WHEN THE WORLD ENDS

THE END

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Rebecca Mathers hated cornflakes. More than anything in the world. She tried sprinkling sugar over them to mask the taste but the second you pour in the milk, the sugar dissolves and you're back to the same old boring taste. She had tried all the different variations: fruit-infused, choc chip, glucose free e.t.c but none of them sat right in her mouth. She wished she could find something more substantial to donate all of her hate towards but nothing came close. She hated cornflakes. More than anything in the world. So why the hell was she eating them?

Honestly, she was desperate to find something, anything, to distract her mind from the day she had before her. Not even the revolting crunch of Kellogg's was enough. Huffing loudly, defeated, she rose to her feet from the table and poured the quarter-eaten contents of the bowl into the bin in the kitchen. She even washed the bowl afterwards, quickly realising that she hated washing up just as much. She glanced up at the clock, five minutes and she would have to set off. There was no avoiding it this time.

She was lucky enough to get out of it last week. My uncle's funeral was a few days ago she had lied maliciously down the phone, I don't know if I'm ready yet. It's okay Ms. Mathers they had replied, take as much time as you need. It was only two days later when she received an email: we're short staffed. Lots of people are off ill. Some nasty stomach bug going around. You'd be a life saver.

So, she was back to work. She would've given anything to go back to those three months off that seemed to drag on and on and on and on. But now looking back, the time had flown by quicker than she knew what to do with it. She wasn't ready to face the tsunami of sympathetic faces that would undoubtedly be coming her way. Not yet. It was too soon. But she hadn't been given much choice.

Huffing loudly, defeated once more, she grabbed her bag, mobile and car keys off the kitchen counter as the clock struck half past 8. Before she left through the front door, she checked herself in the hallway mirror. She readjusted a loose strand of brown hair into her ponytail and straightened her jacket. Then she looked herself in the eye, took a deep breath and said "Okay Becca, show time."

The sound of the front door closing behind her and the key turning in the lock made her stomach churn. She could still turn back. As she made her way hesitantly towards the car her phone rang, making her jump a foot backwards. She stopped, took another necessary deep breath and held it up to her ear.

"Hey!" A familiar voice broke through and Rebecca was relieved to think of something else for a few seconds.
"Hi" she reached the car and unlocked it.

"Just wanted to wish you luck on your first day back. I was gonna buy you a card but I thought that'd be too cheesy."

"Thanks" was all Rebecca could mumble as she opened the boot and put her bag inside.

She closed it, her attention being caught by something over the road. The Johnsons. The picture-perfect nuclear family: Helena, Chris and the two kids, Bobby and Madison, not forgetting the family dog, Bonno. They always had a smile on their faces.
Always.

Rebecca watched as they packed the suitcases into the car, one after the other, one after the other. Maybe they were going on holiday. But then she saw their faces and reassessed. Mrs. Johnson, Helena, was upset. No. She was distraught. Tears rolled down her cheeks in endless waves as she directed the children into the back of the car and then climbed into the passenger seat herself. Mr. Johnson, Chris, came out of the house shortly after, locking the door behind him in some kind of frenzied panic. Rebecca didn't know where they were going. But they definitely weren't going on holiday. She watched them drive off down the road without a second thought or look back from any of them.