"I should get back to Anna, yeah, I'm just hallucinating."
Nodin picked a few things and ran to his friends. He needed Anna to confirm his imagination. It couldn't be real. How could they travel in time? But the main question was, did they travel in time? Were they caught in a time loop and as soon as they got out everything had changed?
No animals moving around, no humans joining or attacking them, destroyed cities, broken vehicles, no fuel left, it all somehow made sense when put together.
.
.
.
"Anna!"
Nodin shouted.
She turned around. Nodin was running as fast as he could, holding something. He had gotten weak over the long distance he had to carry Eden, so he fell down. He hurt his knee, the pants were stained with blood. It ached a lot but he got up fast and ran again.
Anna who was holding both Eden and the little girl, shouted.
"What happened?"
"Anna! You have to look at it."
He gave her the packet.
"You found something to eat."
As she tried to open it, Nodin stopped her and said.
"Look at the date."
"I don't care about the expiration date. We're hungry."
"No, no, no! Take a look and tell me what you see."
"You're scaring me."
She read the date aloud. She was surprised as well.
"What does it mean?"
"I don't know."
"You're messing with me?"
"Do you think I have the energy left to joke around?"
Eden had closed his eyes trying to relax a bit but their argument was disturbing him. He opened his eyes and said.
"Will you please stop it? Your voices are echoing in my head."
Nodin asked him, too.
He dropped it as soon as he realized. They were scared, they did not know what had happened, nor couldn't guess.
"We can't do anything about it, there are a lot of possibilities. Many could have happened. But let's fill our empty stomach first."
She was right. Empty stomach couldn't help them.
As they were eating, the earth started to shake. The little girl jumped to Nodin's arm.
"We'll be fine."
Nodin was trying to comfort her.
The whole city started to crumble. Dust raised from the grounds, trees fell down, the buildings which were still standing met their death. The earthquake got stronger. They were scared. Was it the how their last moment was going to be? Was that how it was going to end, while not knowing the truth behind everything?
The little girl who was trying to find peace in Nodin's arms was shaking as the ground was shaking more and more. Eden didn't have any strength left to get up. As he was lying on the ground, he mumbled.
"So is it the end? You promised peace, you promised me everything's gonna be better. I guess good and bad have different meaning for different people. Good bye world."
He closed his eyes waiting for the death angel to come and take his soul away.
On the other hand, Anna and Nodin were scared but where could they head to? Where could they go to find a safe place to sleep, rest, eat their meals and laugh together?
They didn't want to believe that it was the end of them. They just didn't want to say farewell to a world where they hadn't reached their goals yet, but they couldn't resist. They couldn't fight back. If it was an earthquake, then what could they possibly do?
NOTHING!
"I have so many regrets, I couldn't compensate for anything. There are still a lot left to do, I don't wanna leave yet."
Nodin started to cry, trying to beg the world to show mercy.
"My son is waiting for me but I actually don't want to die. I don't wanna die. You took everything away from me, my hope, my youth, my son, my happiness, don't take my life away. I don't wanna die."
Anna had already lost it.
They all had thought shouting could help them. Someone might hear them, but who could hear them from the slump that the previous humans had left behind. Was there even anyone left to hear them.
Tears after tears, eyes red like a bowl of blood, hearts pumping with thorns in making the whole body painful, hopeless minds, scared souls, they were waiting for something to happen.
The shaking was still continuing to come, the earth had split into two pieces, lava was coming out, burning whatever was in front of its way. They were surrendered between ruins, lava and death. As they couldn't find any trace of hope, Anna and Nodin looked at each other saying "Good bye".
Nodin looked at the little girl's face and said.
"I couldn't do much; hope you find home in your new life."
His tears blurred his eyes but he could feel the hands of the little girl patting him and a weak voice came along.
"Thank you."
It was the first time Nodin had heard her voice, such sweet and beautiful voice. It could have been much better, if he had listened to her voice more. It was painfully amazing to finally hear her, but it would be the last time he could hear it. The three of them hugged each other trying not to be scared of death while Eden was welcoming it warmly.
A loud sound, more like a hurricane came from the sky. They looked up to see what was there, they weren't expecting any accompany.
Something black and bulky covered the sun, everything got drowned in its shadow. As it gets nearer, they realized it was a spacecraft.
"What?"
Nodin whispered.
It stopped in the air, they could not see the details but it seemed as if its door got opened and something came flying to them.
As soon as it hit the ground a special gas was released and made them sleepy. They went to sleep as they were next to each other.
After releasing the gas, a man came outside the space craft using a rope, then stopped the shakings and the lava coming out with a single movement of his hand.
He shouted.
"We have guests. Pull them up."
His face was covered with mask, his whole body were in armor and his voice sounded as if he was a young man.
He went inside and some other fully equipped men came down and took them inside.
What was waiting for them?
Maybe death?
-To be continued.