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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Life Changing Decisions/Events
- Published: 05/14/2016
WORLDS END
Born 1965, M, from Te Awamutu, New ZealandWORLDS END
James was having his breakfast when he was summoned to the meeting.
He sighed deeply and switched off the TV.
Quite frankly there was so much that he needed to catch up on and this impromptu gathering was about to cut into time that he did not have, he was still in his pyjamas for goodness sake.
Still, sometimes we all have to do things we don’t want to do, and go to yet another meeting that he didn’t want to go to.
There had been a lot of those lately.
He picked up the dressing gown, which had been thrown casually at the sofa and hitting it purely by accident rather than as a result of a good aiming, and struggled into it.
As he entered his living room, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he got his first inkling that this was not going to be good news.
‘The Scientist’ was there – That was never a good thing.
He hadn’t seen him for ages.
He had obviously been around, working in the background as scientists do, but both he and James had little to do with each other these days, and to be honest James couldn’t remember a time when his appearance heralded anything other than bad news, and by the look on his face, this was to be no exception.
‘The Scientists’ assistant was there too – Hannah, was that her name? Again she was one of the ‘background people’ that made sure that things went smoothly, more for ‘The Scientist’ than anyone else.
He hoped that this wouldn’t take too long.
He was glad to see that Mary was there though.
He liked Mary.
She laughed at his jokes and basically just ‘got him’.
He always felt that they both had some sort of connection.
“Hi Mary”, he smiled.
“Hello James, How are you?”
“Good” he said, “How’s Michael?”
Michael was Mary’s son who was born about two weeks ago. James had gone to see them both in hospital and had marvelled at how something so small could make so much noise – and smell so bad.
“He’s doing very well thanks” she replied.
James sat himself next to Mary.
“Will this take long?” he said, “I’m sure Mary has better things to do – I know I have” Mary reached over and gently squeezed his hand as a reminder that he was being a bit rude. Again, she got him, and was one of the few people who could tell him off, without actually embarrassing him in public.
‘The Scientist’ was the first to speak.
Much of what he said was complicated and a few times James had to look to Mary to explain the technical stuff, but the main gist of it all seemed to centre around the fact that the world was about to end, and everything James knew and loved was about to be destroyed.
Apparently there had been an alien invasion that no-one had seen coming, which seemed to James to be very unlikely, and by the time they had made their presence known, it had been too late. They had attacked like locusts, stripping everything down to the bone, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Everyone had fought hard, but in the end it wasn’t enough – the aliens were just too strong.
James had apparently been the last to know, as it was the job of all those around him to protect him from the effects of this attack, but now they had come for him as they no longer had a choice.
‘The Scientist’ had told him of a new world.
It would not be the same, but they had made it as close to what he had now – but it would be different, and that was something that James would have to prepare himself for. But for now he would have to pack up everything that he needed, others were coming later and would pack up everything else, before he had to make the journey to this new world.
‘The Cerians’, for that’s what the aliens were called, could then be contained in one place, but ultimately all James could do was watch from afar as his world succumb to this invasion.
The aliens had won.
This world was doomed, and James had to leave.
James had shed a tear at this huge loss – of course he had.
He turned to Mary and asked if she and Michael were coming, and was shocked at the news that Mary had been at the forefront of the battle since it started, and as such she would be staying behind to see the fight till the bitter end.
James was confused by this and asked Mary why she would have to stay if the aliens had already won.
Her answer had been just as confusing.
Apparently other worlds could be destroyed if she didn’t stay and fight.
“Who cares about the other worlds?” James had said. He knew he was being selfish, but he felt he had every right to be.
Mary, being the sensible person she was, and not as selfish as James had said that all worlds mattered, and even as hard as it was that they were about to lose theirs, she had try and find a way of beating the aliens.
He knew she was right.
He didn’t have to like it though.
Provisions had been made for her to visit him – soon.
*****
Mary took her little brother James to his room and helped him pack some of his favourite toys, and a few clothes. At six years old he was considered too young to see the last part of his Mothers decline into death as the final stages of the cancer took her from his life forever.
He was to live with his father now, someone who had recently only been around every month or so, and his new wife – Hannah, a nice lady who would do her best to be a mother to him.
Mary, a palliative care nurse, had asked to be the one to tend to her Mother during her last few weeks and would move in and care for her until her time came. The care of her newborn son would be the responsibility of her husband John until she returned home.
Two days after James had left, he was told that his world had gone.
THE END
WORLDS END(Iain Cambridge)
WORLDS END
James was having his breakfast when he was summoned to the meeting.
He sighed deeply and switched off the TV.
Quite frankly there was so much that he needed to catch up on and this impromptu gathering was about to cut into time that he did not have, he was still in his pyjamas for goodness sake.
Still, sometimes we all have to do things we don’t want to do, and go to yet another meeting that he didn’t want to go to.
There had been a lot of those lately.
He picked up the dressing gown, which had been thrown casually at the sofa and hitting it purely by accident rather than as a result of a good aiming, and struggled into it.
As he entered his living room, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he got his first inkling that this was not going to be good news.
‘The Scientist’ was there – That was never a good thing.
He hadn’t seen him for ages.
He had obviously been around, working in the background as scientists do, but both he and James had little to do with each other these days, and to be honest James couldn’t remember a time when his appearance heralded anything other than bad news, and by the look on his face, this was to be no exception.
‘The Scientists’ assistant was there too – Hannah, was that her name? Again she was one of the ‘background people’ that made sure that things went smoothly, more for ‘The Scientist’ than anyone else.
He hoped that this wouldn’t take too long.
He was glad to see that Mary was there though.
He liked Mary.
She laughed at his jokes and basically just ‘got him’.
He always felt that they both had some sort of connection.
“Hi Mary”, he smiled.
“Hello James, How are you?”
“Good” he said, “How’s Michael?”
Michael was Mary’s son who was born about two weeks ago. James had gone to see them both in hospital and had marvelled at how something so small could make so much noise – and smell so bad.
“He’s doing very well thanks” she replied.
James sat himself next to Mary.
“Will this take long?” he said, “I’m sure Mary has better things to do – I know I have” Mary reached over and gently squeezed his hand as a reminder that he was being a bit rude. Again, she got him, and was one of the few people who could tell him off, without actually embarrassing him in public.
‘The Scientist’ was the first to speak.
Much of what he said was complicated and a few times James had to look to Mary to explain the technical stuff, but the main gist of it all seemed to centre around the fact that the world was about to end, and everything James knew and loved was about to be destroyed.
Apparently there had been an alien invasion that no-one had seen coming, which seemed to James to be very unlikely, and by the time they had made their presence known, it had been too late. They had attacked like locusts, stripping everything down to the bone, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Everyone had fought hard, but in the end it wasn’t enough – the aliens were just too strong.
James had apparently been the last to know, as it was the job of all those around him to protect him from the effects of this attack, but now they had come for him as they no longer had a choice.
‘The Scientist’ had told him of a new world.
It would not be the same, but they had made it as close to what he had now – but it would be different, and that was something that James would have to prepare himself for. But for now he would have to pack up everything that he needed, others were coming later and would pack up everything else, before he had to make the journey to this new world.
‘The Cerians’, for that’s what the aliens were called, could then be contained in one place, but ultimately all James could do was watch from afar as his world succumb to this invasion.
The aliens had won.
This world was doomed, and James had to leave.
James had shed a tear at this huge loss – of course he had.
He turned to Mary and asked if she and Michael were coming, and was shocked at the news that Mary had been at the forefront of the battle since it started, and as such she would be staying behind to see the fight till the bitter end.
James was confused by this and asked Mary why she would have to stay if the aliens had already won.
Her answer had been just as confusing.
Apparently other worlds could be destroyed if she didn’t stay and fight.
“Who cares about the other worlds?” James had said. He knew he was being selfish, but he felt he had every right to be.
Mary, being the sensible person she was, and not as selfish as James had said that all worlds mattered, and even as hard as it was that they were about to lose theirs, she had try and find a way of beating the aliens.
He knew she was right.
He didn’t have to like it though.
Provisions had been made for her to visit him – soon.
*****
Mary took her little brother James to his room and helped him pack some of his favourite toys, and a few clothes. At six years old he was considered too young to see the last part of his Mothers decline into death as the final stages of the cancer took her from his life forever.
He was to live with his father now, someone who had recently only been around every month or so, and his new wife – Hannah, a nice lady who would do her best to be a mother to him.
Mary, a palliative care nurse, had asked to be the one to tend to her Mother during her last few weeks and would move in and care for her until her time came. The care of her newborn son would be the responsibility of her husband John until she returned home.
Two days after James had left, he was told that his world had gone.
THE END
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