Apocalypse Calling

Chapter 1 - Apocalypse Calling

Seven eyes exchanged looks. The emotions transmitted with them could not be more different, but at the same time, not more similar.

Drip.

Drip.

An annoying drip squeezed into the standing still, letting the scene rebound from its bizarreness.

***

Three days earlier.

A deep sigh echoed from Mithocht, she slowly kneaded her temple and closed her eyes. Her head buzzed with the sweet smell of chocolate sauce, cream and other delicacies that were piled up in front of her, waiting for a customer. With each breath it became more painful, even her stomach seemed to be uncomfortably warped by the penetrating smell.

"Are you all right?"

Mithocht flinched, suddenly startled out of her world of muffled throbbing. Ignoring the headache, she turned to Sabrina with a friendly smile. The movement made the thick braid on her back swing back and forth.

Her eyes caught Sabrina's brown-eyed look as she quickly opened her mouth: "Yes, I just have a little headache. Do you think I could grab an aspirin?"

She had said this too quickly, too suddenly.

Her heart sank, and the throb in her temple grew louder.

Her somewhat smaller colleague didn't show any signs of discomfort, looked at her only briefly, her face, which was light and unnoticeably covered in make-up, wrinkled a little thoughtfully. Her eyebrows knitted together a little and her red, almost heart-shaped lips tapered and became even more heart-shaped.

Mithocht kept looking at them, she would like to have such beautiful lips, this thought flashed through her mind before she started to rebuke herself inwardly.

Every person is beautiful, you also have something beauti-, Sabrina interrupted her mantra.

"Hmmm, you should go home, there have been many cases of illness lately, perhaps you have been infected? Didn't our boss have something similar... you know what, I'll just close for today, nobody's coming anyway," Sabrina finally smoothed her wrinkles, a sweet grin on her face. "Also," she wiped through her short brown hair, which was carefully styled, "it's already so hot today. "I think I'll find a victim to take with me for a swim today." She threw a playful wink at Mithocht.

"Go on, you really don't look well. I'll clean up on my own, say hello to your sisters." Sabrina's verbiage gave Mithocht no Chance of reputtal, while she was being maneuvered to the door.

With a " If you feel like it and you feel better, you can come to the pool today, we can do something nice! But for now get well soon!" the door behind Mithocht was closed.

She stared at the grey street in front of her, the throbbing had not improved in the slightest, instead an uneasiness had spread in her chest.

Step by step she approached her bicycle, the thought of riding through this damned heat with an uncomfortable iron frame didn't agree with her at all.

But her thoughts still buzzed around the conversation she had had with Sabrina.

It had been too fast and too sudden. She got on her bike, and folded the kickstand. Then the brief look on her lips. As she thought about it, her pulse quickened and the nausea punched into her stomach. She started pedaling. Her smile must have been strange. She must now be considered weepy. What would her boss think of her? A big shock after his first impression of her. She accelerated and made a turn . Her heart took a short jump when she thought of a detail. She had only been invited by Sabrina out of pity and because she was sure she would never show up there. She felt bad. She took another turn. She felt really bad. She stopped and boarded the waiting tram, took out her ticket, showing it to the chauffeur. She wanted to apologize to Sabrina, her boss, everyone who had seen her today. But, she did not dare.

She held her bike while she tried not to look the few passengers in the eyes.

Repeatedly she squeezed her aching temple, but the movement of the tram only made her nausea worse.

The tram stopped, she got off and began to ride on.

She carefully stayed away from any cars.

The pain was so bad by now, tears came to her eyes.

Finally she reached her destination. Mithocht put the bike into the rented garage and entered the house.

"You're early?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Finally, a tender smile crept into her lips. Mithocht took off her shoes, and her younger sister Joetun, disinterested, turned her gaze back to the TV, a sitcom all three of them enjoyed watching was on.

"Oho, the addiction? Aren't you already tired of checking your messages and posts all day? " Mithocht grinned and teased her sister a little, but also sat down with her. Leaning on her sister, she closed her eyes, listening to the interactions of the sitcom characters. Her sister, who was lying on her stomach, squirming under her, it was clear that she didn't like this position.

"Could check the messages more often. Why are you here already?" her sister replied with a deliberately annoyed tone.

"What a tragedy! Et tu, Joetun?! My own sister's trying to drive me out! Do you have a boyfriend? Is that it? What should I do, I'm losing h-"

"Pfff, yeah, yeah, sure. It's okay. I'm only asking because I came back early today because I have a headache." Joetun gave her elder sister a light slap and commented her monologue only with a roll of her brown, almost golden eyes.

"Oh, did we infect each other? I have a headache too," Mithocht grabbed a black strand of her sister's hair and wrapped it around her finger, occasionally poking the intended holes in her sister's outfit.

Joetun stretched out her arm and grabbed the bottle of mineral water that stood beside her on the floor, her black-painted nails making a clicking sound on the plastic. Wordlessly she handed it over to Mithocht, who took a big sip.

"I spoke with Aesthma on the phone earlier, she says she is already on her way home. Looks like we really have infected each other," Joetun commented, her mouth slightly lifted when she thought about how her little sister was going on a trip with her friends today, she had also said the night before that she was not allowed to get sick under any circumstances.

"Aesthma too?" Mithocht grinned broadly, she was now much more relaxed and her headaches were now easier to bear, "Then it must be serio-"

BOOM

Deafening. Several glasses and lamps burst one after the other. A sudden shrill scream escaped one of the two throats before the world turned black.

A/N: My first Author Note! Kinda exciting...

I hope you liked the chapter! I will try to update frequently!

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Thank you for reading!!