Origin: The story of Meagan Kingsley

SELF REFLECTION

JOURNAL ENTRY: DATE UNKNOWN

The Egyptians and Mayans had many things in common: the Pyramids, a strange interest in not-so-humanoid gods, and incredibly advanced engineering for their time. Then there is the Calendar that suddenly ended in 2012. There were many theories on why such a great culture had a calendar that ended so suddenly or so far in the future. And consider the matter of ancient technologies from other cultures that have never been explained or weird happenings, like the Ocean Bloop, which was loud enough to be heard worldwide.

The monument of Giza, according to Egyptian priests, was to serve as a reminder of celestial disaster. Pair that with the words of Nostradamus, "and there will come a dreadful destruction of people and animals... hundreds, hands, thirst and hunger when the comet will pass." The explanation behind it is quite eerie. In 2029, a giant asteroid is due to pass through our part of space, eventually resulting in consequences much like those that ended the dinosaurs' reign on this planet. Around 2036, it may make it through some 'atmospheric keyhole'. Asteroid 2004MN4 will hit the planet, leaving a crater larger than the state of Texas if it hits land, or global tsunamis if it hits the ocean. Thought to have been only 320 meters across with only a 1 in 60 chance of hitting Earth, it was dismissed as a curiosity only. It was a huge overlook. The asteroid in question is one of such concern that, before they left us here, the ones returning for us left us a way to track it and count down to the start of the sorting: The Antikythera Mechanism.

The only piece we have now tells us only that it had incredibly accurate astronomy tracking. It was found in an ancient shipwreck years ago, and the writings that were found with it have since gone missing. I suspect that one or many of the governments in this world have it and will, of course, try and use it to their advantage. It is sometimes amazing how we hurt ourselves.

~From the Journal of Meagan Kingsley~

The television crackled as radio interference from the nearby base hit an all-new high. Yet, it did not stop the show. The news commentator kept on talking as he always did, starting with the weather before moving on to the other so-called important chatter they used to fill air-time.

'Welcome 2012! It is January the first! Some say they are amazed to see it. As the New Year approached a Y2K frenzy started taking hold over many. People were stocking up on water, canned goods, toilette paper, and batteries. The most surprising statistic is the amount of electronics being purchased in preparation for the end of the world...'

I stopped listening and rolled my eyes with extra gusto as if there was someone there to appreciate my dramatized dismay over the value of modern media. Something was going on, but I did not expect to hear it honestly on the news or from our government.

"If you want it straight, get a ruler." I muttered. The Alarm clock started screeching it's morning reveille. It was pointless setting it when I never slept long enough to need it. In reality it was only serving as a reminder to go to work. My job was not that bad. It was the majority of the people I had to work with that killed it for me. Stupid, stupid, and more stupid; retail, some things never change. With my short temper and a well-aimed shoe, resulted in the silence of another doomed electronic.

"Aaaand I hate clocks." Now I was in a bad mood for thinking about work. I took a deep breath prepared to perform, yet another self-addressed monologue over the dictator-like rule that clocks had over my life when there was a knock on my door. IT felt like ice appeared throughout my entire body, all at once. It felt like icy glass shards forcing their way sluggishly through your veins. I had heard a lot of rumors about how 'it' started this way. My ears started pounding like they contained drums. A knock on the door, someone claiming they were delivering a message from somewhere or someone important, the tenant disappearrs, and the only thing left are confused neighbors. Another local mystery and the rest of us are left hanging. The assumed victims left and never returned. It had already happened twice in my apartment building and 43 times altogether throughout the relatively small city in which I lived. And those were the ones that were reported by panicky relatives and friends. Many refused to see the truth. No one called the government out on what they were doing. There was always a story to cover it up.

My vision became oddly focused on the door, blurring out the rest of the world. It was happening so often now that most of the people in my area were on the verge of hysteria. So was I ... Now. Who would be next? It was the question none of us wanted to try answering, afraid to admit, it could be anyone. Today, I already knew the answer somehow. My heart faltered. I thought hearts raced with fear, not stumbled. The only thing I could imagine holding everyone together was the lack of a struggle. That thought, that hope, held me together. It kept me from wetting myself right where I stood.

Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. The Damn clock accentuated my concentrated state of survival, tic-ing off every action like a check sheet. Another wave of fear crashed over me. This was real, this was now. It wasn't a dream. Could I be sleeping for once? Not likely, I never slept.

Only a brief moment had passed when I discovered I could move again. Shivering, my body seemed to mobilize against my will. Morbid curioiusity had to be to blame for the reason my converse clad feet placed themselves slowly one ini front of the other. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. The clock seemed to be forcing my feet to keep time. Making me go against the urge to run and hide. Then another sound joined the rhythmic tapping of the clock. Thu-dump. Thu-dump. Thu-dump. My heart regained it's rhythm. the whole world, like a machine, was just doing what it was inevitably going to do. Somehow, while I was unaware of it, I became a part of it too, A part of a process, a gear in a machine. My head screamed as blood rushed to my ears. It was screaming run-run-hide, and I wanted to. Yet the clock would not let me, its' rule persevered. I could hide in the closet as if I were 10 years old again, but that was like covering your eyes with your hands and tinkling that made you invisible. Instead a hand, my hand, raised up and grabbed the door knob. It was hot or my hands were suddenly very cold. The knob creaked as I twisted it.

"Please, God, Don't let me be next." I whispered before holding my breath, my heart caught in my throat.

"Who is it?" Please! Please be a neighbor looking for sugar! I pleaded in my head. Please. I knew, though, no one here would be so unkind as to knock on your door before calling. Not these days.