Journal through Armageddon

February 10 2007
I was late for work again, which always happens. I been working at the same place for over 30 years and I still can’t get there on time. The museum where I work has always been trying to get me to retire and this is just one more excuse “Oh” they’ll say “you’re in that time of life, time to retire and relax for your remaining years.” Jerks. It doesn’t matter to them that I love this place, this large building and full of history full of knowledge. The smell of million year old dust and plaster the smell of wonders, when you are in this place you feel small, small like a speck compared to the wide old universe. “I’ll retire when I’m dead” that is what I always say.

March, 9
I did it, I got here on time. It’s a tad early but that’s okay, I know that it is morning and the sun isn’t really up yet so I’m here. And they said I couldn’t do it they said I was getting on and it would be harder for me to get here, they even asked me if I had relatives I could stay with and they know I don’t. Oh well I showed them all right.

March, 10
I must have fallen asleep in my corner, a little spot not many people know about. The spot is on the second floor in the ancient civilizations wing, right behind a big tapestry. Anyway I must have fallen asleep because the people are gone and it seems darker then usual in here. I’m frightened I shouldn’t be but I am. It is probable because of the dream I had last night. In my dream I was working as usual guarding the second floor; when all of a sudden I heard a large blast somewhere off in the distance. I’m not sure what it was maybe a bomb maybe an asteroid. Anyway I heard this loud boom or blast and then in a second the all people were gone and the sky through the window was reddish orange almost as if stained by blood. The museum of which I love grew old and ancient and the few windows that were left were covered in dust. And then I knew, (in my dream of course) I knew that I was all alone, the last human being on our planet.

March, 11
The doors are usually locked at night so I had to wait. I didn’t sleep very well but I made it through the night. Now it is morning I think it is, it’s kind of dark in here and the lights aren’t on. The nightmare keeps coming back to me as I wait for people and some light.

March, 11
It must be raining outside, it must be. That is why it is so dark in here but now how do I explain the lack of people. And the fact that the doors are still locked, man I wish they trusted me with a key.

March, 11
I’m still here; I spent the day wondering around no people no guarding. Had lunch at one of the museums café’s, it was nice but I can’t get rid of this feeling of dread and despair. I don’t want to but I’m starting to believe that I am the last person on earth. My watch says it is around 10:00 PM. I’d be in my small dingy apartment by now having a cereal dinner and watching the television.

March, 12
I had another nightmare last night. I was in the museum in this nightmare and it was dark, there were only feint hints of light coming through the dust covered windows and the air within my former paradise seemed stale; it seemed to almost suffocate me. Suddenly I saw something dart down the hallway, I chased after it. After going through two whole floors in my pursuit I finally caught up with the thing near the ancient civilizations wing where this all started. Well anyway the thing that I was chasing wasn’t human, at least not any more. It (for that’s what it was an “it”) was grayish almost the color of somebody’s shadow, it was around six feet tall and some how seemed deformed to me. The top part of the head seemed like a big bowl was put over it and was tilting towards the front and one of the things arms was much longer then the other. It started to advance towards me. I woke up there, in a cold sweat, fearing for my life.

March, 12 mid afternoon
I want to leave, I want to retire from the job I once was so happy to have. I feel my mind slipping away from me; I think I’m going insane. If it wasn’t for this journal I think I’d be insane already. I’m afraid to go asleep and now I know I am the last human on this planet, the lone survivor. Will this nightmare ever end?

March, 13 1:00 AM
I was up all night, unable to fall asleep. Every noise I hear frightens me, every shadow I see scares me. luckily I just remembered the museum’s library and I’m going there now. Reading might help me regain some of my senses or at least distract me from this nightmare I now live in.

March 13, 5:00 A.M.
The library’s door is locked. And I have nothing to do to distract me. I’m stuck now with nothing to do but shake in fear and let my mind wonder. Why do these damn nightmares plague me?

March 13, 7:00 AM
I heard a noise downstairs on the first floor, I don’t want to check it out but I know I should. Maybe this nightmare is ending maybe my imagination has just gotten the better of me, maybe. Or maybe this nightmare has just started Maybe the noise I heard downstairs was made by those shadow things I saw in my dream. I don’t know and I’m not sure I want to know, but I guess I’ll go and see what it was. Just to see if I’m right; if my nightmare’s really have come true.

March 13, 7:09AM
I’m peering behind a corner and looking for the source of the noise I heard and although I can’t see exactly what made the noise. I can see there shadows cast upon the marble floors, from the light emitted from the open mahogany doors which used to be locked. I might be able to escape but the shadows I see look just like in my dream deformed and gray. That nightmare starts to come back to me even now. I must hide or escape but escape doesn’t look possible with all the shadows I see. So I must hide, besides what if there’s more out there waiting, waiting for me.

March 13, 8:00AM
I’m back behind the tapestry; it’s amazing how things come full circle. I’d hide somewhere else but this seems like the safest place to me. I have been up here for an hour or so and have not heard a noise, maybe they left. I hope so because all this excitement has started making me drift off. I don’t want to sleep though, I’m afraid of what I might see.

March 14, 3:00 AM
I just woke up. And not only did I not have a nightmare I came up with a plan, I’m going to get one of those fake mammoths tusks the museum has. And try to scare them out. I now it’s desperate but I’m need this nightmare to end, before I lose my mind. I will end this nightmare one way or another, I need it to end.

March 14, 5:00 AM
Everything is set, the minute those things step into the museum they’ll trip over a wire I set up, then I’ll attack and be free, free for ever. So far there hasn’t been any noise but I know I’ll beat them, just like during the war. Those fools called me a poor little devil they said I had shell shock; called me a coward, well I guess I showed them. And look there all dead and I’m alive.

March 14, 7:00 AM
It’s time, I think I heard one of them trip, now another. I’m going to rush in there any second now and be free of this nightmare. I’ll leave the journal here for now.

70 years in the future:
“Wow, It’s amazing how he knew all this would happen isn’t captain”
“Ya sure, just take it with you if you want it. We have to leave; the rocket is due to blast off any minute now”
“Captain, what do you think our new planet is going to be like?”
“Just like this one, now come on we have to go”
“Yes captain, it’s just too bad”
“What are you going on about now? We have to leave”
“Well it’s just the computer says this museum was under renovation in March of 2007”
“. . . I think we should go now, before we miss the last Rocket off this damn planet”
“Yes captain, sorry”
By Ryan Kellas