Until the End

John Smith sat on the couch staring blankly at the television, barely registering what was on the screen. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the news report he had just watched in a state of disbelief. An asteroid was hurtling towards Earth, set to collide with the planet in exactly one week. The impact was projected to be catastrophic, with the asteroid estimated to be several miles wide. It would strike the atmosphere with the force of over a billion atomic bombs, obliterating everything within thousands of miles. Global climate effects would render the surface uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. Humanity had one week left. John ran a hand through his short brown hair, still processing the reality of the situation. How could their world end so suddenly with no warning? Just a week ago, he and his family were going about their normal lives - he was working as an accountant, Lisa was a teacher, the kids were in school. Now it was all over. Everything they had worked for, everything they cared about, would be wiped out in an instant. The front door opened, pulling John from his thoughts. "Dad, I'm home!" called his son Michael from the entryway. John took a deep breath to compose himself before responding. "In here, bud." Michael, a shy 15-year-old, entered the living room and dropped his backpack on the floor. "What's for dinner? I'm starving." He paused, noticing the strange expression on his father's face. "Dad? You okay?" Just then, Lisa walked in carrying grocery bags. "I picked up pizza on my way back from work. Hope everyone's in the mood for - what's wrong, John?" She set the bags down, concern etched on her features as she took in her husband's ashen complexion. John sighed. "You both should sit down. There's...there's something we need to discuss." Exchanging a worried glance, Michael and Lisa sat on the loveseat across from John. He recounted what he had seen on the news with as much composure as he could muster. When he finished, silence hung heavy in the air. Lisa brought a trembling hand to her mouth. "An a-asteroid? But that can't be...they would have seen it coming, right?" John shook his head grimly. "Apparently it was hiding behind the sun. They only just detected it a few hours ago." Michael stared at the floor, his mind racing. "What...what are we gonna do?" "I don't know, son. I just don't know." John ran a hand through his hair again, feeling utterly helpless. At that moment, the front door slammed shut with unusual force. "Mom, Dad, you will not believe the day I had at school!" Emily announced as she strode into the living room, phone in hand. The 17-year-old looked up from her screen and froze at the sight of her family's ashen faces. "Whoa, what's with the funeral vibes in here?" She glanced between them, concern replacing her earlier annoyance. "Seriously, what's wrong?" Lisa took a steadying breath. "Emily, sweetheart, have a seat. Your father has something very important to tell us." Emily complied warily, sinking into an armchair. John repeated the news as calmly as he could. Her reaction was visceral - a gasp, then a disbelieving laugh. "No way. This is some kind of sick joke, right?" When no one responded, Emily's face fell. "You're serious? The world is actually...ending?" Her voice broke on the last word. An uncomfortable silence followed as the reality sank in for each family member. John was the first to speak. "I know this is unimaginably hard to process. But we can't lose hope - not yet. There may be shelters or evacuation plans we don't know about." Lisa nodded vigorously, grasping at the slim possibility. "You're right, honey. The government must have contingencies for something like this. I'm sure they're working on a solution as we speak." Emily wasn't so easily convinced. "And what if they can't do anything? What if in a week we're all just...gone?" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Michael finally looked up, his boyish features etched with worry. "Dad, what are we gonna do?" John wished he had a reassuring answer for his son, but found himself at a loss. In truth, he was barely keeping it together himself. The family sat in heavy silence, each alone with their private fears and doubts. After several long moments, Lisa spoke up gently. "Why don't we try to keep things as normal as possible for tonight? The kids still have homework, and we all need to eat. Let's have pizza and just be together." John nodded gratefully at his wife's calm pragmatism. "Lisa's right. Freaking out won't do us any good right now. Come on, let's eat." They gathered around the dining table, but no one had much appetite. The pizza slices went mostly untouched as an oppressive quiet fell over the meal. Emily was the first to break it, her voice small. "Do you think my friends know?" John sighed. "I'm sure the news has spread everywhere by now, sweetheart. They're probably just as shocked and scared as we are." Emily nodded, chewing her lip. "I should call Jess and see how she's doing." She rose and hurried upstairs with her phone. Michael pushed his food around his plate, still processing the reality of their situation. "What if there's no way to stop it? What do we do then?" Lisa reached over and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "One step at a time, honey. Let's just focus on being together right now, okay?" Her son nodded, though his eyes remained downcast and fearful. An air of quiet desperation hung over the family as they sat, barely eating, each lost in their own thoughts of the impending end.