This is The End

Samuel Agudelo 12°B

El contenido de esta historia no refleja la posición ideológica de El Espejo, la narración y su contenido son atribuibles exclusivamente a su autor.

As the stars up above separated from its nucleus, a calm breeze gently caressed my head, everything was clear now, the doubt that once rounded my mind fell into a void of nothingness that with time disappeared.

12 December 2012

The alarm went up and as I opened my eyes a bright thread of light blinded me. As I recovered from the amount of energy received in that cool morning, the only idea that came to mind was that hot cup of coffee that would wake me up, that blessing from the Colombian gods that was only found in Don Julio´s store right around the corner down Turkeylake Avenue. When I entered the store, the shivers stopped, I have always hated winter, but this time it was different, it was playing a song that put at ease my mind, such a relaxing tune and a guitar so magical that transported me inside the record store, it inspired the feeling of when you first hear a song that could change your life, you instantly know it’s your favorite song. “Hello Julio, how about this new ambience you have?” I asked when walking towards the counter. “Just a new song my daughter showed me, it’s Unintended by Muse, if you want to search it” He answered. Seeing my watch I realized I was already 10 minutes late to work so I ran out of there and took the subway. Right in the next station and 12 minutes later I was entering the building and fiercely trying to avoid my boss but there he was, standing, right next to my seat, once again I was punished with my vacation days. The on button lighted up and a banner appeared on the screen, “Last days on earth, get your new 30 inch screen TV, only for today, the apocalypses is near. Get extra information in mayantechnologies.com” Laughing a bit, I thought to myself, “Well that´s a bummer, I better get to work”. The clock marked 17:00, it was time to leave, as usual I ran for the exit so the elevator wouldn´t be so crowded, but funny enough the only person I found inside was my lovely boss who I loved so much, (by the way, I consider myself a very sarcastic person) that´s why I tried to wait for the doors to close and kindly enough he kept them open just for me to come in. “Mr. Agudelo, how are you on this special evening?” he stated, “Fine sir, but what´s so special about it?” I replied, and with a little grin in his smile he turned around and said “The end is near, didn´t you hear about it?”. I tend to be a very skeptical person, but I began feeling a very weird sensation regarding something strange might happen after all. “No sir, but how can people predict the end?, it needs to be a lie” I nervously stated. For the entire trip to the first floor my boss only tried to keep a laugh to himself that I didn´t understand. After he finally stepped out the door, he said “Have a good life Mr. Agudelo, may we find ourselves in the next one.” Obviously having finally ended one of the sketchiest conversations of my life, my attention went directly to the evening that stood in front as I walked outside the building, the sky was in a dark red color that confirmed the suspicion, and we were all going to die. All figured out, the mayans, the message from my boss, the red sky, the 12/12/12 was the end of times, as one of the most important ancient empires predicted, the world must have an end, and for lucky me, it was today. My first thoughts were on how to try to survive, so I went to Walmart and stocked myself in toilet paper, I don´t really know why, but I’ve heard that in a pandemic is one of the most important utensils to have, so I rushed towards downtown to get the materials I needed like water, food, electric generator, light bulbs, a shotgun and ammo. The fact that no one was in the same hurry seemed weird, but there was no time for thinking. The clock in the subway marked 8:00 and it was moment to go home and prepare the barricades and close the house, because clearly I had no idea what I was expecting, it might be a zombie apocalypse, an asteroid or even a giant marshmallow like in that movie Ghostbusters. What? Don’t judge me, if you were in this situation what would you think? Finally I arrived home and it took me an hour to make a mini bunker, I only needed a TV, the bathroom and all the windows were reinforced with wood planks that I bought in Office Depot, the door was locked but only with some Christmas tape that I found in the attic as I thought if I may or may not spend my live savings on canned beans. I sat on a chair that faced the door, but as the interference in the TV started growling I lead my attention towards it, the news channel was on but I couldn’t hear it, I feared for my life, I felt like some kind of spidey-sense that something was finally going to happen. An exploding noise entered through the windows and shut down all the light in the house, of course my plans never go the way I planned, the only thing I forgot to buy was a lantern, now I was scared to death, without light and now I heard a new noise that sounded right by the door, it was the tape being removed. I was screwed, all my life had been boring, but now I felt like a horror movie actor, except I was the one going to die. Click, the microwave sounded, the light was on, I´m saved, or at least that’s’s what I thought as the TV audio went on, they reported an electric box had exploded but was quickly restored by the fire fighters, thank you guys. Now the problem was the door, which apparently had been opened. I grabbed the shotgun and trembled like crazy, and the squeaking of the floor revealed my location on the apartment, this is why I tried to keep my eyes as wide open to every moving thing. My head peeked out the hallway where the door was, and weirdly enough everything was normal, the tape was in its place and the door was closed, I thought the fear might have made me hear noises. As midnight closed in, my fear began fading away and finally I was able to rest. “Damn your boss, you thought you could trick- Bang!!!” A bullet pierced my stomach and I fell to the ground, looking up with my last breaths I saw the light bulb shining very bright as if it was a star, I felt the blood running through my hair, I was dying and had no other thing to do but close my eyes one last time.

PD: Hello reader, you might not understand the ending of this epic history of man against destiny, it was the boss you might say, but no, things do not happen that simple in real life. May I introduce myself, you can call me the night stalker, I like to murder with no reason, it is a talent given. This it is not a confession of a crime, but a warning. Be careful with people, not with rumors, and when you sleep tonight remember about me, as the evil in humanity. To my dear reader, you are next.