Amelia had never quite understood the instinct of survival. Every living thing seemed to have its own way of fighting for its place in the world, but Amelia found it to be much less time-consuming to just go along with things. Not even the end of the world would sway her ideology.
This is what she contemplated as she peered out her window. Amelia was already dressed for work in a freshly ironed white button down tucked neatly into a pair of navy blue slacks. Her thin, cedar brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun. But none of that mattered anymore.
Every news station in the world had announced just a bit earlier that a meteor was catapulting towards Earth and would make impact today. Very few details had been disclosed, but from what Amelia could gather, the meteor was certainly large enough that government officials and scientists had decided to keep it secret for a long while. It would appear that today was the day the world would finally meet its end.
From her spot by the window, Amelia could hear the shouts and cries from outside. The wails of people who knew they wouldn’t be with their loved ones much longer. The honking of cars trying to escape the inevitable. The crowd looked like a pile of ants that had been suddenly dumped onto the ground. A mass of confused and scared organisms trying to find a way out of the impending disaster.
Amelia was feeling relatively unaffected. If the world was bound to end, what was the point in fighting it? Amelia was a jellyfish. She floated along with the tides of life and didn’t think too much about where it would take her. Yet as she slipped on her shoes and stepped out the door, Amelia couldn’t help but realize that her average way of life had left her with no one to spend her last day with.
As soon as she stepped outside, the masses of people seemed to shove her this way and that, and Amelia almost felt as though their tears would carry her away like a wave. Several tense minutes of forcing herself out later, Amelia finally separated from the clump of disarrangement. She heaved, her breath labored as she evaluated where she was.
To her surprise, Amelia had made her way to the very spot that was absolutely abandoned on Earth’s final day. The small beach right along the edge of the city was a ghost town. With the rhythmic lapping of the waves, the horrible screams of the crowd faded away. Amelia’s attention was brought to a jellyfish lying lifeless on the sand. The ocean reached out to it and carried it back into the depths.
“Yikes. What kind of bad omen is that?”
Amelia whipped her head around towards the sudden sound. In front of her was a shorter girl with a mess of intense auburn hair and a dimple on her left cheek, brought out by a crooked grin. Amelia took a step back, her chest seizing up. The girl walked towards her.
“All alone at the end of the world?” Sighed the girl. “That’s no way to go.”
Amelia swallowed. “Pardon? I’m perfectly fine with my situation.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve never lived, stranger.” The girl spun around in a circle, her skirt fluffing up at the ends. “Don’t worry, there’s still time. No need for you to end up like that jellyfish.”
Amelia felt her heart hammer. To her own shock, she heard herself say, “What’s included in your end-of-the-world itinerary?”
“Well first of all — ” the girl suddenly grabbed Amelia’s hands. “What’s your name?”
“Amelia.”
“Sweet! I’m Vera.”
Vera moved closer to Amelia and lifted onto her tiptoes, almost touching their noses together. Amelia’s eyelids half closed, her palms sweating.
Vera smiled and shook her head. “Any way I can get you to loosen up? You’re quite formal.”
“Oh,” Amelia mumbled, not really paying attention. Maybe if her words weren’t enough, then her actions would do. She cautiously leaned in, but felt a hand cover her mouth.
“Sorry, I don’t kiss strangers,” giggled Vera. “Even stunningly beautiful ones.”
Amelia blushed, but brought her own hand up to move Vera’s away from her mouth. “Then maybe I don’t have to be a stranger anymore?”
Vera squeezed Amelia’s hand. “But that’s what makes this special! Just a couple of strangers alone on their last day.”
“Well then, what’s first?” Amelia used her other hand to brush over Vera’s dimple.
“Um . . . race you to the other end of the beach!” And Vera took off.
Amelia’s face hurt from smiling. This girl was club music, exotic spices, and a bright neon orange. They’d barely talked, but Amelia still wanted Vera to change her world. Maybe they still had a few hours. Maybe there was still time to dance, to laugh, to learn. Maybe there was still time to go against the tides, to stop being just another dead jellyfish for a little while. She wanted nothing more than to run towards that hope, that warm feeling.
So she did. Amelia ran and ran. She was finally making her own choice, letting the light in her heart guide her to Vera, to the way out. The sun gently began to dim.
Then, there it was.
The End.
This is what she contemplated as she peered out her window. Amelia was already dressed for work in a freshly ironed white button down tucked neatly into a pair of navy blue slacks. Her thin, cedar brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun. But none of that mattered anymore.
Every news station in the world had announced just a bit earlier that a meteor was catapulting towards Earth and would make impact today. Very few details had been disclosed, but from what Amelia could gather, the meteor was certainly large enough that government officials and scientists had decided to keep it secret for a long while. It would appear that today was the day the world would finally meet its end.
From her spot by the window, Amelia could hear the shouts and cries from outside. The wails of people who knew they wouldn’t be with their loved ones much longer. The honking of cars trying to escape the inevitable. The crowd looked like a pile of ants that had been suddenly dumped onto the ground. A mass of confused and scared organisms trying to find a way out of the impending disaster.
Amelia was feeling relatively unaffected. If the world was bound to end, what was the point in fighting it? Amelia was a jellyfish. She floated along with the tides of life and didn’t think too much about where it would take her. Yet as she slipped on her shoes and stepped out the door, Amelia couldn’t help but realize that her average way of life had left her with no one to spend her last day with.
As soon as she stepped outside, the masses of people seemed to shove her this way and that, and Amelia almost felt as though their tears would carry her away like a wave. Several tense minutes of forcing herself out later, Amelia finally separated from the clump of disarrangement. She heaved, her breath labored as she evaluated where she was.
To her surprise, Amelia had made her way to the very spot that was absolutely abandoned on Earth’s final day. The small beach right along the edge of the city was a ghost town. With the rhythmic lapping of the waves, the horrible screams of the crowd faded away. Amelia’s attention was brought to a jellyfish lying lifeless on the sand. The ocean reached out to it and carried it back into the depths.
“Yikes. What kind of bad omen is that?”
Amelia whipped her head around towards the sudden sound. In front of her was a shorter girl with a mess of intense auburn hair and a dimple on her left cheek, brought out by a crooked grin. Amelia took a step back, her chest seizing up. The girl walked towards her.
“All alone at the end of the world?” Sighed the girl. “That’s no way to go.”
Amelia swallowed. “Pardon? I’m perfectly fine with my situation.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve never lived, stranger.” The girl spun around in a circle, her skirt fluffing up at the ends. “Don’t worry, there’s still time. No need for you to end up like that jellyfish.”
Amelia felt her heart hammer. To her own shock, she heard herself say, “What’s included in your end-of-the-world itinerary?”
“Well first of all — ” the girl suddenly grabbed Amelia’s hands. “What’s your name?”
“Amelia.”
“Sweet! I’m Vera.”
Vera moved closer to Amelia and lifted onto her tiptoes, almost touching their noses together. Amelia’s eyelids half closed, her palms sweating.
Vera smiled and shook her head. “Any way I can get you to loosen up? You’re quite formal.”
“Oh,” Amelia mumbled, not really paying attention. Maybe if her words weren’t enough, then her actions would do. She cautiously leaned in, but felt a hand cover her mouth.
“Sorry, I don’t kiss strangers,” giggled Vera. “Even stunningly beautiful ones.”
Amelia blushed, but brought her own hand up to move Vera’s away from her mouth. “Then maybe I don’t have to be a stranger anymore?”
Vera squeezed Amelia’s hand. “But that’s what makes this special! Just a couple of strangers alone on their last day.”
“Well then, what’s first?” Amelia used her other hand to brush over Vera’s dimple.
“Um . . . race you to the other end of the beach!” And Vera took off.
Amelia’s face hurt from smiling. This girl was club music, exotic spices, and a bright neon orange. They’d barely talked, but Amelia still wanted Vera to change her world. Maybe they still had a few hours. Maybe there was still time to dance, to laugh, to learn. Maybe there was still time to go against the tides, to stop being just another dead jellyfish for a little while. She wanted nothing more than to run towards that hope, that warm feeling.
So she did. Amelia ran and ran. She was finally making her own choice, letting the light in her heart guide her to Vera, to the way out. The sun gently began to dim.
Then, there it was.
The End.