The End of the World

The world around me is white, and it is big, and I am around my people. It is very organized, and we have been assembled in groups, divided by our own cabins. Above me, there is another level, and there are beings much bigger than I. They are hollow too, and transparent. In front of me there are other beings, and they are thin, and I can’t see their entire face. They are formed in lines. The odour in the air is not decent, and I can conclude therefore that we haven’t been washed in days. Despite our organization, some of us are tied together, uncomfortably. I wonder what the hell will happen when everything is not white anymore, and we go in darkness..

Everyone is very clueless and some of us are scared. I stay calm. We can’t move, no. We can’t run. I look around and there is no exit, no light. What calls my attention is a noise that starts. It is very peculiar and it is increasing.

Like something flowing. Everyone is unsteady and we are looking desperately around. We bang against each other, struggling, and as we hit ourselves, our ears tremble uneasily. We try to stay as still. But the noise becomes louder, and we can’t just ignore it anymore. We’ve never known to be too optimistic, anyway. Hell, we’ve never been known for anything at all.

I listen hard. Something seems to be moving fast, somewhere, here inside. Like flowing. It might not be safe, but it’s refreshing, it’s cool.

Some of us, they are willing to defend themselves with their knives and their spike, but some of us, and me, we are helpless. We try to protect the small ones, and it is sort of satisfying to know that the hollow and plain beings, are scared too.

The air becomes humid, and my eyesight is blurry. Everyone is even more desperate, because we are enclosed, so many of us in such a small space. I start sweating, and the bad smell doesn’t help at all.

For a moment, I am focussing on my state, rather than the noise enclosing me. But it’s becoming much louder by the second. Everyone gasps in chorus as our bottoms are wet. The water is surprisingly hot. Some of us try to jump, but we can’t. We have humidity surrounding us, and there is not much we can do. Everyone is shouting, and so the gasps and mourns, they don’t help decrease the heat.

I am burning, and I think everyone is too. The water, the noise becomes louder, it is rushing up, each time faster. Soon only my giant head is safe. But not for long. The water level rises, and soon our cabins are completely enclosed by boiling water. The hollow ones, un top, soon the water reaches them too. Some more shouts, and I am trying to resist.

The tension increases as the water moves faster among us. Faster, faster, and soon I can’t feel the pain. I am quiet and still and just wait for this to finish. I get dizzy because there is a loud buzz, and just water.

Suddenly it seems the water stops moving, and it starts to drain. The hollow ones, they are the first ones free. Then, the water reaches our level again, and I can stick my head out. There is not much I can see, because we are still in darkness. Now I can only hear sighs, and everyone is being suffocated with suspense and nervousness. No one is breathing sort of. We all hold strength within ourselves and try to think about what might follow.

I start feeling cold. And knowing that a second or so ago, I was dying of heat. But the air turns so cold, and the water runs down my thin body, and I surprisingly miss the hot water of before. The odour is gone, but we are all trembling softly, and still molest each other. A new noise arises, and this goes softer. It’s like a buzz all over again, though. Should we have hairs in our heads, they’d be quite unstable and frizzy, I think with a bit of humour.

Then there is no more buzzing, and I am not cold anymore. Another type of sound is produced, and for a second I am scared, till I see the huge door opening. I look at everyone. We are too surprised to notice how clean we are now. How sudden perfection followed such disaster. The hollow ones and the plains are clean too. They look around though they can’t move much, but at least we are happy. We are sighing in relief, and glad for the odyssey to be over.

“Mama!” Someone shouts from the outside. “The washer is done! The dishes are clean!”