Sun Kablooie!!!

There were a few people inside but they were regulars and I knew their tendencies, as well as how long they would last.

I was safe for at least fifteen minutes. I went out to the entrance and lit up a cigarette. 

I took a long drag, then blew it out slowly, relishing the nicotine flowing through my veins.

If Matsumoto had been around, she would have lost her mind.

'No smoking on the premises'  a sign pasted on the arch by the entrance warned me. 

I could almost hear it in her nasally voice.

I blew a puff right at the sign and turned my attention to more interesting things as well as the only reason I had actually taken this night shift.

The moon was hanging in the night sky, full and round and beautiful, like always.

I lost myself gazing at it, before remembering. I pulled out my phone and zoomed in as close as I could, which was always much too far.

My phone was a cheap brick and so it's camera quality failed to properly capture the moon's pure essence. I still took the picture anyway.

I took a deep breath of my cigar and opened 6ch.

User2309: Oh! It's the moon perv. Hii! Watching the moon again, huh? Lololol

User2310: No one can tell with how shitty your camera is, get a better one lololol

User2311: Screw yourself

User2312: Also watching over in Osaka! [Image attached]. Where are you? Let's meet up and watch together <3 -:)

User2313: No one cares. 

User2314: Does anyone know where I can find xxxxx? Asking for a friend

User2315: One of my friends took their Solace pill today. I'm thinking about doing the same. What do you guys think? 

User2316: Yh! Do us a favor and die idiot. 

User2317: Did you know if you crush it and sniff it, it gives you the craziest trip? Used up my weekly supply, anyone not using theirs pls send 

User2318: Nice moon

User2319: Shame to think I only have six more months to listen to such garbage, so sad

User2320: You can have mine. I don't need any pills to die

User2321: Sun kabooie!

User2322: Sun kabooie! 

User2323: Sun kabooie!

User2324: Sun kabooie!

User2325: Ugh, the cult crazies are here. I'm out.

User2326: Sun kabooie!

User2327: Sun kabooie!

User2328: Sun kabooie!

I couldn't throw it on the ground, lest Matsumoto find out, so I always ended up storing them and forgetting to actually dispose them.

I looked at the moon. After this I would only see six more full moons. It was a bittersweet feeling. 

On the one hand, I couldn't wait for the end, but on the other, I wouldn't be able to see the moon again.

It was just as well though. Who needed the sun anyway?

Santa's present to everyone had been the end of the world.

A strange anomaly has been found lurking in the sun's core, one that spells grave consequences for the Earth and mankind as a whole. Please do not be alarmed. Remain calm. The government urges you to remain calm during these turbulent times as we seek to find a solution to this problem.

Reports indicate that in one year approximately, the sun will collapse, creating a supernova black hole that will be unlike anything the universe has ever seen. Once again, the government urges you to remain calm.

The first month was the worst of it. 

We greeted January with worldwide panic and a more than a few enterprising souls took advantage of the opportunity to start looting and vandalizing private property.

It was pretty bad but I had to admit, I was a little grateful for them as Matsumoto was forced to shut down the hotel for a few weeks, which gave me some much-needed off time.

I can't deny, I was also pretty excited when the news first broke. Not enough to go smashing store windows (I didn't have the energy for such high level activities) but excited that, well, the world was ending.

And it was ending in the best possible way too. That piece of shit sun was going to explode or something.

It was hardcore and just about everything I ever dreamed of.

Then I realized, along with everyone else in the world, sure the world may be ending in a year but a year is still a pretty long time.

The excitement that seemed inescapable all too quickly faded away leaving a sad, dreary vacuum behind.

When the news first broke, I had bought a calendar and crossed out each passing day happily. Now however, I just did it out of a misplaced sense of duty.

Somedays I even considered just taking my Solace.

But I couldn't. At least not until I had seen the last six moons ever.

Well, they weren't the last. The moon would still be here long after the sun exploded, shining as beautifully as ever. It was just nobody would be able to see it.

Just as well anyway. No one seemed to properly appreciate it anyway.

The sound of footsteps coming from the hotel lobby snapped me out of my musings. 

For a stupid moment I tried to hide, before coming to my senses and putting on my expressionless expression. 

The next moment a 'couple' came out and, not even giving me a single glance, left the premises.

Well, fuck you guys too. Though I'm sure you've had enough of that tonight.

I forced a laugh at that.

 In truth, I much preferred those sort of customers. At least they minded their business, did their deeds and left.

The ones who actually tried to talk to you were the worst. Then I had to force a smile and nod like a mad man.

The absolute worst were the complainers. Just thinking about it had me reaching for some Solace.

I shook my head and went to the storage room to grab my cleaning supplies.

On entering, I noted the room wasn't too bad. The sheets were displaced naturally but at least they weren't wet, which meant I wouldn't have to wash them.

Small miracles.

The bathroom wasn't so lucky however. It had been used and needed to be mopped, if not washed.

I grimaced and got to work.

If all the customers left their rooms like this, it wouldn't be too bad, but from the creaking bed noises coming from the room next door, I wasn't so hopeful. 

It was while sweeping the room I found it. A ladies purse. I frowned at it.

So much for a stress free night.

Customers leaving things behind was always a recipe for disaster.

 They always came back the next day furious, as though it was our fault they were careless. In the case of purses and wallets, it was even worse. 

The clever bastards would come back and make some claims that their wallets were much lighter than they had left them. Given the fact that it was a ladies purse, it must have been for the woman. I tried to recall her face, then I relaxed.

She had been one of our regulars. I didn't think there was anything to worry about if it was hers, she'd probably just come back the next day for it. At any rate, I wouldn't be around by morning, so it wasn't any of my business. I had taken the night shift after all.

Unconcerned I went back to the lobby and put it behind the reception desk. As I dropped the bag on the small table, it tipped over and something fell out. It was a mask. I frowned and picked it up. It was a cheap, plastic mask with a character painted on the front and a much too fragile string at the back for wearing it. 

What the heck? I thought. What's this all about? 

I turned it over, puzzled. A bad feeling welling up, I went back to the bag and opened it. 

Aside from some makeup, a few 'CD's and some money, everything was totally normal. 

Everything aside from the can of spray paint of course. Wait a minute, she couldn't possibly —

“It seems you found my bag,” a voice from behind me made me jump.

Heart pounding, I turned round and sure enough, it was the woman who had just left, returned for her bag.

I stared at her dumbly for a moment before I remembered I should probably try to hide the fact I had been snooping through her things.

I put the mask and the can of spray paint back before handing the bag over to her. She took it silently.

Praying that was the end of it, I waited for her to leave.

She didn't.

She just stared at me.

It was freaking me out.

“Wouldn't have pegged you for a thief,” she said finally.

“Cause I'm not. Not usually anyway.” I said. 

More silence. 

Please leave, I begged mentally. 

“Are you curious?” she asked.

“Not in the slightest.”

She smiled for the first time. “Why so nervous? I don't bite.” she snickered. 

“Bites are the least of my worries. You're with those guys, aren't you?” I decided to stop beating around the bush. 

Never was my specialty.

Since that first month of chaos, the world had more or less settled down, even if it was unwillingly.

However, there are always one or two contrarians out there, the ones who were always a few steps behind everyone else and never seemed to get the message until it was too late.

That was Noctis Vitae. In a word, they were a cult.

They sprang up a few weeks into February, after the initial hysteria had worn off. Mostly known for vandalism and obstruction of the public with their weird little demonstrations, they were more of an annoyance than an actual problem.

But an annoyance is still an annoyance. 

They were the ones who had started the juvenile 'Sun Kablooie' chant as well.

Just my luck that I actually meet one of them. She smiled for the first time, relishing my discomfort. 

“Sounds like you don't like us very much.” she said.

“I don't like anything except for the moon,” I replied reflexively.

That seemed to catch her off guard, as her eyes widened, then her smile a moment later. “Is that so? You're a pretty weird guy.”

“I don't want to hear that from a cultist,” I said harshly.

She burst into laughter.

Please just leave, I thought.

But my unsaid plea went unheard. Still giggling she pulled out can of spray paint in her bag.I began to get a bad feeling. “Hey, what are you —”“I'm just going to borrow your lobby for a bit.” She said cheerfully while she shook the can vigorously.

Before I could ask what she meant, she ducked down out of sight, crouched by the reception desk, and sure enough, I could hear the sound of spray paint hitting the wood.  

                                                                                              “Shh.” She grinned up at me. “I’m almost done.”  

I should have stopped her. I should have at least pretended to care. 

But I just stood there, watching as she vandalized the already pathetic excuse of a workplace I called home.  

SUN KABLOOIE!!!

She capped her spray can with a satisfied nod.  

                                                                                                       I blinked.

She winked and then she was gone.

I bent over my side of the reception desk and looked at the graffiti. 

How the heck do I explain this to Matsumoto?