BEAUTIFUL TYRANT - MICHAEL LANGDON

1; beginning of the end

2018

Nobody was expecting it. Every working screen glowed the same caution. Natural disasters stuck globally and with a vengeance. Nuclear bomb warnings blared in every city, preparing citizens to brace for what was to come.The end was near.

Before the chaos unleashed, the natural buzz of Santa Monica carried on. For me, my surroundings were somewhat mellow and serene. I sat in the isles of St. Rose's Catholic Church.

It was a weekday and the church was open to those who wished to sit and pray. I wasn't particularly sure why I came. I wasn't raised Catholic, and I couldn't exactly confirm my beliefs, but sometimes I found myself reaching out to God in my weakest moments. I guess it made things easier to believe that I wasn't alone. All I knew was that I felt a tightness in my chest that hadn't simmered for quiet some time.

In that moment, however, as I dazed off at the sight of the flickering candles, I felt calm. Almost oddly calm. Then a whisper no louder than a breeze spoke from behind my shoulder.

"Soon," is all it said.

My body tensed and I turned to see who had been talking. There was no one there. I brushed it off as fatigue, yet I made a note of the word in my mind.

I left quickly after. It seemed not even two minutes later as I walked away from the church, sirens blared throughout the streets, wreaking havoc.

I simply froze, unsure where to go; people were running in every direction, setting fires, screaming to match the sirens.

My leg started to feel hot, I felt my pocket. I thought it was my phone but as I put my hand to check, I felt paper. As soon as I pulled it out, the heat ceased.

I inspected it to find it was a plane ticket that didn't specify where it would land. Needless to say I was confused. I'd never purchased any plane tickets, I could never afford them.

With all the surrounding chaos, I decided to act on impulse. Wherever this leads me would be better than here right? I secured the ticket in my hand, jumping in front of the nearest taxi and demanding a drive to the airport.

The taxi only took me so far, I had to run the rest of the way. I clutched onto my purse and pushed through the crowd, relying on adrenaline to get me to the airport in time.

It's as though I was on autopilot, because next thing I knew I was past the gate, approaching the single jet that was left on the runway. I needed to be on that plane.

I saw two cars approaching, people exited from both, scurrying to get aboard.

As I came close to the plane, I was stopped by the chauffeur. "Excuse me, lady! This planes only got 4 seats."

I was trying to catch my breath, but I managed to tell him. "Please... I-i have a ticket, I'm supposed to be here."

I quickly showed him the ticket, he furrowed his brow but didn't press further on the matter. It seems he had bigger things to worry about.

Airport employees began to surround the plane. The chauffeur pushed me behind him and withdrew his gun. I scurried inside the plane, being the last to make it in after a blond woman. The plane began to take off.

As she glumly looked at her phone, she ushered into the seating area.

When I took a seat, she noticed me. "Uhhh, who the hell are you?" she asked.

The group of people also seemed to take interest in me. "Um, I'm Gianna," I said.

"Alright, but hun, why are you here? I thought there was only four tickets," the man who was sitting beside an older lady spoke up.

I shrugged, "I bought a ticket." I said. That was a lie, but I couldn't very well tell them it just appeared out of no where.

The woman spoke again, a bit hopeful. "Do you know where we're going then?"

"No, I was kind of hoping that you would know that."

"Well that's just great, Mallory go ask the pilot." The blonde woman told the younger girl beside her.

She left to go check while we waited.

"Didn't your dad tell you about the tickets?" the man said again.

The woman just sighed, "no."

Mallory came back looking worried. "There's no one flying the plane."

Confusion fell upon everyone's face. Suddenly, the plane was rattled by an explosion and alarms began to blare. I held on to my seat as best as I could.

I looked out the window along with the others, the nuclear bomb had hit. My throat got dry and my heart sank as I remembered my family. I hadn't even said goodbye. Humanity was coming to an end.

~

Our destination was some sort of bomb shelter called Outpost 3. We were taken inside the underground building in hazmat suits, accompanied by two guards dressed entirely in black with eery gas masks.

We were sprayed with a mist and brought into a room where we could take off the suits.

A door opened to revel a woman in an old fashioned dress. She scanned the room and began to speak.

We were to address her as Miss Veneable at all times. We were not to leave the outpost and we were not permitted to have unauthorized sex.

I found this amusing seeing as I didn't really have that great of a pick. I mean, I didn't really know Mallory but I'd doubt she'd have any time with the blonde woman around. I'd learned that her name was CoCo, and she was very obnoxious.

As for the man and the older woman, they weren't my type.

Miss Veneable decided that there were two types of people. Purples and greys. The purples were elite and chosen to survive, while the greys were there to serve.

When Miss Veneables eyes found me, she immediately said, "purple," yet she spat it with such disgust. As though it pained her to deem me as such.

I was shocked, I thought for sure I'd get placed in grey along with Mallory. I wasn't rich or famous, hell, I didn't even actually pay for my ticket.

Despite my surprise, I nodded and took my title, not wanting her to take back her word.

I found my room, it was big and dimly lit with candles. I hopped on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. I wondered if this was real or not. I wondered how it was possible that I'd gotten here.

That tightness in my chest had gotten stronger and I feared that I would have to confront it here... whatever it was.

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AN: Hey y'all, thanks for reading my first chapter. Ik it was kinda boring bc it's just me recapping what most of u guys already know but just know that Micheal should be in the next one... hopefully. Any who, love u guys:)