THE MOMENT
It was the end of the world, there was no doubt in Preston's mind. 'Apocalpyse' was the only apt word for his current situation. He was running for his life, fleeing from skeletal undead, even as countless more rained from the sky.
It'd been a nice morning minutes ago. He was on his way to a nearby job site to conduct his final walkthrough to make sure the bunker was safe and secure. His client was a billionaire currently enjoying a vacation out of the country with their family, but they were due back later that day. The autumn morning was chilly and breezy and perfect for a walk as the sun made its first appearance over the horizon.
If he wasn't terrified, Preston might have been amazed at how quickly things could change. In one moment, he was enjoying the cool air on his skin, and in the next, the peace was shattered by a hollow, brittle sound. He, and the other pedestrians on the sidewalk that morning, jumped in surprise. It was a startling impact in the center of the street.
Bleached white bones had splintered upon landing, but then, the fragments gathered together and took shape. An upright skeleton stood and approached the nearest bystander. Everyone, including Preston, was puzzled at first. But then, a second landed. And a third. Bone piles rained from the sky, producing an army of minions. That was when Preston started running, and he wasn't the only one.
He was fortunate to have a clear destination in mind, and he risked looking up as he ran. The purple pre-dawn sky was dotted with numerous and vast black holes. Each of them poured out an endless flow of white bones, as far as the horizon.
"It's actually the end of the world...," Preston was panicked enough to find humor in the situation. If nothing else, he was in the right industry. He built doomsday bunkers for billionaires, without truly believing in the product. He was lucky he had other people running his sales because he could never imagine the exact scenario he was in now.
For security reasons, and his own personal sense of organization, he gave himself secret administrative access to the bunkers on the theory that he was more likely to have to perform maintenance than any actual end of the world emergency. It wasn't something he needed at his current destination; he was still technically contracted on the job. But it did still vindicate his habits. If he wasn't currently working with the bunker he was, he would have several others to choose from in the area. He would take any good feelings he could find to keep himself calm as the undead fell around him. The saving grace seemed to be that the skeletons didn't take shape immediately. There was a small lag between the impact and becoming walking death.
He tried not to think about it, and he kept his eyes forward. But, screams all around him told the story of things he didn't want to pay attention to. Finally, with heaving breath and drenched in sweat, he reached the bunker, climbed down into it, then locked the entrance behind him.
"What the hell is going on out there...," he wheezed the thought aloud as he caught his breath. He was finally able to relax, and he sat on the recliner to try and process his thoughts.
"Genuine curiosity at a time like this?" Preston heard her voice before he saw her. The gentle whisper caressed his eardrums moments before a tall, pale woman with thick curling horns appeared in the bunker with him. "Why aren't you terrified, I wonder?" she asked as she looked down on him with golden eyes.
"Who are you??" Preston got to his feet and took several steps backward to give the intruder more space.
"Another question? You are a brave one," the horned woman grinned. "The rest of humanity is currently aghast, but not you. You've earned my interest, and I'll grant you either knowledge or a single favor as a reward," she said.
"You're the one doing this? Why? Who are you?" he asked again, this time with less timidity. She was beautiful in an enchanting, unnatural way. Preston knew better. He wasn't more comfortable because he thought she was friendly, but he did get the impression she was willing to negotiate within reason.
"That wasn't very clear. Are you requesting knowledge, or the favor of knowledge?"
"One thing at a time," Preston shook his head. "First, tell me who you are and why you're doing this."
"Very well," she nodded. "My name is Ballisea. I am a living, sapient universe. A sun god, and far more. I am doing this...," she shrugged with a smile. "Because this is what I do," she said. "Your entire Earth is little more than an idle diversion. Destroying your Earth is equivalent to drumming my fingers to stave off impatience. An afterthought," she added.
"Wait, destroy?" Preston asked.
"Eventually," Ballisea nodded. "It's entertaining to watch all the little humans swarm around in distress. When I grow tired of that, I'll destroy this one and move on to the next."
"Wait, uh.. can I ask that you don't do that? I mean, can my favor be just asking you to leave?"
"Oh, that would've been amusing," Ballisea nodded. "I think I might have agreed, if you had asked."
"Then, that's what I'm asking for! Leave this Earth alone and never come back!"
"It would've been smarter to ask for that first instead of learning about me," Ballisea shrugged. "If it's any consolation, I'll let you live until the very end."
"What? What do you mean? You offered me a favor and that's the favor!"
"I offered you both knowledge and a favor. You said, 'one thing at a time'," she giggled. "But, the offer was for only one of them," she said as she vanished again. He was left alone in the spacious doomsday bunker.
"You chose to pursue knowledge about me first, and now you know who I am."