Last night on Earth

The sun went out a few years ago. I'm pretty sure it was yellow? Red? Maybe a little white? Man! That might just be the most embarrassing thing I have forgotten. Although, I am quite confident it was about five years ago. You learn some interesting time-keeping skills in this new world of the dark, I learned mine with my hair! See my wife, Kelly, was a hairdresser and she used to cut my hair about once a month, right when it came down to my big bushy eyebrows. Ever since the day of the sinkhole and the sun's departure, I have cut my own hair seventy-one times! Oh, ever since that day. The day that I am certain I will never forget. Kelly died that day.

So much has happened since then. So many things that crudely obstruct my memory of my life before. How could someone forget the color of the sun? Well, I guess I never spent much time looking at it. It’s really the feel of it that I miss, and the feel of her too. I spent so much time staring into her eyes and at her face but, to my anguish, they are hidden from me. All I feel now is this suffocating black void, slowly stripping away all that has kept me afloat. My hair is now far past my eyebrows, and I cling to the last light left in me. Some time ago, I gifted Kelly a silver heart-shaped locket. This memory constantly pierces through the fog that is my mind like a faraway lighthouse. There was something in that locket, that made me so indescribably happy. Every day when I wake to a sunless morning, I try to remember. All I know is that she was not wearing it when she died. We left our city apartment in such a hurry; it must still be by our bed. I cannot think clearly anymore. I cannot sleep anymore. All I can do is walk. My final victory against this vengeful existence is that my feet can still carry me home. I must find the locket.

I thought that I would like this longer look but, my hair is starting to annoy me. I dropped my satchel with my scissors in it, miles ago on this broken highway to relieve my aching back. I would be the rubble climbing champion if that was a sport. And if sports were alive. I push my new greaser haircut back, but I hate touching it with my sweaty hands. You would think it would be colder with no sun, right? Nope. I am about ninety percent sure I was never a scientist, but I swear that makes sense, and the closer I get to the city, the hotter it gets. I don’t get it, but I shouldn’t be complaining, after all, I have meant to take this trip for quite some time. The dim-red horizon glow from the city fires breaks the complete darkness that I am used to, which is nice. As my legs push on and distract from my increasingly unintelligent thoughts, I practice my quickdraw. Must still be carefully silent out in the open but there’s just something about it. Maybe I was a cowboy once, that would be cool. I have no idea how this silver revolver came to be my best friend. I might just like the silver, reminds me of the locket, or that the fact that it’s saved my life a few times. It sure makes the time fly though. I’ve finally reached the old tunnel entrance to the city.

I came to a stop below the rusted sign overhead, and immediately felt the blood rush to my feet. Wow had I been walking for longer than I thought. I am not far from the locket now. My heart filled with a renewed sense of hope, which was funny, as I peer into a pitch-black chasm. Hopefully, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. There’s no turning back, nowhere else to go. I take a deep breath and find my first steps into the dark. My eyes strain to find even the smallest guide and the temptation to draw my flashlight is severe. Too dangerous, plus I don’t think my eyes could even handle it. My hand traces the tunnel wall, and my feet slowly guide me over the debris. The rocks are loose and any second, I could bump into something. I feel as if I am walking a tightrope across a calamitous abyss. After a few minutes, my eyes were finally greeted by a small dot of light in distance, the exit. I picked up my stride and continued until my ears caught a sound that made my heart sink through my feet. Footsteps. Approaching. Immediately, I reached down, grabbed a rock, and lobbed it behind me. I then outstretched a blanket I had tied around my waist and hit the ground. I pulled it over myself and froze. I knew better than to run, my only choice was to hide. My heart was pounding in my ears, and the footsteps grew louder. I tightened my grip on my revolver and felt my sweat fall down my face. It’s not ending when I’m this close. I held my breath. The steps finally continued past me and slowly faded into the black. My distraction worked. I slowly rose from the ground as I struggled to catch my breath. My legs shook as I forced them to continue. At last, I could see the city. A reddish fog illuminated the tattered buildings, the smoke-filled air was surprisingly bright, I could see better than I could in years. My home was so close. The locket was so close.

My feet felt a vaguely familiar feel on the city sidewalk. I could feel my mind racing to piece together something, anything, of a forgotten life. After a couple of blocks through the burned and ancient buildings, something hit me. A faint breeze on my face. The warm air felt dusty and dry, it made my nose sting but suddenly, a smell of coffee. I stopped in my tracks. Kelly would absolutely kill me if she knew I forgot coffee. My mind flooded with a flash of old streets filled with people, buildings were whole and shining, and trees were scattered around them. A tear carved a dirt trail down my cheek, and I think with every step closer, I became the happiest I have ever been.

The smell fades and I realize to be careful not to get lazy. My eyes have been darting across every inch of the city and my ears listen for any change in the desolate streets. I noticed a strange light illuminating the next intersection. Slowly, I crouch down and poke my head around the corner. There is a fire about two blocks away, in the middle of the road. There is no building there, what is burning? There’s a black figure at the base of the flames. This distant silhouette felt like it stared back at me. My hairs on my neck raised as I pulled back around the corner and caught my breath. I felt uneasy like someone was behind me even though my back was against the wall. I look down at the silver handle of my revolver, the locket is so close. I step off the curb and into the street. I turn my gaze to the right, trying to make out what is in between the flames. Is it a person, is it nothing? There is no way to tell. The way the fire surrounded it; I couldn’t even tell if it was coming towards me. Suddenly, my foot hit a split in the street. My body flung forward, and I fell to the ground. Blood raced to my arms, and I jolt to get up, but I can’t move. I can’t even turn my head. My spine went cold, and my body was locked face down in the street. What is going on, why can’t I move? I could feel something coming. My stomach felt sick as if I knew something bad was about to happen. I almost screamed with how hard I strained myself to move. At last, my arms abruptly shot me to my feet, and I looked down the road. The black figure was still there, amid the flames. I quickly reached the curb without breaking my gaze and stepped behind the building. I collapsed to my knees. That short walk felt like a mile-long sprint. No matter what I had to keep going. The one thing that slightly eased my mind, is that I am now only a block away.

The last stretch felt the longest, I turned my last corner and looked upon my old apartment building. I am overjoyed to see it still standing. Behind my home was the sinkhole, that spared us by inches. I could see the glowing red city across this enormous scar on the Earth. I cannot completely explain, but I felt the most primal instinct, the absolute need, to not look down the hole. I climbed up my stairs and entered my long-lost home. I convince my legs to do this one last favor for me. I counted twenty-seven flights of stairs. As I finally reach the door to my floor, I see it is dark. I open the door and hit a wall. I ran my hands over whatever was in front of me. Had the ceiling caved in? No. I am so close, there must be a way around it. I felt all around this small room and was suddenly faced with my harsh reality. The only thing I had left, was my flashlight. The locket is so close. I didn’t care about anything else; I had made up my mind. I took a breath and turned on my flashlight. Immediately my blood ran cold. Something felt wrong. This felt wrong. My hand shook and every cell in my body begged to turn it off. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread. This was nothing I had ever felt before. I fought every muscle in my body to continue. I quickly scanned my surroundings and found a small gap in the ceiling. The rubble had a hole just barely big enough. I shut the light off as soon as I knew where it was. I squeezed myself through and dropped down to the other side. My floor was lit by a large window overlooking the city. The red glow lit up the whole upper building. I walked over and peered through the glass. Looking down at the street, I saw the black figures. So many I couldn’t count. All I could do was stare. I knew they could see me. The black figures moved in towards the building entrance. I ran down the hall to my room. They were coming for me; I could feel it. I do not have much time. My hand grabbed the handle, and it was locked. In desperation, I pulled out my pistol and fired a round through the lock. The door opened.

I turned on the flashlight once again and ran to the nightstand. I pulled open the drawer and it was empty. The locket is not here. No, it must be. I ran to the bathroom, maybe she forgot it in there. I shined my light all over the counter and there was nothing. I shined it all over the floor and there was nothing. I heard steps coming up the stairs. Please. It must be here. A glint of light then reflected at me. She put it on my nightstand. I leaped over and grabbed the heart-shaped locket. I had found it. I heard the bedroom door open, and my hands stopped shaking to open the locket.

It was yellow, it was beautiful. Her hair was yellow. Just like the sun.