The End Of The World

Lucas

As for usual, morning came with me being awoken by the familiar fellow named Fishy, as if you wouldn't know him already. He wished to go somewhere with me and that he had already planned places we could visit. From what I heard today was gonna be a big day. At least for him.

Almost right as I had gotten myself ready for the upcoming day, Fishy brought me on a walk in the forest which wouldn't have been anything special but due to this being more of the mountainy side of it, I didn't know the place too well and of course neither did Fishy. We walked through some hiking tracks he had chosen for reasons he chose to not say. I didn't complain though since it was fun and I enjoyed the time we spent just walking together without having anything important to discuss.

The road was certainly different from the more familiar part of the forest. It was more difficult and less nature filled. The ground felt harder and just walking felt different due to it being more rocky. 

At last we had arrived at his desired destination. It didn't look too amazing just observing from the side. There was an old wooden bench next to a cliff that Fishy dragged us to. After getting up close to it I finally noticed why this sounded like such a wonderful place. It seemed straight from a fairy tale. I've seen a lot in this wicked life of mine but nothing has been as spectacular as this. You could see straight to the place in the middle of the mountains that stated at the east side of our island. It was filled with nature that seemed untouched by the people living here. As if it was left alone for a reason. There was a waterfall that gave the illusion of rainbows scattering everywhere with the trees and other plants. 

"Isn't it beautiful?" Fishy wondered completely in the depths of his mind. "Just like you".

"Huh? Well either way, how did you find out about this place?" I questioned him, almost ignoring the comment he said about me.

"You don't know? It's basically common sense that this is a popular place where couples go to", he said in a kind of mocking tone, giving my forehead a flick. 

We spent a lot of time just talking mostly about how we have been since neither of us has had enough time for such idle chit chattering. Or mostly him since I barely have anything to do. We talked like that until I got a feeling of being watched. Fishy noticed my sudden change in behavior as I turned to look behind me.

"What is it?" He asked me with a bit of concern in his tone.

"Nothing, I just got the feeling that we were being watched", I answered.

"I mean it wouldn't be that surprising if there was someone else here even though I haven't noticed it for a bit", he tried to explain my thoughts.

"That's not a human though", I said pointing to a nearby bush where some pretty noticeable feather-like ears popped out from. You could also notice the beings white fur.

Whatever it was it had realized that I had noticed it. It jumped out of the bush like some cartoon character and fled before I could react in any way. Now that I think about it, its white fur seemed way too bright and clean for a forest animal. It also had one big eye enough to cover almost all of its face. That is if you can even call it a face due to it's worm-like body.

"It kinda looked like a wormy even though from what I remember those aren't white and that big", Fisht wondered. 

Without much consideration, we left the forest since Fishy still had another place he wanted to go with me and staying outside for too late would be way too dangerous. That is what he thinks though, I honestly wouldn't care even if we stayed here for the rest of the night. While leaving, the 'wormy' stalked us pretty obviously. I wonder why it was so intrigued of us. 

Why had Fishy chosen places so far away from each other? They were like on the other sides of the island. The route was so long that I almost had to get Fishy to carry me till the end.

Fishy barely ever visits the city. Actually I wouldn't say he goes anywhere outside of our home. Since Dawn always does the shopping and there's basically nothing else to do here he wouldn't have a reason anyways but it's still kinda interesting. Unlike me who basically has to go through the city everytime I bother going to school since going through the city would be the quickest route and I doubt I would be able to handle anything longer. 

The city was filled with tiny shops and kiosks that catched Fishy's interest. Even though I already knew what all of them shared and couldn't give a damn about them, we still visited most of them but ended up leaving empty handed most of the time, not wanting to use all of Dawn's money. 

Fishy had just finished buying some sweets which wasn't the first of his groceries. I hadn't bought anything on this trip. We were about to continue before some elderly man interrupted us.

"Greetings young… uhhh… person", the strange man was talking to Fishy. 

"Yes?" Fishy responded.

"It's nothing too important, I just wanted to tell you how much you remind me of my daughter", the man answered but right as Fishy was about to answer he continued "But she committed suicide one and a half years ago".

"Oh... I'm sorry for your loss", Fishy answered now staring at the ground with his eyes wide open, looking like his mind was somewhere completely else. 

"Oh well anyways we should probably get going so bye bye", I put the conversation to an end after an awkward silence lasting a couple seconds putting my hand on Fishy's shoulders and pulling him away. 

I mean Fishy does look like a girl but actually being one is a completely different thing. Why choose a girl if making a boy? Fishy is a boy, right? Also wouldn't picking them from somewhere further than almost our neighbor be smarter? Either way I'd rather not think about it more. I know that poor girl wasn't the only one used but based on the man's words she must have been the base or atleast most of what was made. 

"Oh nooo, are you a woman??? I don't wanna marry you and have 5 kids anymore", I joked hoping that Fishy would catch on to the sarcasm in my tone. 

"Huh? How could any of that be possible in the first place?" Fishy questioned, obviously not picking on the joke. 

We continued walking wherever Fishy had planned for us to go. The last place was supposedly on top of a tiny mountain that was located near the harbor of our island. Fortunately there was a nice path leading to the highest point making it easier to reach our destination. I was apparently so exhausted that Fishy had to hurry me. What was he so hurried for? 

I managed to completely zone out. On accident of course. Just the sight of someone so close who honestly enjoyed spending time with me and was excited about it was too much for my mind to handle. Am I dreaming? His excitement could also be seen from how hard he was squeezing my hand. How can someone be so fascinating?

Fishy brought us to the peak of the mountain as expected with the only thing in our view being the ocean that was splattered with the colors of the sky. Nothing but the ocean and the sky in our view. The sun hadn't set yet making the view not as fancy as it could be. Fishy pulled me so that I would sit next to him on the edge of the cliff making possible death be just a couple centimeters away. 

"So what now", I asked looking at Fishy while he stared intensely into the horizon. 

"Be quiet, it's starting soon!" Fishy hushed me, giving me a quick glance back until going back to his original position. It was as if his eyes glimmered like a cartoon character's. 

He noticed me still staring so he moved my face with his finger making me also stare at the horizon. He was just in time since a couple seconds later the anticipated event occured. The sky changed color in just mere seconds. It was now completely red, the parts further from the sky being more on the purple side. How have I not noticed something like this before? It's not the same as a normal sundown, this was more severe making everything in sight red. Is this some kind of special event only happening once in an eternity? 

"I had heard of this before but I doubted it was true", Fishy said. I wasn't sure why this was so special of a thing. I didn't mention it, not wanting to ruin his mood. 

After talking for a bit, Fishy wrapped his arms around me while also leaning against me. I was surprised by this, making me flinch a bit. He isn't usually this physical with me.

"I won't be able to carry you home if you fall asleep", I noted.

"I suppose we have to stay here for the night then", Fishy responded with a sleepy voice. 

"Nope, you will be staying here for the night, I would go home alone in that case".

"Why must you be so cruel?"

I didn't even realize my look changing from the horizon to the beauty beside me. It's not often that I feel like this but currently, for the first time in my life, I wished to have a future, a future with Fishy. I know my weird dreams are impossible with Fishy only existing due to magic and me barely having enough to live myself but they are dreams for a reason. That is unless this illness of mine had a cure, oh but that's also a dream. Oh how I wish someone could just come and make these dreams of mine a reality.

Is it normal to feel like this about another person? Am I allowed to feel like this? Not like it's anything new, I felt like this towards my previous best friend, Oliver. That was until he almost got killed, lost all of his memories of us and now believes me to be his killer. I don't think I've ever even liked a girl, thinking that the only girl friends I've had were lesbians as well. The only reason I'm contemplating my feelings right now is the creeping thought of something happening to Fishy if I let my feelings get the best of me and us becoming something more than friends. What if he suffers the same fate as everyone else I've gotten close to. I wouldn't accept myself after that. I couldn't handle that, not again. Why do I even have these good for nothing feelings. I mean I know Fishy feels the same way about me but I still can't accept this.

I was awoken from my thoughts by the warm feeling of Fishy's hand on my cheek. The lack of space between the two of us was surprising. His big turquoise eyes were glimmering with the colors of red, purple and hints with dark blue due to the sundown just like the rest of him, if his brown corset and skin didn't count. The eye contact between the two of us lasted for multiple seconds with neither of us reacting in any other way. We just admired each other. Suddenly I noticed his gaze changing from my eyes down to my lips.

"I…" Fishy mumbled before gazing back at my eyes. "Can I?"

I knew what Fishy meant with his question. I felt my heart beating faster than before this evening and my cheeks burning. This would be my first kiss with Fishy, above all with anyone. A bit shameful how an almost 17 year old hasn't had their first kiss yet nor anything else this romantic. My mind and body worked with a completely different sense as I felt myself nod in approval.

Then it happened: we kissed. My cheeks burning more intensely with red than before. Fishy's hands running up from my waist to my neck to pull me deeper into him. His lips felt so soft against mine. Neither of us wanted this to stop. Even though Fishy has experience with stuff like this I believe that this is still something new to him as well since for once it actually means something more than just work. 

The beautiful scene with us ended suddenly when I realised what I was doing. Fishy flinched as I backed away from him to stand up further from the cliff side. His eyes filled with sorrow and confusion. 

"I'm sorry I just can't feel like this towards you", I apologised, knowing my explanation wouldn't save the scene.

"Are you scared that I may suffer the same fate as the others?" He asked as if reading my mind. I stayed quiet, feeling my eyes turn wet. I kept my face low as a desperate attempt to hide my emotions. "You don't have to be scared for me, A and Dawn wouldn't get rid of me that easily you know", He reassured me now standing up as well. "They care for me almost as much as you do".

There was a momentary silence between us until I decided to say something.

"I think we should go home", I started leaving before Fishy could even answer which is why he just followed me. 

Even though my actions just now did leave me feeling quite quilty, this did leave me some time for other thoughts which was good but then again bad. I could go through what just happened at what it would mean for the future but then again the bad thing with this being how if our relationship became anything deeper, without a cure, it couldn't last longer than a year. 

With those other thoughts I also started thinking about my surroundings and what was going around me, where I was and where I was going. The answer being: I was walking home from this strange and unfamiliar mountain. Are mountains usually shaped like this? Like they are going straight up with no curve whatsoever. Thinking about it, has this always been here?

"Has this mountain always been here?" I asked Fishy just in case.

"Yes, why do you ask?" he replied.

"Oh well my mind must just be playing with me, so nothing to worry about", I laughed even though I truly didn't think this way. I know that I sometimes just hallucinate things but this feels like a bit too much. Speaking of hallucinating, am I going blind or why is everything so blurry all of a sudden?

The world around me was spinning. Not in the way a person would say when they feel weak and are about to faint but physically. Some bits and pieces completely disappearing and leaving an empty white void beneath. My vision became like a piece of abstract art. The colors and sounds malfunctioning into a surrealistic mess. It was like there was a broken vinyl playing but a lot more messed up than just broken. As a person without epilepsy I could imagine myself getting an attack like that soon. Soon I found myself in an empty void of nothingness. Soon after, my consciousness also leaving. 

He was petting me like some cat sleeping on his lap. I'm not complaining, it felt nice and I enjoyed it and all so nothing too horrible about it. That was until he started speaking.

"You are being really cute right now", he said to which I lifted my head to stare at him with a forced angry face.

"What did you just call me?" I questioned with a bit of a harsh tone

"Awh you are so similar to your mother", He teased. I knew he was just teasing but how tiny of a brain do you have to own to say such a thing. 

"Argh!" He yelped

It took me a bit to realise what had happened. 

I bit him.

I bit him like some kind of animal.

"Oh I'm so so sorry I didn't realise what I was doing, please forgive me", I apologised while also begging for forgiveness, my face now in a bit of a worried expression.

"It's fine I've felt worse pain" he chuckled.

A bit of silence

"What has my mother done to you?" I asked with a concerned tone, tilting my head to the side a bit in a confused expression, squinting my eyes at him trying to get my thoughts to work.