Stay with me 'till the world ends

~8~

Addison bolted awake covered in sweat. It was pitch black in the room but a faint moonlight creeped through the window. Addison fell back onto his pillow gasping for air. He had just had a nightmare about the world falling apart. In the end he was the only living being left, standing on a chunk of earth. It was the only part of earth left. The land under Addison's feet had crumbled and sent him tumbling into space. Addison tried to calm down but he couldn't. The memory of endless falling was still fresh in his mind. His heart was pounding and it felt like it would pound right out of his chest. Addison covered his eyes with his arm and gasped for air. After what seemed like hours his heart stopped pounding and the sweat stopped coming. He closed his eyes and let sleep slowly creep over him.

He was falling. There was nothing around him but stars. The air stopped coming and Addison began to freeze over. He tried to call out, but who would answer? He was the last human alive. Aliens? No. Even if they did exist, why would they help him? To them, he's just the last of a strange race. Addison closed his eyes and prepared to die. The ice covering his body was creeping quickly up towards his face. Soon, he'd be dead. And so would be the human race.

Addison woke to the clanging of pots and pans. He got up and opened the door. It was Cilia again. Iris' door opened. The clanging stopped.

"Good, you're awake." Cilia said. "Come one, we're having a short breakfast then head over to C.O.A.T.W. We have more work to do." Iris groaned and led Addison and Cilia down to breakfast.

"Are we getting close to saving the world?" Iris asked Cilia as she sat down.

"Honestly, I don't know." Cilia confessed. "We haven't found anything." Ms. J walked into the room with dark bags under her eyes. She looked like she'd been up all night. "Sit down and have some coffee." Cilia ordered. Addison finished his breakfast and obeyed Cilia's order to go to C.O.A.T.W. and try to find anything on Bridger and the end he planned for the world. He and Iris weren't even close to finishing in the file room and Addison didn't know how far Ms. J and Cilia had gotten. Before he had headed up to bed the previous night he had finished one aisle. The side Addison was working on had more information and papers than Iris' side had. He grabbed the first file in the second row and sat down. Iris came in a couple minutes later.

Hours and hours later Addison drifted off. They had been working all day and Addison was exhausted. Hopefully the dreams won't come again.

The ice closed around Addison's face, glazing over his eyes and covering his nose. He gulped, knowing he would be taking his last breaths. He couldn't see anything or hear anything. Earth could be re-forming and all the humans would be alive again for all he knew. And they wouldn't know that one life had been lost. They didn't know that one person who died thinking he was the last human alive. Addison stopped breathing and became a floating husk floating in the new earth's atmosphere. But this wasn't a new earth. There were no humans. All aliens.

"Addison!" Addison jumped and woke up. Iris was leaning over him. "Are you okay?" She asked. Addison nodded.

"I'm fine." He said.

"Are you sure?" Iris asked. "You weren't looking so good when you passed out. You were all pale and stopped breathing."

"I'm okay." Addison lied. He didn't want to tell anyone about his dreams. What would they think? That Addison was going crazy? But I'm not going crazy! Addison thought. I'm not! Iris walked back to her side of the cramped room.

"I'm here if you need anything." I'm here. Addison nodded. No one's ever said that to me before. Addison thought. He looked down at the opened file in his lap and his eyes widened.

SERUMS AND GOVERNMENT CONTROL

Addison leaned forward to read more.

There are many serums out there but the most common for the end of the world is the one manufactured in secret by Ionic CEO Isaac Bridger. None of our sources have found out why. Mr. Bridger doesn't seem the type to try to end the world. I would write down how to stop him but I'm running out of time. They're coming. I hope someone finds this before it's too late. Bridger must be stopped. Or there won't be any more earth left.

Just then did Addison notice the edges of the dirty paper. They had been burned. There was another piece of paper under it. 

There is a seer (someone who can see into the future) who has seen something. It is what will happen if Isaac Bridger will destroy the world. There will be one last human. A teenager. Who will only last in space only minutes after the earth is destroyed. I asked the seer what the teenager's name was but they only enclosed their gender. Male. And a drawing which I will put under this. The seer said that the teenager was tracked down by Isaac Bridger. This teen is special. And powerful. More powerful than you think. Don't let this teenager get into Bridger's hands. If he does, the world will end. Even if we try. Protect this child at all costs.

The edges of this paper were also burned and it was even more dirty than the first one. Addison studied the drawing. It was an image of a boy floating in space. He was all iced over and his mouth was slightly open. Under the image there was one last scribble of words.

There are two copies of this drawing. Find it. Before he does.

Addison's eyes returned to the image. Something about it seemed familiar. Then Addison remembered. His dream! In his dream he was the last human alive and he had frozen in space. This was... It can't be! Addison thought. It can't be me! But it was. The frozen boy was Addison. And he was special. And Bridger wanted him. Addison folded up the two pieces of paper and put them into his pocket. He would wait until they had a meeting. And he wouldn't tell them it was him in the drawing. Addison flipped through the file but there wasn't anything else on the topic. It was a completely different topic. And Addison realized that these two papers weren't even supposed to be in this aisle. It was supposed to be on the other side of the room. 

"Did you find anything?" Iris asked.

"No." Addison lied again. "Have you?" Iris shook her head.

"Sadly not." Iris closed the file she was holding. "I'm going to go check on Cilia and Ms. J." She got up and left the file room. Addison quickly unfolded the paper and re-read it. This teen is special. And powerful. More powerful than you think. Don't let this teenager get into Bridger's hands. If he does, the world will end. Addison swallowed. Protect this child at all costs. Should I leave? No, they need my help. And besides, Bridger's men will find me faster. Find it. Before he does. But I have too. I need to find that drawing. But why?