Forty-Minute Story “End Of The World”

“Dave.”

“Mmrrghgrh”

“Dave … wake up.”

“Mmmrgh … what?!”

“The world’s ended.”

“What?”

“The world, I think it’s over.”

“That was ten days ago, what time is it?”

“Doesn’t matter, the world’s ended.”

“It’s 3am you stupid sod! I have to go to work tomorrow, or today rather.”

“No you don’t, the world’s over.”

“Sadly I do if we want to keep this flat, John. Right now I’m the only one of us working and I need sleep. Why the hell are you up at 3am anyway?”

“Alarm.”

“Why did you set the alarm for 3am?”

“I didn’t, I set it for 3pm, but I got it mixed up again. I wanted to watch Judge Judy.”

“She doesn’t come on until 4pm.”

“Well there’s no sense in being a lazy arse and sleeping til 4 is there. Though now I suppose it doesn’t matter.”

“Because the world’s come to an end, is that right?”

“Yeah.”

“So what makes you think the world’s finished anyway? We’re still here talking.”

“It’s all dark outside.”

“That’s what happens at 3 in the morning.”

“No but I mean all the street lights are out, nothings working.”

“Probably just an outage, I was wondering why it felt so cold in here.”

“The sun’s winked out.”

“No it just didn’t feel like waking up at 3am … Wait a minute, if the power’s off how did your alarm go off?”

“It didn’t. I haven’t been to sleep.”

“Talk to Julie, she’s more understanding of talking at odd hours since she works at the pub.”

“Julie’s dead, Dave.”

“What?! Wait, no she isn’t!”

“She is Dave, everybody’s dead. It’s just you and me, presiding over the demise of human civilization.”

“She dumped you didn’t she mate?”

“Yeah.”

“Come on, there’s a 24 hour donut shop around the corner. They’ll have a generator.”

“But the world’s ended.”

“John, even at the end of the world, there’ll be donuts and coffee.”