Far across the dusky horizon of the evening sky is the somber image of a sun that never sets above a world teetering on the edge of oblivion. Stretching onward endlessly, the skies are strewn in the colors of twilight amid scattered clouds fading away like memories of the past. Devoid of any signs of activity, the roads of humanity lay lifeless beneath the forlorn rooftops and desolate skyscrapers of every city. Amid the ominous silence in the evening air, there is a whisper of truth along the wind that civilization has come to an end.

Somewhere within the shadows of my apartment and between the empty spaces of my mind, I felt the strands of consciousness returning as I awakened from my dreamless slumber to this reality once more. As the last refuge of peace within my head drifted away into idle thoughts, I raised my hand to my forehead while wondering how much time had passed. Cursing the ache in my neck from falling asleep upon the rough surface of my kitchen table, I could feel the soft rays of fading light dance through the creases of my fingers as I stared aimlessly through the open shades of my kitchen window.

Gazing further and downward into the deserted streets left astray by the riots over the past week, I turned my head slightly and looked down the road into the hazy distance. Among the rubble of burned out buildings and scattered husks resembling vehicles, there wasn’t a single, living soul in sight. Turning away from the forlorn view outside, I stretched my arms and stood up as I lumbered into the kitchen and searched through the desolate cupboards. As I gathered what little ingredients I had left, I mused over my former routine of morning coffee as I prepared what was my last cup.

Despite the emptiness of the apartment and stillness of silence, I was constantly at war with the wild thoughts that ran rampant through my mind. Time and time again I contemplated how quickly everything had unraveled throughout the world in such a short space of time. Slumping downward into the feeble chair by the window, the warmth of the coffee mug did little to reassure the absolute terrors in the back of my mind. Regardless of everything that had happened, I knew that there was no going back. Ultimately, I had already come to the conclusion that for those of us still alive on this dying world, we were only living on borrowed time.

Raising the mug to my lips, the tasteless coffee was little more than dirty water as I struggled to not think of the bitter taste. By habit, I found myself glancing out the window at times as the enormity of the approaching object in the sky grew larger every day. Narrowing my eyes around its black edges, it was omnipresent in its display and the former sun had disappeared, leaving only this sphere of darkness that drew closer by the hour. Along with the sun, the moon had also vanished as well as day and night, leaving the world lost within a perpetual sunset by unknown means. As I gazed into the twilight abyss of the skies above, I found my thoughts drifting away toward the beginning of this nightmarish reality.

Several months ago, rumors had begun circulating throughout the remote edges of the Internet by amateur astronomers. Their reports were alarming to few and met with apathy by many as the contents discussed a rogue, foreign object growing closer toward the Earth at an amazing speed. While this information gained traction among online communities, many of these theories were dismissed as conspiracy hoaxes. It wasn’t until several weeks ago that the public outcry became adamant as the world experienced the early effects of the present event. The days gradually became abnormally longer and the nighttime became a foreign memory. Underneath the gaze of the approaching black sphere, animals and wildlife alike exhibited strange behavior that teetered on insanity that left humanity wondering what was coming. Among other signs of strange phenomenon, the voice of the public became too much to bear as governments around the world knew that it was futile to continue hiding the truth any longer.

Lightly resting the coffee mug on the table, I pulled out a small calendar from underneath a mound of unopened mail. Pulling aside a faded, red highlighter, I crossed out the date of Friday, June 17^th. Briefly, I thought about the significance of today and how it was roughly two weeks ago since the final speech from the President. In that time that felt like years away, I recalled the words on everyone’s mind as everywhere I traveled throughout the city there wasn’t a single person not talking about the object in the sky. It was perhaps the last day of normality as I sat anxiously in front of the television awaiting some sense of logic or reason from our government as a speech had been announced to address the nation. At the time, no one could fathom the pit of despair that humanity would plunge itself into as the world seemingly collapsed overnight.

Throughout a somber speech that skipped around the primary issues with words that instilled a false sense of security, it became evident to many that the government had no plan of action in place and were simply trying to stave off the inevitable. The façade of hope and perseverance would quickly dissipiate as the general population descended into a state of mass hysteria over the coming days as cities burned in their wake. Widespread looting and mayhem rocked the nation from coast to coast as every town and city cascaded into utter chaos around the world as no one knew who to trust and what to believe. During those days of panic and confusion, society disintegrated as self-preservation and human instinct took hold above all else.

Across the globe, military conflicts erupted in volatile areas of the world that resulted in short but devastating destruction on both sides. Due to what was unfolding in the United States, most of these events were never reported from the mainstream media and it felt the world would end in a bang rather than a whisper. At home, I hid away in the dark corners of my apartment in sheer terror of the horrific things happening outside my windows each day. Time continued to move forward as the days blurred together and between all of it, I was trapped within a self-induced catatonic state as the Internet provided the window for me to look through and see the self-destruction of humanity on the other side. Overstretched to their limit, most civil services stopped functioning in the early days of the crisis, those heroes sworn to serve and protect would fade away behind billowing clouds of smoke and ash in the air.

Despite the distance of everything unfolding outside my front door, in the end I was naïve to think that I was safe. Sighing softly, my eyes swept over the bloodstained knife on the nearby counter as my head replayed the same images of the intruder in an endless cycle. Somewhere in that dark memory, I struggled to push away the thoughts of hospitals and apartment buildings consumed by flame amid the dying echoes of sirens in the distance. In my mind’s eye, I could still hear the screams outside my door and the rapid sounds of gunfire. From the darkest recesses of my mind, the pale, bloodied hands of nihilism reached out from the gloom until immediately ceasing to exist as my eyes snapped open. I struggled to breathe as my hands trembled on the face of the table. Lowering my head in defeat, I knew deep down that despite trying to ignore everything within the sanctity of these four walls was ultimately a futile cause.

Among those thousands of feelings in my heart and mind, there was one that whispered the question of what comes after the events of the past. However, in the present, I couldn’t bear to think of what comes next as the cage of self-loathing that I had constructed had become too easy to slip away into. Trapped within the confines of my apartment for weeks on end, the only source of comfort from this despair were the illusions of pity in my head. Resting my head on the table’s surface, the laminated, mahogany wood felt cool to the touch as my thoughts drifted elsewhere. Strings of regret tugged at my heart as a reminder that I couldn’t be with my family when they needed me most. As for the few friends I had, they were already gone, having left the city before things completely deteriorated. In the early phases of the crisis, many opted to leave the cities which resulted in a massive exodus from the urban centers to the countryside as many attempted to flee to safety.

Admittedly, I felt that there wasn’t much to say at the time other than wishing them good luck as they went their separate ways. In truth, I was lost for words despite the many things that I have to say if I could see them now. For a time, I struggled to fathom the places that people spoke about heading toward to wait out the storm when in actuality there was nowhere to run. In these bleak moments sparked by hindsight, I realize now that this foregone conclusion was reached by many a long time ago even if they tried to convince themselves otherwise. I wondered if they were racing toward their grave but at the same time I reflected that at least their final moments would be with their loved ones.

Pushing aside everything from my mind for a moment, I felt the inklings of weariness on my shoulders along with the subtle, throbbing sensation of a coming headache. Feeling an urge to retire to the bedroom, I stood up from the table and shuffled through the empty spaces of the adjoining hallway. As I reached the door of my room, I thought about the choices that the formerly powerful but still rich would have compared to the average person despite their fall from grace overnight. Perhaps they had the capability of seeking shelter beneath the surface of the world or escaping into space.

As I turned the ornate handle of the doorknob, I realized in hindsight that the conspiracies that I once laughed at seemed more real in spite of recent events. With a soft creak, the door slowly opened and as I stepped through, I knew that for everyone else on this planet, there was no escape.

Due to the expenses of college and the financially, conservative upbringing that I received from an early age, I lived a frugal lifestyle despite my young age. My apartment reflected those modest values amid the cheap and indigent furniture that populated my residence. In response to the fading light streaming through the nearby window, I quickly closed the shades after glancing at the smoldering ruins of the downtown district. With a deep breath, I climbed into bed and settled in between the comfortable embrace of my bed sheets while stealing a habitual glance at the motionless clock perched above my dresser. Like many things recently, time had also stopped functioning for some unknown reason. Several days ago, I noticed my watch and every clock in the apartment had stopped working.

Forever frozen at 3:31 PM, the absence of time became both a blessing and curse as I thought about its constraints and effect on humanity. In this new reality that represented the sudden removal from my obligations and responsibilities, it seemed that these days I only dwelled on macabre thoughts that poisoned what little remained of my sanity. Despite my mind begging for the serenity of sleep, my body refused as I tossed and turned in frustration while attempting to stave off dark thoughts. Grimacing for a moment, I grudgingly sat up and enumerated that if I couldn’t face reality nor escape it through sleep then perhaps delving into the Internet could ease my mind if only for a short space of time.

Stepping through the darkened bedroom and back into the hallway, I carefully treaded into the disheveled living room. The entertainment center laid toppled over the smashed television screen as the remnants of my reclining chair and sofa were little more than ripped shreds. Days had gone by since I had stepped foot in here as I carefully stepped forward and plunged my arm into the untouched, embroidered cushions of the lacerated couch. As I felt the metallic touch of the laptop buried beneath it all, my eyes came into contact with the bloodstains deeply entrenched into the carpet by the front door. Blinking thoughtlessly for a second, I withdrew the laptop and retreated into the pristine spaces of my bedroom.

Once more securely tucked away in bed, I reached over and switched on the bedside lamp as I waited for the laptop to boot up. For a brief second, I noticed the light flicker from within the lamp and wondered how much longer the electrical grid would be able to function. Recently, the power had been fluctuating on and off at random intervals but I had given it little thought due to everything else happening at the same time.

Throughout the next several hours, I flashed through various online communities and websites and noticed that the rate of activity has drastically slowed down. Every news website was filled with dated articles from what must have been last week. Each forum that I visited was nothing more than a melting pot of conspiracies, prophecies and conjecture about the impending doom of the world. While many attempted to bring logic and reason to the table, others rambled on about all of this being an elaborate hoax by the government or related to extraterrestrial influence. On the other end of the spectrum, there was a copious amount of individuals that rambled on about their personal religion and how the end times had finally arrived.

Reading thread by thread and scrolling through website by website became an exhaustive ordeal to my already stressed mental psyche. Regardless of any conjecture that tried to provide a reason behind what was happening, the damage had already been done. Millions of lives had already become a casualty in this crisis let alone the tens of thousands that have died from the hands of others or themselves. With little else to read and having enough of wallowing in the misery of others and my own, I promptly closed the laptop after viewing a final thread discussing life after death. Letting out a deep breath, I mused that this may be the only time in human history that an event could affect our entire race for the first and last time.

In time, the call of sleep finally arrived as my head sunk deeply into the recesses of my pillows. Before closing my eyes, I noticed a brief flicker emanate from the lamp and wondered if I should turn it off as my last thoughts drifted around how different things may have turned out in my life if not for what is to come.

There used to be a time where I would dream of magnificent places and foreign lands but only darkness permeated the spaces of my subconscious mind. In those days, my dreams represented the only place that I could be at true peace and away from the chains of reality. These days, there was nothing but blackness and an unknown passage of time that represented my thoughts while asleep. Pursing my lips softly while transitioning from the border world of hypnagogia, the realization that there was an absence of light from the lamp became the trigger that snapped me back to reality.

Reaching outward, I wondered if I had actually turned it off before falling asleep and immediately noticed that the switch was untouched. Switching it back and forth to no effect, I grabbed my cellphone and grimly stared at the notification indicating that there was no service. I could feel the thumping of my heart gradually begin to accelerate as I leapt to my feet and tried hitting the switch of the ceiling lights to no avail. With a shudder, I peered through the closed shades of the window to nothing but the familiar, dismal view of a dead city.

Bounding through the door and to the kitchen, I could feel the knots in my stomach tightening as dread began to overtake me followed by regret and then anger. Slamming my fists against the wall, I cursed myself and the world for not calling my parents one last time. Exasperated by these turn of events, I slumped into the tableside chair in defeat but the sudden crack of splintering wood shocked me as one of the chair legs collapsed, sending me sprawling to the floor.

Staring aimlessly at the ceiling, I laid there motionlessly while contemplating how much worse things could get. I realized that this place was nothing more than a tomb and that the events of the past several weeks had finally caught up to me. I knew that if I continued to stay here, I would cross that bridge into insanity and the loneliness that had been building up in my heart was becoming too much to bear. In my mind’s eye, I could still visualize the open skies and warmth of sunlight on my skin during those optimistic days when I thought about what lies ahead. Somewhere along that trail of memories, I remembered my first day in this city was spent at the rooftop of this apartment complex as I gazed at the vast expanse of everything around me while thinking about the future.

Pulling myself together and rising to my feet, I stood determined as the words repeated endlessly inside my head.

“I need to get out of here.”

Despite the gloom of destruction outside, it felt for the first time in weeks that there was some sort of purpose or final obligation that I needed to fulfill. Through a blur of movement filled with a new found sense of urgency, I went back to my bedroom and spent the next half hour entrenched within the annals of my bedroom closet. Digging through boxes of assorted pictures and memorabilia, I finally retrieved the picture that I had been searching for. Tenderly touching the edges of the frame, I was lost in thought for a brief second as I stared into the past of what was my high school graduation. At the time, I was a different person in a different place as I eagerly awaited the future and the ability to pursue my own dreams. As reality came back into focus, I rested the frame on my bed as a final tribute toward the past amid the subtle feeling that I wasn’t coming back. Venturing into the kitchen, I peered over at the countertop and toward the stained knife before stepping over and grasping the handle as I slid it into the waistband behind my back without a single thought.

The scarred memories still plagued my mind each time I entered the living room as I struggled to not recall the events of that day. Exhaling deeply while moving toward the front door, I slipped into my boots and quickly laced them up like clockwork. Mentally preparing myself for what lies ahead, I moved closer toward the door and the eyehole as I peered through it, holding my breath in trepid anticipation as the darkness of the desolate corridor slowly unraveled.

Devoid of any sign of activity, my eye darted around the dilapidated hallway and the whirlwind of debris that lay scattered throughout its spaces. Due to the absence of electricity, the hallway was largely obscured by shadow that hid anything beyond the short range of my apartment entrance. Standing there for what felt like an eternity, I began to have second thoughts on leaving as my hands began to sweat and the feeling of dread slowly crept through my spine. Despite these inhibitions, I knew that in the end, there was nothing left for me here anymore as I gripped the door knob and swung the door open.

It was difficult to discern what was ahead as the gloom of darkness shrouded the trapped visage of events from the past. Cautiously stepping forward, my eyes slowly adjusted to the shadows as poor light filtered in from nearby windows somewhere down the corridor. Closing the door behind me but leaving it slightly ajar, I continued moving forward while glancing at the shuttered apartment doors that represented my former neighbors. Although many of them were closed, several were left wide open as the uneasy feeling of uncertainty rose within me as I passed those doorways. The eerie silence was foretelling as I thought about the dozens of people that once inhabited these hallways and whose lives were now only represented by fleeting memories. In the near distance, the silver outlining of the stairwell railing appeared omnipresent as I grew closer while looking around for any sign of danger.

Resting my hand upon the railing, I stared into the dark abyss of the lower levels while gradually raising my eyes upward toward my destination. Momentarily reflecting on everything until now, I closed my eyes as I thought back to the golden days of my teenage years during those summers with my friends as we danced the nights away with little thought of anything else. The memories of awakening to the feeling of sunlight on my face and the cool kiss of a mountain breeze on the back of my neck were the sparks that drove my feet forward as I started my ascent with hope in my heart.

Against the steel hardened flights of stairs, the only audible sounds were the noticeable thud of my boots and the raspy echoes of wind that drifted through this deserted place. Each apartment floor presented the same narrative through a chaotic array of suitcases, belongings and other personal items strewn throughout the passageways. As the minutes dragged on and the ache in my legs grew, the uneasiness in my heart faded away toward ruminations of melancholy. Each step took me closer to my goal but even further toward the inescapable grasp of destiny.

As I climbed the final flight of stairs, the sound of wind became louder and more articulate as I grew closer toward its source.

*SSSSSSssssoooommmmeeeeeeeeeee*

Immediately, my heart froze as the slow realization of sounds in the wind became more coherent as I realized it was the unmistakable sound of murmuring somewhere in the darkness.

*iSssSSSsOmEonEoutThErrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

My blood ran cold as I instinctively reached for the handle of the knife behind my back. I was only a few steps from the final floor as my eyes darted from corner to corner, attempting to find the origin of the noise. Desperately hoping that it was nothing more than wild imagination, my head jolted as the whispery sound suddenly intensified into a bellowing screech of inhuman noise. Nearly tripping backwards, I steadied myself against the wall while attempting to fight the urge to flee from here as fast as possible. As spontaneous as the noise had rung out from somewhere in the darkness, the sound had quickly dissipated into tense silence. Against the deep sense of fear beating fiercely in my chest, I peered around the corner but saw nothing within the dark hallway.

Standing in the shadows for what felt like an eternity, I shook my head in contempt of running away. Taking a small step forward, that shred of resolve disappeared as my foot connected with an unseen, rogue object that flew down the corridor, colliding with the wall. The metallic reverberations echoed loudly throughout the hallway as my body froze in terror. In the faraway edges of the darkness, my eyes widened as the shadows began to take shape in the form of something grotesque but humanoid. Illusionary appendages twisted and turned as they flailed widely in my direction before reaching for something deep within the gloom.

Time slowed down as everything became surreal and escape dwindled into impossibility. As the figure lurched forward out of the shadows, the poor light from the nearby skylight illuminated the horrifying expression of madness in the stranger’s misshapen face. In those first few seconds, my eyes drifted toward the weapon in his hand that resembled a heavy, spiked bat drenched in blood as he closed the distance and swung with a wide arc toward me. Recoiling backwards, seething pain erupted throughout my lower abdomen as the spikes of the bat sliced through my shirt. I barely had time to register how badly I was wounded before reeling to the side as he swung downward this time, attempting to crush my skull.

Instead, the spiked bat connected with the wall, throwing my assailant off balance from the shock of the blow. Grimly, I unsheathed the knife quickly as I realized that this may be my only chance as I raised the blade and drove it downward before he could recover. In that single moment, I saw his eyes stretch to unimaginable proportions as he widely swung once more just as the knife plunged directly into his neck. His body violently contorted as the trajectory in his swing changed as the final blow connected with my lower abdomen as I collapsed on top of him. Grimacing from the pain and his nails desperately digging into the flesh of my arms, I ripped the knife away in a visceral display of violence as a fountain of blood erupted from the jugular veins in his neck.

Sweat poured down my face as the struggle that lasted mere seconds came to an end. Despite the darkness in the hallway, I could see the light disappearing from his eyes as he focused his dying gaze on me while attempting to say something but instead he died choking on his own blood. As the rush of adrenaline began fading away, my vision began to slowly turn different shades of black and red as I struggled to breathe through the pain in my abdomen. The world lost focus as I felt my body tilting sideways onto the ground as my head spun in circles. Lifting my weary eyes over the motionless body surrounded by a pool of crimson blood, I saw the parallel nature of the stranger’s life and my own on opposite ends of that bridge to insanity.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see the glimmer of sunlight peering through the edges of the door leading to the rooftop. Slowly getting on my knees, I began to crawl forward just as a quick moving array of vibrations erupted beneath me that turned into an earthshattering roar. The building shook violently as I screamed in the face of overwhelming odds and against the cruel reality of the world outside. Refusing to give up and dragging my bloodied body forward, another series of eruptions rocked the apartment complex. Ceiling lights began to collapse as objects strewn throughout the corridor flailed widely all around me. Gritting my teeth as the reverberations endlessly continued, the nearby windows blew out sending a cascade of glass shards raining over me.

Inches away from the door and with everything I had left, I thrusted my hand forward and grasped the door knob tightly, turning it just as the tremors from another earthquake rippled underneath my feet. Thrown against and through the doorway onto the ground, my eyes could only glimpse into the rapidly changing sky.

Amid the smoldering smell of destruction in the air, my pain was briefly suppressed as I stared in shock as the sky shifted from the fading glow of twilight to cosmic shades of innumerable colors freely flowing throughout the former skies. Black and orange streaks of lightning danced through the air as the heavens revealed themselves amid the rapid deterioration of the atmosphere. Traces of stars and space peered out from the other side as the sky began dissipating. Wearily bringing myself to my feet, I gazed outward in view of the ruins of civilization and then upward at the approaching object as it veered closer. Sharp wind cut through the air as I remarked on the approaching end in the face of the past scattered around me and my destiny in front of me. Without warning, bright flashes followed by a series of concussive blasts radiated outward from the object as the horizon was suddenly enveloped by a wave of blinding light surging closer.

The landscape quickly evaporated as the past, present and future began to collide all at once. The air began to tighten and it felt increasingly harder to breathe as I focused upon the black sun that loomed overhead. In the distance, the wave of light grew nearer as the city disappeared beneath its radiance amid a thunderous cacophony of reverberations. To the east and west, I gave a final look to those faraway lands that once held the dreams of places that I yearned to visit someday.

In these final moments as memories flashed through my mind and without any second thoughts, I closed my eyes as the light enveloped me and everyone and everything ceased to exist within the span of a single second.