The End

Who would have thought that opening an old heart shaped locket would kick start the end of the world?

I had found the jewelry in my Grandmother's things, tucked away in the attic among her clothes and Knick knacks. It seemed so unassuming. Just a little silver heart on thin chain. Wondering if there were any pictures in it, I opened it.

The room went dark. The air stung my face with a biting cold. Faint screams echoed from the locket, making my heart skip a beat. Slowly, my vision came back. The room warmed up, but the darkness and cold spread outside. The sky outside the window was suddenly a sickley, unearthly brown. Every plant I could see was shriveled and covered in frost.

A heavy thud next to me made me jump, throwing the locket across the room. I looked down and saw a tiny piece of metal shaped like a grimacing mask. Picking it up, I felt an electric shock jolt through my fingers and up my arm. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't let go. Everything went black again.

When I woke, sirens were going off. The high pitched tone pounded inside my head. Car engines revved down the street. Horns blared. People were shouting. Crunching metal followed by screaming and tires screeching rent the air. Looking down the street, I saw three cars smashed together at the corner, smoke adding to the steadily darkening sky. Every radio within hearing distance played the same message:

"This is not a test. The city is ordered to evacuate. Every citizen must leave. Don't bother taking valuables. Pack up your family, and exit the city in an orderly fashion. This is not a test."

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. My teeth bared. A strange sound bubbled up from my throat. It was laughing. Against my will, a deep, cackling, hysterical laugh ripped out of me, making me bend double with the effort. Tears streamed down my cheeks. It was the end of the world. A new report from the radios outside caught my attention.

"Every volcano in the world is going off in a chain reaction. The eruptions are spanning all continents. Nothing can stop them. Nowhere is safe. We don't know how long it will take the American volcanos to join in. Say good-bye to your loved ones. This . . . is the end."

Human kind did not deserve to live. I would destroy what the gods built, once and for all. I would destroy the world and take my revenge on all life for what they did to me. Everything would return to darkness. Everything would go back to the way it was meant to be. Bathed in nothingness.

They couldn't stop me forever by trapping me in that death mask. They wouldn't be able to stop me now.

"Take cover! Take cover! The government is trying to stop the eruptions by striking the volcanos with missiles! If you are within 100 miles of a volcano, prepare for the blast!" The voice on the radio cried.

Perfect.

A trail of fire streaked through the sky, headed to the nearest mountain. A ball of light struck it, and then a blinding flash that chased away the growing dark, making stars dance in my eyes. The earth trembled.

Humans are so stupid.

Fire and ash rained down on the street below, catching trees and bushes on fire. The rumbling didn't stop. Stones of all sizes smashed into cars and windows, denting metal and shattering glass. A wall of smoke enveloped the town, spreading quickly, choking every living thing.

It's time. There will be nothing after this. Not even me.