Sweet & Sour

The Crossword Puzzle

There were 5 hours left of Planet Earth.

She was drifting aimlessly through a wreckage of buildings and lost hope; half-heartedly searching for a desperate solution to the carnage. The impending future shivered violently, as she made her way along a once-familiar street. Uprooted trees sprawled across the road like fallen soldiers scattered over the battlefield. Dilapidated ruins mounted high where houses once stood; the gardens grey with despondency. She had not directly seen the sun shine for over 6 months.

The sudden shrill sound of a bike bell resonated through the quiet street. Alarmed by the intrusion into her loneliness, she spun around. And for the first time in months, she smiled.

He was in his early 20s, riding a rusty old bicycle down the cracked side path, nonchalantly distributing newspapers. He left a newspaper on every contorted lawn; at every vestige of a home. His shoulder-length blonde hair swept across his face, but that didn't stop him from whistling.

It took several minutes before he saw her, sitting in the middle of the road; a crumpled wreck that seemingly blended into the surroundings. He rode up to her, the bike creaking loudly whenever he forced down the pedals.

"Can I interest you in the Sunday Times?" He asked cheerily as he dismounted before placing the bike down on the road. "It's out of date by about 3 months, but rather late than never, I guess," he smirked, squatting down in front of her with a newspaper.

"What's the point?" She asked miserably while stifling the tears. "There isn't anyone left to read it."

"You're here to read it," he said with enthusiasm, before sitting down beside her. "Besides, I could really use some help with the Page-12 crossword. What's another word for mountain goat?"

She couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. She was going to spend her last few hours of life completing a crossword with a delirious stranger. She glanced over at him, noticing the freckles on his nose. He was certainly attractive, despite the grime smeared across his cheek and the gash on his shoulder. His old shirt hung loosely from his broad shoulders.

"Aren't you scared?" She whispered softly, stunned by his courageous yet relaxed demeanour.

"Of course I am," he said without wavering. "I have no idea how it is going to happen, you know. But what's the point in stressing 'bout something you can't control?"

"That is an incredibly rational observation, and I would love to stop stressing," she said. "But it seems impossible to relax when the minutes tick away. I miss the sun. I miss my life and the way things used to be."

"Hmm," he said while slowly nodding. He was quiet for a moment, before his face suddenly lit up with a captivating smile. "I've got an excellent idea! Come on, you will love it," he said as he jumped up, grabbing her by the hand.

She didn't object to his whimsical plans, perhaps because she welcomed the distraction.

"Come on, up you get on the handlebars!" He instructed as he sat down on the creaking bike. She obliged, shocked that the bike didn't collapse under their combined weight.

They rode down the ruined streets, while he whistled her a collection of tunes. She laughed at how tone-death he was, but appreciated his attempt to cheer her up. After half-an hour, they reached the border of the rundown town, and he carefully came to a halt.

The girl let out a sudden gasp when she realised what she was looking at: The sunset.

At the end of time, a boy and a girl sat down in the last rays of the sun, doing a crossword while the Earth crumpled away around them. Her head was resting against his chest, as she listened to his heartbeat until the end.