《The Watchmen - A Horror Novella》


 THE WATCHMEN - Part I

    And the Watchmen wander the streets, gazing at the scampering rodents;


    The flurries and flutter, a wisp of a coat. With weary eyes they usher;


    Tick-tock, little rabbits run to your den.


    For on this night, hallowed night, We send the world to silence.


    Ever still, ever curious in your abode, you watch;


    wait.


    The Watchmen release their hymn to fall upon deaf ears.


    Let the breeze stir, let the night rise; Oh peace, dear quiet surely now come.


    You will huddle, sweet nothings, such dears in your homes; Oblivious, diurnal, and fear of the unknown; Eyes drooping and bones weary.


    For the world, in one night, the Watchmen did see. They gazed from the dark, the mist, while it crept;


    into the crevices, through humble dwellings and at last, Their eyes cast up to the sky.


    This night, hallowed night, They gifted the world to silence.


    14


    It was just a note, some silly poetry I''d stumbled across in my old high school backpack. I remember taking a few creative writing courses before college, and then a few more in college. I thought most of my work had been transferred to my blog online, but I guess I had missed one.


    The number at the bottom intrigued me. I have no idea why it was there, or what it was meant to be, but the font on it was different and bold like it held some sort of importance.


    I can hardly believe that I graduated just a few weeks ago and already starting my new job. My story is like something out of a dream. I doodled all through college, worked on projects with my friends, and submitted a few of my art pieces to companies with some silly dream to be a character designer for games.


    I couldn''t believe it when I got not one but two different offers©¤ from the companies I never expected to hear back from. We''re talking major game titles, the guys that went to conventions with millions at their disposal.


    I still can''t believe it.


    I was floating on a cloud as I packed my things to move down to Dallas. Texas, man that sounded weird. I was always picturing that I would be in Eerie, or some small town in Pennsylvania for the rest of my life. I don''t even know where to begin with clothes shopping, or what to bring. I stared at my shovels and snow boots. I guess those definitely won''t be going with me.


    #


    After several tear-filled moments and lots of convincing, I told my parents that I would be sure to call them once I got in my new place and I was all settled in. I had made arrangements for my new place over the phone, but I hadn''t actually gotten to see it. Saying I was anxious to step foot in it was an understatement of the year. Part of the perks of this new job was I got to live in the complex just next to our office. It was newly built and within five miles of Downtown. I''d be able to drive anywhere. I was bummed that I would have to look for a car, but according to my new boss I was definitely going to need one in Dallas. Apparently public transportation wasn''t anything close to what we had back home.


    I smiled as the thought crossed my mind. I was still thinking of mom and dad''s place as mine. This was definitely going to take some adjusting. Thankfully, they had given me the weekend to get settled before I started work Monday.


    My space was actually larger than I expected. I had room for everything and then some. It was a sad realization that I really didn''t have a lot. Except my art supplies and computer which I kept exceptionally organized and stored away. I wasn''t the sort to collect things, or buy unnecessary items. Basically, in less than a handful of hours, the internet was hooked up and I was good to go.


    I streamed some music as I dug through the last box. I''m not sure why, but I decided to go ahead and look at that poem again. Hell, maybe I''d run up to a hobby store and get a frame. It was kind of a neat piece, I''d even doodles some hooded figures around it.


    After rummaging around, I located it near the bottom shoved between some art folders. I looked at it and frowned. There were drawings on it, but this time it was a city skyline that was surrounded by hooded figures. To top it all off, something else had changed.


    I could write off the doodles changing as maybe my memory hadn¡¯t been right, or someone was playing a joke on me.But the more I tried rationalizing that logic, the more concerned I got. My parents weren¡¯t the joking sort, especially my mother. They both wouldn¡¯t have done that. Despite it being odd, that wasn¡¯t what was really concerning me. The number had changed from 14 to 12. It had been exactly two days since I looked at it last. My hands suddenly felt very cold and the color drained from my face. Was the numbers a sort of countdown? More importantly, a countdown to what?


    I turned the paper over in my hand, looking from the back to the front. There was no other information on it, no date, just the same words. The skyline looked familiar to me, but I couldn¡¯t quite place where I¡¯d seen it. I pulled out my phone and snapped a few pictures, thinking maybe I could search it up online later and then put my phone away.


    #


    I frowned at the screen, shifted in my seat and then zoomed in on my character. It was my first design for a new game that was still in the planning stages. They had trusted me to come up with the side character designs. I was insanely happy at my role here as it was, but this was going to be a major release game and I got to be a part of it. Me. It really all was too good to be true. My first character, to my amazement, was approved and I was adding the finishing touches on her shirt and jeans.


    I added a patch, removed it, and then added it again. I decided the cute little hooded emblem would work with the dystopian theme and kind of gave it a punk edge. I grinned as I turned on the final layer. She looked badass, and not overly complicated which means other artists could duplicate the style in the department. I clicked save and got up from my desk to stretch. I looked down and blinked a few times.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. Had I really been here for twelve hours? A quick peek out at the office confirmed it. Everyone was gone except me, the building was completely dark. My mind shifted to the letter and I wondered if the numbers would change again and what, if anything, they actually meant.


    I¡¯d just pushed the down arrow on the elevator when I noticed a light flickering in one of the cubicles. I guess I wasn¡¯t here alone, one of the other artists must have stayed late to finish up. It was near the back and toward the middle of the isle. The sporadic light patterns reminded me of gameplay on a computer, like a shooter or something with fast movements. We didn¡¯t have lamps, so it must have come from a monitor. I smirked, turning back toward the elevator. Someone was probably just chilling in the quiet office and playing games.


    It had been a while since I pushed the button, so I thought it would be close to our floor but the light had gone out. I pressed the down arrow again and it once again rimmed in the golden light. A loud bang erupted behind me. I spun around, expecting to see the person had stood and knocked something over or maybe something fell down.


    Instead, I was greeted with complete and total darkness. I panicked and froze in place, I didn¡¯t move or dare to breathe. Ok, I reasoned, maybe the lights were on automatic timers. Suddenly there was a flash, and then the flickering started again. Except, it was the only light coming from the entire space. I turned toward the button, fumbling my way in the darkness to find it. Why hadn¡¯t the elevator come up? The light continued its rhythmic pattern, only now there was a distinct noise to it. It ground into my head, the loud buzzing.


    My eyes were glued to the light, I was terrified that if I turned away something would get me. The hairs on my arms stood on end and I struggled to breathe. There was a whoosh, and then a sigh as a low groan sounded in the darkness. I could feel it. It was there, waiting just beyond the light. I didn¡¯t think it, I knew it. I could barely make it out, but just to the left was a dark, hooded outline.


    Its presence was full of hatred, it wanted to hurt me©¤ hurt me in unimaginable ways. It showed me what it was thinking. It wanted to watch as me and all of my own kind stood helpless at the towering mushroom cloud that formed in the city less than twenty miles away. I watched as my face went from a curious stare to an apprehensive one. The cloud seemed so far away, but then it was on me in an instant. Bile rose in the back of my throat as I watched myself smile wide, the skin and tissue blasting against the wall in a large, gorey pile. The whole time my grin growing impossibly large. My now half-blasted body crumpled to the floor in a loud, wet thud as the roar dissipated giving way to silence.


    I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed as I slammed my hand on the down arrow again and again until there was wetness. The buzzing stopped and I opened my eyes. I was shocked to find the lights were back on. The bell sounded behind me and the elevator doors opened. On shaky legs, I stumbled toward the elevator and yelped as a pair of hands gripped my shoulders.


    ¡°Jesus christ. Kate, are you OK?¡±


    I wanted to cry at the familiar voice, but then I remembered that this was my boss. I glanced back at the space but found nothing there. It was calm, soft light filling the room. My lower lip quivered, but I managed to straighten myself up.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I stuttered, ¡°I©¤thought I saw something.¡± Devon released my shoulders and took one of my hands in his. ¡°What on earth happened to your hand? Are you sure you¡¯re OK? I was just coming back up to check on you and close everything down.¡± His voice sounded guarded as he peered into the office.


    I steadied my breath, convincing myself that I was just tired. It had, after all, been twelve hours and my first week. I was just stressing over the new job and move. I forced a smile, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine really. I bumped into something and didn¡¯t realize I cut my hand.¡± His shoulders relaxed and he reached out again to grasp my hand. He turned it over and looked at the jagged wound, ¡°Either way, that¡¯s a nasty cut. You should go get that cleaned out at the very least. You may need stitches.¡± I blushed scarlet and looked at the ground. I must have appeared ridiculous, like a scared little girl in an empty office building that freaked out when she was alone.


    Which is exactly what happened but I am way too proud to admit that in front of him. It¡¯s bad enough that I realized it.


    I managed to nod my head in response, ¡°I will. It¡¯s been a long day,¡± I offer weakly. Devon smiles and clears his throat quickly releasing my hand, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to touch you, I was concerned about your cut and didn¡¯t think about it.¡± I shake my head and smile, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I think I probably would have done the same thing.¡± We stand awkwardly for several moments before he takes a step toward the office. ¡°You mind if I take a look at your progress since we¡¯re here?¡± I grinned wide, ¡°Sure. Let me go clean up and I¡¯ll meet you at my desk.¡±


    #


    I¡¯m speaking a mile a minute as I spin the camera around my imported designs on the character. Devon¡¯s face is a mask, I¡¯m not getting anything from him. Occasionally he nods and murmurs as I explain the textures I used and the designs that can be easily duplicated by the team. When I finish, he¡¯s quiet and we sit for a moment as he stares at it. Finally, he gestures with his hand toward my keyboard, ¡°do you mind if I drive for a second?¡± I shake my head, ¡°no, go ahead¡± and I slide my chair over.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way,¡± he pauses and clicks a few buttons, then grabs with the mouse, ¡°but I can tell you aren¡¯t as used to Maya as some of my other guys.¡± He rounds out a section and then pulls back to take a look. I felt my face grow hot, but smiled anyway. ¡°Yeah, I mostly use illustrator and Photoshop with Z-Brush. I learned Maya, but I¡¯ve grown a bit rusty.¡± He returned my smile, ¡°Old school, nice. But, I wasn¡¯t trying to say you aren¡¯t talented, I very much think this is a great start. We¡¯ll go over it with Zedd tomorrow.¡±


    We sit in comfortable proximity as he pointed out a few hotkeys and helped me with my settings. He¡¯s really getting into depth, so at some point I grabbed a notebook and started jotting down the things that I needed to learn.


    I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m more impressed with, the fact that he is taking time out to share so much knowledge with me, or that the owner of a game company seems to genuinely care about all his employees. I¡¯d heard so many nasty rumors from other buddies that I was steeling myself before I got here, waiting to be yelled at. Devon seemed to be a perfect mix of teacher and boss with a lot of open discussions. He welcomed me to speak about any issues I was having and pointed out my mistakes in a way that I could learn from them. This was perfect.


    I don¡¯t think either of us realized that it had been as late as it was when I got a text from my mother.


    It¡¯s midnight honey, did your first day go OK? We haven¡¯t heard from you.


    I quickly responded to her and let her know that my first day was great and that I was sorry for worrying her. She told me that it was fine and to get some rest and call her tomorrow.


    Devon mentioned something about us both getting some rest and that my mother was right. He walked me all the way out to the train station when it dawned on me©¤ the trains wouldn¡¯t be running this late. I walked over to the schedule just to double check and sagged. The last one had been twelve thirty, I¡¯d missed it by less than ten minutes. I could walk, I reasoned, it¡¯s less than three miles. Or, I could Uber. I got a slight thrill as I pulled out my phone. I¡¯d never gotten to use an Uber before, my mom had driven me everywhere when I couldn¡¯t use the train.


    Devon caught on really quick what had happened and offered me a ride. I¡¯m thankful for the dim light because he had seen me blush enough for an entire lifetime, let alone one night. He¡¯s insistent that it¡¯s fine and we¡¯re on my way in less than five minutes.


    I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that I get to see what the inside of a Tesla Model 3 looked like. I¡¯ve seen a few on the road, but I have never gotten to sit in one. I¡¯m amazed at how clean everything is, especially considering the white seats. It was so quiet, I couldn¡¯t get over it.


    ¡°So, how are you liking it so far?¡± Devon says. I grinned like a schoolgirl, ¡°oh, I¡¯m loving it,¡± I say excitedly, ¡°this car is amazing, I¡¯ve never been in one.¡± His eyebrows raise and he lets out a surprised chuckle, ¡°Well, I meant at the office but thank you. I¡¯m pretty fond of it too.¡± I¡¯m again thankful for the darkness as I yell at myself to stop being an idiot. I recover quickly, ¡°you should be more clear about the questions you ask,¡± I say, shaking my head. We both share a laugh as he pulls up to the stoplight.


    ¡°Sorry, let me be clear©¤ how are you liking everything at the new job?¡± He turns onto the street and I¡¯m almost sad that we will be to my place in less than a handful of minutes. ¡°It¡¯s hard work, but I knew that going into it.¡± I pause for a few seconds and wait on him to respond, when he doesn¡¯t, I quickly add ¡°but it¡¯s a great job and I¡¯m very thankful to have it. I¡¯m one of the lucky few that can say I draw for a living.¡± That got a smile out of him and I relaxed a degree.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you feel that way,¡± Devon said. He looks out the window and then glanced at me, ¡°I meant to ask earlier©¤ Did you get a look at Zedd¡¯s design already?¡± I furrowed my brow and pursed my lips, ¡°At Zedd¡¯s? No, I didn¡¯t. Will mine clash with his?¡± My heart started to sink thinking about all the hours I put into a few of my characters today. Maybe I should have checked in with the team first, I hadn¡¯t even thought about it.


    ¡°Oh no, nothing like that. I just noticed that you both used a black hoodie design on your characters and had collabed. Just an odd coincidence I guess¡± Devon responded. I smiled at him despite the growing nausea.


    ¡°Did he design his today too?¡± I asked. He nodded as we both pulled up in front of my place. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°that¡¯s why I thought the two of you had spoken about it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I said, my awkward smile growing, ¡°how odd. I guess great minds.¡± Devon smiles at me as I try to shrug it off and reach for the handle, ¡°See you tomorrow Kate.¡±


    It¡¯s not until I get out of the car and wave goodbye that fear started creeping its way back in. Had Zedd seen them too? I mean, a hooded figure is always related to death I suppose. Apocalyptic themes, blah blah©¤ It could just be that our minds were in sync. Yes, that had to be it.


    I tossed my keys on the counter and then sagged into my computer chair. I¡¯m thankful that our hours are flexible at work. I could work the early eight to five, or take the ten to seven. I¡¯m tempted to go in earlier, but honestly it¡¯s crunch time so I know it won¡¯t really matter and I won¡¯t have much of an evening left even if I did come in at eight. I decided that sleep sounds better and to take the second shift.


    #


    When sleep finally comes, it comes in fitful bursts. I can¡¯t purge the image from my mind and it again keeps going back to my skeleton grinning from ear to ear, half of my face dangling by a thread. The hot, white light is blinding as the boom echoes throughout the city.


    And the worst part is It is there, watching from the corner. Then all at once, I realize©¤ not just It, but They. There, just in the building next to mine and then another standing below. They¡¯re all staring at me, their dark hoods as black as night. I can feel the joy as they sense my suffering. They¡¯re©¤devouring it. To my absolute horror, I can feel there, just there behind me. It¡¯s right there.


    I can¡¯t move, and somehow I¡¯m still alive. I can feel my bones creaking and the pain, like searing pokers jammed into my belly. My skin is slithering from my sleeves, falling to the floor in a sickening wet thump. I reach up and tear at my face wanting the sensation of dangling to stop. I can still see with the eye that now faces the floor and the one that remains in my head. I try and move, but I just fall to the ground. All I can do is lie there, suffering. Jesus.


    I can¡¯t take it, I just want to die.


    Let me die.


    I screamed and screamed but nothing came out. There¡¯s nothing but the deafening quiet.


    #


    My eyes try to focus as I stare at the screen. I rubbed at them and stood for the hundredth time to grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen. I needed to get my shit together before I had my first team meeting with Zedd. He¡¯d looked over my files and seemed happy with the direction I was going. I was a little nervous because this would be the first time I¡¯d actually met the guy. We may have worked in the same building, but most of us sort of kept to ourselves.


    I got to meet the sound team earlier today and was slightly envious that they got to spend their time recording different noises for our game. It looked like a blast watching the actors get into character, or the strange things the guys used to make all the different sounds. I¡¯m sure they had a sound bank, but Devon had explained that they like to add a little flair to each game.


    I hadn¡¯t got to talk with him much today, but he seemed just as friendly as he did yesterday. I¡¯m lucky to have a boss like him. Really, I¡¯m lucky to be here. That¡¯s why it was imperative that I make the best impression possible. I didn¡¯t want to be seen as the newbie that can¡¯t keep up. This morning, I¡¯d even walked through some of the hotkeys and shortcuts Devon showed me so that I could use them with confidence.


    In the end, all I managed to do was stay awake and flesh out a few characters and vehicles. I was feeling pretty shitty when one thirty hit and I needed to show a team of people some scribbles and color concepts. I sighed heavily as I saved it to my folder in our drive and trudged over to the kitchen for one last pick-me-up.


    #


    ¡°Wow. Kate, was it?¡± I nodded over at Zedd as he shuffled through my files. He projected them up for the team to see and I felt my face growing warmer by the second. I kept trying to convince myself that I would be ready, but I was dying inside at the attention. I couldn¡¯t wait for them to move on. ¡°I want you to take a look at something,¡± he said. I watched the screen as he opened a secondary folder containing his work and then pulled it into an image viewer next to mine. My jaw dropped as I looked back and forth between the two. They were in different spots, but our characters had matching hooded tattoos. His was way more clever, hidden between the character¡¯s knuckles and going halfway up his arm in a badass old-school reaper style. Mine was clearly displayed on my characters back and shoulder that went up into a reaper hoodie. I¡¯d decided against the patch today and went with something a little less obvious. Zedd had caught it right away.


    ¡°I can take out the flair if it messes with one of the mains,¡± I offer wanting to be done with it. He looks over at one of the other guys and they both grin. ¡°Are you kidding me? This is great. Honestly, I think we should add her to one of our main crew.¡± Zedd pauses and then leans in to get a closer look. ¡°Is that a scythe, that converts into a hoverboard?¡± I blink a few times and then stutter, ¡°yeah©¤ I guess I got carried away.¡± The whole team laughs as I silently try to melt into the chair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t say these sorts of things lightly,¡± ¡°he really doesn¡¯t,¡± one of the other guys muttered. That gets another hearty laugh and it¡¯s a few more seconds before Zedd calms them down. ¡°But seriously, I see why Devon hired you. Did you get to see our concepts before you drew yours?¡± I press my lips together and shake my head side to side. ¡°I probably should have, that would have been smart.¡± He chuckles. ¡°Well, we can clean it up a little bit with the rest of the team and she¡¯ll fit right in. Missy, I think we got ourselves a new main character.¡±


    I¡¯m mortified at the thought, ¡°Well, no, I mean it¡¯s just some scribbles. We should ask Devon first right?¡± I¡¯m practically stumbling over every word. The corners of his mouth turn up and there¡¯s an unsettling gleam in his eye. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m team lead, Kate. Devon trusts me.¡± ¡°Oh no, well, I didn¡¯t mean that you weren¡¯t©¤¡± words fail me and I¡¯m left speechless at the thought of my new responsibility. This is all too much too soon, but I thanked him and smiled.


    I¡¯m flooded with relief as they move on to the rest of the team. I couldn¡¯t believe the talent I saw and they are all working on backgrounds, and side characters. I definitely didn¡¯t deserve this. As soon as the meeting ends, I was determined to pull Zedd aside and tell him to just put me back on the side characters.


    The meeting lasts for just over an hour and we¡¯re all packed up to leave. I made a beeline for Zedd and tried my best to argue that someone else¡¯s work should be used before mine©¤especially since they had been there longer. That got me nowhere fast, and in the end Zedd finally convinced me that it would be fine and that he would supervise me every step of the way.


    After pouting for all of five minutes and slinking away, it suddenly hit me©¤ why am I being such a baby about this? Anyone else in my graduating class would have killed to be in the position I was. I just needed to get over this fear and allow myself to believe I was hired out of talent.


    I thought back to the comments earlier during our meeting and smiled, There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m team lead, Kate. Ok, maybe I was being a little harsh on myself.


    #


    I nibbled on my stylus as I sat back and stared at my submission art. I wanted it to be perfect and I¡¯d been playing with my Maya all day. I pulled her into a standing, and then crouching pose before I decided to send her bent on the hoverboard. Both her hands were sprawled out with flair and I made a quick gif of her pose animation for the opening credits. Technically, it¡¯s a whole other team that does that part, but I wanted to present her with style.


    Zedd told me that the social media guys were working on a fun build up to release her as a surprise and asked me to sit in on a quick skype with them today. It felt super awkward at first until one of the dudes and me hit it off on another game we loved. I described in detail about her abilities, and we came up with several ability trees in less than an hour. It was going to have to be run through Devon, but Zedd said that the rough draft was looking great and that we were early enough in that adding a fourth lead was no big deal.


    After what felt like a long, but productive day I stood and stretched. I sent over my final draft and copied Devon on it like Zedd mentioned. I looked at my fitbit and frowned, I had barely gotten in three thousand steps today. I was definitely going to the gym tonight, especially after the team meeting donuts. I suddenly felt very aware of how many I¡¯d eaten. Was it two, three? I shook my head, yep definitely gym time.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I leapt at the voice and spun around. It was Zedd, but he looked©¤ different. His normally well kempt hair was wild and his eyes were rimmed with red. He looked as if he had rolled out of bed from a long night of drinking.


    And god, he smelled.


    What was that putrid odor? I tried to smile, but my wavering words gave me away, ¡°oh, hey Zedd,¡± I replied, ¡°what¡¯s up?¡± He staggered toward me, his eyes trained on mine. His arm came up and he pointed at me, jabbing in my direction, ¡°you saw them too. Didn¡¯t you?¡± My eyes grew wide at how angry he sounded. ¡°Saw who?¡± I asked carefully, edging my way back toward the elevator.


    His red, watery eyes bored into mine. He looked as if he would fall over at any moment. His hand stayed mid-air but he jabbed it in another direction, ¡°them,¡± he whispered hoarsely. I swallowed thickly, but remained quiet. Zedd looked over toward the area I had first spotted the creature and nodded, ¡°I saw your sketches and it made me curious,¡± he slurred. Was©¤he drunk?


    Then it dawned on me, that was the odor I had smelled, it was vomit mixed with liquor. ¡°So I went back and reviewed the cameras.¡± I covered my mouth and shook my head, ¡°oh god, I¡¯m so embarrassed, I was really tired and it had been a long day.¡± His finger came up to his mouth and he shook his head, silencing me. ¡°I saw how scared you got,¡± he whispered. I shifted uncomfortably at his words, not really sure what he wanted me to say.


    Before I could say anything, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. The crinkling sounded loud in the large, open office. ¡°Here,¡± he growled, ¡°take a look at this.¡± He thrust his hand toward me. I leaned forward gingerly and took the paper from his hand. ¡°I thought it was just me until I saw your drawing.¡± I glanced up at him confused and then down at the paper.


    The hooded figure glared back at me from the sheet, nearly filling the page. There was no denying it©¤ the darkness glared back at you, gleefully inhaling all the pain, the suffering. I could feel the entity¡¯s eagerness oozing from the page. And there, right there were the words. The same poem that I had discovered in my box from college. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± I demanded. He blinked in surprise at my anger.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen this before?¡± He grabbed my shoulders and shook me, hard. I tried to pull away, but he held on tight. ¡°You have to let me see it. Does yours©¤change?¡± My body grew cold as I realized what he meant. The numbers. He released me slowly as he studied the look on my face. My legs felt like they were going to give out. I didn¡¯t want to, but I scanned the page all the way down to the bottom. There, in bold print were the neatly typed numbers:


    10


    #


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the number four, well done, with a coffee,¡± Zedd responded mechanically. I could tell he¡¯s been here a few times, the waitress smiled and called him by name. I ordered a muffin and coffee, smiling politely back. Zedd had managed to clean himself up some. His brown hair was combed back and he smelled a little less sour with a hint of mint. He must have swigged some mouthwash.


    As soon as the waitress left, Zedd turned his attention to me. He cleared his throat, ¡°hey, listen©¤ sorry I gave you a scare earlier. It¡¯s just, no one else has¡± he trailed off, taking a deep breath. He seemed to really be struggling with the next sentence, ¡°seen what I have. I thought I was going crazy.¡± I nodded sympathetically, ¡°it¡¯s ok. I thought I was just, you know, tired or something. But, how did you know we saw the same thing? I mean, it was just a hooded figure. There¡¯s tons of those around. It¡¯s not exactly original.¡± He stared at me, quiet for several beats.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen them, right?¡± his voice is soft, but it¡¯s emotional. I tilt my head to the side, ¡°I saw them, yes. But I only saw more than one when I©¤¡± I hesitated. He was the one that brought me here, but suddenly I felt dumb saying it out loud. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dream. It¡¯s going to happen.¡± It was my turn to stare at him, ¡°how do you know that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You asked how I knew we saw the same thing. I know because I felt that same feeling when I looked at your drawing. Plus, check this out¡± he pulled out his tablet and opened the files back up. It was our drawings sitting side by side. ¡°It took me a while to spot it, but there it was, plain as day.¡± He tapped on the screen and then zoomed in on both images. ¡°Do you remember drawing this?¡± I frowned at the screen, squinting to see what he was trying to show me.


    At first all I could make out were what appeared to be a bunch of squiggly lines. I looked from one character to the other, trying to find some similar pattern or shape. ¡°You can¡¯t spot it yet, can you?¡± I shake my head, ¡°no, sorry.¡± He taps on the screen a few times and then desaturated the images. The color drains from my face as he pushed the screen toward me. ¡°How about now?¡±


    Suddenly, I can see them everywhere. Words scrawled across their clothes, skin, making up part of the scythe, on the hoodie, covered in the background repeating over and over again:


    Tick-tock, little rabbits.


    My stomach is in my throat as I think about the joy that creature plucked from me as the skin slid from my bones and my insides sprayed the walls. How delighted It was to dine on my terror.


    ¡°There¡¯s no escaping it.¡± Zedd¡¯s voice sounded defeated, tired. ¡°It has to be what that countdown is on our papers.¡± I don¡¯t know what to say, because there is nothing to say. After several moments of silence, the waitress brings us our food. We both thank her, but neither of us touch our plate once she¡¯s gone.

 The Watchmen - Part II - No Escape

    I stare up at the ceiling in my room, completely lost in thought. Just to be sure, I had even asked Zedd what his dreams looked like. He had described in vivid detail my worst fears: his suffering was identical to mine. There was a small part of me that hoped these monsters just showed us our worst fears. That maybe they were some sort of creature that fed off of fear and pain. The more he shared with me, the more I wanted him to stop talking.


    I rolled over on my side and frowned at the poem on my nightstand. The 9 seemed more bold than usual.


    There¡¯s no escaping it.


    His words echoed in my mind. If that were true, there would be absolutely no reason for me to continue any of this. My whole entire existence was pointless. I wanted to cry but nothing would come out. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and never stop screaming. It ached to be in my own skin and I was angry. Angry that I was one of the few people that actually knew what was going to happen, but powerless to stop it.


    Even if I were to try and call someone, or reach out to people©¤ no one would believe me. If someone had told me this a few days ago, I wouldn¡¯t have believed them. I would have thought they were some conspiracy theorist or nutcase. Unless©¤


    I sat up and checked my phone. It was early, but Devon normally got in about eight or eight thirty. I might be able to chat with him for a while. I had an idea, but I wasn¡¯t going to come off as completely crazy until I was sure. I dressed as quickly as I could and jumped on the first train.


    #


    ¡°Kate, hey¡± Devon said smiling, ¡°what brings you in so early?¡± I was surprised to find him already there when I came in at seven forty-five. I smiled nervously at him, checking my pocket for the hundredth time to make sure the piece of paper was still there. I relaxed as I felt it crumple against the weight. ¡°Hey Devon,¡± I said, ¡°I sketched this out last night and thought you might want to take a look at it.¡± He raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh yeah? Sticking to those old-school guns, I like it. Let¡¯s take a look.¡± I tried to steady my hand as I reached into my pocket.


    I unfolded the paper and stared. More hooded figures had appeared and the skyline looked less blurry. I could make out shapes and finer details of the buildings. The hooded figures all stood outside of the city, staring at it. Waiting.


    ¡°Kate?¡±


    My legs moved and I walked over to his desk, passing the little paper over to him. His hand briefly touched mine and I was suddenly very aware that I hadn¡¯t showered that morning. I must look an absolute mess. I fidgeted with my hair and tugged at my shirt.


    He was quiet for a few moments and then furrowed his brow. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± His face broke into a wide grin, ¡°Did one of the guys set you up to this?¡± He chuckled and handed the paper back to me. ¡° Is it some secret code that I have to pour milk or lemon juice on it? Maybe wave it over the stove?¡± he waved his hands around. ¡°Already messing with the boss, huh?¡± I smiled at his words but at that very moment I died inside. Why could Zedd and I see it, but not Devon?


    It must have been awkward for me to walk in there like that and not have some sort of a come back, so I forced a chuckle of my own, ¡°You got me.¡± I wanted it to sound casual but it ended up sounding even more awkward than anticipated and it hung in the air, stagnating. I cleared my throat and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey, Kate.¡± His voice sounded off. I turned back toward him from the doorway. ¡°Take care of yourself, this job can get really stressful.¡± My face burned but I managed a lame, ¡°oh totally, no worries.¡± I spun around, nearly plowed into the wall and shuffled my way out.


    Great, the end of the world comes and I¡¯m still managing to make a complete and total asshole of myself. I guess some things will never change.


    #


    I¡¯m still feeling slightly sore over my love life a few hours later, but I¡¯ve knocked out a ton of progress on my main character. So, that¡¯s a bonus. I¡¯ve rationalized that if nothing else, this gives me something to do. It¡¯s pointless, the game will never be released. I don¡¯t even know when the bomb will go off.


    But I know the day.


    It made me wonder if it was just going to happen here, or all over. Maybe the beings only showed what would directly affect us. That gave me an idea. It¡¯s my first week, but considering I¡¯ll only have just over a week left to live, I figured fuck it©¤ road trip it is.


    I finished up my tasks for the day with a couple of hours to spare. Zedd had been oddly quiet today, in fact, I hadn¡¯t seen him all morning. It¡¯s a possibility that he is going to work on the night shift. Most of us hated that schedule, but there was a team that worked from four until midnight.


    Even if he never showed up to work again, it¡¯s not like I could blame him. I mean, there was at least some hope that you are just over-tired and hallucinating, but to have someone confirm your worst fear? That¡¯s true terror. I was hoping to at least talk with him a bit more today. The way we had left things last night made me feel beyond depressed.


    I felt more helpless than I ever have in my life. I was desperate to cling on to some hope that we could find a way out of this. Somehow.


    I woke up feeling a little better today, but having the kind of unwanted knowledge that I did made it that much harder to breathe. I shot him a text, just to check in on him and then headed to Devon¡¯s office.


    I tapped lightly on the door. There were a few murmurs on the other side and finally I heard, ¡°come in.¡± I peeked my head around the door and smiled. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s my favorite gal. I just got your completed works for the day. Careful©¤ you¡¯re making the other guys look bad.¡± He winked conspiratorially at me and grinned. I laughed and shook my head, ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be true. I¡¯ve seen their work.¡± He typed a few things on his computer and then turned his full attention on me. ¡°What can I do for you, ma¡¯am?¡±


    I smiled at the southern drawl. I noticed that people here tended to address each other as sir or ma¡¯am but it wasn¡¯t in a professional way, it was polite and respectful. I was still getting used to their drawn out words and pronunciations. It took me ages to figure out the guys were saying pen instead of pin, which they pronounced as ¡®pin¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to ask this, but I¡¯ve had a family emergency come up. Is there any way that I could work remotely and maybe take half a day off to drive up there?¡± His face suddenly grew serious. ¡°Oh, Kate. I¡¯m sorry to hear that, is everyone OK?¡± I shake my head feeling guilty over the lie. ¡°No, no, nothing serious. My dad is out of town and my mom broke her leg. She just needed me to help out at the house until dad gets back Friday.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all. Honestly, just go ahead and take tomorrow off and you can work a half day Friday, how¡¯s that sound?¡± I¡¯m shocked at how understanding he is.


    I¡¯m also slightly disturbed how easily the lie slipped from me. I¡¯d have to address that with myself later. One thing at a time. ¡°Oh, and Kate?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I responded. ¡°Zedd is not feeling well, but he¡¯ll be in tomorrow. I¡¯m loving the direction you two have come up with.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I thanked him and quickly made my exit. This was a weird day, but it wasn¡¯t entirely bad. I felt accomplished, which was a weird feeling given the circumstances. I¡¯m taking this all too well.


    #


    I stare out the bus windows for the hundredth time. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m expecting to see, but the tree lined roads are finally giving way to mountains. It¡¯s something to stare at as I listen to my audiobooks. I knew going too far would be silly, and if I went back home I felt like I would somehow get the same result. I decided on New Mexico. It was twelve hours from Dallas, but it was at least another state and would help prove my theory.


    I was still working on that theory, but at least this would hopefully get me another step closer to figuring something out. It was better than sitting at home and sulking. My eyelids grew heavy as we got to the last hour or so stretch. This state was huge. I couldn¡¯t believe how long it took to get across. I could have gone to Louisiana or Oklahoma, but I figured if I was going to go somewhere it was at least going to be pretty. The constant drone of the audiobook¡¯s narrator wasn¡¯t helping and before I knew it, I was out.


    I blinked a few times, staring from the familiar building. This time, the entire floor was filled with everyone at the office. Devon walked past and flashed his winning grin, his warm brown eyes crinkled around the edges. I smiled shyly back and then started walking toward my desk. Usually the things had appeared by now, but instead it seemed like a typical day.


    I glanced around, curious about where this dream was going. I was vaguely aware of movements at each cubicle as I passed by. People were glued to their monitors, little clicks of the mice sprinkled through. At any moment the terror would unfold and I would stare at my insides.


    I would sit helplessly as the blast would blow me apart and I would feel every agonizing second.


    I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to wake up. Please, I silently begged, I don¡¯t want to go through it again. Don¡¯t make me go through it again. The second I close my eyes I feel it. The office shifts and then trembles violently. Seconds later, the screams began. My eyes open and I¡¯m once again faced with the tall, spiraling cloud that mushrooms and expands. It hurtles toward us and then slams into the building with a crushing blow.


    God, no.


    The glass cuts into me, embedding itself as the flesh peels back from my face. Adrenaline will not kick in, I can feel everything. People drop like flies around me, their screams eventually replaced with wet gargles. My lungs fill with blood and my one good eye watches as the earth shifts and I fall to the ground. My exposed nerves and bones take on a dull ache as my body finally accepts what is happening. Just like the ones before, I¡¯m alive and I won¡¯t die.


    I had always thought that this was the part of dreams you would wake from and scream. Even in my more terrifying dreams I would wake up just as I was attacked or fell. Not only could I feel the pain, I could taste my own blood, feel the aftershock as the building groaned and tilted.


    And then, they are there. Or they always have been and I am just now noticing them. I try and close my one good eye, but to my horror I realize that my eyelids are gone. The debris lands softly on my exposed eye. The reflex to blink happens but all I can do is stare forward. The burning is so intense against all of my softest parts that I¡¯m sure I will pass out from the pain.


    I can¡¯t die.


    I can¡¯t die.


    I can¡¯t fucking die.


    They close in on me and groan in ecstasy, peeling my suffering from me as if I were a bit of string cheese. They fed on the others in seconds, but me, god fucking help me©¤ they were having a four course meal. I tried any way I could to die faster. I tried biting my tongue, but there wasn¡¯t enough left of it for me to get ahold of. I tried in vain to move either of my arms, but too much of the muscle lay piled on the floor. I was stuck here, being consumed piece by piece©¤ layer by agonizing layer.


    #


    I roared awake, my screams filling the bus. I heard a man curse in the seat in front of me and the driver came to a screeching halt. I ran my hands over my face, and then my body searching every bit just to make sure I was there. I drank in the air, so much clean, fresh air thank god.


    I sat back in my seat and let out a sigh. ¡°Hey,¡± I jumped at the loud shout from the driver, ¡°everything OK back there?¡± I peered around the row of seats and crumpled slightly at all the confused faces of the passengers. I cleared my throat, ¡°um, yeah sorry,¡± and then I added ¡°bad dream.¡± The entire bus groaned and people muttered, throwing angry looks my way. Sorry, I mouthed at them, my face on fire.


    I disappeared back to my seat and hugged my legs to my chest.


    Whatever that was, it wasn¡¯t a dream. I¡¯m not sure what it was that kept those monsters feasting on me but I had a sinking feeling they were the reason I was kept alive. I shuddered, running my hands along the length of my legs trying to spread some sort of warmth through them. The air on the bus had grown colder, we must be in the mountains.


    A quick glance outside confirmed it as we chugged along uphill.


    My thoughts turned dark as I stared out across the misty mountains, I had been able to sleep OK last night, but what if the dream returns tonight? Could I ever sleep again?


    #


    The hotel was nothing fancy, but it was cozy. After speaking with the front end and getting my room key I was all set up. I walked down a few hallways until I found the first set of double doors the man at the counter had described. I walked through and saw to my delight that it opened into a large pool area. It was all enclosed and there was a hot tub. I¡¯m glad I decided to pack my bathing suit. I was hoping the place had a sauna or something I could relax in.


    My mood got even better when I saw they had a sauna as well. At least there was something to look forward to tonight.


    After I got in my room, I set up my work laptop and placed my phone on charge. The signal here was awful and my battery was already at forty percent. I checked my messages and email. Devon had sent one about an hour ago and it was just to check in and make sure I had made it to my parents. I sent him a response that I was fine and I would be able and work by tomorrow afternoon. I added that he could call or text me for emergencies and then sent it.


    I was surprised to find that I felt energized. Despite the dream, it must have refreshed me. I glanced over room service and then checked out some local food on my phone. I was starving. I finally spotted a local pizza place that had decent reviews and placed my order. In less than an hour it was sitting on the dresser and I had a scary movie playing in the background. Even though my own life was the stuff of nightmares, I still found it comforting to watch someone else go through hell instead of me.


    I¡¯d seen just about every horror movie made, even the campy ones from out of the 80¡¯s. The boogeyman always fascinated me because they never died. I loved Halloween, Michael Myers just kept coming back. Ironic, given that my own hell in these visions paralleled that. Maybe he was just pissed off that he couldn¡¯t die and took that out on others. Suddenly, I had a soft spot for the guy.


    I devoured three pieces before I finally slowed down. I was ravenous and sure that even if I ate this entire pizza, I¡¯d want more. But after the sixth slice, it seemed to do the trick and I sighed and patted my belly.


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how all of this would work, but I checked the image when I first arrived and it hadn¡¯t changed. It was still the Dallas skyline and the hooded figures surrounding it.


    I was hoping that spending a night in another state may change it. And if that were true, maybe these things did prey off of scaring you. Or, it meant that this was going to happen everywhere. Maybe we were witnessing the end of it all. Surely we could travel miles out from major cities and be safe right? Isn¡¯t that what someone sending a bomb would do? Target all the major cities? I remember learning in one of my science classes that if several bombs went off it would affect the entire planet and that eventually the fallout would kill us all. Radiation poisoning was no joke. We¡¯d not only die, we would die horribly.


    There really was no brighter side to this no matter which scenario was true.


    #


    After finishing off the pizza and the movie I decided to go ahead and hit up the hot tub for a good soak. The chill in the air brought a chill to my bones, even with the heater on. I opened the closet and smiled as I pulled out a robe. This place may have been old, but it was full service. You would never find things like this in a normal hotel. At least not one that I could afford. I slipped it over my bathing suit, grabbed my key card, and walked down the hall.


    A few doors down I could hear someone¡¯s T.V. blaring. It was loud as hell, the person watching it must have been ancient. Reminded me of my grandfather¡¯s shows of old westerns. I¡¯m pretty sure I heard a horse whinny. Well, at the very least it brought me comfort knowing that I wasn¡¯t alone. I walked into the pool room, hung up the robe and slipped into the tub. I sighed and then smiled, I was in complete bliss. If the end of the world really was happening in eight days, this was my idea of a great way to spend my time. It was perfectly quiet, just me and the warmth.


    My body sagged as the weight of the world slipped away. My eyes shut and I rested my head against the cool concrete. Seconds after I closed my eyes, there was a thunderous boom. I jumped, whipping my head around. The sound echoed and vibrated around the room, but nothing was out of place. Both doors were sealed tight. My lower lip trembled as the water trickled down my face.


    That boom, I knew it anywhere. I had it etched in my memory. I expected at any moment the room would collapse around me. I imagined the burning blast of air that stripped me of my insides.


    Stop it, I told myself, just stop. There is nothing there, you¡¯re just tired. I tried to rationalize it. Maybe it was my neighbors T.V. Or maybe, I thought, every time you close your eyes you¡¯ll relive your own death again and again. My blood ran cold at the thought of possibly never being able to close my eyes.


    How long could I last? One day©¤ two? I shuddered despite the surrounding warmth. Suddenly, the sauna didn¡¯t sound so good and I decided to head back to my room.


    #


    It was around three a.m. when I got the call. When I¡¯d gotten back to my room earlier I had ordered as many caffeinated drinks as I could. After two monsters and several diet cokes, I was fairly sure I couldn¡¯t sleep even if I wanted to. I kept action movies on and played games on the laptop. I figured, as long as I was moving, or doing something I couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    I was in the zone blasting away at bad guys when my phone went off. I paused and looked at my phone, it was Devon. Confused I answered immediately.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    There was a pause on the line, followed by a few sniffles. I decided that maybe he had dialed me by mistake, but I answered again anyway. ¡°Hello? Devon?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Kate. Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± His voice sounded shaky as if he had been crying. I was instantly alarmed.


    ¡°Hey, is everything OK?¡± I asked. There were a few more sniffles. ¡°Kate, I¡¯m so sorry to be calling this late, but I thought it would be better to hear it from me than the news.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± I answered. My heart was beating out of my chest, I didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    ¡°This is really hard to tell you, especially since it¡¯s your first week. I¡¯ll be making an announcement on Friday, but I¡¯ve also been making calls to all the team members.¡± He sniffed again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to let you know that Zedd will no longer be coming in to the office.¡±


    My hands wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. I had just seen him less than two days ago. ¡°Was it an accident?¡± I asked softly.


    There was a long pause on the other end. I thought maybe he had hung up, but then finally he answered. ¡°Zedd, I¡¯m afraid, took his own life earlier today. I¡¯m so sorry, Kate, but I have to go. We are closing the office down tomorrow, so don¡¯t worry about work, OK?¡± I thanked him for letting me know and hung up the phone.

 The Watchmen - Part III - Even Though Ive Tried, Ive Failed

    Seven days.


    Somehow, I had made it through the night. My head felt as if it were disembodied. I had the beginning of what felt like a horrible migraine. I downed a glass of water and took a couple of painkillers. Shuffling into the bathroom, I got a good look at myself. My cheek bones looked sharper than usual and my eyes looked watery. There were two dark circles under my eyes. I pawed through my hair and gave up. Maybe a shower would tame my unruly mane.


    After a long, hot shower I felt energized. I still felt floaty, but that was to be expected given my lack of sleep. I made an attempt to comb through my curls, dabbed on some concealer, and chapstick. I wasn¡¯t a huge fan of makeup, but I still liked to look presentable from time to time. Normally my hair is thick and wavy. It could never make up its mind on color, it was red or brown. I remember someone once told me that it was auburn, but I think it really depends on the time of year. Summer it was like a fiery copper, and winter a dull red, like a fox¡¯s coat.


    It could get bushy just like their tail floof. It was something I always hated about it, but, I had good hair days too. I¡¯m not a tall girl, but I¡¯m not short either. I¡¯m stuck between what guys considered cute and not cute.The girls that got the most attention in high school were small and petite. I¡¯ve always been awkward, and quiet. Dating didn¡¯t make much sense to me. I usually got through it by reading, playing games at home, and drawing. No one really talked to me because of my quiet nature and I sort of liked it that way. It was easy to keep track of a few friends from time to time.


    I¡¯m not sure why I was reflecting on this now. It had been five years since I had been there. Once I had gone to college, I had replaced my old friends with new ones. But even they had started moving on with their own lives. But when I thought about it, I was never one to fight very hard to be in anyone¡¯s life. I guess I have enjoyed my own company just fine.


    I can¡¯t believe the one person that could count on believing me was gone. I had so many things that I wanted to share with him, ask him. Granted, we only had a week left. If this all was in fact the end of the world. I can¡¯t say that I blame him, these visions are awful. They are so vivid that you can¡¯t stand being in that moment, let alone know that you will have to face that pain at the end. I shiver thinking about how much suffering we will have to go through and the pure joy the creature¡¯s will take devouring us all.


    Will it really be so horrible? Or will I fold over and die immediately after the first blast. Even if the bombs only hit every major city, the fallout would be devastating. I couldn¡¯t save everyone, but I could try to spread the word to several people I knew. Thinking about it depressed me, because who would really take me seriously?


    They wouldn¡¯t. I sag into the bed and tuck my legs under me. The only way they would understand is if they had seen what I have seen. That got me curious. If Zedd had seen them, there had to be others right? I can go online, seek others through communities and maybe discuss it with them. I have seven days, maybe we could all meet up and change other people¡¯s minds.


    Yeah, like a doomsday cult? Ugh. No, we¡¯re fucked. No one would buy it and honestly, maybe it was just a freak coincidence. Some odd occurence that two people shared. I knew, in the deepest parts of my heart that was wrong, but I wanted to believe that somehow none of it were true.


    I had been putting it off long enough. I stood, walked over to the piece of paper and opened it. I scanned, frowned and then looked at it again. It had not changed since yesterday. It changed every day, why had it not changed this time? What had I done differently?


    Shit, I cursed silently, it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t slept. It had even changed the number of days, but the picture was the same. I only got to see it if I lived that pain and I would have to live that pain for another six days, almost seven. At least, it¡¯s what I hypothesized. I had fallen asleep on the bus and the picture didn¡¯t change, but I¡¯m pretty sure that had to do with the fact that it was the same day. There was only one way to test it and I really didn¡¯t want to.


    I alerted the front desk that I would be staying another day and they said that it would be fine. It was the slow season, so no one had reserved the room. I told them there was no need for fresh sheets, asked for a few more towels and then got off the phone. I suddenly felt exhausted, there was no way I was going to stay awake, even if I wanted to. I wrote a note on the door to leave the towels inside even if I was asleep inside and then collapsed under the blankets.


    #


    When I woke, the sun had nearly set. It was low in the sky and the room had become very cold. I sat up and stretched, glancing at my phone. It was nearly six o¡¯clock. I yawned and threw the blankets off of me, feeling good and refreshed. I relieved myself in the bathroom, washed my hands, and applied a bit more chapstick and base.


    Ready to get out of the room for a while, I grabbed my phone, laptop, the paper, and changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. I took one last look at myself, grabbed my wallet and was out the door. Thankfully, the town had a little strip and there were several restaurants and coffee shops to choose from. I settled on a diner that had wi-fi and claimed to have the best breakfast in town. My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten in twelve hours as I slid into the booth.


    The place was warm in colors and modernized enough that it didn¡¯t feel like a diner. There was no tacky art, or cheap looking benches, and the colors were tasteful and calm. I immediately felt comfortable here, it was an environment that invited you to stay with soothing music and friendly staff. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I had ever felt like a place wanted you there for a while.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± the lady smiled as she walked up to me, ¡°what can I start you off with?¡± I could tell she was older, but still extremely pretty. She had a kind face with warm brown eyes and silky dark brown hair. I hated to admit it, but I was pretty jealous of that hair. I¡¯ve always wished that I could have those edgy, straight haircuts instead of my mange of fluff.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I smiled back, ¡°is it OK if I stay here for a bit after I eat?¡± The woman grinned from ear to ear as if I were the most precious thing in the world. ¡°Of course you can, sweetheart. Stay as long as you like. What can I get for you?¡± I glanced over the menu, quickly realizing there were way more options than I anticipated. ¡°Uh,¡± I stuttered, ¡°how about pancakes and sausage with some coffee?¡± Her eyes crinkled as she jotted down my order, ¡°you want one or two pancakes?¡± ¡°Three,¡± I say quickly. Her eyes widen, but she nods. ¡°You take cream and sugar?¡± ¡°Just cream,¡± I say. She nods again and then walks away calling over her shoulder that she¡¯ll be right back.


    I¡¯m not sure why I keep putting off looking at the paper. I¡¯m still in shock over the fact that I slept so peacefully. I honestly can¡¯t even remember dreaming. Thank goodness for small miracles.  I stared across at the little sliver of paper as if at any moment, it would catch fire in my bag. I wanted more than anything for the same city with the same hooded figures to be present. Maybe it was just affecting the new city I moved to. Either way, I wasn¡¯t prepared at that moment to find out. I had the weekend to depress myself further. And then what? I wondered. Warn everyone in those two cities to evacuate? Yeah, that would go over well.


    About the only thing I could do to make anyone take me seriously is phone in a bomb threat. I¡¯m not familiar with protocol on this, but I¡¯m quite sure they would dismiss it as a practical joke in less than a day. It may save several people¡¯s lives though, so it was looking like my best option.


    If they would even issue a city-wide evacuation. I grew more apprehensive by the second. There is no way the city would take a woman¡¯s threat seriously. Even if it were a bomb threat. They probably received those at least once every few months. Shit, with all the crazy people out there, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it were once a week.


    I make a mental list of what I would need to do in order for anyone to take me seriously:


    <ol>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Voice changer</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Google number</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Suspicious activity that could point to potentially being a bomb placed there?</li>


    </ol>


    Ugh. Shit.


    This wasn¡¯t going to work, why would I even think it would? I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. How in the actual hell do I make other people think I¡¯m not insane? The one person that would have helped me is dead. At least he won¡¯t have to suffer through all of this. I¡¯m slightly jealous of that fact right now. I want to be gone, boom, light¡¯s out. No pain, no skin peeling back or shards raking through the meaty pulp of my exposed flesh. No creaking bones, or dangling eyes.


    I swallow, grasping at my neck. Suddenly, I felt extremely parched.  My hands shook as I guzzled down the water the waitress had brought me earlier. If there were any hint of me finding some solace, it was gone. I felt heavy in my skin. I couldn¡¯t move. I didn¡¯t want to. The weight of everything was seeping in.


    How could so much have changed in a matter of a week? It went from the best moment of my entire life, to the single-worst experience I¡¯ve known in my twenty-three years©¤ Never knowing when I was going to experience that nightmare again and again. A bullet to the head wasn¡¯t sounding too bad right now. I remember taking a neuroscience class and the professor telling us that there were no pain receptors in the brain. Once the bullet got past the nerves on the flap of skin that covered my skull, I would feel nothing. I never thought about that before today. It¡¯s developing into a sort of fantasy now. One in which I could squeeze the trigger and©¤


    ¡°Here you go, sweetie.¡± I jerked slightly at her soft voice, but managed a smile. ¡°Thank you very much,¡± I quickly replied.


    She paused and then takes on that sort of tone you only ever hear your mother make, ¡°You OK hun? You¡¯re looking a bit pale.¡± I take a moment looking into her soft, amber eyes and then shake my head at her, ¡°oh, I¡¯m fine. Just a little tired is all.¡± She purses her lips and raises a finely manicured eyebrow at me, ¡°alright, I get it. I was a young girl once. Your food will be right out. You just holler at me if you need anything else.¡± She places a hand on my shoulder and pats it softly.


    Normally physical touch would be something that bothered me. I would shy away or tilt my body in a way that would keep them from reaching me. Sort of an unspoken message about boundaries. I¡¯d done it all my life. Strange how lately I¡¯ve welcomed other¡¯s touch, like an attention starved child. Both this waitress and Devon had managed to do it in less than a handful of days.


    #


    I sigh, content with a full belly. I¡¯ve put the note off long enough, but I still go ahead and check my phone messages and emails first. Zedd¡¯s funeral was going to be held on Monday and everyone from work was invited to come and pay their respects. Poor Devon, I wanted more than anything to make it better for him. It must have been hard losing someone that he was obviously close with and have a new employee that same week. I couldn¡¯t imagine what he was going through right now. I tried thinking of things that I could send in a text message, maybe some comforting words, but my brain just drew a blank. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    What did you say to someone that you barely knew about someone else you barely knew dying? I decided I would wait and do it later, I felt too scattered right now. I was on my third refill of coffee when I finally decided that I was ready. No matter what it showed me, I still had some time to think on what it was I could do.


    With shaky hands I reached into my bag and removed the folded paper. I slowly pried open one side, and inhaled deeply©¤ steadying my heart. It was now, or never. I am about to find out if this is going to happen all over or just in my home town and back in Dallas. I knew it was hoping for too much, to think it all just coincidental, but who knew? Maybe it was all just a horrific coincidence.


    The city of Santa Fe burned in front of me as I unfolded the last piece of paper. Crestfallen, I searched the page. The hooded figures were hard to see, but they were there in the mountains. The beautiful, charming city was a pile of rubble. The mushroom cloud loomed over it high in the mountain air. A single tear dropped down and landed at the bottom of the page. I swiped at my face, embarrassed to be crying in a public place.


    Before I folded it up, I scanned back up to where the poem ended:


    This night, hallowed night, They gifted the world to silence.


    6


    I had less than a week. I mused on the last line, really at the poem in its entirety. It sounded as if people were these little, lost creatures that death would guide home. Except this is nothing like I expected it to be, these horrible, awful beasts that enjoyed my suffering. From everything I¡¯d ever been taught as a child the death bringers were supposed to be kind, compassionate beings that transitioned us to the other side. Granted, the four horsemen were another story in the book of revelations.


    But, it isn¡¯t like I would even be educated on any of that even if I did think that what was going on was biblical. I haven¡¯t touched any religious book in my life and from what I did know I was a child at the time. I do remember one of the horsemen was someone that was said to bring war. Surely, these harbingers of death weren¡¯t with a divine being that created us. Why would they even be created if they enjoyed so much©¤ suffering?


    This was pointless thinking, where would it really get me? Even if I knew exactly what they were, I would be powerless to stop it. And six days isn¡¯t exactly enough time to research anything properly. I slunk into the chair. Every waking moment was merely a countdown to the inevitable end.


    Everything I was doing up until now was.


    I stare outside into the beautiful, quaint town and then over at the kind waitress. I would certainly do my best to at least protect her. Maybe anyone that would listen. It may have been a fruitless endeavor, but at least I could die knowing I tried. I guess I¡¯m just that brand of idiot.


    I sigh and pull out my laptop. Maybe I could find something online that would help. Maybe others that are like me.


    #


    After more than an hour of searching, I¡¯ve about given up. There are, as it seems, a lot of people that believe that the end of the world has been coming for a while now. There¡¯s cultists, evangelists, standard forums with conspiracy theory nutjobs, and just about anyone in between but none of them have described what both me and Zedd had described.


    I pulled the note out again and looked it over. What was I missing? Surely we weren¡¯t the only ones. I even googled notes about end days, and bombs, and near death experiences with bombs. All of which had some©¤ interesting results, but not the ones that I want.


    ¡°Hun, I just wanted to let you know that you¡¯re fine to stay as long as you¡¯d like but would you mind scooching over to the smaller table there, in the back?¡± She motioned over to where the tables were back toward the kitchen. Her face looked genuinely contrite as if she¡¯d disturbed me during an important bit of work. My face must have had the serious look my mom would always point out when I¡¯d become lost in my art. ¡°It¡¯s just, I¡¯ve got a family that needs seating and that table¡¯s a might small for them.¡± I nodded my head and quickly shot up. ¡°Of course¡± I stutter, ¡°not a problem at all.¡±  It takes a minute to realize how busy the place has gotten since I¡¯d come in. I make my way over to the back to the smallest table I can find and set myself up again. The soft voices have risen to a dull roar as the restaurant fills with noisy guests. I know I could probably just go back to the hotel, but I prefer the company of the waitress and the people. It makes me feel less alone.


    I again unfold the paper, hoping that I¡¯d catch something else before I call it a night. I¡¯d googled everything, except©¤ I¡¯m noticing the name a few times throughout the body of the script: watchmen. I feel my excitement rising, maybe there was something to that. I try my luck at searching watchmen. I frown at all the cartoon images and shortly find out that there is a comic by the same name and a t.v. show. Damn. I try again, this time adding the term apocalypse with it©¤ and then, end times. All that manages to bring up are nut jobs claiming it¡¯s the end times.


    Nothing, or no one is mentioning them specifically.


    Hooded figures brought up the usual comic-like illustrations of death, but nothing like the hyper-realistic drawings that lined my page. Nothing that could instill the sort of dread I had in the pit of my chest as I stared at their dark, hungry faces. I shivered, running my hands up and down my arms. I knew I had been at the diner for a while, but I didn¡¯t realize how long until the smell of food made my stomach rumble.


    I smile over at my coffee mug. The waitress had been amazing and kept it full for me. I waved across at her and she quickly shuffled over. ¡°What can I do for you? You about ready for that check?¡± I smiled sheepishly at her, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m starving and ready for round two. What¡¯s really good here?¡± Her smile widened and she glanced over at the kitchen, then leaned in, ¡°you won¡¯t believe it, but we have the best enchiladas on this side of town. Even better than Enchilada¡¯s up the street. The owner¡¯s son makes his mama¡¯s recipe and I swear to you, that boy puts love into every layer.¡± I grinned back at her, ¡°Alright, um©¤ I pause looking at her nametag but frown when I don¡¯t find one. ¡°Laura,¡± she says softly. ¡°Laura,¡± I repeat. We smile, ¡°I¡¯ll take the enchiladas with red sauce.¡± She makes an ¡®ooo¡¯ shape with her mouth nodding her head, ¡°good choice um©¤¡± she looks down at me, her lips pursed comically as she waits on me, her pen posed in the air. ¡°Kate,¡± I say giggling at the silliness. Man, I needed this in my life right now. ¡°Alright Miss Kate, I will have those mouth-watering enchiladas out to you asap.¡± She swishes away and I¡¯m practically glowing from the experience.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve managed to really speak to someone else in this manner. I missed it. It reminded me of my college days with some of my closest professors and friends. The sun looks like it¡¯s about to come up and  I find myself wondering what time it actually was. I glance at my phone, and then look again©¤ it was 5:45©¤ in the morning. I can¡¯t believe I had managed to be here for nearly ten hours. Enchilada¡¯s must have been an anytime meal here but they sounded like a pretty damn good breakfast for me. I watch as Laura bustles about wiping off the tables and grabbing the checks. It was probably reaching the end of her shift.


    I wanted to tell her, but not sure how to say it without her becoming alarmed, or thinking I¡¯m some sort of nutjob/terrorist. I don¡¯t look like a terrorist, it¡¯s kind of hard to when you¡¯re still mistaken for a teenager at twenty-three. But, she wouldn¡¯t take it seriously unless I worded it carefully. At least I would have time to think over another hot meal.


    In less than ten minutes, it¡¯s in front of me and my mouth waters. It¡¯s unlike any enchiladas I¡¯ve ever had. They¡¯re stacked like pancakes with layers of tortilla, egg, and cheese drizzled with the red sauce. It¡¯s so pretty I almost don¡¯t want to dig in with a fork. My stomach has other ideas, however, and I find myself practically wolfing it down. About halfway through, I slow down and really taste all of the flavors. There¡¯s little crispy bits of fresh onion and I sigh in content. Normally, I¡¯m not a fan of raw onion but somehow it just works with all the heavy cheese and red sauce. I need to get this recipe, this was definitely last meal worthy. Laura hadn¡¯t been kidding when she said it was made with love.


    I panicked when I didn¡¯t see Laura for a few minutes, nervous that I had missed my chance to save her. My eyes teared up when she rounded the corner with a fresh mug of steaming coffee. ¡°Hey sweetheart, I¡¯m about to end my shift but I thought I¡¯d bring©¤¡± she pauses, getting a look at my face. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t my place, but, you sure you OK? I got a few minutes before I need to head home and feed the pups.¡± I smile through blinding tears and through I¡¯m trying to be brave, they manage to slip down my cheeks.


    I pat at the chair across from me. She doesn¡¯t even hesitate and slides into it. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Boy trouble?¡± She smiles with a faraway look in her eye as she stares out into the street. She turns back to me, her warm eyes widening. She places a hand over mine and pats it gently. ¡°This seems much worse than just a man. You¡¯re not in trouble are you?¡± She hesitates and glances around before leaning in and whispers, ¡°my brother is a cop, he wouldn¡¯t be awake right now but I could see if there is something that could be done for you.¡± She crosses her legs and leans back, her cool hand not leaving mine. ¡°Some cities have piss-poor excuses for cops, you know the usual amount of corruption and politics. I¡¯m not saying we don¡¯t have any of that, we¡¯ve got our share too, but the cops around here take care of us and I guarantee Rob would listen.¡±


    I¡¯m floored by this woman¡¯s kindness. Back at home waitresses wouldn¡¯t have hardly looked at you, let alone offer help to a stranger. Everyone was sort of buttoned up in Pennsylvania. You just didn¡¯t talk about your problems, especially at home. Talking to a stranger? That would be unheard of. Mom and dad were good people, but not warm people. We¡¯d always been quiet about most things. If I came home with a bad grade, I would get a head shake from dad and my mom would softly say, ¡°Kate, you can do better.¡± It was that quiet that always pushed me to get some sort of reaction or acknowledgement of my achievements. The best I got was a satisfied grunt from dad and a smile and pat from mom. Maybe she would even rub up and down my arms affectionately. I lived for those sort of reactions, it made me warm and feel all glowy©¤ like I could accomplish anything.


    It wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t show affection or show that they were worried, it was just a different sort of love. This was open and raw. I really couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around it, but I appreciated it just the same.


    Finally, I manage to find my voice, ¡°I need you to listen to me and not judge. Just, keep an open mind©¤ OK?¡± My voice comes out far shakier than I wanted it to. I never sound strong. I always sound like a scared little girl. I hate how soft my voice is. She raises her eyebrows and nods slowly, ¡°alright, I can do that. Don¡¯t you worry about how you sound.¡± Her voice is encouraging because she thinks she¡¯s rescuing me from something. She thinks maybe I¡¯m running away from an abusive relationship, or bad parents. If only it were something so simple.


    I inhale deeply, steadying myself to try and sound like a rational human being. How could I word it to where she would listen? I decide on telling her the truth, but add a believable lie. I feel somewhat guilty about it, but it was the only way she was going to buy what I¡¯m selling. I clear my throat, ¡°my family works in the government,¡± I start. She frowns and then nods at me. I can tell she is realizing that this isn¡¯t going to be a normal problem. I wasn¡¯t entirely lying about that, my dad, now retired, had worked in the post office for over thirty years and my mother was a public school teacher. ¡°I came out here because I wanted to see for myself if things were happening like back at home.¡± My voice sounded a little more confident this time and I feel my shoulders relax. I can do this, I tell myself, maybe I can save some people.


    Laura has let go of my hand now and she¡¯s hugging herself. ¡°OK, go on,¡± she whispers. I look back at the restaurant and then lean in toward her, ¡°You and your brother should get as far away as you can from any major city. I¡¯m talking miles away, go to the desert or Colorado woods, or Arizona, or hell even Texas. Just©¤ get away from Santa Fe.¡± Her eyes grow hard and she purses her lips. She crosses her arms over her breasts and looks me up and down. Laura looks like a real mom now, assessing whether she¡¯s being pranked or having something pulled over on her. The tears are really starting to come and I grabbed a napkin and swipe at my face and nose.


    I can tell she isn¡¯t convinced. ¡°I©¤¡± my words falter a bit as I hiccup. I wipe again at my face and try again, ¡°I just wanted to, you know, tell someone. I don¡¯t expect you to believe me, but Laura,¡± I look deeply into her eyes, my brows creasing, ¡°Something very bad is going to happen here and I need you to believe me. I¡¯m not crazy, or some sort of conspiracy nut, I just wanted to help you because you¡¯ve been very kind to me.¡±


    She nodded, biting down on her lip. ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re trying to do here,¡± she paused, ¡°but this is my home. I don¡¯t know where I would go, and I mean, I just met you. You could be pranking me for all I know.¡± I sniffle. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are though,¡± she adds quickly. She looks off to the side, her voice taking on more of a resigned quality, ¡°Listen, I miss a day of work and it¡¯s a big deal.¡± She shook her head at me, ¡°I¡¯m comfortable, but it¡¯s because I keep my longer hours and I have my regular customers.¡± She sighs, ¡°even if it were something bad, Antonio could lock up the place and we could just hide in the back or stay put.¡± She¡¯s dismissing it in her mind and thinks I¡¯m some sort of spooked child.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide from this,¡± I say firmly, ¡°no one can. It¡¯ll take out half the planet, Laura, at least.¡± She stares into my eyes, ¡°you actually believe this, don¡¯t you?¡± I nod. ¡°I don¡¯t just believe it, I¡¯ve seen it.¡± She fidgets with her hands, ¡°like a bomb going off? They would have had that on the news, hun.¡± I¡¯ve lost her, I can feel it. No matter what I say, she¡¯s going to think I¡¯m just some misinformed girl who¡¯s father had scared her. She probably thinks he¡¯s some government conspiracy nut too. There were a lot of them in government offices. How could I make her understand?


    The answer was, I couldn¡¯t. I could try my best at the end of the day, but it would boil down to what she would accept in her own mind. I feel sick to my stomach, but I realize this is all I can do.


    ¡°It won''t be in the news. It will just hit. And I know how all of it sounds, but I just wanted to help. There¡¯s nothing that I can say to convince you, I just wanted you to know.¡± The tears keep coming and I dab at them gingerly.


    ¡°Well, I appreciate it sweetheart, but I think someone is just messing with you. If it were something this big, I think half of the world would have known about it by now. Especially with all these damn satellites, and movement detection, and thermo-whatevers©¤ these men have got their war devices on lock down. I don¡¯t think anyone really wants to use them, you know? Doesn¡¯t bode well for the planet¡¯s health and just about everyone would die.¡± I nod, lost to my own thoughts. I knew this would be the way it would go, and that¡¯s how it would be with anyone.


    Even if someone told me the same way that I¡¯m telling her. It was pointless.


    I stood up, extending my hand, ¡°Thank you, Laura. I really appreciate everything you did for me today. You take care of yourself.¡± I heard her mutter something but I¡¯d already walked several feet away and didn¡¯t catch it. It didn¡¯t matter, and I couldn¡¯t care about her anymore. She would be lost like the rest of them.

 The Watchmen - Part IV - Ive Decided

    I stood outside for a moment as I watched the cars slowly pass. Everything moved so much slower here than it did in Dallas. No one seemed to be in a rush, or cutting each other off. It really was beautiful and even from here I could make out the mountains in the distance. I would be going back home tomorrow. Not back up to mom and dad but to my place in Dallas. I still had to figure out what I was going to say to both my parents©¤what I could say to anyone. Devon¡¯s smile flashed in my head. I found myself wondering if he would smile at me like that again before we all faced the end. I think given time, I would have liked to get to know him better. I¡¯m not sure in what way, but I know that I enjoyed his company. I certainly didn¡¯t want him to die in the way that I have been. No one deserved that.


    I trudged into my room, setting my keycard on the nightstand and my bag on the floor. Whether I wanted to or not, I was going to that funeral tomorrow. Not just to show my support to the company, but to talk with a close friend of his. Maybe he spoke to someone before he passed away or he had confided in someone from our department. I¡¯m not sure of the dynamic between him and his team, but I knew that him and Devon worked together a lot and seemed comfortable talking to one another. I would worry about that tomorrow.


    I picked up my phone and checked my messages. Mom had sent me a link to a pie recipe she found and asked if I would like her to make that this year. Leave it to mom to ask something like that a solid three weeks before Thanksgiving. She was forever worried about including everyone. Last year she had managed to cook a full traditional thanksgiving and a full vegan one for her sister. Aunt Marie was always obsessed over something©¤ her fine wrinkles, the little bit of weight around her tummy, the horrible meat industry and how they all lobbied together to get the public to buy into meat and animal products. I would get a link to a documentary at least a few times a year. Everyone had an agenda. Though, admittedly she probably wasn¡¯t wrong about the lobbying. I¡¯m sure it happened in just about every industry.


    I admired her for it none-the-less, I certainly couldn¡¯t do it. I tried being a vegetarian for a while and promptly lost my shit. Even my mom had broken her no cursing rule and told me to stop being such a bitch. I still laughed at that from time to time. My mom, miss prim and proper cursing me out and shoving bacon in my face. I guess we all had our limits and I apparently was a real asshole when I didn¡¯t eat meat.


    I opened up my work email and glanced through. There was a few messages from corporate about Zedd and a personal email from Devon. It was titled ¡®I¡¯m sorry for all of this.¡¯ I immediately opened it.


    Hey Kate,


    I just wanted to say again that I am so sorry your first week happened this way. Zedd was a good friend of mine and to say that I am in total shock is a bit of an understatement. I hope that this hasn¡¯t changed your mind about working for us in any way. I hope to have you on our team for quite some time. I¡¯ll see you in the office tomorrow, we¡¯re all going to work half a day and then attend the service. You are more than welcome to join us or head home. You won¡¯t be judged either way.


    Take care,


    Devon


    I reread it and then hit reply.


    Devon,


    I want you to know that I plan on staying with the company for a long time. In no way is this anyone¡¯s fault and I would never hold you or the company accountable for someone else¡¯s actions. I¡¯m sure that Zedd had a reason for all of this even if we couldn¡¯t understand them. I lost a good friend of mine this way before high school, so I do have a bit of an idea as to what you must be going through. Just focus on the good times and the time you shared together. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at the office.


    Yours,


    Kate


    I was surprised to find a bit of wetness had gathered in my eyes. It had happened nearly ten years ago but I remember James. In some ways, he had reminded me of Zedd©¤ quick witted, shy, but very vocal when he was passionate about something. Why did it seem like the best people in the world took their own life? This thought depressed me more and more over the years. I remembered taking several psychology courses talking about how some of the most brilliant minds struggled with daily depression. I could believe it. Seeing the world as it really was had to have its downfalls.


    I sighed heavily on the bed and then pushed one foot over the other as I shoved my shoes to the floor. I just wanted to be done with all of this©¤ done with knowing about it and most importantly, done with feeling it. I had a few hours before I would have to leave for Dallas since it was a ten hour trip. We were expected to be in tomorrow morning, so I would have to go back to my place in time to shower and dress. I wasn¡¯t honestly sure if I had something appropriate to wear to a funeral. Most of my clothes were very casual and the few dresses I owned were sun dresses. I couldn¡¯t exactly show up in a flowery sundress for the death of a coworker, and jeans just seemed wrong somehow. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    After a little bit of searching, I found an online delivery service that would pick up something for a nearby store and deliver it tonight. I quickly browsed through some dresses and pantsuits before deciding on some slacks and a blouse. I at least had some black flats at home just for this sort of occasion. My parents had always told me to have a pair of black dress shoes in case of a wedding, or funeral.


    I sigh, browsing through the t.v. It had been a long time since I¡¯d been to a funeral. The last one had been my Nana Genny¡¯s. It had been a very cold day, the sort that made you shiver no matter how many layers of clothing you put on. I was still in my teens, old enough to understand death, but still immature as to what it actually meant. It didn¡¯t really hit until grandpa Jay had started dating again. When he remarried, mom had stopped talking with him. I¡¯m not sure why she did, after all he was only human. He¡¯d been with nana for over forty years. It must have been hard to have been used to being with someone for so long and then they were gone. I don¡¯t think I would want to be alone either. I still called him from time to time to check in and see how he was doing. Grandpa Jay had hoped someday mom would come around. I did too.


    A chill ran along my arms and up through my head. I wondered if maybe I was getting sick from all the stress. I wasn¡¯t one to get sick often, but when I did it normally took me out for a few days. I had the flu once as a child and I¡¯ll never forget it. It was probably why I got my shot every year and washed my hands like it were some sort of religion. The kids always poked fun of me for it, but guess who never got sick? Let them laugh, cleanliness always wins and I was the proof.


    After wasting some time browsing my phone and trying again for the hundredth time to find these mysterious Watchmen, I decided that a trip to the sauna sounded better. I was worried that since it was still somewhat early in the day it may be crowded, however when I arrived there was only a family in the pool and an older man in the hottub. The sauna was people-free. I slipped my shoes off and walked into the heated bliss. I sighed, stretching out on the bench and wiggled my toes. It felt good©¤ really good. The heat stung a little to breathe but I didn¡¯t mind that. I just wanted this chill to ease away. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was all in my head or if I was actually getting sick.


    I close my eyes and breathe deeply, only focusing on my breath drawing in and out. I imagined that I was floating in my own ship in the middle of space, staring at the small particles floating by. The sun heated my back as I faced out toward the galaxy. Jupiter loomed nearby, huge and deadly©¤ but beautiful. I stared mesmerized by the swirling multicolored gas as I bathed in the glow of the sun. I am completely alone. This has been my form of meditation for years. Somehow, the thought of being completely isolated and floating through space comforted me. I think it would probably have the opposite effect on most people. For me, it was a haven.


    I find myself often wishing that I could be alone. Totally alone with nothing more than me, my computer, and art. Art has been a way of life for me for as long as I could remember. I would love to sit outside and draw everything I saw, especially people. I¡¯d brought my sketchbook along on the trip and thought that it was probably time to do something calming before the funeral. Plus, I would need to present something at work tomorrow. We had the weekend off, but I always grew anxious not having anything to do.


    I took several long, slow breaths. Don¡¯t think about that now, I say to myself, think about the warmth. I focus on the heat and my breath. Suddenly, my mind wandered to the first night I experienced all of this©¤ the first night I experienced them. Despite the terrifying sensation of another being thriving off of my pain, I was curious about what they were. Their black hoods flashed in my mind, nothing but blackness behind them. Their long, thin bodies would disappear into a sort of translucent grey haze. They would never move, but stand perfectly still and stare.


    They never said anything. They didn¡¯t need to. You could just sense them. Sort of like when you were a child and tried to sneak up on your parents. No matter how quiet you thought you were being, they would turn around and shout, ¡®boo!¡¯ scaring you instead. Only, these things were more like a heavy and dense presence, pressing in upon you until you could barely breathe. Your breathing becomes shallow, your chest heavy. Your heart feels as though it will tear its way from your chest. Then comes the cloying, damp air as they invade our plane of existence.


    They stand there, merely existing where they should not. Yet, all of that I could get used to if it were something as simple as discomfort. Nothing compared to the sensation of dying again and again, painfully with no sign of reprieve. If it was as bad as my dreams, if that¡¯s even what I could call them, I would lie there suffering until they released me. Death didn¡¯t scare me, living did. I could handle knowing that the blast would take me out in one shot and I¡¯m gone.


    There was a thought that had started sprouting with each passing day. Little by little, I watered it and you could see the bud forming just above the soil. It¡¯s perfect little leaves wrapping protectively over it. Zedd was right to do what he did, and I was going to follow suit. Whatever these creatures were, they weren¡¯t going to stop. I was going to die slowly, and horribly. I could try getting out of the city, stock up, and move out to the middle of nowhere, but it wouldn¡¯t save me from the fallout. Unless I could find someone with an underground bunker, that¡¯s willing to share. There had to be a few of them out there, right?


    That would save me, but what about the nearly eight billion people out there? In seconds, entire cities would be wiped out, followed by radiation poisoning and then black rain. The bombs would take people out directly in the city immediately, but the ones just outside of it would suffer slowly, painfully, and then finally die after days of agonizing pain. People like my parents. Families.


    Even if a decent sized population had managed to somehow make it, the hospitals wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with that sort of catastrophic event. It would take decades to recover from it.


    I sigh, my eyes opening as I stared up at the wooden ceiling. I wanted to be hopeful. I wanted to be one of those people that have decided that no matter what, humanity could prevail and I could save them. The truth was, no matter how hard I tried or what I said, I had zero proof.


    And proof was all that would matter. If I was me, listening to someone tell me that the world would end, I would laugh, maybe roll my eyes and move on.


    No matter. I would do my best to warn them all and leave with a clean conscience.


    I had made up my mind, as soon as I got back, I would make it my mission for the next five days to do what I could. I didn¡¯t want to live in this world, or the way it would be, but I could help everyone else that would be stuck here.

 The Watchmen - Part V

    I stood in the frigid air for several moments, stretching my arms and legs. Dallas had gotten colder since I left. My hand found the door and I was able to walk into my home again. I¡¯d barely been here a week and it was already feeling like a place I could relax in. I threw my clothes in the wash and then walked into the bathroom. Thankful for a tankless water heater, I turned the handle all the way to the hot side. I stepped into the steaming waterfall, sighing as the stinging waves washed over my skin. The gooseflesh on my arms and legs quickly subsided. My skin was an angry pink from the heat, but I paid it no mind. It was a good sting that warmed down to your bones.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for what the day held. It was the first time in my life that I had to face something this real. A lot had happened this past week, way more than I ever wanted to deal with. Suddenly I was very envious of people that lived in blissful ignorance. Why was I chosen to be a part of all this? In ways I felt thankful, I at least am able to spare myself the horrific death I was shown, but in other ways it was a burden that no person should have to bear.


    I didn¡¯t even believe in whatever all of this was. I was so sure of all the articles and scientific journals I poured over. In all the witty talks I listened to detailing evolution, it left me hanging with the burning question of why©¤ why in the hell is it possible for any of this to happen? Sure, we could chalk it up to some sort of freak phenomenon that I experienced by myself and question my mental state. Yet that leaves out the fact that Zedd saw it too. He believed it so much that he had ended his life over it. I looked over at the cool tile on the floor, the pattern somehow soothing against the morning light. We couldn¡¯t have both fabricated the same, exact thing.


    If this were true, there had to be others.It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t find them.


    I finished hooking the last button on my slacks and stared at my reflection. I frowned at the obvious dark circles beneath my eyes. I looked like hell. I dabbed on some under-eye concealer and brushed a little blush across my cheeks to liven up my face. Not that I was really trying to gain anyone¡¯s attention, I just wanted to appear functional. Not like some sleep-deprived lunatic. I hated being in this position, it was my worst nightmare©¤ just the thought of having to approach all these people with an air of confidence I¡¯ve never possessed in my life. I often wondered what it would be like to be someone else, comfortable in their own skin. I sigh, frowning at my thin frame. I never seemed to grow into my body. I¡¯d hoped as a teen that I would fill out a little more, but in the end I was stuck in this childish body. Barely any hips, and small, humble breasts. My face didn¡¯t do me any favors, I had wide eyes but a narrow jawline. I was as baby-faced as they came. I got carded everywhere I went and they would eye my birthdate and then study my face dubiously. I suppose I would have learned to enjoy that, if I was going to live past another week.


    Just the thought of how I would be ending my own life was making my chest tight. Sure, I can fantasize about it, but the truth was I didn¡¯t want it to hurt more than it had to. A gun sounded so harsh and so awful for anyone that found me. A knife sounded©¤ painful and what if I missed my heart? No sense in any of that. I had done several hours of research and decided that I was going to go with pure nitrogen. All I needed was an oxygen mask, some good, strong tape to seal it around my face and I would drift away into nothingness. Death in my sleep. That sounded much better. Way better than being tortured alive.


    I hopped on the next train and sat quietly through the next few stops. It may have been cold, but the sky was bright and blue. Even through the tint of the train I could see just how blue it was. Blue like a dream. I blinked as the wetness gathered in my eyes, and then tilted my head to dab at them with my finger. I was going to have to be strong today, and even stronger later when I live streamed all of this. People needed to believe that I had my shit together. I couldn¡¯t become overly emotional. This wasn¡¯t a foreign concept to me, but it was especially important given the gravity of the situation. Time to put on my big-girl breeches.


    I crossed over to the building and gulped down as much air as I could, suddenly feeling very nauseous. By the time I was on the elevator, full-blown panic mode was edging its way closer to exploding from me. I bit down on my lip as the doors opened to at least a hundred people, if not more. I swam through them and made my way over to my desk, careful to not make eye contact. I needed to steady myself before the service. The email had mentioned that we were going to meet here first and then travel over to the service at ten. I imagine it was probably a way for people to remember him, but not have to attend the service. It was uncomfortably quiet as I logged in and checked my email. I frowned at the screen as an instant message popped up. It was from Devon.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Devon: Hey, can you please meet me in my office asap?


    I hesitated, then responded: Sure, be there in just a minute.


    I quickly made my way over to his office, then stopped at the door. I knocked quietly and waited.


    ¡°Yes, Jeff I¡¯m sure. Look, we¡¯ll talk about it later©¤ hold on a second. Come in¡± he called loudly. I waited half a beat and then opened the door. He muttered something else inaudibly and then hung up the phone. I promptly blushed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to intrude¡± I offered quietly. ¡°No, no¡± he said waving his hand, ¡°please, have a seat.¡± I eased into the chair and smiled nervously, ¡°you, uh, needed to talk with me?¡± He nodded, absently running his hand through his hair. His gaze was fixed on the shelf behind me. I glanced over and smiled at the picture. It was Devon and Zedd holding up an award. They both looked to be at least a decade younger. Devon hadn¡¯t changed much, maybe his hair was a tad longer but he still had that youthful smile and sparkle in his eyes. But Zedd, though I recognized him, looked completely different. His beard was missing and his hair was nearly to his shoulders in the photo. He wore a black hoodie and there were several piercings on his face. He was thin before, but he was impossibly thin in this photo. Like, unhealthy thin.


    ¡°We hadn¡¯t slept in three days,¡± Devon said quietly, ¡°it was our first real competition and we were graduating during the recession. No one was hiring and we were fighting to find a place in the field.¡± I turned back to him and smiled. I remember my dad mentioning it happening a little over a decade ago. ¡°Instead, my dad co-signed on a loan for me and Zedd and we opened our own company.¡± Devon stood and then walked over to the photo. He picked it up, rubbing across the frame absentmindedly.


    ¡°The thing is, I know Zedd. He wouldn¡¯t have done this unless he had a reason. A big reason.¡± He set the picture down and turned toward me. His face was calm, but I could see a strange fire building in them. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll forgive me, but I got curious the day before he called in and checked the cameras.¡± My mouth went dry. It would have shown me and Zedd talking and then leaving the building together. Devon was quiet for several moments. ¡°I don¡¯t think you did anything to him, Kate.¡± I relaxed a degree, but my shoulders were still tense. ¡°But, I would like to know what the two of you talked about. You left in his car, so I assume you at least rode home with him.¡± I sat up and shifted my legs to cross in the other direction. I fidgeted with my fingers, unsure of what to do with them.


    His voice came out calm, soothing, ¡°you don¡¯t have to answer me if you don¡¯t want to. I just can¡¯t imagine what he could have been going through to make him do this and you were the last person he talked to. I¡¯m asking as a friend, Kate. Not as a boss.¡±


    I look up at him and nod. I¡¯m not sure what my plan is here, but I can¡¯t just keep things from him. It was very apparent that Zedd meant a great deal to Devon. They graduated college at the same time, they started a company, they had to have gone through a tremendous amount of life together in that time.


    I chose my words carefully, ¡°We went out to eat that night and he seemed pretty upset,¡± I paused, searching for the right words, ¡°he kept pointing out that our drawings were very similar even though I hadn¡¯t seen his before later that day. When we had met earlier in the day, he wanted me to use my character as a main, which I said someone else should do it,¡± I add hastily, ¡°but he said that it wouldn¡¯t be an issue and that he had decided to keep me as a lead designer.¡± Devon smiled and nodded, ¡°Zedd has a good eye for talent, he was right in deciding that.¡± I flush and look at the ground, ¡°but©¤ I dunno, he just was fascinated by the fact that ours looked nearly identical and asked if we could talk more about it over dinner.¡± Devon raised a brow, ¡°were you two©¤¡± I blinked a few times and then my eyes widen as I realized what he meant, ¡°oh goodness no,¡± I say quickly. ¡°I see,¡± he says, ¡°did he say anything else at dinner?¡± I¡¯m really torn, I¡¯ve never been good at hiding the truth. I¡¯d be a horrible poker player. I bite my lip and shake my head, ¡°not really. I mean, he did seem like something was bothering him.¡± I trail off and look at the ground.


    Devon is quiet for a while. He¡¯s so quiet that I sneak a peek at him. He¡¯s turned to the side and looking out the window. His eyes look misty, I¡¯m starting to lose my nerve. I want to be strong but I hate lying to him. I know he won¡¯t believe me though. Just like the waitress he would rationalize what I tell him and he would definitely look at me different. Somehow the second part stings worse than the first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wish I could be of more help,¡± I offer quietly. He turns back toward me and smiles that gut-wrenching smile. I can feel my stomach turn in knots. He deserves the truth, that¡¯s why before I blurt it out I stand and excuse myself from the room. I can¡¯t bear any of it anymore. The look on his face, the betrayal and hurt so wildly apparent. I want to throw up at my lie but I manage to push it down and walk over to my desk. The service will be in less than an hour and I just need a moment to let it all blow over in my head

 The Watchmen - Part VI - The Funeral

    The service was every bit as horrible as I imagined it would be. Most of the office was there, including the office downstairs. Apparently Zedd was the sort to really reach out to others. At the luncheon people traded stories about just how much of his time and money he devoted to those in need. It must have killed him, knowing what he did and not being able to save anyone else. Which further solidifies the fact that he must have said something to his family. I just need to find them. They would definitely be able to shed some light on things. I crossed the room, locating Devon near the back by the kitchen. I couldn¡¯t get over how huge this place was. Imagine if you could the biggest house you¡¯ve ever seen and then double it. I wasn¡¯t even aware they made houses in wal-mart size. I approached him slowly, not wanting to scare him. He was deep in thought, bringing a glass of water to his mouth and staring through the large bay windows. He turned when he heard the clicks of my heels against the tiles and his lips curled into a smile. There was more to that smile. It was the sort that you gave your friends or family when they asked what was wrong.


    I have the strongest urge to wrap him in a hug. I find myself more and more curious of how he would feel. How he would smell. I¡¯ve never been in a relationship and quite honestly, haven¡¯t thought about it. I had always busied myself with school, or art.  After seeing what it often did to others and how much it detracted from people¡¯s lives, I had zero interest. But this man, he wasn¡¯t like the other guys. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of ulterior motive, he felt genuine and kind. There were a few people in college that had shown interest in me but I had always shut them down. Not in a mean way, just stated that I did not want anything to do with a relationship. With anyone. A few of them had said that I could tell them the truth, one even asked me if I was a lesbian. Apparently, they talked among themselves and came to the conclusion that since I was not interested in any male partners, I must have liked women. The truth was, I had very little sex drive. It wasn¡¯t something I thought about. I would get urges from time to time but never enough to seek out a partner. It would make my skin crawl thinking about someone else placing their hands on me. The touching aspect was awful enough, sex mortified me. I had gotten curious and watched porn a few times. The women never seemed to enjoy what was happening. All I could focus on were their faces, there was something about their eyes©¤ sadness or a longing for love. I cringed at the way men fondled them or shoved things into places©¤ there were no limits to where they did. I rubbed my arms and hugged them to my chest. Would he want to do those things to me? I frown.


    Even if he was interested, I really got the sense that he would keep it to himself and not allow it to cloud his judgement. For the first time I found myself liking someone. It¡¯s as alien a thought as everything else I¡¯m doing so I¡¯m not sure why it¡¯s making me uncomfortable.


    ¡°Hey Kate,¡± Devon says softly.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I respond. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment. ¡°I was wondering,¡± I begin, ¡°If I could maybe talk with Zedd¡¯s family. You know, since I was the last to see him.¡± His face falls a bit, it¡¯s the first time I can see some real emotion reflected there. He shakes his head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡± I¡¯m taken back but ask, ¡°what do you mean?¡± He glances over at the people in the living room and then inches closer to me. He smells like soap, clean and nice. ¡°Zedd lived his life in the system until he was eighteen. As far as either of us knew, he didn¡¯t know where he came from.¡± My heart sped up as he leaned in inches from my ear. ¡°He had a few clues here and there about his mom but nothing solid. Our family sort of took him in on holidays and events.¡± At this point, my heart was beating so hard against my chest that I was sure he could hear it. Then he does something unexpected and takes a step back. My shoulders relax and my heart rate slowly subsides. After a few moments, I¡¯m back to normal.


    We¡¯re again in our comfort zones and both of us realize this. It was incredibly refreshing, not needing to strike up any sort of conversation and when we did, it felt natural. I turn toward him, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, did Zedd¡± I pause a few beats searching for what to say, ¡°say anything odd to you?¡± His eyes meet mine. It¡¯s the sort of look that strips you bare. ¡°Like what?¡± he whispers. Those eyes. Those damn eyes. I¡¯m left speechless. My throat dries and my chest is growing tight with anxiety. Devon is honing in on my every reaction, trailing from my eyes to my mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding something from me,¡± he says, ¡°I can tell. From your first day in the office until now.¡± My gut reaction is to run. I want to get away as far as possible from him, from all this. But, I needed answers. Maybe Zedd had mentioned something to Devon that I wasn¡¯t aware of. I stamp down my fears and take a deep breath. ¡°I have been, but please trust me when I say that I have my reasons.¡± He raises his eyebrows at me, ¡°If it has to do with Zedd I want to know every single detail,¡± his voice cracks and he emphasizes the last few words. ¡°You may have your reasons, but I can promise you that you¡¯ll get no judgment from me. Just be honest.¡± He sighs, takes a few breaths and continues, ¡°please.¡± I look at the floor, unable to look at his eyes. I manage a small nod.


    ¡°Hey, Devon?¡± We both look up at the interruption. One of the guys from our meeting is standing in the entry. He looks awkwardly at me and Devon, aware that he probably walked in at the wrong time. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, I uh, think it¡¯s time for your speech and words from friends and family.¡± ¡°No, no Jason that¡¯s fine,¡± Devon says, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize it was that time already. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Jason nods then walks out leaving us both back to where we were before.


    ¡°We should©¤¡±


    ¡°Will you talk to me about this later?¡± he asks, not bothering to let me finish my sentence, ¡°Let me take you out for dinner, somewhere public where you¡¯ll feel safe. Is that OK? I can even meet you there if you would rather travel alone.¡± I bite my lip, my brow creasing, ¡°alright,¡± I say after a few moments, ¡°I can do that.¡± His eyes press together, his face washed in relief, ¡°thank you so much Kate. Just let me know where and what time.¡± I bob my head and scurry out of the kitchen. I can¡¯t believe my luck, but I can get through this. I shouldn¡¯t care about what Devon thinks of me if it means that I could possibly save him too. I would need a way to explain all of this and I can¡¯t for the life of me figure out how to convey it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He can¡¯t see the letters, he will dismiss a government conspiracy, but somehow I cling to some ill thought-out hope he will listen. I pray Zedd has shared this with him so that maybe if I mention some of the same things, he¡¯ll trust what we are saying. I mean, Zedd believed it so much he ended his life. Surely it will count for something. God, I hope so.


    #


    We arrived back at the office around two o¡¯clock, still enough time for me to get a little work done and take my mind off of things. I was worried that Devon would call me into his office again, but he never came back. In a way, it was a huge relief. Not that I didn¡¯t enjoy his company, but given his relentless nature he would give me a nervous breakdown. Jason had walked up to me earlier and explained that he would be taking over Zedd¡¯s duties until a new manager was in place. We went over a few sketches and then what Zedd had asked of me. Jason was quiet, like me, so after we talked business, he was gone. Thank goodness for small miracles.


    I looked at the 2-D model and then import it into the 3-D program. I poured myself into the curves, into every single detail. It felt so good to be back into a routine I worked until my fingers ached and my back screamed in protest. At some point I had crossed my legs up on the chair and had lost all feeling in them. I stood and stretched, content with my workload for the day. Most of the office had left a few hours ago. I had spotted a few guys in the back messing around in the motion capture but they were pretty much it. I eyed my phone warily but decided it was for the best to get this meeting over and done. I sniffed my pits and further decided that a shower would be a good idea. Apparently stewing in my own soup had done some not very pleasant things to my clothes.


    I grabbed my wallet, phone, and keys then turned toward the elevator. I was mid stride when the lights went out. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I had been so busy with everything else today that my mind hadn¡¯t had a chance to catch up with the other terrible things I¡¯d been through. I held my breath, waiting for the creatures to make themselves known. There was a yell in the back and I exhaled. The guys were still here. OK, maybe it was just the building that had timed lights. I was practically running to the elevator at this point. No way in hell was I going to give those things a chance to make me feel that way again. Those assholes thrived off of it and I¡¯m not about to give them an evening snack.


    I yelped as a noise blared from my hand. ¡°Jesus christ,¡± I swore, flipping my screen around. It was Devon. Shit. He probably thinks I¡¯m going to bail on him. I glanced at the time, it was nearly seven. I answered on the fourth ring.


    ¡°Hey, Devon I¡¯m so sorry I was up at the office and I lost track of time working on this character.¡±


    His voice came out awful, it sounded like he had been crying, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s OK. I just wanted to check with you and see if you wanted me to pick you up or if you wanted to meet somewhere.¡± He sniffed a few times, clearing his throat. The guys emerged from the back, shoving each other as they walked toward the elevator, ¡°hey Kate¡± one of them said. I nodded and waved as they shuffled on. ¡°You coming down?¡± I shake my head mouthing, ¡°no you go ahead, thanks.¡± He mouths ¡°OK¡± and in seconds they¡¯re gone. Leaving me to the quiet, dark office and Devon. ¡°Uh, yeah you can pick me up from my place if you want. Just, you know, give me a chance to get the day washed off.¡±


    ¡°OK, great. Just decide what you want, anything is fine, my treat.¡± Please don¡¯t make me decide, I plead silently. ¡°Oh, whatever is fine by me,¡± I offer quickly. He pauses on the line, ¡°how about sushi or Thai?¡± I bite my lip, noodles sounded pretty great right now. Something warm, comforting, and starchy. ¡°Thai sounds great,¡± I say. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pick you up about eight?¡± ¡°That works,¡± I reply. We say our goodbyes and hang up. I frown at the slow moving elevator and press the down arrow button. Why did we have to be on such a high floor? I see that they finally make it to the bottom, silently willing it to go faster. A computer restarts in the back and I hear the beep as it resets. The room groans and pops as the wind hits the side of the building. Every click, every pop is amplified by the insufferable quiet.


    Floor seven,


    Floor eight,


    Floor nine.


    Come on, I urge silently, just six more floors.


    Floor eleven,


    Floor twelve,


    Floor thirteen.


    The computer does a start up jingle in the background. I refuse to turn around. ¡°Not today, satan¡± I mutter.


    Floor fourteen.


    The ding goes off as it reaches the fifteenth floor and I squeeze my eyes shut and sigh. Finally, it¡¯s here. The door swooshes and I opened my eyes. I stare for several seconds, the color draining from my face. I don¡¯t want to believe what I¡¯m seeing. My hand goes up to my face and I freeze. No, no, no, is all that runs through my mind. I take a few steps back trying to distance myself from the horrific image. Jesus, there¡¯s so much blood. I close my eyes, take a breath, and then open them. He¡¯s still there and so is the pulpy mass.


    The glassy stare of his lifeless eyes look at me accusingly. The back of his head is missing, there¡¯s blood and brain matter everywhere and the gun lays on the floor next to his limp hand. This isn¡¯t real, it can¡¯t be because we buried him this afternoon. I frantically searched the room, trying to remember where the emergency stairs are located. I scream as his body jumps and twitches in a seizure-like motion. His head jerks toward my scream I can hear his bones from further back in the room. They snap in protest as he pulls himself from the floor. A few clumps of brain matter splat to the floor. Oh god. I retch several times, trying but failing to reassure myself it isn¡¯t real. He limps toward me as a gurgling sound escapes his lips. I bolt to the left and pump my legs as fast as they will take me toward the back of the office. I don¡¯t know where the staircase is but I don¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t about to sit there and let him get near me, I knew it had to be back here somewhere. I flee past several dark offices, glancing behind me every so often. There was no sign of him. I¡¯m all the way at the end of the u-shaped hall when I realize my terrible mistake. If I had just ran to the right I would have been right by the staircase.


    I charge around the corner and scream as I run into something solid and fleshy. I lash out, shoving hard and screaming. ¡°Whoa, whoa, Kate,¡± Devon yells. My head throbs from the adrenaline as my heart comes back down from near cardiac arrest. My legs give out and I fall forward on my hands and knees.

 The Watchmen - Part VII

    For the better part of the evening I¡¯ve managed to avoid eye contact as we sit across from each other. I¡¯m mortified that he stumbled on me like that. I still haven¡¯t been able to vocalize exactly what I saw. Thankfully, he just helped me onto the elevator and we drove over to the restaurant in silence. I was feeling a bit self conscious about my body odor and had excused myself to the bathroom to wash up. Nothing makes you feel more classy than taking a bath in the sink. To my utter relief, no one had walked in during the process. I even had a chance to wash and dry the pit stains from my blouse. When I came back, Devon had just smiled and we ordered our food.


    After only a few moments the waitress returns with our appetizers and drinks. I suspect they probably had them under a heater since it was fried. My suspicions were confirmed when I took a small bite out of them. They were soaked with oil and tasted a little stale. Devon frowned after trying one of his too. ¡°I guess they aren¡¯t known for freshness¡± he said shaking his head, ¡°let¡¯s hope the food wasn¡¯t under a heater either.¡± I thought he would leave it at that, but when the waitress came back around he asked, politely, if we could please have fresh spring rolls. The woman acted a little embarrassed and assured him that she would return with something better. He had done it in a way that didn¡¯t sound entitled, or angry just a request. There really was something I respected about a person that was nice, but confident. Maybe there was hope for me yet.


    After some prodding and awkwardness, Devon had me gushing over the project and how excited I was to be working on a main character. He asked about how I was getting along learning Maya and integrating photoshop. In no time I was relaxed and had almost forgotten the incident at the office. We devoured our meals, which really surprised me since I normally eat like a bird. I¡¯d been teased about it since I was young but I had always had more on my mind than eating. Especially when I was working on a project. We ordered some sticky rice pudding for dessert and a round of hot tea. I sighed in content at the combination of sweet and sticky and the roasted, clean flavor of the tea. I closed my eyes and leaned back savoring the last of the tea. ¡°A fellow tea lover, I see¡± Devon remarked. I grinned, opening my eyes and nodding my head. He smiled back at me warmly. A movement caught my eye behind him and I looked over. There had been no one seated behind us and the restaurant was winding down. I frowned, staring at the spot that I knew something had just been.


    Devon turned behind him and then looked back at me, ¡°everything OK?¡± I shook my head, ¡°yeah, sorry I thought I saw something.¡± The waitress walked up with the check and said to stay as long as we would like, they would be open until ten. We both thanked her, Devon ordered another round of tea and then handed her the card. We waited quietly for her to bring them back. My anxiety increased as the silence stretched on between us. I knew what was coming, it was the end of the pleasantries. I surprise myself by speaking first, ¡°listen, I¡¯m not really sure what happened back there but something spooked me. A shadow, movement, I don¡¯t know. The next thing I knew, I was booking it down the hallway and I ran into you. I feel completely embarrassed.¡± Devon looked at me and nodded, ¡°I could tell, but I can tell you what it was. I don¡¯t mean to make you feel self conscious, but you¡¯ve been losing sleep.¡± I look up at him shocked. ¡°How could you tell?¡± He points up to under his eyes. I must have had some dark rings under them for him to notice. ¡°With Zedd gone, and our project still needing to meet this tight deadline, all of our nerves are shot to hell.¡± I press my lips together but manage a tiny nod. I didn¡¯t like all of this lying, it just wasn¡¯t me. ¡°When we all,¡± he paused for a moment, ¡°get back to a normal routine I think things will start to fall back in place.¡± His voice wavered and I reached out to grasp his hand giving it a tiny squeeze. I kept it there but looked away, unable to look him in the eyes. The waitress walked up and smiled then handed the black card holder back to Devon. I pulled my hand away, embarrassed to display affection in front of her. Plus, I wasn¡¯t even sure what we were. It¡¯s not like we were dating. I wasn¡¯t even sure if he was seeing someone, or married. I haven¡¯t seen a ring on his finger but today a lot of people didn¡¯t that were married. Jewelry can be very uncomfortable. I fidgeted with my fingers, then brought up my arms to grasp my tea. I was eager to put something between the two of us. I have been far too open with this man. Well, except for the lying about the end of the world and what I have seen.


    ¡°Kate.¡± I looked up and realized the waitress had left us. ¡°I was hoping we could talk about Zedd, but I realized I¡¯ve been far too pushy today. After all, we did just bury him.¡± I can feel tears starting to form but I tilt my head to the side and blink rapidly, trying to shoo them away. Another blur of movement streaks in the same spot and then stops directly behind Devon. It doesn¡¯t move. I don¡¯t want to turn my head, I don¡¯t want to breathe. I just want all of this to go away. I squeeze my eyes shut, drowning out Devon¡¯s words. Please not now, I beg silently, he already thinks I¡¯m a nutcase. Nothing could prepare me for what I opened my eyes to. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Dozens of them filled the room. Just staring at me. The room has gone silent and a thin trickle of ash and debris float around us. I keep my face straight, fighting to not react. I know if I show any hint of what is going on, Devon will see nothing but me freaking out. I focus on my breath, drawing air in and out. It¡¯s not until I really look around that the horror unveils itself. All the people are crumbling ash. It¡¯s the first time they haven¡¯t made me experience the horror of the bomb. I can handle this, it will end at some point.


    Breathe in.


    I force myself to look across the table at Devon and smile. My breath hitches and my chest heaves. He¡¯s not like the others, there are bits of flesh still clinging to his face, chest, and arms. It slumps off of him in a gooey pile, falling on the table and into his lap.


    Breathe out.


    I sound like a bad exercise video, but it¡¯s comforting me. The things notice and move closer, puzzled by my reaction. They are literally feet from me. I look up at the closest one, gritting my teeth. I won¡¯t give you the satisfaction, I yell in my head. I¡¯m hoping that they can hear me loud and clear. A horrible vibration comes over me in waves, washing me with unimaginable pain. It¡¯s all I can do to not yelp in anguish.


    Breathe in.


    I¡¯m coaching myself to fight through the pain. At last it¡¯s too much and I wrap my arms around my belly, rocking back and forth. I remind myself again that Devon is still there in the real world staring at my every move. ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, ¡°I need to run to the restroom.¡± I don¡¯t wait a second longer than I have to, before I¡¯m out of my seat. I try and walk normally toward the back, but I know I will have to walk past these awful beings. I expect them to move aside, but they don¡¯t. They just stare at me through the deep, dark hooded cloaks. I groan at the immense pain but put one foot in front of the other.


    Breathe out.


    I manage to release the air again, realizing I had been holding my breath the entire time. Now for the real test. I hesitate a moment, hoping I can get past this thing and not run into anyone else in the process. If I can just make it. I press my jaw together and step forward. Warm, dense air surrounds me, like walking into a sauna. The air is cloying, like dirt and decay. I¡¯ve never smelled anything like it. Don¡¯t stop, I urge, keep it up. I let out a sigh of relief and finally make it to the bathroom. I¡¯ve walked through at least ten of them, all the same peculiar sensation. I burst into the restroom and find the nearest stall. It opens easily and I turn and lock it, then sit down. I made it, I actually made it here. I know I would have acted strange to Devon but I could just blame it on nerves or feeling ill. I rock back and forth, trying my best not to make a sound. I¡¯m still not out of the vision and someone could be in here with me. None of them are here with me as I try and pull myself together. Maybe they will let it go, maybe the vision will end.


    Just as I manage to think this, a warm, clammy sensation fills the air. It surrounds me from every angle. I couldn¡¯t see them, but I knew they were there. Waiting. I could feel the outrage from them, as if they were angry for me even showing an ounce of defiance. The waves of pain suddenly stopped, but in its wake it left fear. If the pain was unbearable a moment ago, what would they have in store now? Please, I reason quietly, none of us have much longer. I¡¯m just one person. I can¡¯t be worth this trouble. I knew trying to reason with them would be a shot in the dark. Whatever I thought would happen, didn¡¯t.


    There were a series of flashes and the room was stripped away from me. I was thrown into the open city, floating in front of several buildings near downtown. I watch with growing dread, knowing what was to come. Instead of it happening within seconds, they drag it out. I can tell by the movement in the city below. Everything is moving at a snail¡¯s pace. I orient myself looking at our office building behind me and I know I am facing North. From the right of me, I see the bright light crawling toward us. Why do I keep seeing this? Over and over from every angle.


    I thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, but this round they take that fantasy away.

 The Watchmen - Part VIII

    It creeps along at a lingering pace, the blast barely moving a handful of feet at a time. I desperately want to move, but I know they won¡¯t allow that. Not until they have wrung every ounce of pain from my body. I¡¯m hoping through my own suffering I¡¯m able to convey the message convincingly enough that the people watching may listen. ¡®May¡¯ being the key word here. It¡¯s almost beautiful watching the buildings bend around the blast radius, the pieces wrapping the dome of smoke and fire. My survival instincts kick in as the blast gets less than a hundred feet from me. I can¡¯t scream, mustn''t scream I tell myself over and over. I want to believe I can do this, that I can somehow trick my mind into not trusting what I see and feel. I wasn¡¯t sure how long in real time I¡¯m here. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? I knew that it had to be less than an hour until the restaurant closed. I secretly hope that they don¡¯t close and have to drag my catatonic body out of here as I stare lifelessly, or worse, scream my head off. Not that I would have to worry about losing my job but upsetting or freaking out Devon seemed far worse than any of that. As the light draws closer I think back to how many days we all had left. Four days after today. It had been so long that I thought I¡¯d lost a day between now and this morning. It felt days apart. It¡¯s less than thirty feet now, everything in sight a blinding blur. I should be feeling something by now, or ripped apart©¤ but yet again I have a feeling my friends have made it far worse. They¡¯re showing me not only what it means to defy them, but the pain that they will inflict on me©¤ either at the end, or until the end. I¡¯m not sure how much more I can take of this or if I can even last the next four days. I know I will have to upload my video and livestream soon. If I give people more time, it will go much better for them.


    The fire is directly in front of me, three feet from my face. I choke back a whimper as the heat stretched across my skin. The pain is so unimaginable that it steals the breath from me. My skin peels back from my fingers, arms, chest, and then face. The muscles along my bones turn from red, to purple and then black. An in-human sound escapes from me as I groan, unable to contain myself. I know it isn¡¯t real and I know I can¡¯t harm myself, but at this moment I want the agony to end. I fall to the ground, my legs and spine shattering into fragments against the pavement. I can feel every blow, every splinter as I slowly dissolve. A second, and then third blast tears me apart and finally I¡¯m released into nothingness.


    #


    Devon carries me over the threshold as I cry against his shoulder. My arms are tight around his neck. I can¡¯t shake the chill from my body and shiver uncontrollably. He says nothing and lays me on the couch. He disappears for a moment and then returns with a blanket from my room. He drapes it over me, pulls up a chair and places his hand on my head. He runs his fingers through my hair and we both sit quietly together. His touch is soft, as if he doesn¡¯t want to press too hard. I breathe out and close my eyes, allowing myself a moment of release. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯d been touched this way. The only thing that came to mind was when my mom would rub my back and neck while I was sick. I snuggle against the blanket, my sniffles subsiding. The wetness around my eyes and cheeks have dried. I breathe deeply and my heart finally slows. It should be weird laying here with a man I barely know touching me intimately. I should cringe and pull away, my skin crawling at the invasion of my personal space. I should be a lot of things right now, anything but calm, and yet here I am allowing this to happen. He applies a little more pressure and I sigh. I nearly let out a small sound but stifled it©¤ eager to put behind the appearance of weakness. I know that moment however has passed, he¡¯s seen me bawling like a child. I managed to make it out of the bathroom with my dignity still intact and before closing, but the instant I saw his face I disintegrated. I had collapsed in front of all the staff and worst of all, Devon. How many times could I do this in front of him before he decided to abandon me as a friend and a coworker? My breath hitches and my chest tightens just thinking about it. ¡°Devon, I©¤¡± my voice falters. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Shh,¡± he says, continuing to stroke my hair, ¡°don¡¯t worry about anything except here, and now.¡± I¡¯m content for the first time in a long time. We quietly sit this way, his hand caressing my head and then running them through to the ends of my hair. His voice comes out soft, ¡°Zedd had his moments, like this, for the past several months. He was starting to get much better just a few weeks ago.¡± He paused, looking down at me, ¡°you want to know something that really strikes me as odd?¡± I look over at him staying quiet. ¡°Zedd once brought in a sheet of paper, just like you and had me look it over. It was blank and he shrugged it off, much like you. But there was something there in his eyes. Haunted, like yours.¡± I keep silent but my eyes betray me and I have to turn away. I stare at the back of the couch, trying not to show what I¡¯m feeling. ¡°Kate, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on but I don¡¯t want things to go the way they did for Zedd.¡± He gently places a hand on my shoulder. I wanted so badly to believe that I could stay strong and keep quiet, but I can¡¯t anymore. The will to hide it all slips away. I¡¯m tired, so tired of keeping it in.


    I push myself up and swipe at my face. ¡°You¡¯re right about me hiding things from you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he says, ¡°but I was waiting for you to tell me on your own time.¡± ¡°The thing is,¡± I bite my lip deciding on what to say, ¡°even if I told you everything, you wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± He¡¯s quiet for a little while and then sighs, ¡°I think that whatever you are going through is real, just like it was for Zedd. I know it was bad enough that he took his own life.¡± My lips quiver and I hug myself, running my hands along my arms. ¡°I don¡¯t think that you are the type to make things up and I think that what you and him went through is somehow connected.¡± I nod and wipe away fresh tears. ¡°Yes, it is. I honestly thought that I was going crazy until Zedd approached me that day. We talked over dinner but I swear to you, he gave me no hint of his¡± I look at the ground ¡°intentions.¡± Devon¡¯s hand slides under my chin and he tilts me toward him. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t. That was his choice.¡± His voice is raw and his eyes tear up. We¡¯re now inches from each other and I¡¯m struggling to breathe. He leans dangerously close to my lips but veers to my ear instead. His whisper sends chills down my body, ¡°tell me what you¡¯ve been through. I want to hear it.¡± My chest rises and falls quickly, it¡¯s too much and all of my senses are in overdrive.


    He senses that something is off and pulls away, giving me my space. I¡¯m thankful, but at the same time, I want him to be close. I¡¯m so confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you uncomfortable.¡± My face is on fire from his words, ¡°I no, well,¡± I clasp and unclasp my hands, ¡°words.¡± I offer lamely and then try again, slowing myself down, ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°Duh.¡± He says, cracking a smile. My eyes grow wide and then I lose it. Despite the situation we both can¡¯t help ourselves. It feels good to let it all go©¤the tension, the pain, and heartache. ¡°How did you know?¡± I ask after a few minutes. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I do now. I¡¯ve been told I¡¯m sort of clueless on signals.¡± He said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Damn it,¡± I mutter, ¡°I¡¯m so horrible at this.¡± He pulls me into a hug ¡°I like you too, dummy. If it wasn¡¯t obvious.¡± My grin grows wider at his words and my heart flutters. It¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve ever felt something for someone and they liked me back. My shoulders sag and I lean into him. I want to capture this moment and remember it until I¡¯m gone.


    #

 The Watchmen Part IX - Three Days

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, I would be thinking the same thing.¡± I said, He looked over at me from his spot on the stool. His expression was hard to gauge. We had moved to the kitchen, now sitting across from each other to talk it out. I¡¯d made some tea for the both of us and then told him everything. Even about what had happened in the office earlier that night with Zedd. That had been especially hard because of the funeral and Devon¡¯s feelings about his friend being gone. Starting with a clean slate meant that I had to be honest, even if it upset him. A great weight lifted from my chest as I spoke each word, glad to have someone to unburden myself to. I was sure of what would come next, it would be something to the effect of ¡®I believe that what you experienced was real to you¡¯ or something like it. I remember taking an abnormal psychology class and how real hallucinations were to people that suffered from schizophrenia, both auditory and visual experiences. The real kicker was how both Zedd and I experienced it together. ¡°I was honestly thinking it was me and there was seriously something wrong. It all started when I moved down here so I thought it had something to do with the job and new surroundings. Then Zedd approached me after the meeting,¡± I paused, ¡°he described to me in detail about the exact things I had experienced. I was at a loss for words.¡± He nodded but stayed silent. Devon crossed his arms and put a hand against his chin. I could see the internal conflict plainly across his features.


    I gave him space, sipping my tea. I looked out across the sparsely decorated space and realized for the first time how that must have looked to anyone. Especially someone with Devon¡¯s income. I had a few things here and there, some dark blue curtains, matching place mats and rug. I hadn¡¯t had a chance to unpack my kitchen ware and decor. Granted, I wasn¡¯t really the sort to have a ton of pictures or knick knacks. My mother loved them, there was every kind of bird you could imagine scattered throughout our home. Flowery prints on every bed and lace curtains. It was something you would imagine to be popular in the 19th century, especially with her antique furniture. I suppose it was her over-zealous nature that made me lean toward modern and utilitarian design choices.


    ¡°From the time I¡¯ve gotten to know you, you don¡¯t seem like the type to make up stories. You¡¯ve undoubtedly got talent and in a lot of ways I saw Zedd in both your work and demeanor.¡± I said nothing, allowing him to talk this out. It was better this way, letting him come to his own conclusions. I¡¯ve found in life it¡¯s best to take a step back, never push, and always be honest. It was never the easy route to take, but it was the one that made me feel true to myself. It¡¯s bitten me in the ass more times than I cared to admit©¤ but flawed and all, it was me. ¡°I really want to somehow believe that the two of you are crazy, but this seems like too much of a coincidence to ignore.¡± Devon sighs and rubs his face, ¡°this really is a lot to think about and it¡¯s been a long day.¡± I nod, ¡°I agree. Did you still want me to come in tomorrow?¡± I quietly ask. His eyebrows go up, ¡°of course, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± I squirm a little but shake my head, ¡°OK I just wasn¡¯t sure, you know©¤¡± He places a finger over my mouth and smiles. ¡°Personal feelings aside, we still have a deadline to meet. Whether the end of the world is coming or not. I think the routine would help both of us.¡± He stands and walks over to me extending his arms. He wraps me in a warm and gentle hug. It felt right being here as if nothing else in the world could shake me and I was invulnerable to harm. I¡¯m completely relieved that tomorrow will start a new day. One that hopefully wouldn¡¯t involve excruciating death or someone coming back from beyond the grave.


    He walks me to the door and then he¡¯s gone. I hug myself frowning at the horrors I¡¯d experienced just in these twenty four hours alone. I was going to try and save as many as I could tomorrow, hoping beyond hope people would take me seriously. I would sound like one of those crazy people shouting on the streets, ¡®the end is near, it¡¯s coming for you¡¯ or some such nonsense. I knew how mean people could be, and more importantly how they would tear me down and make fun of me. At least I could know the truth and hopefully others would see that.


    Four days after today. God help us all.


    #


    I¡¯m at my desk, for once feeling completely refreshed. I¡¯d slept in until nine-thirty but I had needed it. I texted Devon to let him know that I was on my way and should be there in less than thirty minutes. When I got in there was hot tea, a fruit platter, and a note waiting for me. I felt my face grow warm at the all the attention. A whistle sounded behind me followed by some playful teasing. Since the office was mostly men, I sort of expected it to happen. That didn¡¯t stop me from blushing. The handwriting in the note was lovely, unlike the chicken scratch that was my own. I rarely had to write anything, but I could draw like the best of them. I¡¯d taken pride in my work, but knew where I stood. I wasn''t the best of the best, but it was solid. I never thought it would land me something as wonderful as this. Then again, I was never confident with anything I touched.


    I smiled at his words, ¡®have a great day today, I¡¯ll be out with meetings for most of it but I¡¯m with you in spirit.¡¯


    Talk later,


    Dev


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I folded the piece of paper and placed it back on my desk. I shook my head at his thoughtfulness. He really was perfect.


    I worked for several hours, only getting up to stretch and grab some water. The fruit platter had stuck with me for most of the day. He¡¯d really overdone it, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be eating lunch. One of the sound guys approached me to glance over the type of weapons my character would be using so they could get a team on it. After a few minutes of checking it over, he left and I was back to my work. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave as late as I usually did so I had set an alarm for seven. I¡¯d at least get my eight hours in before the stream. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to people¡¯s comments, but I expected it so I could steel myself against them. I took a sip of water and sat back in my chair. Besides, there was no way that words could affect me as much as these creatures had. Hell, even if I did decide to ride this out until the end at least I would die instantly. I shuddered rubbing my hands along my arms. At least, I wanted to believe that I would die right away. If it was going to go down the way it had in my visions I¡¯d take a stabbing, and a bullet to the head. Even if someone tortured me for days on end it would be a walk in the park by comparison.


    I was startled from my dark thoughts when the little jingle from my alarm went off. I grabbed my stylus and pad from the desk to get a little sketching done at home tonight after I addressed the public. I would need something calm and familiar to soothe me. I slid them into my bag heading toward the elevator. I veered off at the last second, deciding that the stairs sounded like a much better option. The elevator and I were beginning to have a complicated relationship. Besides, a little exercise would feel good after all that sitting.


    The train ride was uneventful. I had run by the convenience store to grab something quick to eat but that was it for my adventure for the day. I got home shortly after and put some water in the small plastic container. I heated the noodles up in the microwave and sat with the tray of veggies in front of the t.v. I remember what I brought in and set up my pad and stylus on the computer. Just as I sit down the microwave goes off. I shuffle over to it, take my food and sit down in front of the show. My signal was great here, no skipping or loading while I streamed. Hopefully I get the same signal strength when I broadcasted my plea. I allow myself some food and one show. I glance at my webcam throughout it, my anxiety growing. My stomach churns and I¡¯ve suddenly lost my appetite. The credits roll and I stare blankly at them, putting off the inevitable. I peel myself off of the couch moving slower than a child at bedtime. I was so sure of this©¤ helping other people, that I could do it for the greater good but the truth was I am scared shitless. I¡¯m petrified. Even with what I know it¡¯s hard to convince myself to do it.


    I felt ashamed of my thoughts. I knew what all of this meant. I was lucky enough to have a glimpse into the future. It was my responsibility to help. People needed at least a little time to make up their minds. I stand by the desk chair digging my nails into the cushion. Save them, my mind screamed. Do it for them, they deserve to hear it. With shaky hands I slide into my chair and open the recording software. I adjust the webcam for the hundredth time until I¡¯m centered perfectly. I open the website and look at the live stream button. It was now or never. I took in a few deep breaths fighting off the panic as best as I could. I couldn¡¯t come off as some hysterical or overly emotional woman. My mouse hovered over the red dot and then I clicked.


    It gave me a countdown and within seconds I was live.


    ¡°My name is Katherine Tate. What I¡¯m about to tell you isn¡¯t something that I expect any of you to believe. I¡¯m telling you not because I want attention, or believe in some sort of god or being or that I¡¯m part of some sort of a doomsday cult. I¡¯m just asking for your trust in this matter and to listen to what I have to say.¡±


    My view count has gone from zero to two, three, seven and climbing to a few dozen. I swallow thickly.


    ¡°I have a reliable source that¡¯s told me about something horrible that¡¯s coming our way. Something catastrophic. It will decimate every major city in the U.S. I can¡¯t speak for other countries because I don¡¯t have information on that but if I had to guess, I would say that you should beware too.¡±


    I see words popping up and I try my best not to look at them. Just focus on finishing, get out what you have to say and ignore everything else. I knew this was the only way that I could force myself to do it. You can do this, I urge.


    ¡°We all hear it from time to time, some nutjob claiming it¡¯s the end of the world. Who knows, maybe my source isn¡¯t as reliable as I thought and we may all be fine. But I couldn¡¯t, in good conscience, stay silent about this. Not after what it would mean for millions of people. For families.¡± I can feel myself on the brink of tears, but I shove it back down. I can¡¯t get overly emotional, I need to stay strong.


    I take a deep breath and release it slowly.


    ¡°Even if it is false and nothing comes of this, I just wanted to help in some way. I urge you to get out of the city and save yourself and your family. From what I know it will happen three days from now. Please be safe, please be kind to one another.¡± I look directly into the camera, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I scare anyone unnecessarily, that¡¯s not my intention, nor is it to create mass hysteria. I¡¯ll leave you to make your own choices, but I¡¯ve already made mine. Thank you to anyone that¡¯s listening and heard me out.¡± I pushed the ¡®end stream¡¯ button and sagged into my chair. I felt exhausted, like I¡¯d just run a full marathon. What would people think? What would happen to me? Then something else popped in my head that I¡¯d never even thought of. What if I get into trouble for creating mass confusion or hysteria? I think about that for a moment. Hopefully I won¡¯t go to jail for the next two days. My stomach twisted as I thought about the way it would end for me. Please let it not hurt.


    My biggest fear is that I will do all this for nothing, nothing will happen and I¡¯ll die. The worst part would be what my family would have to suffer because of what I will be labeled. My poor family. I try and reason with myself that it will have been worth it. Even if the world didn¡¯t explode into fire and ash, would these things continue to torture me in new and horrible ways? That was no life to live. I would eventually be committed to some psychiatric hospital, lose my job and family. To lose all that and still live in constant fear©¤ dying over and over again for as long as they feel like wasn¡¯t going to happen. I would make sure of it.

 The Watchmen - Part X

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    I wince at my mother¡¯s voice as it blared on the other end. ¡°Do you even know what everyone is saying? Did you join some sort of a cult? What is all of this Katherine?¡± I let her get it out, staying silent on the other end until I could figure out what to say. I had avoided her text messages and calls for most of today but after the tenth ring I finally answered. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare sit there quietly or I swear I will drive down to Texas myself and beat some sense into you.¡± My eyebrows raise at her words. She had never made such a threat before. I tried my hardest to sound strong but my words faltered and I only got half a sentence out, ¡°it¡¯s all©¤¡± I swallowed thickly, preparing myself again. ¡°It¡¯s all what? Some ploy to get attention? Jesus girl, think about your family before you do something this drastic. It¡¯s gone viral for god¡¯s sake, our phones won¡¯t stop ringing.¡± I frown at her words. I wasn¡¯t expecting such backlash from my family. From the public, yes, but not my own mother. She took a deep breath and sighed into the phone. ¡°Look, just go back online and tell people it was a prank.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I spat. I covered my mouth, shocked that there was so much venom in my words. ¡°Excuse me? Yes you will. And I¡¯ll tell you what else, you will do this or you can count on never being a part of this family again.¡± I inhaled sharply, taken back by her words. ¡°You can¡¯t mean that,¡± I whisper. ¡°Oh yes I can young lady. Your poor father is livid, do you know how close both of us are to retirement?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t fire you for that, it¡¯s illegal¡± I yell back. ¡°They won¡¯t need to, they can make both of our lives miserable until we quit.¡± I snap, ¡°Well excuse me for trying to save a few hundred million lives.¡± ¡°Katherine. Stop this right now,¡± she says through gritted teeth, ¡°You aren¡¯t special, no end of the world is coming, and frankly I am disappointed in your juvenile attempt at fifteen minutes of fame.¡±  My jaw dropped. I couldn¡¯t believe the words that were coming out of my mother¡¯s mouth. This was a woman that raised me, that told me she would be with me through thick and thin. Where was that person now?


    My tone came out even, controlled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you feel that way mother. But I¡¯m not making this up. If that means you choose to not be in my life, that¡¯s on you.¡± I hung up and turned my phone to silent. That¡¯s all I could bring myself to bear in one day. I stared at the building and then glanced around to see if anyone had overheard our conversation. It seems life had spared me at least one embarrassment and I exhaled. I pocketed my phone and walked back inside the building to finish out my shift. What was it that she had said? Viral. My video has gone viral. Which meant they had probably already destroyed me online. Who knows what was waiting for me if I ever decided to check it. I didn¡¯t want to, and I probably never would. It would be forgotten in less than a day anyway. Most online things did.


    I turned just about the same shade of lipstick I had put on that morning when I caught the stares of my co-workers as I walked over to my desk. Apparently they had seen it too. There were whispers as I sat myself down. I logged in and read through my emails trying to tune out the office chatter. There wasn¡¯t much there so I opened photoshop instead. I just started on my weapon shading when the message popped up on my screen. I felt a lump in my throat, it was Devon. If everyone else had seen it, chances were he had too. My hands shook as I clicked on the tab at the bottom.


    Please come to my office at your earliest convenience. Thank you.


    I rose to my feet and drug myself toward Devon¡¯s office in the back. I caught a few laughs and more whispers as I walked across the room. My head swam with possibilities. After the conversation with my mother, it made me realize just how fragile relationships were. If my own flesh and blood was willing to go this far what would be waiting for me in his office? Just in case I grabbed my key card and office key. I sagged, trudging down the long corridor, it didn¡¯t matter. Rent, job, family©¤ none of it mattered and it was probably better this way. At least I controlled some aspects of my life. I had already gotten the mask, pure nitrogen, strong mastic tape, and tubing. There was no way I was going to rip it off in my sleep. My grim thoughts switched to absolute panic as I approached his frosted glass door. I could see him sitting at his desk and stood outside, unsure of what to do with myself.  His head was nodding on the other side and it took me a moment to realize that he was on the phone. His voice was so low I couldn¡¯t make out what was being said. I waited until he put his phone back in its place and then lightly tapped on the door. I was really hoping that he wanted to go over the project or tell me who was taking over for Zedd. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Devon¡¯s lips pressed into a line as I walked in the door. He waved me inside and then extended his hand toward the chairs in front of his desk. His face flushed slightly and he looked away as I met his eyes. Whatever he was about to say to me wasn¡¯t good. I was pretty sure I knew exactly where this was going. I folded my hands in my lap, waiting to hear the inevitable. Then suddenly I changed my mind and decided I would cut him to the chase.


    ¡°I just want you to know that I understand. Anyone else would have done it long ago. You don¡¯t need to say it, I can gather my things and head out.¡± He stayed silent and kept his head turned. He was staring outside, focusing on anything other than my face. My stomach felt heavy and a chill ran down my body. It really wasn¡¯t a shock, why would it have been? Still, it hurt. I gingerly set both my keycard and key on the desk and slid back my chair. The room tilted as I stood up and I quickly gained my composure, not wanting this moment to be any more awkward than it had to be. I hesitated at his door, wanting to hear some sort of comforting words or for him to call out to me and that I had the wrong idea. The room stayed silent.


    #


    I¡¯d managed to keep dry eyes as I gathered my things. There wasn¡¯t much there to begin with. Thankfully there weren¡¯t many people around when I exited to the stairs. I made it just in time to catch the next available train. The ride home was pleasant, quiet. It was nearly lunchtime and there weren¡¯t many people. I walked onto the platform and in a brief moment of spontaneity decided to walk the rest of the way home to clear my head. It really was for the best. All of it. It wasn¡¯t until I crossed the threshold that I allowed myself the luxury of tears. They flowed down my cheeks, spilling onto my shirt. It didn¡¯t last long, but the relief that it brought me in those following moments felt amazing. I swiped at my face, slipped off my shoes and took a long, hot shower. I slid into my comfiest sleep pants and t-shirt and sat on the couch, hugging my pillow.


    After watching several hours of shows and eating some cheap chinese food, I peeled myself off of the couch and ordered even more food. It wasn¡¯t as though I was going to gain weight from one day of horrible eating. Besides, I reasoned, I wouldn¡¯t be around long enough to care. I got myself cheesecake, chips, soda, brownies, candy©¤ pretty much the worst of the worst processed food you could think of. If tomorrow was the day I might as well make the most of my short time left.


    Since all of this started a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It¡¯s sort of freeing when you know exactly when death would come knocking. Granted it wasn¡¯t ideal©¤ what person would want to die in their early twenties? I¡¯d just graduated, I was well on my way to a great career in the industry of my dreams. All of this was so unfair. I could have the option to go way outside of the city, possibly somewhere in the boonies out in the middle of America. I didn¡¯t have much money, but I could live a new life, start over and hope for the best. I knew it just wouldn¡¯t work. I circled back to my thoughts earlier this past week©¤ there really was no getting around it. Even if I got away from the major cities I¡¯d die slowly from starvation, or radiation poisoning. The bomb may kill me in an instant, or it would drag out like it did in my visions. I sure as hell didn¡¯t want to be around to find out. The way I was going would at least be clean, and hopefully painless.


    The shopper arrived at my apartment in less than two hours. I made sure to tip them well, telling them they should do something nice for themselves tomorrow. They looked at me strange, but smiled and nodded, thanking me for the generous amount. The bags felt heavy in my arms, even the short distance between my front door and the kitchen was somehow difficult. I set the bags on the counter emptied them, and placed the snacks all in neat little rows categorized by salty and sweet. I chose a few candy bars, chips, and soda then laid them all on the coffee table. I relished the sweet delights and powdered cheese and salt together. It was basically my last few meals and I planned on destroying the entire counter¡¯s contents. I flipped through a few shows and began more binge-watching. This felt like a perfect last night.