Worlds End...

The colorful lights flood the square tonight and the breeze is light like angels kisses on my skin. You can tell summer is on its way. People in every corner are happy and talking to each other like there’s not a care in the world. Why is it then that I feel so alone, even in a crowd. It’s almost like I’m empty, with no spirit left with nowhere to belong. I’ve been going through the motions doing the things I know I’m supposed to, but it seems to have lost all meaning.

I hear a creaking and moaning of metal. Just as I catch a glimpse with no time to jump a falling shop sign comes at me. The world goes dark and silent. My head is killing me as I can just guess that I’m waking up. My eyes jolt open as I realize that it’s still quiet. I look around and can’t recognize anything. There’s light like it’s daytime now but everything is still so dim and grey. The buildings with windows cracked and dust at my feet where it looks like broken concrete. Am I dead? Well this certainly isn’t heaven, although I didn’t think I was going there anyway.

Well nothing to do but figure out where I am so I start walking. Once I get past a few buildings I start to hear birds… and not just pigeons, but beautiful song birds. And things are still in ruin but I begin seeing beautiful green in the vines draping the buildings almost like strands of tinsel on a Christmas tree. I’m seeing flowers of all hues. Enamored by the site I lose track of where I’m going and quickly get lost. But I don’t care, this is the best I’ve felt in years. Why didn’t I feel this way before… was it the people? Who knows. But being here, now… I can just be and observe this new place. It’s oddly familiar, but I know I’ve never been here. Walking I can see the insides of shops I pass just crumbled with ceilings meeting the ground. I don’t feel out of place anymore.

Suddenly I hear something. Footsteps maybe? But I haven’t seen anyone. Maybe it’s a nightmare and I’m being followed. I find a piece of rubble to duck behind. I feel like I’m holding my breath forever, unable to move from fear. Then I see him. A guy around my age, maybe mid 20s. He looks older because he’s dirty with worn clothes but you can just tell. He holds himself well and has a slight glint in his eyes. I wonder when I lost my glint. No, my mind can’t wander. What if he’s dangerous? Then he turns quickly and looks in my direction and I notice I had raised my head up out of curiosity and duck hoping he didn’t see me. I hear slow footsteps coming my way. Maybe it’s just a dream. I’m going to wake up passed out on the street any second. And then I see his face staring at me over the concrete. Just as curious and terrified as I am.

“Are you ok?” He says with an unwavering tone.

“I think so…..” my voice is shaky, I can’t steady it. I find myself excited and terrified in the same instant.

He laughs as he says “I’ve never seen anyone like you around here. Usually folks aren't dressed so nicely either.”

I look down at myself wondering what his idea of nice is as I look at my ripped jeans and worn shirt. But at least I am clean so I guess to some it might be nice. Wish he could tell my mother that.

I begin to relax and ask him “Where am I? I think I’m lost. I was just in the square, got hit in the head… then here I am. I didn’t catch your name. I’m Annie.”

“My name is Phillip. Nice to meet you. What do you mean by the square? You mean the middle of the city? You’re not far from there actually. Where are you headed?”

I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t really have anywhere to go. “I don’t know, I guess wherever you’re heading?”

“You sure are strange aren’t you? And trusting.”

He must have noticed the startled look in my eyes because he seemed to lose his confidence for the first time as he ran his fingers through his jet black hair and looked the other way quickly.

“Well I’m heading out to scavenge… there’s not a whole lot around these days. Used to be a lot of looters too, I’m glad those are gone. But that means there’s nothing for them to take.”

For the first time this is feeling less and less like a dream and more like a very real and scary thing. “What happened? How long has it looked like this?”

“What? Did you grow up under a rock? Who doesn’t know about the accident? It was freaking global. Even if you were from another continent you’d know.”

All of the sudden I feel his look of stupor and awe at the same time. “I hit my head. I don’t really know how long it’s been. But everything just looks different. I’ll be ok, maybe it’ll all come back.” I said in hopes that he would just assume I had amnesia or something. I don’t know this guy. He seemed nice though. And other than him I am all alone. But I’d still better keep my eye on him.

“Well ok I guess you’re going to need somewhere to rest then.”

He took me to where I can just guess is his house. I use the term loosely. It’s sad like the crumbled buildings with its sags and harsh angles of disrepair, but oddly sturdy.

“I guess I could answer your question if you still want to know.” He said as he starts to build a fire and pull out some cans of vegetables and some kind of meat he I assume just killed.

I didn’t realize how hungry I had become as the smell filled the air. You’d think I’d smelled a five star meal, but far from it. Everything smells better when you’re so hungry. “Yes! I want to know! What happened? How long has it been? Can you remember it?”

He had a gentle laugh, his eyes lit up in a way that made my heart smile. “One question at a time… I’m not used to having someone to talk to anyway. It’s nice.” As he tilts his head down with the look of an old soul pondering. I wonder how long he’s been alone.

He starts to tell me about wondrous things over this oddly amazing food he prepared. I heard about the creation of artificial intelligence, wars between countries, people being divided, hatred, contempt, then finally a loss of control. He was so animated as he told stories about people getting mad over such trivial things, and technology like the AI getting weaponized and everything…. I almost forgot I was hearing the story about how the world ended and felt like I was listening to some grand story teller.

I must have fallen asleep. I felt a soft hand across my lying head removing the stray hair that had found its place on my forehead. I look up to see him. It wasn’t some strange dream. In the days that came he taught me about so many things I would need to survive. One day I suddenly realized I felt amazing. Like I had a purpose and a place. I found myself not wanting to wake up from whatever this was. Maybe the other life had really been the dream. I keep growing fonder of his face everyday. The funny weird look he has when he’s concentrating, the way his tongue touches his lip when he’s doing something difficult, even the way he says words and animates when he talks about something he enjoys. I’m falling for the light in this boy's heart. How could someone be here and know about all of this sadness and still be this ball of joy.

One day we set out farther than we ever have. I see a billboard that actually has something left on it, but all it says is S.A.M. and red paint marked over it. “What is S.A.M. Phillip?” He nearly jumps out of his skin!

“Why are you asking that? What did you see?” a clearly nervous Phillip asks.

“It’s on a billboard over there. I haven’t really seen any signs survive until now.”

“That’s the surveillance system that was powered by the A.I. That started all of this. Stay away from anything that says that, promise me!”

I’d never seen him act like that. Of course I quickly agreed, but remained curious. As we got back to the house he seemed more like my happy Phillip… I’m so relieved. Maybe even happier than usual. No sooner than that thought popped in my head he was in front of me, grinning ear to ear. He shoved something in my hand.

“I can’t wait, I want you to see. You’ve been here for a year tomorrow, but what’s one day?”

I hold this tiny box and looking at it surprised, have I actually been here an entire year?

“Open it!” He’s almost jumping like a child. It’s possibly the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.

As I open the box, I’m greeted with a metallic glimmer. My hand pulls it out and feels the chain graze my hand as I see this beautiful heart shaped locket.

“I found it the other day and thought of you. Thought of how beautiful it would look on you. And thought about how much you mean to me.”

I loved it. I loved him. We were very happy for a long time.

We started having to venture out further and further. So much we started scouting for a new place. We found this beautiful little cottage surrounded by vines. I guess it wasn’t as stable as the old place though. He couldn’t catch me in time as the floor gave way and seemed to swallow me whole in a moment. As I hit the bottom I hit hard, so hard I heard ringing. Now voices? Yes I’m sure of it I hear voices. And beeping? I haven’t heard anything beep in years. As I open my eyes I’m blinded by fluorescent lighting and startled at people staring at me. I nearly didn’t recognize my own mother hovering. I’m in a hospital. Did I really just dream it all up?

“Phillip!” I scream as I realize he’s gone. If that was a dream he’s not here. I feel my heart sink into my chest and I reach for my locket. The locket that shouldn’t be there, the very same one hanging from my neck as I struggle for words.

“Who’s Phillip?” Asks my sister excitedly. “Did you get a boyfriend?”

I don’t know how to answer this. But before I can Dad turns on the news to avoid listening to all of this. And across the bottom of the screen I see it… S.A.M.