Short Stories

Apocalypse Pt. 2

When I turn around there is no one left in the room. I was so lost in my own little bubble that I didn't realize where everyone went. I move toward the last stall in the bathroom which was ajar.

When I look in, I see a hallway extending past the bathroom wall. I suppose this is where they all went.

Without me, if I must add. I look around the room, out of habit, making sure no one was following me. I close the stall's door behind me and make my way down this long hallway that seems to belong to a palace.

Exquisite paintings, mahogany furniture holding up valuable looking vases with the most lovely flowers I've ever seen. Their aroma filling up the air, making me feel warm and happy inside.

My first instinct in a new place is to go through every single room, making sure no one else is there, while taking the items I want. But surrounded by this elegance and mystery I hold myself back.

I jump slightly in surprise as the door to my left opens, letting out a woman who appears to be in her sixties. She's wearing a long black dress and has a white adornment on her short hair. I smile and bid her a good morning and she does the same.

Her kind and humble face makes me feel like I'm in front of my grandmother, making me feel at home. I suddenly hear my stomach grumbling since I didn't have any time to eat before running from the house we were in.

"I hope you don't mind telling me where the kitchen is, ma'am?"

"It's no problem. Just walk down the rest of this hallway, then turn left, and enter the room on the left. You'll find some fruits, biscuits and other snacks waiting. Feel free to take as much as you like."

When she smiled I felt like smiling even more, it was just very contagious. I thanked her and continued walking forward, when I turned back she was no longer there. I didn't even hear which way she had gone. But I did notice that the door where I had come in was now replaced by a wall.

I reached the next room that the hallway lead into. It seems to be the living room, I can tell because of the large flat screen on the right side of the wall in front me and the various sofas. A typical living room setting, I turn to see what else is further in the room, only to be surprised once more by a man laying on one of the sofas.

He seems to have his eyes slightly open, but at the same time seems to be asleep. Some people do sleep with their eyes wide open, so I just let him be.

I look around but there is no one else in the room, so I make way to the left just as the woman said, then enter the room to the left. This is certainly the kitchen and there's a door to my right leading to a verandah, but for some reason it seems like I'm on the second floor. I don't even remember climbing up any stairs.

Despite that, I can't help but notice that the woman was right, there are so may platers and bowls filled with all sorts of treats. I want to take a little bit of everything with me. The first thing that catches my eye is a large squared container filled to the brim with blueberries. I've never tasted blueberries before and I'm so pumped up.

But first I need to find a container, preferably with divisions so everything doesn't get scrambled together. Just my slightly OCD tendencies, you know, they come first. Don't worry about it.

There are several on the table and counter tops so I grab the closest one. It's filled some sort of soggy rice looking candy. I walk out the door and dispose of the container's contents over the verandah's railing. I stop my movements when I hear other people nearby. To the left there is another room and I can make out several people, talking and laughing with champagne glasses in their hands.