End

I opened my eyes and looked out on the great blue azure. The sky was clear and the clouds were beginning to accumulate on the horizon. 6^th February 2013. The day the world will end. This wasn’t some mentalist’s conspiracy, not some ancient philosopher’s scripture, this was it. At exactly 2:15pm, a piece of rock the size of Spain will crash into the earth and every thing me and every other person on this Earth has ever loved will be gone in a flash. The final news broadcast just finished an hour ago at 1pm. The number of emotional montages I’ve seen on television over the past few weeks has been stifling. Everyone’s tears have run dry. Mass suicides on an unprecedented level have taken place all over the world. The wind has picked up considerably in the past 20 minutes. It is as if the planet is bracing itself. A small bird lands nearby and pecks at the long grass. It tilts his head and looks at me, then at the sea, and darts off. The last supper perhaps. It’s the end of the world, and I’m all alone. I strip my clothes off and let the wind carry them out to the ocean. I’m naked, just how humanity began on this earth, and at least for one tiny, tiny percentage of it, how it will end. I’m not scared anymore. All my fear ran out upon realisation, upon it hitting me that this time it was real. There was nothing the greatest minds of our time, nothing NASA could do to stop it. I began to walk along the coastline and said to myself “5 minutes”. My eyes began to water, and I heard a gargantuan rumble in the sky. Here it comes. They said it would hit western Australia, and that entire nation would be gone in an instant. As for here, the South Coast of England, the heat blast will apparently incinerate everyone and everything within five minutes. Ten minutes to live. I thought about throwing myself off this cliff. But, I, am just too scared. The thought almost made me laugh. ALMOST. Too scared of dying one way so you don’t die in another. I stood facing the sea and outstretched my arms. My family’s faces rushed through my mind, and my friends. I felt my girlfriend’s kiss on my lips, it was soft, warming and ultimately salty, as a tear ran down them. I was suddenly not alone. My mother appeared from behind me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, “goodnight son” she whispered. My father walked from my left and embraced her, whilst holding on to my hand firmly, “goodnight son, we’ll see you soon” he said with a smile that could bring hope to the weakest child watching her dog get put down. My friends all walked up from the right and embraced me, holding on to my legs and looking up at me. They all started to laugh and joke about past jovialities, whilst at the same time, streaming with tears. I was surrounded by those who created me, and those who made me who I am. The ground rumbled and shook, I had to take an awkward step back to prevent the shake from tilting me over the edge. My mother kissed me on the cheek, and grabbed me tightly. My father, not a tear in his eye, held her closely and stroked her cheek, still holding my hand like he did when teaching me to walk. My friends all smiled at me. The sun broke from a cloud, and my shadow, my lone shadow spread across the grass. I was alone physically, but with enough love, friendship and togetherness, not even forces strong enough to crumble mountains can make you feel alone. I felt a colossal heat, and with a kiss on my mother’s cheek, I embraced the light.