The End Foreseen

chapter five

I wake up as the sun's bright rays sneak in through the gap in my curtains, pulling me from a hazy dream. My head feels heavy, as though caught between waking and sleep. Slowly, I get out of bed and step into the hallway.

I pause, staring down the hall, an unusual stillness pressing down on me. Everything feels surreal like I’m walking through a memory. The sunlight streaming through the windows is unusually bright, making the house look unnaturally pristine. Yet, there’s an emptiness resonating all around me, a silence that feels alive.

Suddenly, the blaring sound of a horn jolts me. Confused, I go to the front door and pull it open. A red semi-truck is parked in front of the house, its engine rumbling softly. A man, his features obscured in shadow, stands beside the passenger door, which hangs open.

He gestures for me to get inside. Strangely, I don’t feel afraid. Instead, there’s a sense of calm, as though I’d been waiting for him. Without a word, I step down from the porch and climb into the truck. The shadow man circles around to the driver’s side and gets in.

The semi roars to life, and we begin moving. I stare out the window, watching the neighborhood slip by. But as we drive, the familiar surroundings begin to change. The neat rows of houses fade into untamed wilderness.

The air grows cooler, and the horizon begins to darken until the whole thing becomes split between night and day. Stars scatter across the dark half as if the sun were already down. While the other half remains as clear, blue, and bright as it had been when I got out of bed.

Finally, the truck slows, coming to a stop before towering golden gates framed by pristine white stone walls. The gates creak open on their own, revealing an orchard filled with strange fruit trees. The truck rolls forward to a clearing in the center of the grove.

Under one of the trees sits a woman, her long, golden hair spilling over her shoulders and pooling around her bare feet. Her white dress clings to her, silky and ethereal. She takes a bite from a strange golden fruit, before standing gracefully, her movements fluid like water.

I step out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind me. As soon as my feet touch the ground, the semi rumbles away, leaving me behind. I watch as it disappears before walking toward the woman.

She smiles softly as I approach. “Hello, Azraela. I’ve been waiting for you.”

I stop a few feet away. “Why? Who are you? And where am I?”

“You may call me Idunn,” she says, turning toward the tree beside her. “This is my garden. I brought you here to warn you—and perhaps to help you. Terrible things are coming your way.”

She plucks a white flower from the tree and holds it out to me. A small pool of golden nectar glimmers within the base of the petals. “Drink this, and you will be safe.”

I hesitate, staring at the flower. Her words are kind, but I remember all the warnings about accepting gifts from gods. This could be a trap.

“I… I can’t take that. I’m sorry,” I say finally, hoping I made the right decision.

Idun’s expression falters, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face. The flower disintegrates into dust in her hand, carried away by a gentle breeze.

“That is unfortunate,” she says softly, her voice tinged with sadness.

“What will happen to me now?” I ask, doubt creeping into my mind.

"I can still help you a little bit…,” Idunn trails off, her gaze drifting to the horizon, and continues,”If you can survive the day, you will be safe in the night."

Before I can ask what she means, the dream ends and I wake for real this time. I feel unusually relaxed and rested. Slowly opening my eyes I find myself staring at the ceiling in our living room, with one leg hanging off the couch and a little blanket over me. Ana must have gotten up at some point and covered me up

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." I tease.

She glances over her shoulder, a gallon of milk in hand. “Mornin’. How are you feeling today?”

“Good,” I reply. “I had a weird dream, but no splitting headaches, so I’ll take that as a win.”

"I'm surprised.", I continue, grabbing a couple of bowls from the cabinet, "I figured for sure I would have some sort of nightmare after watching all those scary movies last night." I set the bowls on the counter, grabbing a couple of spoons while Ana starts pouring cereal and milk into the bowls. She grabs a bowl for herself and sits on one of the stools. I'm not far behind her, sticking a spoon in her bowl so she can eat like a civilized human being. She goes to take a bite while I sit down and dig into mine.

"How's your arm?", she asks, munching away. I peer at the brand from yesterday and it has completely healed. But it's not a regular burn scar. In its place is something… beautiful. The scar now glows faintly, like opal embedded beneath my skin.

"Well, it doesn't hurt anymore.", I say, noticing her staring at it too.

“I can’t believe it,” she mutters. “That's definitely not normal.” After taking another bite of cereal. She reaches out to touch it - I knew she couldn't resist. As her fingers graze the mark, a strange sensation spreads through me—a tingling, electric hum beneath my skin.

“How does that feel?” she asks, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Like…” I pause, considering my response, ”Nothing…” I really don't wanna get into this right now, first thing in the morning. ‘I'll figure out more about this later.’, I think to myself, shaking my head slightly.

“ I have no sensation where the scar is right now, just pressure on the skin around it…” I shrug,”So, are you ready for your first day of quarantine?" I ask, steering the conversation in a different direction.

"Yeah.", she says, rolling her eyes, with a mouth full of cereal,”I'm totally ready."

I laugh at her sarcastic tone while a drop of milk escapes from the corner of her mouth. She wipes it with her sleeve and swallows her food.

My cousin is a busybody, I've never seen her sit still in her life, and I wonder how long this forced confinement would last before she starts going stir-crazy. However, the moment is short-lived.

The sound of wailing sirens - lots of them - heading down our street, catches our attention. We glance at each other, immediately abandoning our seats to go and investigate. Standing behind our screen door, we watch as several police cars blaze past and stop in front of a house across the street.