Fiction logo

Doomsday They Say

Observatory

By Kendra J. AnthonyPublished 3 years ago 13 min read
1
Doomsday They Say
Photo by David Monje on Unsplash

She was always fond of the stars. I could tell by the way she would glance up at the night sky every time she would slip out of the car, or merely step out on the bar’s balcony for a cigarette. She’d stand there in silence, ignoring the chatter of the music, dark eyes gleaming with amusement; pondering the universe, the galaxies. Meandering in her own Lilliputian world of what ifs; and so, she would come back to reality with a visage of sadness, a diminutive frown of regret, as if she wished to be somewhere else, somewhere beyond the stars. She didn’t belong here.. and neither did I.

I leaned against a wooden post in the parking lot, and took a swift drag of my fag, still consumed by the veneration of her mind; she gazed down at me, eyes still gleaming with that amused, sadness. We often came to the same pub, Arrakis, the only pub in this rundown town of Millars that wasn’t crawling with baboons, space baboons, baboons from different worlds, baboons that thought they could take over the Earth but failed miserably when their mother-ship abandoned them among us; realizing they were the scum of their own planet. Swirling her tiny heart-shaped locket in her fingers, arm perched over the balcony railing, she gave a half, deadpanned smile then turned on her heel to head back inside to her lame excuse for a date. Some obnoxious, stubby lad so out of her league it was almost embarrassing. His neurotic voice echoed over the oldies music, I could hear him from where I was standing, ringing in my ears.

Babe, what are you doing? Laughing to myself, I flicked my cigarette to the streets and mozied back to my seat at the bar.

“One more whiskey, Jim, en’ I’m out for the night.”

Slamming back the Jameson, I paid my tab and walked home, gazing at the obsidian twinkle of the endless sky on the way. How could something so immense, so vast, be so far away, yet.. so close. My house was a mere ten minute walk from the bar, then again, everything was a mere ten minute walk from the Arrakis. Main street was empty tonight, and the willows whispered sweet nothings as the wind blew threw their prolonged vines. It was a dainty town despite the imprudence of the unwelcome and the fact that we were outcasts, it could have been irenic. I caught a glimmer of the city, futurism taking over the world; it was nearly a seventy-eight minute cruise, but the bright lights of the towering buildings, spacecrafts taking off into the vast darkness, and the slightest sound waves could be seen and heard, as though the city was right next door. Why was it fair to push the least affluent to the curb, leaving wealthy city-slickers with all the extravagance of the universe? What made them so great? Half of them were rude, prudes who couldn’t give a damn about anyone but themselves. Why did we have to deal with the extraterrestrial outcasts? This world is washed up, I tell ya.

With my thoughts on a carousel, I didn’t even realize my feet bringing me back to Arrakis, guess my mind decided to take a walk. Not even three meters from the pub, my heart began to pound like a woodpecker on a street light, what the fuck? But there she was, in all her glory, standing exactly where I had been, leaned up against the post barely twenty minutes ago; eyes piercing through me as if I had done something wrong. She had this nonchalant way of acting like she ran the strip. She didn’t. In fact, I had a feeling she wanted to get the hell out of this town as much as myself. She was beautiful, and I mean in a serene kind of way, other worldly, almost. Perchance, she was from other another world. We went to high-school together, but never got a chance to get to know each other. There was always something weird about that chick. Thirteen years later and we still never spoke much, until-

“Thought I might see you again,” even her voice was magic, like a sorceress consuming my will to function, the hell is wrong with me.

“Uh, yeah .. well, nights still young.”

It was 2 a.m. The pubs were basically 24/7 now though, on account of the god awful baboons running the joint. Savages.

“Hey, this might come off unearthly, but uh, you wan’ get outta here?”

Unearthly?

Still leaning against the post, her topaz skin glowed with a tinge of blue as she moved under the street-lamp, raising the vessel of whiskey to her liShe was always fond of the stars. I could tell by the way she would glance up at the night sky every time she would slip out of the car, or merely step out on the bar’s balcony for a cigarette. She’d stand there in silence, ignoring the chatter of the music, dark eyes gleaming with amusement; pondering the universe, the galaxies. Meandering in her own Lilliputian world of what ifs; and so, she would come back to reality with a visage of sadness, a diminutive frown of regret, as if she wished to be somewhere else, somewhere beyond the stars. She didn’t belong here.. and neither did I.

I leaned against a wooden post in the parking lot, and took a swift drag of my fag, still consumed by the veneration of her mind; she gazed down at me, eyes still gleaming with that amused, sadness. We often came to the same pub, Arrakis, the only pub in this rundown town of Millars that wasn’t crawling with baboons, space baboons, baboons from different worlds, baboons that thought they could take over the Earth but failed miserably when their mother-ship abandoned them among us; realizing they were the scum of their own planet. Swirling her glass of Merlot, arms perched over the balcony railing, she gave a half, deadpanned smile then turned on her heel to head back inside to her lame excuse for a date. Some obnoxious, stubby lad so out of her league it was almost embarrassing. His neurotic voice echoed over the oldies music, I could hear him from where I was standing, ringing in my ears.

Babe, what are you doing? Laughing to myself, I flicked my cigarette to the streets and mozied back to my seat at the bar.

“One more whiskey, Jim, en’ I’m out for the night.”

Slamming back the Jameson, I paid my tab and walked home, gazing at the obsidian twinkle of the endless sky on the way. How could something so immense, so vast, be so far away, yet.. so close. My house was a mere ten minute walk from the bar, then again, everything was a mere ten minute walk from the Arrakis. Main street was empty tonight, and the willows whispered sweet nothings as the wind blew threw their prolonged vines. It was a dainty town despite the imprudence of the unwelcome and the fact that we were outcasts, it could have been irenic. I caught a glimmer of the city, futurism taking over the world; it was nearly a seventy-eight minute cruise, but the bright lights of the towering buildings, spacecrafts taking off into the vast darkness, and the slightest sound waves could be seen and heard, as though the city was right next door. Why was it fair to push the least affluent to the curb, leaving wealthy city-slickers with all the extravagance of the universe? What made them so great? Half of them were rude, prudes who couldn’t give a damn about anyone but themselves. Why did we have to deal with the extraterrestrial outcasts? This world is washed up, I tell ya.

With my thoughts on a carousel, I didn’t even realize my feet bringing me back to Arrakis, guess my mind decided to take a walk. Not even three meters from the pub, my heart began to pound like a woodpecker on a street light, what the fuck? But there she was, in all her glory, standing exactly where I had been, leaned up against the post barely twenty minutes ago; eyes piercing through me as if I had done something wrong. She had this nonchalant way of acting like she ran the strip. She didn’t. In fact, I had a feeling she wanted to get the hell out of this town as much as myself. She was beautiful, and I mean in a serene kind of way, other worldly, almost. Perchance, she was from other another world. We went to high-school together, but never got a chance to get to know each other. There was always something weird about that chick. Thirteen years later and we still never spoke much, until-

“Thought I might see you again,” even her voice was magic, like a sorceress consuming my will to function, the hell is wrong with me.

“Uh, yeah .. well, nights still young.”

It was 2 a.m. The pubs were basically 24/7 now though, on account of the god awful baboons running the joint. Savages.

“Hey, this might come off unearthly, but uh, you wan’ get outta here?”

Unearthly?

Still leaning against the post, her topaz skin glowed with a tinge of blue as she moved under the street-lamp, raising the vessel of whiskey to her lips, she took a swig and wiggled it in my direction, as though to grease my palms into what ever shenanigans she had planned.

I took the bottle, “what happened to your boy-toy?”

“Ah, you saw that eh,” She laughed, unphased.

“Hard not too,” I motioned to the bar door with the bottle, buddy was still chiming above the music. I took a shot.

“Hey, few words with an obnoxious geezer in exchange for some free shots, ain’t so bad.”

Fair enough.

“Well lil’ lady, where’d ya have in mind?”

As I took another swig, she grabbed my hand, and tugged me along side her, making me choke on the bitter-sweetness of the whiskey, I coughed, “woah, now!”

“Oh chill out, I ain’t gona hurt ya.”

The gravel crunched beneath our feet, I was confident there wasn’t a single point I hadn’t been in the dainty town of Millars, but I acted enthused anyhow. We travelled along the road for some time until we came across a hidden path. It was, mystical. Perhaps I haven't been everywhere, seeing as I have never once walked this path of whimsical trees and lightning bugs, it reminded of a fairy-tale. Maybe, it was her. She looked back at me and for the first time, gave me a genuine smile, as though leaving the town gave her some sort of exemption and she could be herself. It was dark, but the white flowers illuminated the path as the radiant bugs danced around us, even her skin glowed beneath the naked sky that seemed to shine so much brighter then in the light polluted town. What are you? Am I drunk or what?

She must have noticed my bewilderment, “I.. I’m not from here.. Earth, I mean.”

“What are you, I mean, where are you..”I trailed off.

“I was dropped here as a baby, I haven't an idea where my home planet is, but I know I’m not.. human. I mean, isn't it obvious?” She frowned for a split second, raising her arms in defeat, showing the glimmer I was already beyond drawn to, but instantly she was back to her daring self, “c’mon, we’re almost there!”

Still dragging me along this path of wonders, we finally came to an open meadow with this odd shaped building in the distance. The hell is that? It was round, reminding me of a robot head with large lens sticking out the top. The Observatory. I got flash backs to my childhood; my mother, my sister, this meadow. How could I not remember such a serene place. I pushed the memories of them so deep in my own subconscious when they passed away, that this memory must have went with them. The telescope, I remember how I became so fond of the stars.

“Have you been here before?” She gleamed. My god, this girl was intoxicating.

“When I was a child, yeh, I cant believe its still here. It’s been ages.”

She handed me the bottle and I took a swig, as we laid in the tall grass. It was quiet, we didn’t have to talk, we shared a love for the stars and it was meant to be.

Finally, I said, “So, I take this is our first date.”

“Somethin’ like that.”ps, she took a swig and wiggled it in my direction, as though to grease my palms into what ever shenanigans she had planned.

I took the bottle, “what happened to your boy-toy?”

“Ah, you saw that eh,” She laughed, unphased.

“Hard not too,” I motioned to the bar door with the bottle, buddy was still chiming above the music. I took a shot.

“Hey, few words with an obnoxious geezer in exchange for some free shots, ain’t so bad.”

Fair enough.

“Well lil’ lady, where’d ya have in mind?”

As I took another swig, she grabbed my hand, and tugged me along side her, making me choke on the bitter-sweetness of the whiskey, I coughed, “woah, now!”

“Oh chill out, I ain’t gona hurt ya.”

The gravel crunched beneath our feet, I was confident there wasn’t a single point I hadn’t been in the dainty town of Millars, but I acted enthused anyhow. We travelled along the road for some time until we came across a hidden path. It was, mystical. Perhaps I haven't been everywhere, seeing as I have never once walked this path of whimsical trees and lightning bugs, it reminded of a fairy-tale. Maybe, it was her. She looked back at me and for the first time, gave me a genuine smile, as though leaving the town gave her some sort of exemption and she could be herself. It was dark, but the white flowers illuminated the path as the radiant bugs danced around us, even her skin glowed beneath the naked sky that seemed to shine so much brighter then in the light polluted town. What are you? Am I drunk or what?

She must have noticed my bewilderment, “I.. I’m not from here.. Earth, I mean.”

“What are you, I mean, where are you..” I trailed off.

“I was dropped here as a baby, I haven't an idea where my home planet is, but I know I’m not.. human. I mean, isn't it obvious?” She frowned for a split second, raising her arms in defeat, showing the glimmer I was already beyond drawn to, but instantly she was back to her daring self, “c’mon, we’re almost there!”

Still dragging me along this path of wonders, we finally came to an open meadow with this odd shaped building in the distance. The hell is that? It was round, reminding me of a robot head with large lens sticking out the top. The Observatory. I got flash backs to my childhood; my mother, my sister, this meadow. How could I not remember such a serene place. I pushed the memories of them so deep in my own subconscious when they passed away, that this memory must have went with them. The telescope, I remember how I became so fond of the stars.

“Have you been here before?” She gleamed. My god, this girl was intoxicating.

“When I was a child, yeah, I cant believe its still here. It’s been ages.”

She handed me the bottle and I took a swig, as we laid in the tall grass. It was quiet, we didn’t have to talk, we shared a love for the stars and it was meant to be.

Finally I asked what has been on my mind since the night began, "What's with the locket?"

She sighed, "It holds the universe."

Fantasy
1

About the Creator

Kendra J. Anthony

She was a gnomist, a writer of beliefs.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.