End of Days

The Beginning

The Beginning

2014 was a year that I could never forget. The year humanity faced a war like none ever before. It was the year of destruction. The events that occurred were something that is feared even now; the memories of those days haunt me to my very core. Nightmares plague my visions, never to leave me until I die. There are no words to ever fully capture the experience, the loss and pain, the complete fear we had all suffered.

It was June 19th, a pleasant day filled with sunshine and happiness; all were content, unaware of what was to come. But then so was I. In my house, alone, I was making breakfast, the same routine I had done for the past few years, when I saw the latest broadcast on the news about the war; there always seemed to be wars going on not that I really paid that much attention to it. From what I caught, the enemy soldiers had recently started adapt to our attacks and overpower our army; it was terrifying the British people and so a new plan for the army had been developed or ‘adapted’ as they referred to it as.

The government was always trying to come up with new plans with the guise of trying to help the public. People always knew government plans often failed but this would prove to be their biggest one and none of us even knew it yet. The war never really concerned me; I just wanted it to be over, most of the wars had long passed their purpose, evolving into conflicts over pretty much nothing. Most people couldn’t even remember the reason we were fighting these wars or even why they started.

 I had begun to notice something, there was something strange happening that I just couldn’t put my finger on. There was a change to the atmosphere, a sensation struck through me that I couldn’t explain. I wasn’t psychic or anything but something told me to be on guard. I brushed it off, not believing anything drastic could happen in the town I had lived in all my life. Little did I know how dangerous and petrifying this would turn out to be.

The streets outside were almost deserted; the once busy shops all seemed to be closed, the wind could be heard whistling through the trees as if crying out for someone, the atmosphere of silence choked the surroundings and threatened anyone who dared to encroach on it. This did happen more often around this time of year, with the holidays, so I just thought everyone had left and thus I pondered no more about this.

Whilst strolling down the path to the laboratory where I worked, I caught a glimpse of an older woman, looking at me with a strangely fearful expression; it was as though someone was behind me, someone that she feared. As she disappeared behind her curtains I noticed that she was not scared of what was behind me but scared of me, or rather for me. What could she be so frightful of that her face would look that contorted with dread? As these questions scattered in my mind the woman reappeared and pulled me into her house, eyes searching the area.

“Don't say a word,” she whispered in my ear, her voice trembling, body mimicking her voice as it involuntarily shook.

She stood by her window, looking out as if she expected something as I walked into the living room. She had seen something I had missed, either that or she was extremely paranoid. She didn’t strike me as a conspiracy theorist but then again I didn’t know her and looks can be deceiving. After a few minutes of long silence had passed she finally spoke, “Okay. It’s okay now.” It was to me but it was also to herself. 

“What the hell just happened there?” Was my only reply, unable to find the words for anything else. Her face was making me uneasy, even though I didn’t know what I was supposed to fear I felt it building nonetheless. Fear was in the atmosphere, exuding from the woman before me.

Her pale face turned to be, drawn out with surprise etched on her face. Her greying hair helped drain the colour from her already ghostly cheeks, fear adding to it. It was short and untidy, she was still in her pyjamas, obviously only having woken recently.