtaining a Masters Degree in History. He could have taught college easily with his connections and background, but Uly was driven more by a desire to aid the less fortunate than to earn money himself. He took up teaching history at an inner city school in Chicago where violence was the norm with hopes he could change that. It was there that he met his wife Maria. She was a guidance councilor with a similar desire to help the students rise up to a higher purpose and make something of themselves.

Together they had a daughter, Hannah, in December of 2008. Four years later they were cleaning up from her fourth birthday party, which was a success the day before when the wind began to pick up. Chicago was called the windy city, but this was out of the norm… the wind was strong enough to take off roof tops. The news reported casualties and every reported seemed confused by the fact all the weather tracking in the world hadn’t picked up this sudden ‘storm’. It didn’t make sense and Uly stood silently watching the television reports in shock when the earth beneath their house began to shake. It rocked the very foundation of the neighborhood. Houses were not built to with stand that much trauma. Maria, who was upstairs with Hannah, gave a scream just as the floor began to give way below her. It was the last noise Uly recalled hearing before everything went black.

Awaking in the middle of dust and rubble, Uly managed to climb out of the wreckage of their former home, into the windy world above within a half hour. He didn’t understand it at first… why were there no emergency crews? Why wasn’t anyone coming to help? He dug around, climbing over what was left of their house in a seemingly fruitless effort to find his wife and daughter. It took him hours and the sun began to set, making it all the more harder.

By the time dawn came, he had uncovered them. Both were dead, badly wounded. He didn’t know what to do… he found his cell phone and tried to reach his parents but the signal was nonexistent. Driving a car through what was left of their community would prove impossible and so, he started out on foot… looking for other survivors.