Licensed Apocalypse

*twenty-five* Finite Ending

A figure stood in a field of dead bodies. Dead bodies weren't supposed to be on neighborhood streets. The figure's bloody hands were gripping a bloodied double-bladed ax as the person let the last body drop. Blood had stained the person's face and clothes. They stepped over the bodies and walked towards a house. The house was tiny, with a little driveway in the front. There were three brick steps leading up to the front door. Next to the door was a circle shaped window. The figure opened the fence that blocked the driveway from the backyard. The first thing the human saw was a little garden. He walked past the garden tools and into the deeper backyard. There was a side house and more greenery. The figure walked up a set of wooden steps and opened a screen door that led into a kitchen.

"Ah, there you are Oliver." A figure in another room said. This person was Lucis.

"Hi Lucis." The person named Oliver said, setting the double bladed ax on the counter of the kitchen. Their friend Eric yawned two rooms away. Oliver walked through the kitchen (where Lucis was) and into the living room where Eric and Lucis' father were sitting on chairs. Oliver collapsed onto the couch. The two males in front of Oliver looked exhausted. Well, to tell the truth, everyone in that house looked exhausted. Lucis walked into the living room and collapsed next to Oliver on the couch. It had been 5 months since the whole people-trying-to-kill-us incident and the aftermath was still huge. The place where the building had been was still smoking a bit. Ash had fallen for a solid month following up the incident. The four had given up on cleaning it up a long time ago. It was Oliver and Lucis' time to yawn.

"I'm going to take a walk." Lucis said, standing up. "Anyone wanna come?"

"I'll come." Oliver said, standing up.

"Okay." Lucis said, a faint smile on his face. "Lead the way." Oliver opened the door and jumped the traps. Oliver led Lucis down the few brick steps in the front of the house. Lucis closed the door behind him before running after Oliver.

"So," Oliver asked. "Where too?" Lucis shrugged.

"Wherever our feet take us." He said.

"Sounds good to me." Oliver smiled. They set off, talking with smiles stuck on their faces.

**

1991

The explosion rained ash, dark clouds, and smoke for days. No one was allowed to go near where the laboratory had been. Old fashioned cars drove past, with its riders covering their mouths with hands or pieces of clothing. The government had said that what was coming out of the exploded laboratory was contagious and would kill a full grown man on a single smell. No one wanted to die. No one knew about what happened in the laboratory but there were theories. The most famous theory was made by a boy of 9 by the name of Jacob. The theory stated that the laboratory was doing something illegal and being attacked and destroyed by the government. 9 year old Jacob had come up with a lot of theories (aliens, lab experiment exploded, suicide, etc.) but the government one was the most liked. It was the most likely to happen in the people's eyes. So, the theory stuck. It went into history books and the 9 year old Jacob went down as Jacob the theorizer. Jacob got a lot of money (1 million dollars to be exact) and he got himself a big mansion that his family eventually moved into. Jacob the 9 year old could never be happier. He could get anything he wanted. Anything.

**

Lucis and Oliver had been walking for about 15 minutes. They didn't know where they were going when the dark pavement turned to dirt and grass. Oliver shivered slightly. The sharp wind was harsh but bearable. Besides, Oliver and Lucis had some jackets on so that blocked some of the wind. The two friends reached an incline and the dirt path tapered off. Now, it was just grass. Green, beautiful grass. Lucis and Oliver climbed the hill higher, towards its top. When they reached the top there was a singular tree standing at its top. Lucis and Oliver glanced at each other, recognition filling their eyes. Lucis remembered the morning and Oliver remembered his dream.

"Lucis?" He said. No response. Oliver sat up. The sun was rising, sending pretty pinks and purples through the grey sky. Lucis was gone and all the bags had vanished with him. "Lucis?" Oliver yelled. Still, nothing. Oliver jumped up, head darting around. "LUCIS?"

Lucis and Oliver sat down under the tree and leaned back against its hard wood. Lucis yawned, sleep creeping over him. Oliver yawned too, eyes growing heavy. The sun was setting, sending beautiful pinks, reds, oranges, and purples over the darkening sky. As the sun sank down, so did the two friends into sleep. When they woke up the sun was already peaking over the hills.

"We have to get back to the house." Oliver said, jumping up. "They'll probably be really worried!" Lucis followed his friend down the hill.

**

When they arrived back at the house Eric and Lucis' dad looked pissed.

"Where were you?" Lucis' dad yelled. "You had us worried sick!"

"Sorry, we fell asleep!" Lucis defended himself and Oliver.r

"You just fell asleep?" The former masked officer yelled. "There are zombies out there for crying out loud! You could have died!"

"But we're okay!" Lucis yelled back. "We're here! We're sorry!" His dad took some deep calming breaths before continuing.

"Never. Ever. Do that. Again." He said as calmly as he could.

"We won't." Oliver said. "I promise. We promise." Lucis' dad nodded. A silent 'I accept your apology'.

**

Midnight.

All four of them woke to a sound. They opened the front door (weapons at the ready of course) and saw something in the darkness. A group of some things actually. Zombies. And by the smell of them, the group knew that they were fresh. One of the families had been zombified. One of them stepped forward into the reaches of the house's hazy light. The zombie looked familiar. Clara. Lucis and Eric raised their guns as the zombified Clara stepped closer, emitting a low growl. The other zombies started walking towards the four. And there were a lot of them.

It was dangerous to fight in the dark. Eric and Lucis could barely make out their targets and Oliver and Lucis' father couldn't tell if they were fighting zombies or each other. Finally only the zombified Clara stood standing. Lucis raised his gun and aimed it at her head. He remembered Clara's pretty smiling face and how everyone evnyed him for being her friend. Lucis pulled the trigger. If only they could see him now. As Clara's body fell, so did all of Lucis' walls. Tears came pouring down his cheeks silently. The sun was rising and the beautiful light reflected everyone's faces. Eric's clean and circle-like face, Lucis' dad's bearded and gruff face, Oliver's bloody and dirty face, and Lucis' tear stained one. Everyone looked at each other with smiles on their faces. They all stepped in for a giant group hug. Everyone joined Lucis in crying.

"We did it." Eric cried. "We did it. We're free."

"We're free." Everyone repeated, smiling. "We are free."