The Final Countdown

Five. The world did not end in a whisper or a bang, but rather, one fatal scream at a time. And so, I suppose it began with the rain. The harsh thundering upon a wooden doorstep. The distant haze of smoke as it smothered upon the darkened skyline, filtering in a union so tight, the world itself was drawn askew in it's tangles. And yet, what I recall most was the rain. The subtle patter of a dewy night. Arising so fresh to the new world, it recalled the dawn as it's own. Yes. I remember the rain.

Four. They say sometimes memories are the worst form of torture. Perhaps they're right. It all came in fragments, interweaving fractures so obscure, you could hardly believe them to be true. I fell in love with him the first time he spoke. How ironic his first words would sentence me to death. Gnarled hands lashed upon me, thrusting themselves in a demeanor so savage, you wouldn't have believed they were his hands.

Three. Gripping me tight, he plunged me to the ground, my mind fading in each searing stroke. Hot pain merged into my skull, wracking my insides, as my body grew distantly limp. A great swell of pain flooded my organs, kneading throughout every inch of my body. And yet, it wasn't the kind of pain you would have expected. No, this pain stemmed from the greatest part of the soul. The most human part. The heart.

Two. There's no question to any of us that monsters truly exist. They surround us, enduring our presence. Their faces are carved and etched in a beautiful, yet twisted way. Because we see them as they want us to see them, not as they are to be seen. They masquerade as the best of us, they manifest themselves in the most pure of traits. And as he tormented me now, finally, his mask was lifted. Finally, he was revealed.

One. And as his eyes fell upon me, I knew they were not his eyes. They were cold, and void. Harnessed of rage and darkness. Those were the eyes of the monster. He clutched the metallic object in his hand, as it glistened in a last glimmer of light. Thrusting it to my head, I turned to the window, and peered out through the vast haze of light, After all, I thought silently.

I did find peace in the rain.