Beginning After The End Arthur Novels & Stories

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder as the final lock engaged. “Well.” Arthur adjusted his glasses. “Well what?” Gabriel shrugged. “We survived.” Arthur stared at him. “Do you understand that reality itself may have been fundamentally altered?” “Yes.” “And your response is ‘we survived’?” Gabriel nodded. “Still seems important.” To everyone's surprise, Arthur laughed. A short, exhausted laugh. But genuine. The world outside stretched before them. Rolling hills. Open sky. Wind moving through tall grass. No glowing interfaces. No system prompts.

And now, I was done believing him. The silence stretched on, and the man on the phone asked again. I steadied myself and answered calmly. "Yes. I accept." We exchanged a few more words, settled on a start date, and I hung up. Then I hailed a cab and went home. I pushed open the front door and went straight upstairs to pack. I was moving out. If I was going to end things, there was no point dragging it out. Packing did not take long. Looking down at the worn-out clothes and pants so faded they had turned white, it hit me just how lean these years had really been.

As my consciousness began to fade, I forced myself to reach out and fumble for the burner phone hidden on me. [That favor you owe me—you can pay it back now.] The moment the message had been sent, both the display on my phone and my mind plunged into darkness. I had no idea how much time had passed before the pungent stench of disinfectant finally jarred me awake. My body felt as though it had been crushed into pieces and then forcefully patched back together. The hollow emptiness in my lower abdomen served as a constant, brutal reminder of everything that had just transpired.

Amber said to him in a tone she didn’t recognize as her own. She didn’t wait to see his reaction. Hoped she’d fucking hurt him as she pulled the hood down over her head. Instantly, she felt suffocated, plunged into a deep darkness. She couldn’t breathe! This was how it all fucking ended, not with a bullet, but in this suffocating darkness… Chapter 41

He kept flipping through the pages until he reached the last page, which I had written last night. [To the person reading this diary, [If it's you, Barry, I'm sorry. Forcing you to come to your senses in this way might be frightening, but I had no other choice. [If it's you, Calvin, I love you, and that has never changed. But I don't know who you love. [If it's Susan, congratulations. You've won, but the game isn't over yet. [If I'm already dead... The show enters its second act.]

Eden said and eased back in her seat and closed her eyes, wondering why there was a 'good' in 'goodbye'. There was nothing good or wonderful about endings and farewells.

It was just me and the squirrel-spider, whose head I could see out of the corner of my eye. Not having anything else to do, I continued my efforts. I planned to break through to the adjacent world, and never come back. They probably wouldn’t even save me a slice of pie. I sank into the hot thumbprint in the middle of my head. I was close. I don’t know how much time passed but it was starting to get dark when Arthur returned, alone. I saw it, then. All around him, a slight glow. Like light seeping out from around a closed door. I pushed. With all my might I pushed the door open.

As more and more of the enemy continued to be struck down by both their arrows and our weapons it didn’t take long for a pile of corpses to form up right in front of us. The sky had already begun to darken, signaling that it was already roughly midday and by then the sting of fatigue and thirst had begun so severely that when I struck down another arrow ridden barbarian for the one hundredth instance I could barely pull the blade from the bone. Trosdig decides to move us closer to the gate, which leaves me considerably exposed while I desperately tried to yank my weapon away from the enemy’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I’m going to last a long time so If the first time is over quickly. I swear I’ll make it up to you.” He drops to his knees, making us eye level. “We have all night,” I told him. I guess all early morning technically. It is now after twelve in the morning. I have a flight out in a few hours. So, this night better be memorable. He pulls my underwear, and I was left naked. I made sure my legs are closed, feeling a little shy for the first time in my life. This was the first time someone was seeing me naked.

“Always be vigilant. Always be mindful of what you’re opponent is doing. You got so distracted over making me leave that you didn’t even think of this happening. Now you’re stuck, and I can just as easily . . . end you. For good.” Damn it. It makes me hate myself to admit this, but he’s right. I did get so distracted that I forgot everything else, and now I’m here, pressed against the wall with my arm twisted in an angle that would make it so easy to snap. “Okay, you got me.” I clench my teeth. “Are you happy now? Let me go.” “Not quite happy, but I’ll take you admitting your defeat.” With that, Arthur lets me go, and his move is surprisingly gentle.