Epilogue

Ganeden

---Bryan---

     I wake up in bed. My bed. My posters hang on the wall, dangling from bits of tape that have peeled off in the summer heat. My alarm clock rests on my bed table just next to my computer desk. My clothes from throughout the week and a few of my books are scattered across the floor. Sunlight streams in through the blinds.

     I wipe the sleep out of my eyes. Breathe in the familiar scent of my bedroom. But what am I doing here? Just a second ago, I was... There's another smell, coming up through the vents. Pancakes. My mom's famous recipe.

     Is it possible... could all of this have been a dream?

     I laugh. No—some pretty ridiculous things have happened to me since the world ended, but nothing that ridiculous.

     I climb out of bed, my heart practically slamming against my ribs, and stumble out into the hallway. The hardwood floor beneath the carpet creaks under my bare feet. A tear comes to me eye. It feels like I'm wandering through a distant memory. I lean over the railing and peer down to the first floor. There's somebody in the kitchen—I can sense it.

     Resting a hand on the banister, I make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. And there's Olivia, sitting at the table. What's she doing here? There's a stack of pancakes resting in front of her. She smiles at me, her dimples showing in her cheeks.

     Everything's just how I left it, before the world suddenly ended. I distinctly remember peeling all of this away. But the sight of Olivia banishes all other thoughts from my mind. I run over to her, and she rises from her chair and throws her arms around me. Within seconds, we're sobbing into each other's shoulders. The scent of peppermint floods my nostrils. I squeeze her and she squeezes back. It's really her—not some deity wearing a disguise.

     "Bryan," she whispers into my ear. "You found me." She pulls back but takes both of my hands in hers, looking me in the eyes.

     One by one, my memories start to bubble back to the surface. Like a puzzle that I'm slowly piecing together. The world ended. I jumped through a volcano. There was a glowing orb and some sort of mouth. And then I...

     "Are we... I mean, did I...?"

     "You're still alive," she says, tears trickling down her cheeks.

     "But what..." I look around. "Where are we?"

     She wipes her eyes. "Oh. I'm sorry. This isn't really your house—it's an illusion. I thought this'd make it easier on you." An illusion? And is she implying that she's the one who created it?

     "Then where are we?" I ask.

     "We're still in Ganeden."

     She leads me to the table and motions for me to take a seat. I draw up a chair, overwhelmed by the scent of pancakes and syrup.

     "You probably have a lot of questions," she says, sitting down next to me.

     "No kidding."

     "Are you sure you're okay? You've been through a lot."

     "I'm fine. What happened back there? What was that..." I shudder. "Thing."

     Olivia swallows. "That was the Shimmer."

     The Shimmer. I've heard that name before... but where? Eloise. The Shimmer is the thing that was chasing her. But... what was it doing here? Last I heard, it had chased Eloise to... The realization hits me.