1 The Ending

Every war has its generals, just as every buisness has its higher ups. Today I was holding a lighter to my hand to feel pain, yet there was nothing. Ever since I could remember pain didnt phase me, wether it was mine or someone elses, I didnt care about it. Oh, my skin is charred... I held the lighter back up to my hand, to cauterize the cuts.

*BOOP BOOP* *BOOP BOOP* *CLICK*

Its time for work, I work at a hospice care center, I like hearing the stories from the patients in their last days on earth. The stories that make them who they were, are, wont be. I help the patients with whatever they need, usually more blankets since it was late in the year and the heating was fucked up. I brought a man some blankets, he was a soldier back in the Vietnam war, he told me about how the bible session was inmortant and having faith in god got him through the war. Honestly wether god exists dosent concern me, I just went to the session to be with the patients. A man asked me about my burns, I had to tell him it was a grilling accident. I had to learn that my attempts to feel wernt socialy acceptable, thats what my therapist said. He told me that at work to learn from the patients and follow their social skills, they HAD been on the planet long enough. I wore scrubs as work attire so short sleeves, I started cutting and cauterizing on my legs. I had no reaction to pain, love... Nothing...

Today I saw a man in the hallway of the patient room hall, he was wearing a black hood and I couldnt see his face. And just as fast as he was there he was gone, like magic. I was home, drinking one of the two bottles of saki that I bought, when I saw out the window, the man in the black hood. He was staring at me, was it the alcahol or was he real? I jook a long swig of the liquid and fell into a deep alcahol induced slumber. Its my day off and I have a hangover, a real doozey. I took some asprin and layed in bed for most of the hour, occasionaly cutting and cauterizing my left leg... Then right...

I heard the window open slightly and looked to see it open the rest of the way... By itself? Was I still drunk or just delusional? A thin stream of black smoke, like a cigarette, floated through and at the foot of my bed was built the man in the black hood.

???-"Who are you?"

???-"Someone important, Salem... You cant feel anything? Good."

SALEM-"How do you know that?"

???-"I am no more than a spirit that is here to help."

SALEM-"So, spirit, how can you help me?I am fine."

SPIRIT-"My name is unpronouncable to humans nor can it be heard so spirit is fine. And to answer your question, you need help starting armagadeon."

SALEM-"Like the apocolypse? Thats labled as bad in most records, the end of times."

SPIRIT-"It is indeed the end of times, you are prophesised to begin the end."

SALEM-"I understand, but how? Kill everybody?"

SPIRIT-"You will recieve two gifts, one is the power to control anyones actions before their death, the second is to be the last human alive. You cant die."

SALEM-"That cant be, I want to die."

SPIRIT-"I see it may be a sacrifice."

SALEM-"Its fine, I can deal with it."

SPIRIT-"I need your concent."

SALEM-"I consent, you can help me live."

SPIRIT-"It is done."

I opened my eyes and I appeared to be sleeping prior, but I didnt remember falling asleep. Just the hooded figure... Spirit? Huh... I heard a knock on the door, damn im late on rent. I tried something, mabey it wasnt a dream. I remembered a loose metal floor panel above my door, an idea.

*SLIP* *SLIT* *COUGH* *THUD*

I walked cautiously to the apartment door, opened it, and... There the landlord was, like a flower blooming. He was cut in half stopping at the waist, the metal flooring hanging down like the blade of a knife. It seemed beautiful, like justice in a way. The police couldnt take this anywhere but as a freak accident, so I called the authorities. They arrived, asked me questions, and left taking the blooming flower with them. I can do this... And no one would know? Hmm... I walk to my television and turn on the news, there was a man holding a gas station hostage. I looked at the television screen and thought, walk out of the gas station and shoot yourself in the head. The man came out, he had a bigger weapon than anticipated. He came out with a grenade belt and a rocket propelled grenade launcher. He stood almost directily in front of the news camera that was now on its side due to fear of the camera man. He placed the weapon in his mouth and pulled the trigger. His head was partly in front of the camera, partly on the bilboard across the way, and partly all over the gas station. The camera cut to the news casters, the lady on camera was crying and the man left his seat and presumably the station.

It felt... Fuck it felt at all, I can feel happyness when they die... Im a killer and no one will know... Im... Uh im... Happy... Im happy... Im... Happy... I went back to the television and the male news host came back with a shotgun in hand.

NEWS MAN-"My broher's FUCKING DEAD!"

*BANG*

The camera was pointing towards the gas station, it was on fire now... Was the man who I killed truly his brother? Well they are both dead now, nothing I can do will ever change that. I knew death was perminant, its just I didnt know the magnitude. I will get my lunch, was it lunch time? It dosent matter, il get lunch and think.

I walked to the nearest mcdonalds, walking is more peacefull than driving and it gives my head room to think. I ordered a big mac and thought, death is... Bad right? But why is it that I of all people need to kill the most? Why is anything chozen, do we have choice at all? The thoughts start to wear me down, I decide that I need to continue to kill in order to feel. I throw my trash away and leave the restaraunt. Im back at my apartment, the police have arrived. They asked me questions like "Where were you", all I could say was that I was inside minding my own buisness. They saw it as an accident so they didnt ask me why I just walked past the gore that was my landlord. I entered my apartment and flipped to a different news channel. This one was talking about politics since the presidential debate was almost on. The debate began and the first thing i did was make all of the armed guards shoot at the politicians and then themselves, blood spray covered the crowd that soon went into a panic. The president and possible future president were dead. Im ruining society for the nonforseen future and currently guarinteeing the human demise... Guess im going to hell if there is such a place.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

SALEM-"Hello?"

???-"..."

SALEM-"Alright, im comming."

I opened the door and then I felt a prick in the back of my neck... Dizzy, I got dizzy then... Out...

I awoke to the sound of a van door opening and a "Come on!" from outside, another prick and I was out once again. The final time I woke up I had a bag over my head but I could see the world outside the black vale.

???-"Hey,Uh... SALEM, Salem right?"

SALEM-"Correct."

???-"Can we tell you our names?"

SALEM-'I would like that yes, but you dont need to ask."

???-'I am agent Coda and to my right is agent Slye."

SALEM-"I cant quite see to my left or right at this moment, would you kindly remove the black bag concealing my vision?"

CODA-"Im sorry, cant do that. We cant risk you seeing our faces."

SALEM-"Why ever not?"

SLYE-"We dont know if you need to see faces to kill."

SALEM-"No no, I killed my landlord from behind a closed door."

CODA-"But you had seen his face before and we cant risk that."

*BR-R-R-R-R*

SALEM-"You might want to check up on the two guards outside this room, they have a bold new fasion choice."

Slye ran to check on the two men I had just made shoot eachother.

CODA-"BU- But I dont understand! You never saw or even HEARD them!"

SALEM-"Thats correct, I just searched for a way out so I paved the way."

SLYE-"Theyre dead Coda...That... Thing, killed them..."

SALEM-"Mabey I am a thing, but should I deserve to not be satisfied?"

SLYE-"YOU FUCKING LIKE KILLING?"

SALEM-"Tou see the tool belt, seemingly left by a repairman or staff of some kind?"

CODA-"GET THE BELT OUT OF HERE DAMMIT!"

SLYE-"Wait... OH FUCK DONT-"

A staff member walked in and immideatly started drilling into her temple. She colapsed, twitching.

SALEM-"Oh she is only paralyzed, I can fix that... Let me try something."

The staff mmber started coughing up blood and started scratching at her stomach instinctivly.

SALEM-"I caused her body to start creating cancer cells in her stomach, stage four stomach cancer that is growing faster than any cancer had ever before."

CODA-'I NEED A MEDIC!"

SALEM-"Its too late, she died a painfull death and she couldnt even move a muscle volentarily"

SLYE-"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

She aimed a 9MM at me and pulled the trigger, her hand was blown off.

SLYE-"JESUS FUCK! OH FUCK!"

SALEM-"The gun, ah. I made someone back when we left the truck rig your gun, you see the result."

CODA-"FUCK! WE NEED A MEDIC!"

SALEM-"Morphine overdose... All four medics."

CODA-"Goddammit!"

SALEM-"Your numbers arent that impressive mister Coda."

CODA-"We still have the director."

SALEM-"Oh he indulged in a razorblade apple."

CODA-"The other prisoners?"

SALEM-"Matress springs, when sharpened on a concrete wall, can be good weapons."

CODA-"But... They are all dead?"

SALEM-"All but you and me."

CODA-"So... Im next?"

SALEM-"Nonsence, you need to transfer me to another holding facility."

CODA-"Get... The fuck... Out."

He let me out of my bondage and removed the black vale from my head. He gave me directions to get out of the facility and I followed them. Behind me the man overdosed on sedatives, as in he took all that he could get his hands on, that wasnt my doing. I walked down the road back to the city, thirteen miles... A good walk.

I found a gas station on the way, I am quite parched and could use a drink. My wallet was at home, damn. Well il manage, have for a little bit. I enter the esablishment and see there is a man paying for gas, a woman looking through tabloids and I had a feeling there was a man in the bathroom, not to mention the man behind the counter. I had a beautiful idea. The man in the bathroom pulled his trousers up and walked to the security camera, I smiled like in a picture and struck a pose. The bathroom man ripped the cables out from the wall, they were a decent length. He walked to the same stall he was in previously and wrapped the wires around a pipe near the ceiling, he hung himself. His body was twitching and he was excreting waste as he was hanging in the last seconds of his life. The man at the counter went to check on the man, it wasnt normal to steal the security camera wires and just go the the bathroom. The man saw the bathroom attendee and immediately went to the counter, he pulled out the store shotgun and shved the barel in his mouth. Bye bye mister clerk. The remaining two store customers went seperate ways, The man paying for gas walked to the gas pump and the lady looking at tabloids went to a home improvement section. The man grabbed a lighter on the way out and the lady found a bottle of drain cleaner, she started drinking the urine colored liquid. The man pulled the gas hose out of the car and drenched hmself, meanwhile the lady finished the bottle and started vomiting blood and nothing else. She fell to the floor while a hole in her mid section began to form. The man started to drink the gasoline, he started to gag and cough what he was ingesting. He put the gas hose back in the pump and then grabbed the lighter, he flicked it. He first lit his left arm on fire and layed down in the puddle of gas beneath him, it was a circle of flames that soon lih the man on fire. The gas in his belly exploded into flames leaving him in a puddle of chunky red delight. The lady managed to call the police before she died, I removed the phone from her posession.

SALEM-"Is this the authorities?"

POLICE-"Please state your name, sir."

SALEM-"Ah, a polite police officer. Lovely!"

POLICE-"Who is this? The woman who's phone your speaking on, is she ok?"

SALEM-"Most likley no. She has a hole in her lower stomach and she is bleeding from her mouth and... Well stomach."

POLICE-"Sir can we have your name?"

SALEM-"All in good time, Your about three miles out correct?"

POLICE-"Uh... Yes how did you-"

SALEM-"THATS THE TRICK! I have no idea, heh."

POLICE-"Please stay where you are, we will be there soon."

SALEM-"You see the eighteen wheeler comming on your right?"

POLICE-"Uh yes, who are you?"

SALEM-"Watch."

I listened, the wheel screeching, the crash and the scream. The officer was coughing int the cb radio, he was calling for help.

SALEM-"Oh they wont be there to help you."

POLICE-"Who the MOTHERFUCK *COUGH* are you!"

SALEM-" I am Salem Wilfre, the bringer of the end."

POLICE-"How do you know whats happening, where are you?"

SALEM-"Im at the gas station that you were dispatched to."

POLICE-"You... Killed those people?"

SALEM-"Well, yes. I did kill them, by making them kill themselves."

POLICE-"The fuck does that mean?"

SALEM-"Bilboard."

POLICE-"The fuck?"

He noticed the truck crashed into a advertisment bilboard, it fell onto the police mans back. It broke every bone in his spine not to mention slicing him in two at the base of his shoulders. He coughed and sputtered, like he was trying to talk.

SALEM-"Farewell, officer."

I turned on the TV and saw that every police officer in town died in a "freak accident" and the town was rioting. Ah, this is going to be fun. I grabbed a pocket knife and a lighter from behind the counter and cut my leg again, instantly cauterizing it with the lighter. It stung and burned so good. The gas from the pumt that was set ablaze was starting to have small explosions, time to leave before I end up like the people I had killed. I was about a mile out when-

*BOOM*

The gas station was leveled and I saw parts of it fly around the terrain around me. Military vehicles passed me, one stopped.

MILITARY PERSONEL-"HEY YOU OK?"

I acted distressed, to get on their good side to take it all away later.

SALEM-"FUCK man, they all died and-and-"

MILITARY PERSONEL-"WOAH WOAH! Take it easy, im Jax and im here to help."

SALEM-"Uh shit ok..."

JAX-"Come on, biiiig step and ok. Welcome to the fuckin force!"

We drove in some kind of tank with wheeles, I dont know what its called. There was no way the crimes could be traced back to me, I killed them indirectly. We arrived at the crater tha was the gas station.

JAX-"You dont need to even get out of the car if you dont want to."

SALEM-"Its... Ok, Il stay here."

JAX-"Ok."

They all got out of their vehicles and went to see if there would be any evidence of what happened besides the call the lady made, there wasnt. Now was not the time to kill them, all in good time. The military personel all packed into their vehicles and we started driving to the city, I have a plan. We drove into the city, I felt a man was on the top floor of a building with a gas oven. Yes, just like the A-Team, I love it when a plan comes together. The man broke the gat pipes at the building about two miles out from where we are. He stood by the broken pipes with a zippo lighter in hand. We got to the building and it was time for me to get out.

SALEM-"I-Um, live near here. Can you let me out?"

Jax parked the vehicle and let me out. He wouldnt be moving until his death. The other military vehicles were behind her and the building exploded dropping debris that cut through jax like butter, not to mention the people behind her. I grabbed my knife and sat on some cement that fell from the building, It felt good to feel pain again and the burn of a hot flame. I was in the city and there were people and deaths everywhere, beautiful. Theres a man bashing anothers head in with a rock, a woman stabbing the neck of a man with a large shard of glass. This is exactly what I wanted in life, to see others suffering. I walked through the chaos and the beauty that was my city, I laughed and cried at the same time. I looked at the remaining television in the electronics story that was still on, riots were all over america. Mabey I should try some long distance kills, perhaps the queen of England? I made the death of the queen be broadcasted on every network, she gutted herself in front of the world. I wish I had that recorded on my DVR.

???-"Salem?"

SALEM-"Hello Onikz."

ONIKZ-"The fuck is wrong with you! Get in here!"

He was inside of the basement of a room with nothing but canned food and a water spout. He was an old friend from high school, he was... different... not so like me but different.

ONIKZ-"I know its been awhile but, well your safe now from the rioters."

SALEM-"Oh I was ok, but now im better."

ONIKZ-"What the fuck are you talking about? ITS A GODDAMN RIOT! The queen killed herself, and the cops are DEAD!"

SALEM-"See the wall over there?"

ONIKZ-"Yeah why the fuck are we talking about a wall?"

SALEM-"You know what to do, right?"

ONIKZ-"Yes I do."

It was a long and painfull death but he bashed his forehead on the wall until his skull caved in, he fell onto the ground coughing. He rolled on to his stomach and started bashing his skull on the concrete floor until he died. I took the key to leave the bunker into the beautiful madness the world had become. I Walked bact to the television window and turned the television to BBC and saw that the death of the queen was perfect to cause havoc in Europe. Riots, shootings, the police were without orders to stop the hell that was unfolding. I killed the police there too after I saw the queens deaths effect on the society. The rest of the world was the same, kill the leaders and the people that could stop the riots. The worlds leaders and authorities were all dead, and so was the military. My left leg was bleeding so I burned it shut again. The streets were more quiet now, the dead was like in ocean of blood. The news station was down, all of them were cut off. The apocolypse was here, I had started the most stunning event in human history and I love it. I saw the man in the black hood appear at the end of the road, I approached him.

SPIRIT-"You have done well, but there are still humans alive that need to be erased. They are in hiding so you will need to find them. Luckily they are close by and you can blend in.

SALEM-"I understand, can you lead me to the vermin?"

SPIRIT-"I can take you to them."

SALEM-"Perfect."

The spirit led me for about a mile through the city to a makeshift base made of gurders and broken cement blocks.

SPIRIT-"They cant see or hear me, kill them."

SALEM-"HELLO? PLEASE ANYONE?"

???-"Yes here! Your next to my house."

A woman walked out from a small opening in the wall she seemingly constructed.

???-"Hey, im Tariz. This is my new... Uh, home. Come in!"

I crawled into the base to see that she was the only one there, where are the other survivors?

TARIZ-"Like some tea? Its old but still good."

SALEM-"A-After what ive seen today im not so hungry."

TARIZ-"Unerstandible, UNDERSTANDIBLE! Well your probably not hungry either, well off to bed with us! Its night right?"

SALEM-'Last I checked."

TARIZ-"GREAT! Lets go to bed, got like seven beds WAITING to be slept in!"

Later as she was sleeping I broke a gas pipe hoping that there was still gas inside. I set my jacket on fire and left, then boom. The building colapsed on top of her I assumed, then she came running out on fire.

TARIZ-"WHAT THE FUHUHUK! OH GOD!"

Her face seemed to melt off like it were made of ice. The charred remains of Tariz were at my feet, I rolled up my pant leg and cut myself again. Yes I can still feel, I burned the wound closed and walked out of the rubble. Everyone was dead but me right? The man in the dark hood implied that there would be more than one person left yet there was only one. Then I saw the spiritual dark hooded man, he walked towards me and put a hand on my shoulder.

SPIRIT-"You have one more to kill, you cant see him or hear him. If you kill him the universe, well story, will end. You alone can end the story MAKING once and for all."

SALEM-"Im confounded, story?"

SPIRIT-"This man, The Writer, has written the entire story that we live. We are mere pawns in his game, he wants to die and you may sympathize. He wants to stop ruining the lives of his creation, he wants the story to end."

SALEM-'This writer... Is he a god?"

SPIRIT-"He is all of the universes, people, gods, places... That were ever known to you. You kill the writer, you end the story."

SALEM-"I have never seen evidence of this writer you speak of, how do you know he exists?"

SPIRIT-"He told me to make you kill everyone for a story, to make the story good. He wanted this to be the end of the writer."

SALEM-"He... Made me kill? He made me... Me?"

SPIRIT-"He made everything you ever knew, you will die when the story dies... The ending of it all... In a story this is the conclusion."

SALEM-"How do I find him?"

SPIRIT-"He has found you already, just... Kill..."

I looked at the spirit, he pulled down his hood and I saw it was a man, dark brown hair and eyes, looked to be in his late teens. He was the writer.

WRITER-"Kill me."

SALEM-"Yes, Owen."