SHORT STORY: The Last Days

Andrew and Lawrence had known each other since their days spent attending the same seminary. They were both deeply devoted to their religion and had shared the same lifelong goal of one day serving as priests. On the other hand, as they progressed in their education, they started to have doubts about some of the more established dogmas of the church.

They came to the idea that they were less interested in mindlessly adhering to the doctrines and more interested in investigating the scientific and logical aspects of theology. Because of this, they both decided that it was best for them to abandon their religious beliefs and concentrate on their studies instead.

Andrew went into the field of biology education, while Lawrence entered the field of history education. They continued to talk about topics related to their shared interests in theology and science throughout their friendship.

Their discussions frequently centered on the concept of the "end of times," and they would spend hours debating the various interpretations of the Bible and the various theories that underpinned them.

Andrew and Lawrence were sitting in the living room, which was lit only by the dim light of a single lamp, which cast shadows on the walls. As they reminisced about their time spent in seminary, the weight of their conversation filled the room, making the atmosphere feel dense and heavy.

Andrew mused, with a heavy dose of melancholy in his tone of voice, "It's funny how things turned out." "Before we became teachers at a high school, we were both planning on becoming priests,"

Lawrence gave a short nod while keeping his attention focused on the flickering flame of a candle. "Yeah, it's not at all what we anticipated, but there's not a single thing about it that I would change," she said.

Before continuing, Andrew waited for a brief period of silence to pass. "Neither do I, and I believe that departing from the church was the wisest choice my family has ever made."

The expression of perplexity on Lawrence's face was clear. What exactly do you mean by that?

Andrew explained, with a trace of enthusiasm in his tone, that they were able to explore their interest and passion for theology in a way that they would not have been able to as priests. "We were able to explore our curiosity and passion for theology in a way that wouldn't have been possible as priests." And rather than just unquestioningly adhering to dogma, we were able to integrate scientific principles and logical reasoning into our coursework.

The grin on Lawrence's face indicated that he agreed. To put that into perspective, it's encouraging to consider the possibility that we can maintain our religious beliefs while also questioning established dogma and being open to novel concepts.

Andrew beamed a grin, and one could see a spark of pride in his eyes. Even though none of us have chosen to become priests, we are still carrying out God's will in our own unique ways.

When the two men started talking about a subject that was fascinating as well as unsettling, the conversation took a different turn. When Andrew mentioned the signs of the end of time, Lawrence began to shift uncomfortably in his seat. This was a direct result of Andrew's statement.

Andrew asked, in a tone that was grave and subdued, "Do you remember when we used to discuss the signs of the end of times?"

When Lawrence thought back on the arguments they had had in the past, he focused his eyes and narrowed his brow. "Of course, I do. Back in the day, we used to argue for hours about the myriad of theories and interpretations that can be applied to the Bible."

Andrew's voice became more solemn as he continued to discuss the current situation in the world. "Well, it appears as though we may currently be observing some of those signs," the speaker said.

As Lawrence listened to Andrew's words and allowed the weight of what they implied to sink in, he felt a flutter in his chest. What exactly do you mean by that?

Andrew then went on to say, "Take a look at what's happening with this pandemic." People are getting sick, economies are collapsing, and there is chaos everywhere; it's as if the whole world has come to a standstill.

As Andrew's words continued to reverberate through space, everyone in the room fell silent. As Lawrence attempted to comprehend the seriousness of the situation, his thoughts raced rapidly.

Lawrence protested feebly, "But this isn't the end of times," hoping to calm his own nerves as much as Andrew's. "But this isn't the end of times," "This is just another pandemic; we've experienced pandemics in the past."

Andrew gave a resolute chuckle and shook his head while maintaining a determined expression. "Yes, but this is different. It is affecting the entire world, and it is not just a health crisis. It is causing political unrest, and it is creating economic instability. It is like the beginning of the end."

As Lawrence listened to Andrew, his stomach began to churn with anxiety as he listened to what he had to say. He desperately wanted to have faith that things would get better and that they were overreacting to the situation. But he was aware, somewhere in the depths of his being, that there was a chance that Andrew was correct.

Lawrence gave in and agreed that they should keep an eye on the situation and be ready to help if they could. His tone was filled with a sense of urgency. "We should keep an eye on the situation and be ready to help if we can," he said. Although it may not be possible for us to stop the end of the world as we know it, each of us can still make a difference in the lives of those around us.

During the time they were in the faculty room grading papers, Andrew saw that there was something peculiar about the sky outside. As a result, their conviction grew stronger. The sun was setting a good deal earlier than it did on a typical day, and the sky was taking on a peculiar hue of red.

Andrew had no trouble recognizing the signs as they were described in the book of Revelation, and he tried to explain it to Lawrence. However, his initial reaction was one of skepticism because he believed it to be nothing more than an unusual weather occurrence.

Andrew said to Lawrence, "Lawrence, look outside! The sun is setting earlier than it normally does, and the sky is turning red. This is it; this is what we've been talking about all these years. The end of time is coming."

Andrew: "Come on, it's probably just a weather anomaly or something. Don't jump to conclusions so quickly." Lawrence: "Come on. It's probably just a weather anomaly or something."

Andrew: "I know what I saw, Lawrence. This is exactly what the Bible describes in Revelation. The sky turned red like blood, and the sun darkened. We need to prepare ourselves." Lawrence: "I know what I saw."

You're making it sound like we have to get ready for the end of the world or something, Lawrence. "Prepare ourselves for what?"

And now, the sky is turning red. We need to be ready for whatever is coming. Look at what is happening with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a sign of the times. And now, the sky is turning red.

"Okay, okay. Maybe you are right. But what can we do? We are just two high school teachers. How can we prepare for the end of the world?" Lawrence replied. "Okay, okay."

Andrew: "We need to warn people, Lawrence. We need to make them understand what's happening and how they can prepare themselves. We need to spread the word, no matter how crazy it sounds. We need to make them understand what's happening and how they can prepare themselves."

"And how do you propose we go about doing that? Who would listen to us?" asked Lawrence.

Andrew: "We begin with the news stations. We tell them what we've seen and what it means. We spread the word, and we hope that eventually, people will start to listen."

As more time passed, they couldn't help but feel as though they were trapped in a nightmare of their own making. The warning signs that they had researched and shared with others were materializing right in front of their very eyes.

Everything in the world was a mess. Natural disasters were occurring more frequently and with a greater degree of severity. Various parts of the world were ravaged by natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. However, that was only the beginning of it.

Panic and economic instability were brought on by the rapid spread of a new illness that had not yet been identified and which had begun to affect Asia. Large numbers of people were losing their lives, and the governments of the world appeared helpless to stop it.

In the meantime, across the ocean in the Americas, the assassination of a dictator in South America sparked a number of secessionist movements in addition to political unrest. The entire continent was a time bomb ready to go off at any moment.

And in both Europe and Africa, a severe famine had taken hold, leading to the deaths of millions of people due to starvation. A refugee crisis of unprecedented proportions was caused because of people fleeing their homes to find food and shelter for themselves and their families.

Lawrence entered the faculty room while maintaining a gloomy expression. Andrew lifted his head from his work and noticed the look on his friend's face as he looked at him.

Andrew questioned, "What's the matter?"

"I just saw the news on VVPatrol," said Lawrence. "I just saw the news."

The end of the world is taking place, what with the illness in Asia, the political unrest in the Americas, and the famine in Europe and Africa. "Things are getting worse out there."

Andrew nodded slowly. He gestured toward the window as he spoke and said, "I've been seeing signs too." According to what is written in the book of Revelation, the color of the sky has been turning red.

Lawrence's eyebrow raised. "Come on, Andrew. You can't take it seriously to believe that all of this is because of some biblical prophecy, can you?"

"I do," Andrew said firmly. "I've been researching this topic for years, and all of the signs are pointing to the end of time. We ought to get ready for it, and we ought to warn others."

The question that Lawrence posed was, "But how can we possibly warn others?" Nobody will pay attention to what we have to say because they will consider us to be insane.

Andrew remarked that we ought to try. "We have a responsibility to help others and spread the truth, despite how challenging it may be. We cannot just sit here and watch as the world falls apart around us."

In spite of all of their efforts, no one was listening to them or taking their warnings seriously. They tried to spread the word, but they were met with accusations that they were spreading fake news and inciting unnecessary fear.

If they wanted to have any chance of getting people to listen to what they had to say, the two were well aware that they needed to reach a larger audience. They reached out to the regional news outlets in their area and begged them to cover their story. They were initially ignored or refused service, but they continued to ask for it anyway.

They started off by going to 24/7 Oras, which is one of the news programs that get the most viewers in the country. They were delighted to receive an invitation for an interview because it provided them with the opportunity to finally present their findings. However, things did not turn out the way we had anticipated. They attempted to explain the science and theology that supported their theories, but the news anchors would not listen to them. The news anchors ridiculed them and made fun of what they called their "baseless prophecies." The interview turned out to be a miserable failure in the end.

They did not give up and tried once more, this time with the news program VVPatrol, which is also extremely popular. They were successful in obtaining an interview, but it did not go any better than the previous one did. They were ridiculed as conspiracy theorists and fearmongers by the anchors, and the interview was edited in a way that made them appear to be incompetent.

Andrew walked in a frantic circle; his hands clenched into fists the whole time. It was easy to feel both his frustration and disappointment at the dismissive response from their peers. Lawrence sat down next to him, his face showing obvious disappointment.

Andrew muttered to himself, "It's as if we're invisible," and added, "It's as if they don't want to hear what we have to say."

Lawrence gave a satisfied nod, his eyes reflecting the same level of exasperation as those of his friend. "Despite the fact that we have poured our hearts and souls into this research and are fully aware of the outcomes, they continue to treat us as though we are insane."

The muscles in Andrew's jaw tensed up. It's possible that they're too afraid to face the truth, or that they don't want to believe that the end of the world is getting closer.

The astonishment in Lawrence's eyes grew. What if they are right? What if we're wrong? What if we're just two crazy guys trying to predict the end of the world? "What if we're just two crazy guys trying to predict the end of the world?"

Andrew whirled around to face him, the fire of determination blazing in his eyes. "Look around you, Lawrence. The world is falling apart. The signs are there, and we're the only ones who can see them." "We're not crazy. Look around you. The world is falling apart."

Lawrence sat back in his chair and creased his brow in an expression of concern. But what if we cannot persuade anyone, and we're the only ones who are aware of what's going on?

Andrew ceased his pacing and sat down next to him on the bench. "We have to keep trying; we can't give up. Maybe there's another way to spread the word, to get people to listen. We can't just sit back and watch as the world crumbles around us," she said.

Lawrence gave a satisfied nod, and his face began to relax. "You are absolutely correct. We must maintain our efforts. We owe it not only to ourselves but also to the rest of the world to continue fighting and to keep attempting to warn people."

Andrew reached out and put his hand on the shoulder of his friend. "We'll figure something out, Lawrence. We will get them to see things our way because we must,"

Both felt like they had lost. They had hoped that the news would assist in spreading the word and getting people to listen, but no one was willing to take them seriously. They returned to their classrooms, resigned to the fact that they would have to observe the events leading up to the end of the world without receiving any significant assistance from society.

People went about their day-to-day activities as usual, paying no attention to the warning signs that were growing ever more obvious. They watched in horrified disbelief as the world that they had always known fell apart around them. Even though they were aware that they had been correct about the end of time, this did not provide any comfort to them. They had issued a warning, but no one had heeded their words of caution. It was too late to turn back now.

People eventually came to the idea that they needed to face the facts of the situation as time went on. People prayed in what appeared to be vain inside the numerous churches and temples that were packed with worshippers. The world's governments failed, and society descended into anarchy as a result. The procedure was drawn out, excruciating, and gruesome all at the same time.

A rumbling sound could be heard in the distance, and it became impossible to ignore the signs that the end of time was approaching. With each passing day, it grew louder and more intense, until it was abundantly clear that a dormant volcano in the nearby mountains had abruptly roused itself from its slumber and was beginning to erupt. As the volcanic eruption started to get more intense, the ground began to shake, and the air became filled with ash and smoke.

People started screaming out of fear and desperation instead of praying. The sun disappeared, and a violent earthquake shook the ground below. Buildings were brought crashing down, and fires burned out of control throughout the area.

As they watched the world around them burn, they clung to each other for support. They were aware that their time had come to pass, and the only thing left for them to do was to accept their destinies.

People's spirits were consumed by the knowledge that they were unprepared for the end of the world as it erupted into a raging inferno alongside the world's destruction. However, the two were aware that they had completed every task within their power to save the greatest number of people.

Lawrence's heart was thumping in his chest as he clung to Andrew for support. In the midst of the rumbling sound coming from the ground, he yelled out, "What do we do now?"

Andrew gave his friend a firm grip on his hand while maintaining a serious expression. His voice could hardly be heard above the din of the chaos as he responded, "There's nothing left to do but accept our fate."

But how could we give up now? Lawrence cried out in protest while he stood there with tears streaming down his face. "There has to be some action taken!"

Andrew gave him a look that conveyed his sorrow. "There is nothing that can be done on our end. This is it, Lawrence, the conclusion. The conclusion of all things."

They were in the same place at the same time, both watching in horror as the world around them burned. When Lawrence realized that everything they had known and loved was gone for good, a wave of hopelessness washed over him. He felt as though there was no point in trying to get it back. At that precise moment, he had the impression that he was entirely by himself, except for the hand of his friend that was holding onto his own.

It was barely audible, but he managed to utter the words "thank you" to Andrew. "For being with me in this place."

Andrew gave a slight nod as tears began to well up in his own eyes. "At all times, my close friend. Always."

In the end, there was nothing left but a trail of destruction and carnage. Andrew and Lawrence remained standing as they awaited the end, fully aware that they had just seen the end of the world as it was predicted in the Bible. Soon enough, the raging, hot smoke engulfed the two, transporting them to the location that was rightfully theirs.

 

The End.