The Last Criminal

I woke up on the floor of the bank vault with ringing in my ears and twisting in my stomach. My first instinctual thought is that I had been shot. But where was the blood? The white-hot pain?

Brody, the youngest member of bank security, lay sprawled beside the vault door. His taser had scattered across the cream tile, but a pair of handcuffs were still clenched in his hands. My mouth suddenly ran bitter with the realization that the silver cuffs were meant for me. For months, I had stolen small increments of money from my employer—First Harvest Bank. But, unfortunately, Brody had caught onto my system, and it was while he was confronting me that a giant blast erupted somewhere close by. I felt the wave of energy before I heard it, and then everything went black.

"What just happened?" I asked Brody in a hoarse voice.

Brody did not answer. Instead, the security officer raised his copper-brown eyes to mine in lingering disappointment. The pedestal that Brody placed me on had come crashing down the moment he saw me smuggle a stack of bills into the inner hem of my blazer.

"It doesn't matter," Brody grumbled. His dark brow stitched together in pain as the guard stood up and made his way over to me. Brody's beige uniform looked almost grey in the dull lighting of the room.

While Brody approached me, the flight response in my brain contemplated my options. I could try to run, but Brody would undoubtedly catch up to me. If not, one of the other security officers would track me down, and I was sure that anyone else would not be as delicate about the ordeal.

Brody grabbed my hands and put them behind my back in a robotic manner. I could not tell if he was in shock or just personally hurt by my actions. Maybe both.

"Would it help if I told you that I could explain?" I asked.

"No, Marci. It really wouldn't," Brody muttered under his breath. I could not help but note how handsome Brody was when he was upset. His face aged somehow in anger, and instead of looking twenty-three and babyfaced, Brody appeared well beyond his years. It was like staring at a glimpse of his future.

Brody asked if I could stand, and while I nodded that I could, he helped me to my feet anyway. I allowed myself to be pulled to the exit and paused while Brody locked the steel door. His fingers shook as he entered the combination that only he and a select group of individuals were supposed to have access to use...the code that I had stolen from him. But, of course, I'm sure that Brody already pieced that together. I could see it in his face. Wondering if what we had was ever real. Picking apart the relationship we formed over the summer. He was looking for red flags, warning signs, or a glimpse of hope that my intentions were genuine.

The ringing in my ears began to dull as we waited for the elevator to the main floor. After five minutes of staring at the closed doors, Brody finally opted for the stairs. We were both panting by the time we reached ground level.

When we entered the central area of the bank building, I expected to see customers rattled by the explosion. I thought my co-workers would gawk and point at me while Brody hastily turned me over to the police. But instead, I stepped into a faceless room. It was as if the bank building had suddenly closed...Only, none of the proper closing procedures had been taken. Crisp dollar bills lay on the counters, deposit slips sat on the floor, and the front window remained open.

That wasn't the strangest part.

Clothes, rings, and glasses lay about the building as if each customer had been vaporized. I glanced down at myself as if to make sure my clothing was still intact. My dress, though wrinkled, clung to my legs. The heart-shaped locket that my first love gave me sat on my collarbone, as it did every single day.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," Brody stated, sounding a little awestruck.

The clock on the wall read 2:34 p.m., which was hours before close, but the bank was utterly still. As was the world beyond the bank doors. I could not see a single person walking or driving down the street. It was like everyone in town had disappeared.

"Is this even real?" I asked.

"I'm sure everyone just evacuated to a shelter or something. Maybe there was an attack on the city. Or the state."

"Then what's with all the clothes lying around? It's like everyone just..." I trailed.

"Let's just look for someone that knows what is going on. Okay?"

We left the bank began walking down Church Street in hopes of finding an explanation. All the buildings were perfectly intact, but not a single person revealed themselves in the screaming silence. Instead, there were stacks of clothes, purses, watches, and other personal items on each side of the road. I resisted the urge to collect every diamond ring I saw flashing in the sunlight. My kleptomania would have to wait.

"There!" Brody pointed towards the upstairs window of an apartment building. My eyes flashed to the slight movement just in time to see a robin flutter out of the open apartment window. I envied the bird's ability to see for miles. If only I could ask if any other people were waiting in the town over. Was it just Brighton City that was impacted by the strange blast? Or did the newly knighted ghost town expand to all of Jefferson County? The state? Country? World?

I watched a solemn expression fall over Brody's face as he realized he had mistaken the bird for another person. "What if we are the only two left?" he thought out loud.

"What?"

"Do you remember the blasting sound? What if the explosion did something to the people here, and the only reason we are here is that the vault protected us?"

"Maybe."

"What else could this be?"

"The end of the world?" I shrugged. As I moved, a lock of brown hair fell into my eyes. While I struggled to push the curly wave from my face, I could tell that Brody was engaged in a personal fight of his own. He longed to reach up and move the piece of hair from my eyes, but he was not sure if he should. I was a criminal, after all.

"Maybe it is," Brody agreed.

"If it really is the end, there is no point in this horrible fashion statement," I said, gesturing to the cuffs.

"Marci, you broke the law."

I had a feeling that my current predicament had a lot more to do with breaking his heart...not the law.

"Brody, there are no rules at the end of the world."

"There are no rules for you on a good day."

"Look...I owed some dangerous people a lot of money," I sighed. "Being a bank teller barely paid enough to cover my rent. So what was I supposed to do?"

"You could have asked me for help…."

I bit my tongue and nodded. The best thing I could do was confess my wrongdoings and apologize. Because the fact was, even if I had gone to Brody for help, there was nothing he could have done for me on a security guard's salary. In fact, if my intentions were honest, I never would have given Brody the time of day. No matter how handsome Brody might be, it did not change the fact that I was five years older and still in love with someone who left the earth a long time ago. Still, it appeared that fate cared very little about my preferences. Whether we were the last people on earth or not, Brody would always know my darkest secret. All the power was in his hands, and that meant I needed to convince Brody of my undying affection. My loyalty.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I was desperate, and I made a decision that I will regret for the rest of my life," I admitted in a too-sweet tone. I used the same voice to lure Brody at the beginning of our relationship.

At first, Brody seemed conflicted; a dozen emotions flashed across his face. Then finally, Brody reached up and began to free one of my hands. I sighed with relief. Everything would be okay. Brody and I would make a good team. We could figure out what had happened to everyone in town, and even if we didn't...what would it matter? The people might have been gone, but food...animals...cars...Anything we ever wanted was ours for the taking. I could indeed be like the robin in the sky.

"Do mean that? Truthfully?" Brody asked, searching my green eyes with his.

"I do. Nothing's changed, Brody. Just because I made a mistake doesn't mean that we should let that ruin what we have. We can forget what happened and find a way to survive this new...this new…." I trailed, trying to think of the right word. Utopia? Paradise?

"Okay," Brody finally agreed.

A huge smile of victory spread across my face. At that moment, I felt no sadness for what had happened. Only a euphoric sense of release.

Click! Click!

I stared down at my hands for a moment while my brain tried to comprehend what I was seeing. My right hand was free, but my left wrist was still bound by the cuffs. One silver ring clung to my skin, and the other cuff held onto the metal pole of a duck crossing sign.

"W-what? What are you doing?" I asked Brody.

There no one left to make me pay for my crimes...except for Brody. And unfortunately, the crimes I committed against him were far greater than the superficial marks I left on the bank.

"I wouldn't want to be with you if you were the last woman on earth," Brody revealed, repeating an old cliche that was suddenly too relevant.

I stood frozen as Brody walked away. My mouth tried to form words, but it was like I had forgotten how to speak. So instead, I stared down at the cuffs and wondered if Brody could really leave me here. Would he come back? Was this some kind of a prank to teach me a lesson? But, more importantly, what would I do if he did not return?

"You can't leave me here!" I tried to scream, but the sound came out as a whisper that only I could hear.

It was while I struggled in a sea of despair that I felt my own words come back to haunt me. Brody could do anything he wanted. He could pass judgment however he saw fit for my crime.

There are no rules at the end of the world.