Apocalypse

Jeff Zhou

In the midst of a normal day, the Earth awakens from a long slumber, like a bear after hibernating in the wintertime. Without warning, the earth trembles and shakes every city; it is merciless as countless buildings fall: the magnificent skyscrapers and churches that took decades to build. The telephone wires are downed everywhere and electricity runs free; as if electricity is a hungry lion coming out of its mountain cave. Gradually, as predicted, electricity turns into fires that burn through the grasslands, the plants, and the forests. The Earth cries tears of pain; with tremendous strength, it rattles for the final time, awakening the oceans. The waves roar furiously as they drown and devour every continent and island, putting the fires to sleep. For a brief moment, the world is finally at peace, All is silent and undisturbed. But just as we think all is calm, the majestic, blazing sun has seen enough; it responds by exploding into flames that burn the planets and stars, the entire solar system, erasing everything from existence, leaving no clues for whoever might look for evidence in the future.

Just minutes before the catastrophe, vibrance filled the open air and life was smooth like the pit of an avocado. It was a normal day; the bells rang at schools and students happily left the classrooms, the basketballs thumped and rang as they bounced on the court, the busy streets of the city center buzzed with honking horns of cars and buses, the engines of airplanes bellowed noisily as the pilots prepared for takeoff, the vibrancy of classical music filled the atmosphere in the concert halls, the birds joyfully flew across the sky, singing their melodies.

It’s surprising how abrupt disasters can be. How unexpected and uninvited. Every second since the Earth was born into the universe, built up to the moment we all dread–its end.