"Apocalypse is coming, the signs are there!" I shouted as I kept running around the kitchen looking through the windows. My old, skinny and shrivelled up body was trembling with all its might. I was excited! How could I not be? I've been waiting for this moment for 40 years!
Back when I was twenty I read my first Apocalyptic fantasy book and ever since then I knew it. I knew that I had to prepare for it.
"Grandpa, stop running around. The apocalypse is not here. Sit down and have your breakfast."
"Fine, fine, but I am telling you the Apocalypse is here."
I sat down as I mumbled. I looked at my daughter and her husband, as well as my two grandchildren. All of them had black hair and green eyes. Sign of the Bonneville bloodline.
Well except for my daughters' husband, him having black hair and green eyes was just a coincidence. Unlike my family members, Hazelton bloodline of his seemed to have bigger and more chiselled faces. While my family had ones that are smaller and softer.
Every single family member of mine was the most important thing to me. I still can't believe I managed to continue my bloodline with my charisma...
Not that I love them because I thought I was lucky, but I seriously have no idea how I managed. I still deeply believe I was lucky. My mother, rest her soul in heaven, must be shocked and proud of me. Even if Jason was not my real son when the Apocalypse came I will take care of him as well. He was the father of my grandchildren after all.
Although the bastard did woo my daughter...
It was a tough choice.
Well enough of that, I was starving.
"Sunlight, pass me the butter." I asked my daughter as the table was too big. I couldn't reach it.
I made a sandwich as I was thinking of my next actions.
I was 100% sure that the Apocalypse has come. This is because two days in a row there were signs. I was waiting for them so there was no way I could miss it.
Apocalypse always had signs before it happened. It was just a sign from the Universe for those who knew to prepare.
The signs could, of course, come in many types and shapes. Although some of the most common were:
Meteorite showers multiple days in a row.
Rain on every part of the earth for a long time.
Grey mist around 7 pm.
Aurora that can be seen from any part of the world.
These were the most common ones, but this time it was three of them, in a row!
Yesterday there was a meteorite shower and an Aurora that showed up all over the Earth. While today when I woke up, I checked the news on my phone. It said there was a strange phenomenon where it was going to rain all day, all over the earth!
There was no way I was wrong.
"Today we are not going anywhere. We are preparing for the Apocalypse!"
As I said this, my granddaughter, Archi almost choked as her eyes reddened, "Grampa what are you saying? You've been on about this since yesterday."
I felt bad looking at Archi, my granddaughter. She reminded me of Sunlight when she was her age. When she was 16 all she wanted to do was to have fun all the time and go around beating people up. Only Archi was a lot better raised. She didn't even complain most of the time.
I saw Archi sulking and it gripped my heart. I had to protect her during the apocalypse no matter what!
"The signs are there Archi, you must understand. Just trust Grandpa this once and if tomorrow nothing happens then I'll give you a hundred bucks, and you can buy whatever you want."
When I said that I saw Archi get happier. She kept asking if what I said was really true.
"I gave my word, so of course." She's so cute this kid I couldn't help myself but pat her on the head. Honestly, it's good that I had a daughter, otherwise, I don't believe I could teach my son. He probably would have ended up becoming one of those NEETs.
I looked at my family as they sighed at my behaviour.
I already told them this day would come one day, so I don't understand why they are acting all surprised. Oh, maybe they thought I was just joking before or that it was a crazy old man's mumblings.
I ate breakfast as fast as possible and quickly went to check everything. I had to make sure all the preparations were in place.
First, on the list for survival was of course food. I went to the basement. There I saw all the usual daily stuff I would use such as tools, toys, boxes etc. It was a big mess, to be honest.
I looked at a bookcase at the back of the basement. The bookcase was situated right in the middle of the wall. To be honest, it looked quite inconspicuous with all the random stuff here.
I moved some of the boxes from the left side of the bookcase and then dragged the bookcase to the side. Behind the bookcase was a metal door with a combination lock on it. In truth it was quite cheaper to install it then I expected. Thus, I ended up installing a circular metal door like the ones they have in banks. It just looked fancy, no other reason.
I put in the code and opened the heavy metal door. The light turned on in the room as I saw all my treasures.
There was a mountain amount of long-lasting food inside. As for how long it would last it was hard to predict. Even I can't really tell. The only thing I know is that none of it tastes that good.
I walked in and to the side, there were a couple of important things. Number 2 most important thing. It was medicine.
I had bandages and everything needed if any part of the body got broken. I stocked up on the most common medicine for the most common diseases, as well as a lot of antibiotic medicine.
Even more to the left, there were around 100 litres of water. Which wasn't that much, but to be honest I didn't need much. Instead, I bought a water filtering machine that stood next to it.
This was because I happen to live surrounded by water. It was a mini island in the middle of the city that I lived in.
It had around 50 buildings besides mine on this mini island and you could only enter through one side. Through two bridges that connect it to the rest of the city. It was a district for a rather upper-class people.
Besides Medicine, I also had stocked up on Weapons, the third most important thing in the apocalypse. 5 crossbows. Thousands of bolts. A handgun. Multiple baseball bats of the best quality. A big Warhammer. 5 spears and finally 5 swords.
I also stocked up on all kinds of miscellaneous equipment I might need. Like axes, goggles, infrared goggles and survivalist equipment.
I had checked all of the gear carefully. I had to make sure there were no rats or if anything had started to rot I'd have to throw it away.
I looked at a big black box on the ground, I went and opened it. Inside there was protective equipment I had bought.
All of it was black in colour and included; Shoes, socks, trousers, belt, underpants, A tight T-shirt, jacket, a west, long-necked sweater, gloves and finally a bike helmet.
Absolutely all of it had in-sewn metal plates and was woven from a blend of high molecular weight polyethene. It also had other, state of the art fibres that were hard to cut. After I wore this equipment no simple creature would ever be able to bite me or scratch me.
After I concluded all the checks, I calmed down a little bit.
I was prepared, for what's to come. I didn't read all of the Apocalypse books for anything.
Next, I went to the roof and checked all of the solar panels as well as the water collection device. They seemed to work perfectly.
I checked the windows, all the metal bars were firmly fixed as well. All the metal doors functioned perfectly as well.
My house had a small garden surrounding it as well as a cemented fence that was around one and a half meters tall. Every single house in the neighbourhood was a big fancy house with quite a bit of gardening area. Most of the houses were actually bigger than mine.
I came back inside the house and sat down, I was a little bit exhausted. My old body wasn't getting any younger after all.
I thought about things carefully and decided that I needed to prepare some perishable food as well.
"Okay, let's go shopping and stock up on all of the perishable food. So, we can live nicely for at least a week or two after the Apocalypse." I said to my family as they looked at me like I was crazy.
I thought they are going to start mumbling again, but I was surprised. From their faces, I could already tell that they had given up on resisting.
I comforted myself.
Don't worry once the Apocalypse happens all of them will be thanking me.
"Gramps, I'll drive." My daughters' husband Jason offered to drive. There was no way I would refuse; I gave him the keys of the Van that was parked in front of the garage.
We all got in the Van and the metal gate behind it opened as Jason drove out.
The rain was very heavy so I couldn't see many people around. It seemed that the Apocalypse had yet to happen.
After shopping for loads of food, especially sweets that lasted quite long, we came back and got everything back to the house.
I had something important to talk to them about.
I sat them all on the sofas in the living room.
"I know that none of you believe me that the apocalypse is going to happen. All I can say to that is that you have to trust me this once.
The first thing is that I don't know what type of Apocalypse it's going to be. This is because of the mixed signs that the Universe is giving.
This means one of us might turn into a zombie tonight. Or even the Demons are going to attack. There are many possibilities.
Tonight, before going to sleep we bring supplies to each of our rooms. Then lock the door." As I said that I could see their faces pale.
They couldn't imagine losing each other. I loved every single one of them from the bottom of my heart and I would give up anything for them. That's the reason I prepared for the Apocalypse in the first place. It was for my family none other.
"Dad, don't scare the children!" My daughter shouted at me in anger.
"It's important they know what they have to do," I spoke calmly.
"Haven't you gone far enough with all your fantasies? I am done with this. We are going home!" Sunlight shouted as she couldn't deal with my bullshit anymore. Only I knew it was not bullshit. I might sound crazy, but I knew what I knew. I firmly believed it in my heart and beliefs couldn't be shaken easily.
"You can't go home; you are not allowed. I didn't make you practice martial arts your whole life for no reason." I told her, but she wouldn't listen.
Sunlight stood up as she glared at me, "I am not a child anymore and I can do whatever I want. We are going home!"
This time I was furious, "Then stop acting like a child! What if the Apocalypse really happened! Are you going to endanger my grandchildren by going somewhere that's not safe?" I hit the table with my fist. I am not going to lie I was a strict parent my whole life.
"Martial arts? I practised them to make you happy! I never wanted to practice it. Jason get our stuff, we are going." Sunlight said as she turned around to look at Jason.
Jason seemed confused as to what to do. Whether to calm her down or go along with her.
I saw that things were getting out of hand.
"Mom let's listen to gramps this time, I am having a bad feeling myself." Telos my grandson said this as I breathed out in relief. At least one reliable person in this family. I had taught him well.
Sunlight turned to stare at Telos as if saying, 'Get up'
Telos was already 18 and was not a child anymore. Not to mention that he was my proud grandson who became a Martial artist.
"Mom, you know that I have a great sense of danger. I could feel it ever since yesterday. Whatever is going to happen is going to be big." Telos said as he looked at his veiny and muscular palm and then to Sunlight.
Sunlight just stared at all of us one by one before sprinting downstairs.
5 minutes later she came up with a box of supplies and a sword in her hand.
Sunlight looked at me, "If there is no Apocalypse tomorrow, I'll make one happen!"
Although she acted immaturely on the outside. She was a really strong and independent woman.
It was already evening. I brought all the supplies I'd need to survive for a few days back to my room. I also brought a baseball bat, a sword and a spear.
I looked through the window as I saw grey mist starting to cover everything.
It was already the fourth sign. I couldn't believe it. Usually, in the books I've read, there were only one or two signs. This time there were already four.
It can only mean one thing. It was no ordinary Apocalypse.