I'm in a special place right now. I took in a double feature tonight with a viewing of Phantom at the Venetian followed up by a midnight viewing of Cloverfield. It was somewhat of an odd combination for shows I'll admit but they both carry a sort of survival theme to theme. That is, how would you survive if your life was threatened?

As to Phantom that's an easy one--I would totally die. We've already discussed this. I have horrible taste in men that happen to also be pathological murderers and so my survival instincts would do nothing for me in that case. But Cloverfield, that's a more interesting question to ponder.

I will do my best not to give away any parts of the movie so you need not worry about spoilers. I will say only this: I became very involved in the movie and acted nearly instinctually while still in my chair. I believe, therefore, that I could use my reactions as a starting point in guessing what I would do should a giant monster attack my city and threaten my life.

I have an amazing flight response. My need to survive astounds even me sometimes. It isn't that I fear death, and it isn't even my fear of pain (though my aversion to being killed has everything to do with the pain it will cause me and little to do with the death itself) but I have a nearly overwhelming need to survive. Maybe it's the writer in me; I want to live so that I can tell the story. Maybe it's because I genuinely like living and so want to continue for more than simple instinctual reasons. But, whatever the case, I would run like hell and do my best to get myself and my friends out of there.

Sometimes, however, you can't simply run. If you live in Manhattan, for example, you're on an island. Living in Las Vegas I would be totally screwed cause I'm in the middle of the desert. That's almost as good as living on an island. Also, if there are people in town you love you can't just leave them. Until you know for sure they are dead you need to attempt to get everyone out.

However, if someone is most likely dead when is it okay to leave them behind? I'm not sure I would want my friends to come back for me even though if they did and we all somehow survived that would be really awesome. I would probably go back for my friends, but not if I thought they were dead. But maybe so--my need to survive is tempered by my need not to be a complete and utter asshole. So when is an appropriate time to assume someone is dead?

These are all questions that plague me when considering attacked-by-giant-monster scenarios. I do take comfort, though, in the knowledge that the first thing I would do would be to grab a baseball bat or weapon of some kind. I really should get a bat--it's a handy thing to have in one's house, and perhaps an axe as well. Both are excellent weapons that suit my particular fighting abilities well. I'm not much of a swashbuckler, but I played softball and I know I could beat the crap out of something.

I think in the end, that I would find a good defensible position, several useful weapons, a stockpile of food and water, hole up and wait it out. This strategy would be useful for not only attacked-by-giant-monster scenarios, but also vampires, werewolves, zombies, and human mobs. I am still plagued by the question of whether or not I would leave my excellently defended position to come save my friends, however. It's hard to give up a safe place for possible certain death (if such a thing as "possible certain death" is possible) but if you don't go for your friend how do you live with yourself? And I know what everyone is thinking right now. You're all thinking "I would totally come for you Jess" but let's be honest, none of us actually know what we would do since we have yet to be attacked by a giant monster, and even if you did come for me there's no guarantee you would make it and what good does that do anyone?

Once, while watching The Day After Tomorrow the friend next to me turned during the scene everyone was freezing to death and starving and said, "you know if that happened I would kill you and eat you so as to survive." I was horrified, still am actually, but I appreciate his honesty. On the one hand it shows me that my taste in male friends is as horrible as my taste in male romances, but on the other hand it's comforting to know that I have a friend that concerned with survival. That shows me that, assuming I kept him from killing and eating me, if I stuck with him we could survive. And that's a comforting thought.

So there you have it, whatever "it" is. What would you do if the world ended tomorrow? And does one put a catch-all plan in place or do you try to work up a plan for different scenarios? It isn't an easy question and not one that will be answered any time soon. Perhaps I will work up a list of survival plans to share with you all. Then if I don't come back for you in the heat of things, at least you'll know what I'll be doing.