All Dark At The End Of Time

The year is at an end, deep winter, the trees mourning the loss of their green lush leaves, all that remains are jagged sharp twigs that penetrate the gloomy air that hugs close by. Skys that were once blue now remain a moody grey as the clouds hang above staring menacingly down at the floor as the floor glares back almost envious of the freedom of the sky, longing to be held in its embrace. A bitter chill runs through the air biting, snapping, and clawing at peoples skin like a rabid, starving mutt longing for a meal. People hug close to each other, using their fellow man as a sort of living radiator however, even the warm embrace of a lover or a family member is not enough to fight of the sense of dread that winter brings.

It was a cold day early enough for the sun to remain in the sky, beaming down its solar rays, slicing through the shield of clouds that governed the sky. A young girl stepped out into the outside world, bound in hoodies and a pair of jeans a small bag upon her back with her materials of the day in. Quickly she walked, the wind pushing against her at every step, her war, breath bringing further hazards to the trip, fogging her glasses with every step forward. Her hair, a light red mixed with her natural blonde flailed about as she made her journey.

The girl felt that something was off, it was as if she had lived this day before yet not physically, looking to the past through memories not that long past she came to remember a dream of a dark winter day. Dread began to build in her heart her hands clenching into fists, clenching around the straps of her bag, holding on to them as if her life depended on it. She looked around and yet nothing. No more crying trees, or heavy clouds, not even the floor in front of her feet it was as if she had stepped into a void, no light, pitch black, alone for a light in the distance. With haste she ran, ran as fast as she could, running as if the devil was on her back dragging her down to the fiery inferno. Yet she felt there was no distance being made, the hope in front of her, the light that would guide her out of this nightmare felt further away with every step. Dread upon more dread built forming a wall that could not be taken down with any tool made by man or god. And yet there she was right next to the light, yet no hope was found from it, she heard cars driving past yet saw no sign, she heard other people yet could not reach out to a single soul.

She felt a vehicle stop next to her, a bus maybe or at least something that could let her escape, yet it could not see her. She began bashing on its side like a hammer to a nail and yet no response. She fell to the ground dread grew into fear and fear grew into anger. Why had it been her she felt, why was no one else in this damned world been trapped with her here. With no sense of were she were anymore she clung to the last slither of light in this grim dark world, shining her torch from her phone provided no respite, the light simply swallowed by the void, she didn’t understand what was happening and, in her fear, fell further to the ground.

Now lying there, still, like the lid on a stone coffin her eyes shot to the sky or at least what she could determine as the sky and there she slowly slipped into the realms of sleep a hopeful escape for this grim reality in her eyes. No way to tell how long had passed as she lay there, it could have been 30 minutes or many days. However, another sign of hope existed in this grim realm “HELLO!” cried out, and again “HELLO!” another voice that was getting closer and closer could be heard. The girl shot up and in her face was a friendly sight – people – a resource she was longing to see, five in total a girl she recognised and four others. As they walked over, no footsteps could be heard and yet she remained hopeful. The newly found group sat there in the void sharing their experiences and food to stay alive. Relief was felt for the first time in a long while by the girl as a community brought with them hope.

This hope came with a price though and would not last for long. Above in the starless sky a figure stood, tall, slender, and with him came the screams. From every angle the group was assaulted by the wailing of men and women, every sound that existed had vanished only to be replaced by the blood curdling screams of those in fear. Damnation the girl felt, that was the only answer to this nightmare her eyes fixated on the man in the sky his eyes visible yet dead, disappointed, almost a level of disgust at this world. And with this brought the crashes from the sky, nothing was seen, only heard, as a light began to form in the sky and with it did not come hope and freedom from this hellscape, it was not the sort of light that provided for life but was born from fiery pits of an ancient doom. The girl, her eyes still focused on the figure his arm now raised in the air and just a quickly as he appeared he threw his arm down with the force of a hundred men and vanished from her sight. The light grew bigger until suddenly it vanished and with it the aspects of life, nothing remain all that was left was the dark. The cold miserable dark void, as all that existed now was the dark at the end of the world.