The End

The world did not end with a bang or a whisper, but rather one scream at a time. It seemed as if everything was on fire. The flames grew higher and higher every time a shriek sounded. It was as if they were fueled by the discord that surrounded them. There weren’t any trees or flowers. The buildings were now nothing but rubble and dust under my feet.

I couldn’t see any humans. Most of them were eradicated. When the seas boiled, they ran among the streets, screaming like hooligans. The smarter ones stayed in their homes and protected their young with shivering breathing. I felt guilty taking their lives. Though I knew they would arrive in a place not unlike paradise, there was still the familiar feeling of guilt as I reached out to kiss their forehead.

Walking along the barren street that must have been a town, I look for my friends. Their jobs were far less overbearing than my own. I do recall them saying they would be waiting for me at our starting point. With luck, they would be done already. And I would be the last to arrive. As I always have, and forever will.

In a simpler time, I enjoyed the sounds that birds made. It was peaceful. Dogs and children were enjoyable to watch as well. They all had such an admirable joy in them. They were unsullied by the inevitability of the moment of when I would come. Teenagers and adults were not as pleasurable to converse with. I do have a little piece in my body that pities them so. They knew of me, and most of them do not accept me. Some, however, used to walk up to me with a smile on their faces, claiming that they know not to fear me. Elders are almost as delightful to have a conversation with as children. They always had the most interesting anecdotes of my polar opposite, or even myself.

Now those memories are nothing but bittersweet. I did not enjoy taking the light from the humans that I conversed happily with once upon a time. Few didn’t cry. That just showed me how terrible a state this world had become before my friends and I destroyed it. There were children even below thirteen years of age that welcomed me. I dislike it when that happens.

I find myself tripping on something small. Leaning down to see what it was, I feel my metaphorical heart drop. A dirtied raggedy ann doll lays at my feet, smiling up at me with a smile made of thread. With a sigh, I pick it up and wave my hand over it. Its cloth shines before turning to dust in my hands. It’s better not to have any sentimental items in this world when my sibling recreates it.

I continue to walk along the scraggly road with a frown on my face.

If only the humans hadn’t messed up this world in the first place. Most of them didn’t believe in such things as global warming or capitalism and watched as the sky burned a bloody red, thinking we don’t deserve this! I try to remain unbiased in mortal affairs, yet… people like them….

The scythe in my hands glows bright with power. I turn my head to see a familiar figure walking up to me with an unnerving smirk. They have inky skin and are less humanoid than I am, being a figure of only ink and soot. An aura of hopelessness always trails them. The smirking shadow bears the name Famine.

“Always a pleasure, Death, my friend,” Famine says and bowed regally. It hasn’t occurred to me that I haven’t seen them in days. It feels like it was yesterday when we parted. “I see that you finished ahead of schedule.”

“You and the others made it easier,” I tell them and return the gesture.

To this, Famine scoffs and walks in stride with me. “You never take all the credit.”

“Well, I am not the one who caused all of this,” I say and gesture around at the barren wasteland. “This was mostly our youngest friend’s fault.”

“True, true…” Famine hums and looks around with their token smirk. They are always hunched over. They never hold their pair of scales anymore. Famine claimed that they could do their job without it, and I find that I can’t blame them. Holding our relics is… damaging to our sanity. One can argue that we are not sane at all. And I wouldn’t blame them whatsoever.

“Did you find it hard?” I ask, breaking the silence. “Looking around at all of this?”

Famine doesn’t answer for a while. They avoid my gaze and stare on with a frozen smile. As soon as I give up waiting for their answer, Famine lets out a melancholy sigh.

“I will miss the fast food joints that I used to frequent,” Famine admits sadly. “And I suppose it will be hard looking back at this world with a numb heart.”

“We do not have hearts,” I say.

“Yes.” Famine’s white eyes cloud over. “It’s best that way.”

We continue walking in silence. I wonder if Famine is reminiscing. I can’t find it in me to ask them. I’ve met Famine several times on the mortal plane. The shadow always took on a teenager’s body and helped out, giving food to the poor, whatever. They always seemed as if they were having a lot of fun. I suppose it’s ironic for us to have fun with mortals, me especially. I once asked Famine why they found it so fun.

“Why, it just is fun in itself!” Famine said with a bright grin. “There’s nothing like postponing my job and helping out at the same time!”

To this, I grinned. “You truly enjoy giving food out to them? Doesn’t that seem a little ironic?”

Famine shook their head. “I see no problem in helping out the humans!”

“Ah! I finally found you two!” yells a familiar fiery voice.

We turn to the side to see a flaming figure waving at us with a bright smile. It is as if they are just a pillar of flames forming a humanoid body. Though it is possible to see a mouth in the flames. You can’t see their eyes. Well, it is also hard not to see them wielding their flaming sword. It’s one of the most dangerous relics that we use. This fiery being is named War

“War!” Famine laughs and holds up one of their inky hands. “It’s good to see you again!”

“Though it seems as if it was yesterday when we last did,” I put in as War and Famine high five. “How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been great!” War says loudly. “Y’know, it isn’t that hard to coerce humans to fight each other.”

“Not with your personality,” Famine jokes, elbowing them. That is never a smart thing to do, and Famine knows that.

War’s flame turns blue with anger as they slam their sword into the ground, making a small crater. I step to the side, sighing before I get my cloak burnt. “Are you saying that I have a bad personality?” War asks dangerously.

To this, Famine smirks and shrugs. “Perhaps.”

War draws their sword over their head, and it is over in a flash. What seems to be Famine’s head is now rolling around in the dead soil. After a few seconds, their body as well as their head melts into the ground, only leaving a trail of ink.

War sighs and stretches their flaming arms over their head. “That always is fun to do.”

I shake my head and start walking. War steps beside me and starts to skip. War is the youngest of all of us. I’ve never held that over them, however. I know how they get when they are really angry. What War does to Famine on what seems to be a daily basis isn’t the extent of their wrath.

“War, do you suppose this is a little bittersweet?” I ask softly.

War tilts their head and stops skipping ahead of me. “What do you mean?”

“Will you miss this world?” I ask them. Their smile fades, and I am left with a faceless pillar of fury.

After a few moments, I sigh. “Sorry, I suppose that isn’t polite of me to ask. Forget I asked.”

“No, no, I’m alright,” War assures me, yet I still can’t see their expression. “You only took me by surprise… that’s all. I’m not being emotional.”

“Right.” I nod along with them.

War does not like emotions such as sadness. Sadness to them is weak. One is always meant to face their problems with a brave face, and to never cry. I know however, that’s not what they really think. I once walked across a battlefield that used to be a quiet town to find War sheltering a few children in what was left of a house. War took on the form of a strong muscled woman and glared at me when I attempted to come closer. I still remember what they said to me that day.

“You aren’t taking these children,” War growled at me. “I protected them. That has to count for something, right?” Their last words were coated in quiet desperation. I realised that War hates it when people get pulled into another person’s fight. They found it not just. It’s ironic.

“At least I’m not there in their last moments,” War says. “Not like you.”

To this, I let out a sad sigh. “Yes. I suppose that makes your job a little easier, doesn’t it? I’m glad.”

“You don’t sound glad,” War remarks, their voice soft.

“Of course I’m not glad,” I mutter.

Finally after what seems to be ages, an inky figure appears in front of us, bearing a smug grin.

“You could have waited for me to rematerialise,” Famine complains and steps beside me, making me stand in the middle of them and War. “I didn’t like waking up to be lonely!”

War blows a raspberry at Famine. Famine, in turn, sticks out their tongue at War. They are the youngest of us, but they don’t need to remind me.

We finally appear at the final building of this world. It is a large pearly church. We figure that that would be the starting point. With luck, we would find the last of us in there. They’ve always been the first of us to finish, anyway.

I step inside and push open the large doors with ease. There is nothing in the large building. It is almost too clean. Maybe they had a long time waiting for us. They always were a little too impatient.

“Finally! I was getting so bored,” yells an authoritative voice.

Sitting at the altar on the only chair left is a figure in a gleaming white suit. Warts grow on what could be their skin. A crystal-like crown had been placed on their head, the final relic. They are the most humanoid of all of us. The regal figure is named Pestilence.

“I was waiting forever for the three of you!” Pestilence stands up from their chair and places their fists on their hips.

“Well, excuse us if our jobs are harder than yours!” War yells over to them. “You just have to spread a couple of diseases, and you’re done for the day! You know how annoying that is?”

Pestilence rolls their different coloured eyes. One is red and one is green. Famine once joked about how they could have been Father Christmas with their eyes, but a goblin version. Pestilence, being the strict and naturally unfunny person they were, slammed Famine’s head against a wall.

“So. We’re all here then?” I ask and walk towards the altar where Pestilence stands.

“Huh. I guess so,” War mutters, their mouth disappearing. “So we have to end this now?”

“Not until Famine gets their relic.” Pestilence glares over at Famine. “Honestly, could you at least tie them around your waist or something?”

“You know how unflattering that would be?” Famine asks, offended. “Who would tie a pair of scales around their waist?”

“Famine, stop dragging this out and get your relic already,” I whisper to them. “Pestilence is about to slam your head into another wall.”

Famine rolls their eyes and walks out of the church, yelling: “Fine! But don’t blame me if I come really really late!”

“War, could you please go after them and make sure they actually get it?” Pestilence asks.

“Ugh, fine,” War groans and walks out as well.

That leaves Pestilence and I in the lonely church. Pestilence sits back on the chair and folds their arms over their chest as they look up at the ceiling. I walk toward them and stand beside them.

“Pestilence.”

“Yes?” They close their eyes and lean back on the priest’s chair. I don’t know if I should tell them that that was highly disrespectful. Ah, well. It doesn’t matter, anyways. It’s the end of the world. I suppose Pestilence can do what they want.

“Are you going to miss this world?” I ask them.

Pestilence slowly opens their eyes as a sad frown grows on their face. “I… yes, yes I will.”

It wasn’t hard to find Pestilence in the mortal world. All you had to do was look for them walking in a school or a hospital and just checking in random rooms with an interested look on their face. I didn’t know what they found so interesting about the people. Perhaps Pestilence liked how children learned? Or maybe they enjoyed watching patients get better. I never knew until I asked them.

“I enjoy watching the looks in the humans’ eyes,” Pestilence told me with a wistful smile on their face. They took on the form of an old man wearing spectacles. And I didn’t know whether they stole or simply bought the stethoscope they wore. “When they find out that they got a good grade on their test or if they were told that they were no longer sick and can go back to their families.”

“That’s strangely innocent,” I noted. “I didn’t know that you of all people found joy in other people’s, er… joy.”

To this, Pestilence chuckled an old man’s chuckle and took off their spectacles to clean them. “Do not think in only black and white, Death. I do find joy in things as miniscule as this.”

“Did you know that before all this, I helped out a small child with their homework?” Pestilence asks and looks up at the ceiling. “She was sitting on a bench, and I asked why she was frowning so much at a piece of paper. The child told me that they were having trouble with a few questions. I looked over at their paper, and noticed that it was about the Black Plague. I helped them out, and she looked up at me with the biggest grin…. She then asked me if I was a doctor, and that was why I knew so much about the Black Plague. I told her that I wanted to be a doctor.”

“You wanted to be a doctor?” I ask.

“No. Well, perhaps I did at one point,” Pestilence mutters.

A few seconds after they stop talking, the doors to the church open once again. Famine and War stand in the doorway, bickering about something unimportant. I let out a sigh and flick my wrist. A wind picks up behind them, and brings them before the altar.

“You didn’t have to do that,” War grumbles. “I know how to walk.”

“Yes, well…” I sheepishly smile. “I thought that we had to be getting on with the… ending.”

I take my scythe and place it on the altar. Pestilence takes their crown off their head and places it down as well. Famine places their scales haphazardly on the altar, as if they can’t bear being near them any longer. War takes extra measures to place their flaming sword on the altar carefully.

“So. This is it, then,” I say.

A bright and shining light appears behind Pestilence and I. I flinch and close my eyes. Suddenly, without me meaning to, I start to laugh quietly. The others look at me, confused.

“Isn’t it funny?” I ask, barely able to contain myself. “I don’t want to go into the light. This is what all those humans thought when I came to them. I suppose this is my karma.”

Pestilence wraps an arm around my shoulders and sighs. “You knew that this was meant to happen.”

War and Famine make their way over to us. War stands at my other side and takes my hand. Famine stands beside Pestilence and says: “Don’t feel bad. We’re coming with you.”

I stop laughing and look up at the ceiling. This will be the last time I get to see a human structure. It is beautiful. I’ve never taken any of it for granted, but I still feel as if I did.

Slowly, we turn around and face the blinding light. When we step into the light, all of what humankind created will be dust. We were created by humankind accidentally, so we will be turned to memories as well. It’s an empty feeling.

The four of us pause before stepping into the light.

“Death?” War’s quiet voice asks.

“...Yes?”

“Will you miss this world as well?”

“Of course I will. I ironically lived a happy life on this earth. It’s all I’ve known.” I smile sadly at the floor, unable to look into the light for much longer. It fills me with a feeling that was not unlike emptiness.

“Can I ask one more thing?” I ask quietly.

“What is it, Death?” Famine’s voice is the quietest I’ve ever heard it.

“May I turn into a human as I walk into the light?” I ask. “I’d like to do it as all the rest have.”

Pestilence laughs. “Perhaps all of us should do the same.”

I hear the other two agree.

I close my eyes for a few moments.

“Why do you look so happy?” I asked the small child.

“I dunno! This ‘s my normal face!” The child replied.

“What happens when you are really happy, then?” I asked curiously.

The child laughed loudly. “Then I do this!” His smile grew wider and wider and he held up his arms. “Yay!”

I find myself smiling as well. “Yay.”

I finally open my eyes to see the other three’s human appearances.

Pestilence is an old man with wispy white hair on the top of their head. They wear a striped button-down with a bright red bowtie. They have on black slacks with shiny white shoes. Their eyes still are red and green. Pestilence puts a hand in one of their pockets and pulls out a pair of clean spectacles and places them on their nose.

War is an adult woman with bright red hair pulled back into a ponytail. They wear a tank top with the words “Suns out Guns out” written on it, and a pair of torn jeans with a red jacket tied around their waist. War wears black studded boots. Their eyes are a fiery red that almost glows as if it were actual fire.

Famine is a teenage boy with slicked back jetblack hair. They wear a denim jacket with various pins on it. Under it is a v-neck grey shirt. They have on jeans as well as green tennis shoes. Famine stretches their arms over their head and reveals black fingerless gloves. Their eyes are still white, but more comforting than they were before.

I am a little girl with my light brown hair in a short braid. I wear a long-sleeved white flowery shirt. Over it is a black jumper skirt. On my feet are black buckled shoes and bright pink socks that only reach my ankles. I’ve known what I always wanted my eyes to be. They are as dark a brown as that little boy’s eyes that laughed so happily.

“Ready?” Pestilence places a gnarled hand on my head.

“Always,” I reply.

“Yeah!” War yells out, pumping a fist into the air.

“Definitely,” Famine says, laughing.

Then we step into the light.

The echoes of screams in my ears stop.

And the world disappeared.