apocalypse | 18+

37.

BOYS WILL BE BEARS

it felt like dying. i couldn't quite describe it. the flames outside were in no comparison to what my chest felt like. when i opened my eyes from blacking out from a panic attack i was laying on carpet in the basement of the abandoned house. eli was pacing the room like always does when he's anxious.

i sat up quickly when i heard loud crashing sounds and the house started to shake from around us.

"good you're awake," he sighs rubbing his sweaty face. the whole room was hot. he took off his shirt. i took my pants off. the action was unspoken. it was just too hot.

i looked up at him panting having trouble breathing. i was just trying to come to. the world. the world.

it was ending again.

"what do we do sid?" he asked me, kneeling down to where i was, hands in the carpet.

i shrugged. he didn't like that answer. i felt numb. like i did the night we met. "c'mon sid don't shut down now. i need you now," he said attempting to be gentle, but it was hard for him in his panic.

i sighed wiping sweat from my face. "we probably have some time before..." i mumbled looking down. "meteor showers are normal before the comet."

he nods. "so like, small disturbances indicate...the big disruption?" he asked me, like a scientist.

i squinted my eyes at him. "huh?"

he sighs sitting next to me. "i listen to you when you research," he explains. "sometimes."

i smile a little, ignoring the humming of panicked words in my head. "yeah," i laughed.

and elias did what he always did. he looked through some cabinets. he shuffled around upstairs too. eventually he came running down the basement stairs in pain.

"i burnt my hand on the fucking thing," he groaned shaking his hand off. i noticed in his other hand he had bottle of jack daniels. he didn't really drink dark liquor, but i figured he'd drink anything if desperate enough.

"you serious right now?" i asked him. i wasn't surprised though, the end of the world brings out the worst in people.

he laughed a little popping the cap off. "very," was all he said before chugging as much as he could at one time.

i forgot what he was like when he was drunk, because it had been a few weeks of so without seeing him completely fucked up. he kind of lost the desire. it temporarily made me feel like i changed something inside him.

as i watched him, i realized i hadn't changed a thing.

"you want some?" he gasped, moving the bottle from his mouth in my direction.

i looked up at him from the floor. "sure," i shrugged grabbing the bottle. and as per usual it was absolutely rancid.

i took a few sips before coughing my lungs out.

and after a while the alcohol and heat became too much. i was laying naked on the carpet next to eli passing the bottle back and forth while we listened to the meteor shower.

our time was coming to an end.

"why did you go to the bar that night?" i asked him suddenly, looking over at him.

"what night?" he asked in confusion.

"the night we met," i said nudging him.

he paused for a moment. he probably couldn't remember. he had to let it click in his drunken mind.