The Crown of Ashes and Blood
Part II Saved
My eyes widened as a piercing white light scattered across the sky like an enormous firework. I stared at it, my pupils dilating, my vision washed out by the blinding brilliance. Death was coming for me, and I wouldn’t even see it. I dropped my gaze to the ground, blinking away the tears from overwhelming fear and blindness. A green blotch overtook my vision. As I blinked it away, the ground slowly came into focus. The bright light began to fade, and streaks of meteors filled the dusky sky.
Frantically, I looked at the clocks, but they had stopped counting down. On the holo, the news reporter appeared distorted, her outline barely visible, and the words "Breaking News" fuzzily floated above her head. After a moment, the broadcast cleared up. “Xena Apoc has been stopped. I repeat, Xena Apoc has been stopped. We ask all citizens to please return to their homes…” She continued with procedural instructions as government officials appeared with a convoluted explanation. None of it made sense.
A few days later, things started returning to normal. People were everywhere sweeping, repairing, and some were still looting. Garbage services were up and running, and the alleys in the main city area were being cleaned. I hadn't returned to my apartment. I'd gotten used to wandering. I decided to check on my friends. They had holed up in an old bar that had been shut down before Xena Apoc became a problem.
I went down the stairs into the seedy basement establishment, but they weren’t there. Only piles of blankets and a makeshift firepit remained. “Call Mackintosh,” I said aloud. My ear rang with a dull tone as I waited for a response. Nothing. Groaning, I tried again. “Call Hudson.” She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, Blue, what's up?” she greeted casually.
“What do you mean, coming off like that? Last I saw you; you were all tanked out.” I snapped
“Well, when that clock was ticking, we thought, ‘Why not, right?’ I mean, it was only Lith.”
“What do you mean, only Lith?”
“We weren’t addicted or anything. It was just too much to deal with,”
Hudson paused, then giggled. “I slept with Mack. Can you believe it? I don’t even know what to do.”
“No way! But you two hate each other.”
“I dunno. The world was ending, so I thought I’d give him one or two… or three,” Hudson laughed louder.
“Are you two a couple now?”
“Oh God, no. Gross. Mack has no chill. He’s completely sessed with me.”
“Is he there?”
“Yeah, he’s in the other room, talking to Rise, gloating about getting someone to touch him. Ugh!”
“Transfer me to Mack. Make him pick up.”
“Mack, answer your ringer, it’s Blue!”
“Hey, Blue. Sorry I didn’t answer. You hear I got Hudson out of her panties?”
“Uh, yeah, I heard.”
“She couldn’t wait to tell you, huh? I knew it! She’s blitzed for me.”
“Sure, Mack. Where are you guys?”
“We went to the Reck. Wanted to check if our stuff was still there.”
“Alright, I’ll come meet you.”
“Sounds good.”
The Reck was what we called our university, since it had old tech. Hudson was working on a nanotech project for her degree, and that’s where she met Rise, who was studying the same. I had already graduated but grew up near Mackintosh, who made friends with Rise. The four of us often hung out at The Reck. I never knew Mack liked Hudson, as they were too busy vying for Rise’s attention. Even though, deep down, I kind of liked Mack. Why did he have to be so crass?
I arrived at the university, and students were already milling around. Several windows had been smashed, but otherwise, it looked the same. I met up with my friends at the lab, where I knew they were checking to see if their equipment was still there. Hudson was smart, and so was Mack. I just couldn’t believe they had slept together.
I walked down the corridors, mulling over my old teenage emotions. When I reached the lab, Hudson was moving boxes while Mack clumsily tried to help her. I cleared my throat loudly to get their attention.
“Hey, Blue!” Mack smiled and went in for a hug. I reluctantly accepted his embrace.
“Hey, how are you guys doing?” I asked.
“Strangely optimistic,” Hudson replied with a smile. “I mean, that’s the closest we’ve ever come to extinction, and we overcame it.”
“Yeah, but how did we overcome it?” I asked.
“They said it was vaporized,” Mack said.
“No, I heard they sent up a missile and detonated it. Big government secret,” Rise chimed in.
“You’re both wrong. Another meteor collided with it, and they both exploded,” Hudson corrected.
“So, none of you know?” I asked, and that sparked a long, endless argument I wish I hadn’t started. But my friends were alright, and that’s all that mattered.
Afterward, I decided to go home and collect my thoughts.
Interesting world you're building here.
Fantastic art work!