Anthology of the End

It wasn't long before the end now.

Gareth looked out of his kitchen window while he sipped tepid tea from the mug in his trembling hand. The warning had come across the emergency network twenty minutes ago while he had been reading the morning paper and getting ready for work, that all seemed to be inconsequential now. Incoming, the message had read, it seems the folks in charge had been unable to solve things diplomatically. Taking another sip from his rapidly cooling brew his mind wandered to the unfinished work file on his desk, what a silly little thing to be worried about now of all times he thought. He absently contemplated calling his boss and telling him that he would unfortunately be unable to get the report to his desk by 5pm, the absurdity of the idea made him audibly laugh. The sound died in his throat as the world was suddenly lit by a second sun on the horizon, typical he thought glancing down at his half full mug, couldn't even finish a good breakfast anymore. It was the last thought Gareth ever had as a mere second later the shockwave of the nuclear bomb seared all traces of him from the face of the planet.

Janet had arrived for her morning shift early today, it was an unusual thing for the habitually late twenty-something but for some reason she thought today was going to be special. Looking at the clock she wrote down 07:21 next to her name on the time sheet and after a second of consideration she added a small smiling face next to the number, that would make Karen laugh she thought. Next she went to the staff room and made sure the coffee machine was turned on and percolating away before setting out three mugs, one for herself and one each for Kirk and Jan, the other two carers that worked the shift with her. She had filled her own mug, milky with three sugars just like her mum had always told her not to do, and was sitting waiting for the others to arrive. It was sods law that the one day she had arrived early was the one day the other two would be late she thought with a slight tinge of annoyance. Taking her phone from the pocket of her scrubs she huffed in frustration at the lack of signal, one her favorite past times was complaining about the absolute garbage cover she got from her provider, an issue made worse by the fact the staff room was on the basement level of the building. She grabbed her mug and started up the stairs to the lobby, she intended to call Kirk and ask where the hell he was. As she reached the top step however the entire building was shaken by a tremendous boom that sent her cartwheeling back down the stairs in a jumble of broken limbs and snapping bone, the last thing Janet ever saw was the ceiling collapsing in on her with all the crushing weight of the building above.

Sam and Chloe had decided to spend their four year anniversary on a camping trip in the lake district, pitching their tent on the summit of Scafell Pike. That night the two had celebrated with a glass of champagne and a somewhat less glamorous meal of tinned food heated over the fire, neither were bothered by this and both laughed at the contrast while they ate. After the meal they had watched the sun set and then cuddled together under a thermal blanket to watch the stars in the clear sky, the difference in the night sky between here and the city was magical Sam had said and Chloe had replied that it was enough to make you forget the worlds problems with a contented sigh. They had spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other's arms as possibly the happiest couple in the whole world. Sam had woken first and not wishing to wake his beloved he had left the tent to watch the sun rise, he sat wrapped up and as the orb of the sun rose over the horizon he wrote four words in his holiday diary “I love my life.” Chloe awoke about seven o’clock and the two prepared a breakfast of cereal and hot coffee brewed over the campfire, the two ate and drank in that companionable silence of people who are completely comfortable with each other. It was 7:32 when the first flash lit up the sky to their south. Chloe had been sat outside while Sam was getting the axe from the tent to add more wood to the fire, her scream had caused him to rush out brandishing the axe as if to fight off some wild animal, it fell from his hand as he saw the unmistakable sight of mushroom clouds. From their high vantage point and with the clarity of the day the couple could see for hundreds of miles, they counted five impacts as they sat holding each other. Several minutes later the sound of the explosions reached them, echoing from the cliffs and mountains of the lakes in a catastrophic cacophony of noise. The two wept as they watched, last night the world had been perfect and now… now was there even a world left to go back to? Sam was brought out of his thoughts by the touch of Chloe’s hand on his cheek, he turned to look at her and saw the knife in her hand, she looked down at it and then back at him with her beautiful blue eyes now full of sadness but also a grim determination. He knew instantly what she was implying and took out his own knife, the pair looked deeply into each other's eyes as they ran the blades up their forearms and then held each other until the end. Their last words were a softly spoken “I Love You”.