Earth: Judgment Day (flash fiction)

An unpublished flash fiction by yours truly.  Not for everyone, but I hope you like it.

Earth:  Judgment Day

by Michael Bradley

Andrew looked up at the sky, so pretty, blue and distant.  He sighed heavily.

Dennis heard him and turned, “How do you know for sure?”

“They told me Dennis.  They appeared to me and said it was Judgment Day, and they would pour out destruction upon the Earth and start anew.”  Andrew look at the soft turf growing from the rich soil.

“How do you know they were real?  Maybe you just ate something that made you hallucinate?”

Molly strolled over, hearing the part from Dennis.  “Hey Andrew, hey Dennis!  What’s this I hear you telling everyone Andrew?”

Andrew appreciated the beauty of young Molly.  If they had any time left, he could see himself raising a family with her.  Now, what was the point?  “The world ends today Molly, at least for us.”

“How could you know that?  Why say such terrible things Andrew?”  Molly choked back a sob.  “It’s so nice out today, why ruin it with all this doomsday talk?”

Andrew thought about that.  Why ruin the day indeed?  What difference would it make?  Why not let them enjoy their last few hours in ignorance?  Andrew looked at his friends.  “You’re right, it must have just been something I ate.  I’m sorry, I’ll stop talking about it.”

Dennis and Molly, satisfied and peace restored to their moods, took off running.  Hunger overrode conversation.

Andrew looked back at the sky.  How long will it be now?  They had come to him in some sort of flaming object from the sky.  Cloaked in bright white light with wings of white feathers and flaming shafts in their arms.

The middle of three communicated to him, but in his mind, there had been no words spoken.  He saw visions of Creation, how the one great spirit had made the Earth, the sky above, the creatures that lived in it.  These three were his angels, spirits that lived with him in peace and looked after the Earth.

There were legends and religions among them for thousands of years that they had been created and this life was but a test.  One day, Judgment Day, they would be weighed and found worthy or be destroyed.  Andrew was horrified to find that all life on the planet had been found wanting.  The day of destruction would be today.

Andrew remembered with fear the images of a huge stone being directed at Earth from the skies.  It would hit with tremendous power, followed by a change in everything.  All life as Andrew knew it would cease.  The Earth would be made new, and the spirits would try again.

Andrew was fearful.  There was nothing he could do.  He could not stop the rock from falling, and telling his friends just made them sad.  He felt rooted to this spot.  Why had the angels told him?

He remembered the parting message, that in an instant, he would be transformed into a creature of light.  He was the last soul to be saved.  Everyone else had turned to fighting and killing, selfishness, greed, and had rejected the Creator.  Judgment Day had been postponed to squeeze out every last successful spirit.  That spirit was Andrew.

If only Molly or Dennis could come.  He had asked the angels, can I take my friends?

They smiled but said ‘no’ inside his mind.  It would be alright they reassured.  A travel through light, then all would be forgotten of this world.  He would feel peace, love, and be able to look after those who would come next.  He was told it would be a long time, but that time would not matter anymore.

Still, Andrew hated to say goodbye.  He just stood looking at the sky, waiting.

Then, it came.  The sky darkened, the ground shook, temperature rose and there was a sudden shock.  Andrew the dinosaur left his mortal coils.

Millions of years later, he watched as spirits were placed into the small pale mammals called humans.  He cheered them on, hoping they would last longer than his people, but he was to be disappointed.