Based on the song As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese.
SPOILER: SWEET ENDING!
I stare up at the blinding lights of the news on the screen, watching as everyone scrambles around me, yelling at each other, fighting amongst each other for food and supplies. The bitter taste of chaos and madness lingers in the air, making my tongue burn uncomfortably. I watched as the last of the rations vanished from the shop counter, leaving nothing but the bare beige metal of the shelf. I tried to keep to myself, clutching the dried food I had in my arms, concealing it from anyone, lest they decide to start a fight. I looked into the eyes of the people around me, seeing them burning with agitation and instability. They must have seen the same thing in me though, after all ... the world went to hell and no one could avoid it anymore.
I walked to the exit, eyes scanning around and looking for anything else that I missed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shine of the flickering light in my eye. Walking over, I picked up the wine bottle and looked at the condition of it. There were surprisingly no cracks and the red wine seemed to be perfectly clean. This was probably the last bottle that survived because it was hidden well under the cardboard. Either I was really lucky or I just happened to steal from someone's secret stash, but I didn't care anymore. I tried my best to hold everything, making sure that nothing could drop if I had to make a run for it, and left the torn down store.
Outside, I could see a scene from the apocalypse. Torn down buildings, dark and smoky skies, screams everywhere, and fires burning dried up corpses were littered on the street. The faint thumps of gunfire could be heard in the background, shaking me from the inside.
The sound scared me.
Though at first I was willing to hold up a gun for my loved ones, I never thought that I would have to point my gun at them the moment they were infected. Hatred directed at the flimsy government was soon directed at myself...
directed at the blood-stained hands that killed the people who took care of me when I was a child.
Dusting the dirt off my forehead, I cleared my thoughts and rushed to the shelter where my wife was there, doing whatever she can for the injured people she found on the streets.
I was eager to see her, and watch her as she runs around helping people. I thought about how I would be there, helping her with whatever I can, comforting her when she feels like she can just give up. My wife is a brilliant person, someone as fierce as a blazing fire. Her temperament was as cool as ice and she never cried. Not when things were harsh. I knew what she was thinking when she was acting strong. I understood why she put up a strong shield and locked up any signs of weakness. I knew that she did it because of me. So when I stood at the door of the shelter listening to her quiet sobs, my heart broke. I felt like everything was truly over, like everything was really going all down to hell soon.
I paused at the door of the room, feet sore and back tired. I pushed the door open and she heard the creaks.
Looking over at me, I saw her dull eyes looking back at me without hope, then looking down I saw her on the concrete floor, holding the corpse of our son.
It didn't take me long to understand what happened. I glanced around the room, seeing all the patients in grotesque positions with a bullet in their head. From their white eyes, I could see trails of dark crimson blood, reflecting the light of the fire outside out the window. They must have fallen to the disease, just like everyone else. I looked at her holding the child hopelessly. He had brown hair like me, though he was on the skinny side, his tanned skin made him look strong. Even as he closed his eyes and had a lifeless face, I could see traces of a smile in his mouth. From signs of it, my son passed away when he was asleep, dreaming a happy dream. At least my son looked happy when he fell into the clutches of death. Though I was filled with grief and bitterness, I wondered if the place where my son went was better than the world right now.
No... I didn't wonder. I knew it was better.
After burying the poor child in the last patch of soil with vitality, I turned to my shaking wife. But just as I was about to say something the static of the TV rang through the chaos. Then, as the loud static faded away, I heard a raspy old voice croak.
"To all the survivors consider this a blessing... nuke the world. Doesn't that... fun?!?! ... we're going off with a BANG! HAHAHAHA...HAHAHAHAHA ... It's ... tonight... late "
As his voice headed away and the connection broke I held my wife and pressed her forehead onto my lips. Closing my eyes, I felt her warmth for the last few hours before we were going to be blown apart.
At least if we were going to join our son if we were to die together.
Reaching for the wine on the counter I held the bottle in front of her and smiled.
Wordlessly, she opened the cupboard and picked out two matching glasses, a rare treasure to go with the rare wine. Opening up the wine bottle and pouring each other a cup each, we enjoyed the bitter taste in each other's company. She leaned on my shoulder, staring at the blank TV.
"So at last this is how it all ends."
I listened to her clear voice, smiling at the aura of sophistication her british accent still had. Even after all these years, I found her accent entertaining to listen to.
"I'm tired, Eve. With all this going on, it makes me forget how the world used to be."
She turned her head and looked at me doing the same thing as her. The moment of silence and tranquil peace brought back blissful memories of our teenage years, back when I first met her and played a round of truth or dare. We were young and ignorant of the world back then, not realizing how much harsher the adult world is.
It's funny.
The young kids all want to grow up while the adults want to be younger. It was only when I was about to die that I finally accepted the present. It was only when there was no tomorrow that I began to smile about today. Looking at her now, I saw that she's still the young girl that dared me to paint on nail polish when we went to our graduation ceremony. The same night where we shared our first kiss underneath the stars. Though dulled down, she still had traces of rashness and youthfulness. Above all, she still had her unique beauty that would always take my breath away. As if the silence transmitted our thoughts, she pulled out a small bottle of nail polish mischievously, a token of our memories back then. Even when the world went to hell, she kept this treasure beside her. I sighed. Knowing what her thoughts were.
"If we went down... Shouldn't we go down in style?"
I laughed, feeling the dust in my throat choke me a bit. It didn't matter though.
I held out my hands, wondering if she can still do things like this properly.
Fortunately, she still can and the result wasn't that bad.
The shade of bright blue on my nails is something that I haven't seen in a long time. The skies were no longer this colour, the water was no longer this colour, and the beautiful clothes were no longer this clean. As I waited for them to dry, Eve switched the channel and put on a cartoon that we all watched as kids. So we were going to go out with laughter. Nice
I watched my laughing wife as we hopelessly waited for the end of the world.
When the skies began to darken more and my eyes began drooping, I rested my back on the creaky mattress. Seeing me look exhausted and tired, Eve held my hand and stayed quiet. She held so hard that I felt her nails dig into my rough skin... fearing that I would leave her just like our son.
"Eve?"
I called, opening my eyes a bit to look at her.
"Yes?"
"Lie down. It's late." I said, making it sound like any other day when the world was normal and we weren't going extinct. She laughed at my nonchalant attitude and lied down beside me, interlacing her fingers with mine tightly, grasping onto any traces of warmth.
"Goodnight Eve."
"Goodnight Adam."
Turning over to her, I kissed her one last time, pressing her soft lips against mine. Feeling the soft heat where our lips touched. I bit on her dry lips softly, teasing her a bit before I had no more energy to do so. Both of us were enjoying the last few moments but we both felt each other's tears. The kiss felt like it lasted an eternity, one full of hope, passion and joy... but if only that were the case.
Then I heard the faint boom in the distance as the sirens began to screech around us.
But we ignored it.
Then it was silent.
"I love you Adam."
"I love you Eve."
We closed our eyes even more as we felt each other fade away. But we held our hands together, grasping at whatever we could in order to never part.
We faded away into a peaceful, quiet dream... or perhaps
Was this just a dream this whole entire time?
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I closed my eyes firmly as I felt the sweat and heat around me. Not wanting to open my eyes, I hear the faint sound of laughter, birds chirping and rushing water. The sound of joy and peace.
I was slightly confused for a second but then I felt the hand interlaced with my own.
I sighed in relief.
Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I slowly opened my heavy eyelids
...
and let the bright clear light fill my vision.
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I wake up with a breath of fresh and pure air.