It's The End of the World... And I Feel Fine (The Adventures of Max Harvey)

Chapter 16

I stared at the blank pages of my journal, trying to gather my thoughts. My pen hovered, tapping the paper as I tried to piece together everything that happened. Ruby's powers, Delilah's demonic transformation, Marcus... it all felt like one big tangled mess, and here I was, just a kid trying to figure out a way to stay alive.

The wind rustled the leaves overhead, the trees swaying gently in the morning breeze. It would have been peaceful if not for the weight of the world hanging over me. I glanced up at the sky, still shrouded in that eerie, grayish glow it had taken on since the world started falling apart. Even the sun seemed different—dimmer, like it was barely holding on.

"Hey, dreamer!" Ruby's voice snapped me back to reality. I hadn't realized she had made her way over. She stood a few feet away, arms crossed and an amused look on her face. "Writing your little apocalypse diary again?"

"Hey, it's not a diary," I retorted, closing the journal quickly. "It's... field notes."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Right, field notes." She glanced over her shoulder at Luke, who was laughing with some of the other kids near the makeshift shelter we'd set up. "He still giving you a hard time?"

I shrugged, pretending it didn't bother me, even though it kind of did. "Nah, he's alright. We're cool. He just... likes to push my buttons."

"That's one way to put it," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. She paused, her expression turning serious as she looked at me. "Look, I know things have been crazy lately, and I don't have all the answers, but... I'm glad you're here."

I felt my face heat up, and I looked away, pretending to fiddle with the strap of my backpack. "Yeah, same here. It's just... a lot, you know?"

She nodded, a somber look crossing her face. "Yeah, I know. And we need to figure out what's going on with Delilah. It's not safe for anyone if she's still out there... like that."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't even know where to start. I mean, what are we supposed to do—track down the demon hotline or something?"

Ruby smirked. "Well, you know, if Supernatural taught us anything, it's salt, holy water, and big ol' iron crowbars."

I laughed, but there was a nervous edge to it. "Yeah, and what if she comes back? What if she's stronger? I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

Ruby put a hand on my arm, and I felt a weird sense of calm wash over me. Her touch, or maybe just her presence, had a way of doing that. "Hey, we'll figure it out. We've got each other's backs, right?"

I nodded, the knot in my chest loosening just a bit. "Right."

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the air, and we both jumped. My eyes darted around, scanning the area for the source. It wasn't until a huge branch came crashing down a few feet away that we realized what it was. Ruby and I exchanged a look, my heart still pounding in my chest.

"That's... normal, right?" I asked, even though I knew it wasn't. Trees didn't just drop branches for no reason.

"Probably nothing," Ruby said, though she didn't sound convinced. "C'mon, let's head back. We've got enough to worry about without getting crushed by falling trees."

As we walked back, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get worse. It was like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for the next catastrophe to hit. And with people like Delilah turning into monsters, I had no idea what was coming next.

We made it back to camp, and I watched as Ruby headed off to check on the others. I lingered for a moment, pulling out my journal again and flipping to a fresh page. I needed to write everything down before I forgot, before the chaos swallowed up any memory of the little moments that made this whole nightmare bearable.

But before I could start, a voice called out to me. "Hey, Max!"

I looked up to see Ellie White again, her pink and purple hair bobbing as she jogged over. "I know this might sound weird, but... do you like pancakes?"

I blinked, taken aback by the randomness of the question. "Uh, sure?"

"Perfect!" she said, a grin spreading across her face. "Meet me at the south edge of the camp in an hour. Trust me."

I stared after her as she walked away, wondering what kind of pancakes were worth making a trip for during the end of the world. But curiosity got the better of me. I guess when everything's falling apart, even the smallest bit of normalcy—a pancake, a joke, a friend—can be enough to keep you going.

I glanced down at my journal and scribbled a note: Sometimes, all you need is a pancake to get you through the apocalypse.