In the ENDstagram

The bathroom is dingy, a flickering light illuminates dust particles lingering in the air. A makeshift stand is holding an old beat-up cell phone pointed at a nearly overflowing bathtub. A beautiful twenty-something girl steps into view of the camera. She's petite, but in her tattered swimsuit, you can see the outlines of well-defined muscles and scars from years of going it alone. A beautiful heart-shaped locket adorns her neck. She sighs as she removes it and gingerly places it on the counter. She stares off into space for a moment, solemn, then shakes her head, flips her brown hair, puts on an enormous smile, and presses a button on the phone.

"Hey, guys! It’s your girl, Abby! It may be the end of the world, but it doesn't have to be the end of yours! I'm back to show you more glamourous post-ap life here in the cities! Today I am going to walk you through my morning routine! I found this lovely unoccupied space and guess what? IT HAS RUNNING WATER! You heard that right! So today we’re starting with a nice semi-hot bath! Now trust me! I know supplies are hard to find, but I have a wonderful surprise DIY for you all to try at home! Homemade bubbles! So let's get started, shall we!?"

She steps into the bathtub giggling as water starts to flow over the sides. She may be putting on a show, but the look of pure relaxation that spreads over her face as she slides into the water couldn't be more genuine.

The moment is cut short by the sound of heavy footsteps pounding down the hallway. The bathroom door slams open revealing three hefty men dressed in all black. The first snatches her phone, pressing the button to end her Endstagram live. The second throws an immaculately clean towel at the foot of the tub.

"Get dressed," he says in a voice befitting his appearance. "we have to get going."

"Get going where?" she yells, but the men have already left the bathroom, leaving her to stare at the backside of the door, a look of shock and confusion still plastered on her face. She gets dressed hastily, mind racing trying to think of a way to get her phone back and get out of there! She takes a deep breath, preparing to open the door and enact her plan. But before she can even exhale, the door swings open and she is swept up into the arms of man number three, a blindfold efficiently fixed over her eyes.

...

Abby, still blindfolded, is now being moved through what seems to be another building. The air is stale and everything around feels cold and hard and full of echoes. For the first time in what seems like ages, the man lets go of Abby's arms. She quickly rips off the blindfold and turns in all directions, attempting to take in as much information about her surroundings as she possibly can before he grabs her again. But he makes no attempt to restrain her. He simply looks at her, unamused, and says, "Stay." before walking towards another group of similarly dressed grumpy men.

The room is circular, with cement walls and floor. Connected to it are four long dark hallways and one massive set of double doors. Beneath her is a circle etched into the ground. The four others beside her are all placed above an etched circle of their own. Directly to her right is a small, dirty man probably in his thirties. He's sitting on the ground, hands crossed in his lap with his head down. Next to him is another man. Tall, with bits of gray beginning to streak his deep brown hair. He catches her looking at him and smiles. It's a weak smile, and his eyes seem glazed over, but he doesn't stop smiling until she smiles back. On the farthest circle stands a boy about her age. His shaggy brown hair falling in his face, failing to hide the look of absolute terror in his eyes. She looks now to her left and sees a gorgeous blond woman wearing clothes and boots that look much more well-kept than anything Abby has ever owned. Abby takes a step towards her. The woman glances over at Abby, looks her up and down, scoffs, and turns her back.

Just then both sides of the massive double doors burst open. For a moment there is nothing, then a tall hooded man emerges, followed by at least a dozen more of the serious-faced men. He stops just shy of the group, His long cloak billowing out around him, his face completely covered by shadow.

"Hello," he announces, his voice booming through the echoing room. "my name is- unimportant. But my mission- Well, my mission is what matters. What is that mission, you might ask?" He pauses to look around the room, "To entertain of course!" He laughs heartily as he says this, and the men in black all join in.

"Now," the laughter stops instantly as he continues. " I have invited five amazing entertainers here to compete in a life or death challenge, to determine who will be crowned, THE WORLDS! GREATEST! ENDSTAGRAMMER!" The men burst into applause.

"Invited?" The woman sneers.

"Life or death? Did- did he say life or death?" asks Abby, her breathing getting heavier.

"Now to get started, how 'bout we play a little get to know you game?" The man asks, looking at a camera mounted at the end of the room. "I want each of you to tell us your name, your age, what you do on Endsta, and one item you can't live without! Let's start with you!"

The camera turns towards Abby, she stares at it frozen, the words 'Life or death' echoing in her head. Suddenly her mouth is moving before she even knows what she is saying.

"Hey, everyone! My name is Abby! I'm 22 and on my Endsta I show you how to turn post-ap life from drab to fab, with DIYs, lifehacks, lifestyle vlogs, and more! I-"

"Did you say Post-ap?" the man interrupted.

"I-yes. I did. As in, post-apocalypse?" She shrugs nervously.

"Ah, yes. yes! I like that! Someone write that down! NEXT!"

the camera swivels to the dirty man as Abby struggles to find her breath. So many thoughts are racing around her mind she hardly hears what the man is saying, something about living on a compound, and prayer? Now the woman is speaking. She's standing, looking indignant and droning on about turning an old barn into a garage for her new car.

"...Daddy always says, 'Gas is only hard to find if you don't know whos palms to grease."

The camera pans to the graying man, "Hello. My name is John, I am 56 years old and I am likely the only one in this group old enough to remember life before all of this. To be honest, I don't see the point of Endstagram unless you're using your voice to-"

"Well, that's certainly an opinion!" he cuts the man off. "And finally!"

"I- hi- My name is Tommy, I-I'm 22. I don't belong here! Please, sir, you know I don't belong here! I don't even-"

"What a show so far!" The man interjects. "As I'm sure you've guessed this is being broadcast LIVE to your Endsta accounts! But of course, not everyone can stay! Your viewers are voting now on who we love! And who we drop!"

A projector displays a screen with bars going up and down. It doesn't take long to see Tommy's bar skyrocketing above the others.

"Well folks, it seems we've reached a consensus! Bye, Tommy!"

There's a slight rumble as the circle beneath Tommy opens up and he disappears into it. His screams are silenced almost instantaneously as the ring closes.

The remaining four look at each other in horror, and John drops to his knees sobbing. "TOMMY!" he yells, trying to pry open the circle with his hands.

"Moooooving right along!" the hooded man says, his voice filled with delight. "Abby, I just realized, we didn't get to hear what item you can't live without! We simply MUST know!"

"I-Is he ok? What did you do to him?"

"The item, Abby." he said, a hint of frustration in his voice

"My-my necklace." She stammers, pulling the locket from her shirt. "It was my mothers."

John is staring at her fiercely now. "Where did you get that?" he bellows. "TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT THAT RIGHT NOW!" He tries to run towards her, but two of the men hold him back.

"I told you, I got it from my mother! Lily. She- she died."

"Lily..." he fell to his knees again. He looks up at her once more. "Abby?" This time there is no anger in his eyes, only guilt, and sadness.

"Abby, this is all a trick! I thought he was just torturing me to get information! I had no idea he knew where you were!" His voice is desperate now. "His name is Dom! He's the former President! This whole apocalypse is his doing! He made me help! I didn't want to! Then he tore you and Lily away from Tommy and me! You have to end this! The computer room!" the rumbling noise begins again. "Fix my mistakes! Your heart is the key-"

On his last word the circle opens, his voice rings out for a moment, until it too, is silenced.

The men begin to close in around her, while another group starts to blockade a single hallway. that must be the way to the computer room, but what did he want her to do? Not wanting to be the next into the circle, she makes a break for it, swiftly evading the large men's slow movements. As she approaches the hallway she pretends to jump, but instead slides right under their legs and begins running as fast as her feet will carry her. She doesn't take time to look back or even to breathe. Finally, she reaches what appears to be the computer room. She slams the door shut, locks it, and pushes a metal cabinet in front for good measure. The room is eerie, covered in dust and children's drawings. On the center of the desk lies a dusty notebook with the name 'John' inscribed on the front. She skims through it as quickly as she can, as the men have now started pounding on the door.

"He promised to protect us if I did it. I am going to burn in hell, but my family is safe..."

"He's threatening to take Lily and Abby if I don't enact stage two. I can't do it! I won't!..."

"He took them... the key is gone... he can't hurt anyone else..."

She presses a button on the computer and it turns on. There are only two options, 'Stage2' and 'ReverseProtocals' both require an access code.

'Your heart is the key.' She pulls out the locket, opening it for the first time since her mother passed. Inside is a faded picture of the two of them. She pulls the photo out. As she unfolds it, she sees John and a young boy on the other half.

"He... He really is my dad. And Tommy? I have a brother?"

Tears begin to streak her face as she turns the photo over to find the list of access codes.

Realizing her phone is back in her pocket she pulls it out and presses the button to go live.

"Right now, I have an opportunity to possibly help fix this broken world. If there's even a small chance, I have to try! I'm not likely to make it out of here! So all I'm asking is, whatever happens when I do this, use your voices to do good. Be kind. Finish what I'm starting. Fix the world!"

She takes a deep breath, and she presses the button.