Honesty in the End

 

                “Well that doesn’t seem right at all,” said Jerry. 

                He was looking up toward the sky, watching a green glowing mass slowly descend towards the Earth’s surface. He spit into the high grass to his right and wiped the edges of his mouth with his flannel sleeve. The high grass bristled in the afternoon breeze and was the only sound Jerry could hear. 

                “Yup, that ain’t right at all,” said Jerry as the Sun was slowly blotted out of the sky. The blue Autumn sky turned dark as some strange pitch swallowed the light. 

                Jerry started backing down the long dirt road towards his farm. The winds picked up and swirled in bursts through the harvested fields and across the roads. Fall leaves skittered across the road in hurried masses.  Jerry could feel a slight rumbling in the ground as he started to run up to his front porch where his wife Mavis was clutching the porch post, peering up at the darkened sky. 

                “What is all that ruckus,” asked Mavis.

                “It’s the end of the World I think,” said Jerry, “We’ve got to get down to the storm cellar I think.” 

                Mavis looked back up to the sky and shook her head and made the Sign of the Cross. 

                “It’s because of all the liberals,” said Mavis, “God’s coming to punish them and their wicked ways. A final reckoning of all their mis-deeds, fornications, homosexuality, baby murdering and worship of false idols like the social media and CNN. Praise Jesus.” 

                “Mavis, now don’t be that way. You know that the good book says to ‘judge not lest ye be judged’,” said Jerry. 

                “I’m sorry Jerry. It’s just that, I don’t want to have to pay the price for their misdeeds. I’ve lived a good Christian life and I can’t believe the world is going to end before we even had a chance to really do any living. All we’ve been doing is working this farm for the last 23 years and what do we get for it. A damn Apocalypse,” said Mavis. 

                Jerry pulled Mavis from the porch and started leading her around the side of their modest frame home. The winds picking up as they walked, blowing hot air all around them. 

                “I hear you Mav, it’s just, when it’s time…it’s time,” said Jerry. 

He pulled open the storm cellar doors. The sky rumbled and the green glowing object in the sky was now engulfed in the flames of entry into Earth’s atmosphere. 

“Let’s get in the cellar here and perhaps God will find us worthy of sparing,” said Jerry. 

He pulled Mavis by her right arm as he stepped down the old cellar steps. She shrugged him off. 

“I can do it myself thank you Mr. Handsy. Don’t think we’re going to be getting all cozy down there. I’ve a right mind to kick you out and force you to be a cursed surface dweller,” shouted Mavis. 

“Yes ma’am,” said Jerry as she climbed down the stairs past him. 

Jerry closed the cellar doors behind her and latched them into place. He closed the additional storm shutters he’s installed last Summer as well. The cellar was quiet and dark. 

“Did you remember to put the batteries down here,” asked Mavis as she fumbled in the dark for the lantern. “I don’t know how many times I told you about the batteries.” 

“I did. They’re to the left of the big beef jerky boxes and the feed bags,” said Jerry. 

Jerry could hear Mavis’ heavy breathing as she searched for the lanterns. Which she did find and switched on, bathing the cellar in hot fluorescent light. 

“Are you alright Mavis,” asked Jerry.

“No, I am not. I am very mad that if this is the end of the World then I feel like we got cheated,” said Mavis. 

Jerry nodded and looked up at the floor boards above his head. He could hear them groaning ever so slightly. Although he wasn’t 100% sure that it wasn’t also Mavis groaning in concert. 

“I mean, you work in a mine shaft for ten years, get enough so we can get a loan from a bank to buy a farm which took us years and years to get right. I left my school dreams of my seamstress shop. We try to have children but God doesn’t bless us in the family way, but we persist and we build a life together, give to the church, pray with the Johnson’s when their Sally got hooked on the opioids, buy Christmas presents for the orphans down by Bodega Bay School district, and this…this is our justly heavenly reward. To die in this cellar while some rich fornicator will probably survive whatever this is so they can continue to fornicate and sin while we’re buried under this dreadful old house,” said Mavis. 

“Seems like that’s the way the Lord wants it,” said Jerry as he felt the support joists shudder. 

The house was shaking and the ground was trembling. Dust and dirt was sifting up into the air and Mavis shooed it away. Jerry went to the cellar window and peeled back the thin silver foil he’d put over the glass so long ago, Y2K he thought, and peeked through a thin sliver out toward the side yard. The sky looked to be on fire as clouds seemed to be in a roiling boil, thrashing about in high winds and what seemed like great plumes of flame. 

“Ugh, that’s powerful,” said Mavis as she pulled her shirt up over her nose. The air smelled charred and acrid. 

“It’s not looking too good out there,” said Jerry, “I don’t think we’re going to make it.” 

Mavis folded her arms and plopped onto one of the cots Jerry had put down. She huffed and blew the hair off her forehead. 

“Of course we’re not going to make it. Why would we, the good people, make it,” rhetorically asked Mavis. 

Jerry re-sealed the window and sat down next to his wife. He put his arm on her leg and pat her gently. 

“Mavis, I hate you. I’ve hated you for years. You are a cruel woman, bereft of compassion, honesty and empathy. You are demanding, spiteful, and a sincerely ugly person. I’m actually sorry I have to die in here with you and I can only hope upon the resurrection I won’t have to be harnessed to such a wrathful and hateful woman,” said Jerry. 

Mavis leaned in towards Jerry and put her head on his shoulder. 

“Jerry, you’re an impotent coward who never once took any initiative. You’d rather masturbate in the woods than touch me. You smell bad and your general hygiene is akin to some sort of troll mixed with a sasquatch. I hate when you eat, breath and spit. I hate that I wasted my life with you. If we become undead zombies, I hope we won’t know each other, and if we do, I hope I can spear myself in the head” said Mavis. 

Jerry pulled Mavis in closer and kissed her on her neck. She squeezed his hand. The walls of the cellar burst into flame and the house dropped on top of Jerry and Mavis.