For Those Not in the Know

People come in all shapes and sizes concealed behind layers of facades. The scariest man can turn out to be a good person, just as the nicest female can be a serial killer. In everyday life, it’s impossible to tell who is which.

However, there are a few times where their true persona leaks through. The first, as expected, is in a time of crisis. With no time to think or plan, they simply fall back on their instinct. While the easiest, an apocalypse only lasts for a moment, so most people can adapt to the situation.

That leaves the second option…

Tick.

Black suit. Black tie. White undershirt. And some classic black shoes. In one hand, the man held a kitchen knife, trembling as if he had never threatened anyone else. In the other, a black briefcase, tying together the quintessential businessman look.

“Now, stay there, and don’t do anything!” he yelled, his voice cracking probably from fear. Even his expression betrayed the demeanor he was trying to impose. But on the other hand, his eyes were determined, ready to do what was necessary to survive. Though, I had a funny feeling he would run away if things went south.

“Might I ask what your name is?” I spoke calmly – a bit more politely than I normally talked. Andrea was investigating the other side of the tracks, so I wasn’t worried for her safety. If anything, I was more concerned about his semi-erratic nature.

“I’m Robert–no wait!” He began to bow, almost pulling out a business card before snapping back to a pitiful fighting stance. “I’m supposed to be answering questions here! Did you come from another city?”

“Yes.” I decided to tell him the truth. It made no sense to lie.

“Then, is it really true that the world’s gonna end next year?” Robert asked hesitantly, waffling over his words.

“Most likely.”

Tick.

“...damn it all. I was hoping they were lying about it, but then the phone lines went down, and everyone at the station abandoned us… there’s not even enough cars to…” he scratched his head. Hmm, he and the rest of the residents were–huh?

“What are you–”

My nondescript mumbling snapped Robert out of his rant, making him train his gaze on me once again. “Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“What is she–”

“I said! What are you doing here?!?”

“Oh, sorry. Well, my partner and I were looking to restock supplies and–”

“Wait, partner?!? Where is he?!?” Robert seemed almost frantic as he realized I wasn’t alone. Though, judging by what’s going on…

“Well…” I pointed behind him. Robert immediately whipped around, quickly growing pale in the face before becoming flabbergasted.

Tick.

“Lookie here, miss! I picked some flowers! Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Look at mine too! They’re so pretty!”

“I see…” Andrea responded with a soft smile. She was crouched down next to two little girls, no older than six, patting their heads like a doting mother. That expression quite literally stole my attention. It reminded me of her before that nun died.

“What are you doing?!?” Robert sprinted, tripping over his own feet after the first step.

“Rob! Rob!”

“Look at what we found!” The two girls ran past Andrea to him, presenting some more flowers. Seeing their innocent faces, he couldn’t help but fall to his knees.

“That’s great, but don’t you remember what I told you about talking to strangers. They’re from outside the village, so–”

“Whoa! Outside the village?!?”

“That’s so cool!”

Robert let out a deep sigh. “You know what… nevermind. Just head back to your grandparents place, okay?”

“Okay!”

“See you later Rob!” The two girls giggled, jumping around back out of the station. It was a rather amusing sight to see near the end of the world.

Tick.

Robert slowly stood up, dusting the dirt off his slacks. “Sorry about that. What did you say your name was?”

“I’m Casey, and she’s Andrea.”

“Right. And you want supplies? That shouldn’t be a problem. This town is pretty much self-sufficient. We don’t even need electricity, though it is rather nice to have at times. Anything else?” His complete change in attitude was a bit off-putting, but I chose to roll with it. Plus, with Andrea back there…

“...would you mind if we settled down here for a while?”

Robert seemed to ponder on it for a moment, with a rather overexaggerated motion, before answering. “Sure.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked again, surprised by the answer. I thought I would have to argue over it.

“It’s fine. I have a decent sense for judging people, and with the way your lady friend acted, you guys are probably good people.”

“But what if that was all an act?”

Robert chuckled. “Well then, you’re doing a great job.” While his body language indicated he was still a bit wary, he was choosing to trust us for the time being. Those subconscious movements and choice of words made me want to trust him too.

“It's a pleasure to meet you then, Robert.” I stuck out my hand.

He grabbed it and shook. “You too, Casey.”

Tick.

I went back to the train, making sure to grab the rucksacks containing our food, before following Robert into the town. He offered to help carry them, but I said it was fine. I wished Andrea would help, but what could you do?

The town itself was a rather rural place – an intermingling of fields and wooden buildings. Kids played on the streets while elders watched over them from their porches. All in all, it was unexpectedly peaceful, as though the end of the world was only a passing tale. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any middle-aged people. The apocalypse had happened in the middle of the day, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they were all in the city at the time.

Almost every single person along the path greeted Robert in some capacity. The kids showed off their skills while the elders offered some food. Some of them did ask us questions about the cities we visited, but each time, Robert would come up with an excuse, saying that the trains were down or that we were tired from our journey. A bit suspicious, but I held off on saying anything.

Eventually, we arrived at what looked to be an old shack – quite spacious for one person, but three were pushing it. Compared to the worn-down exterior though, the inside was pleasantly modern. It also was a bit larger than I expected, since in addition to a combined living room and kitchen, there were also two bedrooms with bathrooms. I dropped all of the rucksacks by the kitchen before taking a seat in the living room with the others.

Tick.

“So, do you want to explain what’s going on?” I questioned.

“Well, before you do that… I have two conditions if you want to live here.”

“It would’ve been better if you told us that before we carried our stuff here.” Robert averted his eyes. “Ugh, fine. What are they?”

“First, you have to help around town, whether it’s taking care of the fields or watching the kids.”

“That’s fine, right Andrea?” She gave a little nod. “And the second?”

“You have to promise me… not to tell the others about what’s happening outside the town.”

“Hmm? Do they not already know?”

“They probably suspect something is up, but I don’t think they know the full story. I don’t want to see anyone losing their smiles before it’s all over. It may be cruel, but it’s probably crueler thinking about what happened to those kids’ parents.” It was a burdensome task to carry, especially since if anyone found out, their anger would be rightfully directed at Robert. But at the same time…

Tick.

“No worries. Your father’s on a journey to save as many people as possible.” I remembered speaking those words to a young boy after his father died on the battlefield, saving almost every single civilian from a war between two nations. I knew it was a lie, but for those last few days of his life, I didn’t want to see him sad. I wanted him to be proud of his father, ready to welcome him home in the next.

“O–”

“Okay,” Andrea cut me off, but my answer would’ve been the same anyway. Her answer was immediate, empathizing with the crushing despair from losing a friend.

Hopefully, she would…

Tick.