Personal Apocalypse Read online

  ‘I know what you meant. And I know how much you like Clarissa, but our relationship isn’t like that.’

  ‘I think you should ask her out, you might be surprised by what she says.’

  ‘Okay, Mum.’

  ‘Let me tell you why you should ask her out.’ This is generally how most of our conversations ended. My mum had always liked Clarissa. She was practically like a daughter to her. The two of them always used to talk for hours on end when she would come over. I understand what my mother is saying, but Clarissa doesn’t like me like that. I enjoy her company, she has an amazing personality, she is gorgeous, but she would never go for me in a million years, would she?

  Chapter Thirteen: God

  ***

  I sat in the field and looked up at the heavens above. There were one or two clouds, but for the most part the sky was clear. Out here in the country you didn’t have the blinding lights of the city to obscure your view. This was why the sky was filled with millions upon millions of stars. They were scattered across the canvas of deep space. After a while my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and I could see those really dull stars between the constellations. Lucy cuddled up between my legs and rested her chin upon my thigh. She had enjoyed her evening walk and was now ready to go to sleep. I would head back in a moment, but I liked being out here. It gave me time to think. It was hard to believe the world was going to end in only five days. Looking up at the stars really placed into context how small I really was. The universe was such a vast and endless thing. Its size was so great that my mind would never be able to grasp the depth of its existence. I had heard of sun’s that were so big that our sun was only naught point naught one percent of its size. Can anyone imagine that? Our sun is this giant ball of fire that is gigantic compared to earth, but there are sun’s so big that our sun is the size of an ant compared to it, which means earth is not even visible, but how small does that make me? And when you think of it like this, why do I get these dreams? The universe is this grand creation, which is so vast and beyond understanding, but I dream that the world will end in five days? What is the point? Why me? Why earth? Why now? Does god exist? Where do these dreams come from? If there was a God, would he really care about this tiny dot of mud that floats around within the insanely large universe? It doesn’t make sense.

  Chapter Fourteen: The Dream Returns

  ***

  My heart was beating so hard that it felt like it might burst out through my ribcage. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. A cold shiver ran down the full length of my spine. The atmosphere felt so tense and morbid. The stench of death seemed to hang over me like some kind of foreboding rain cloud. The edges of my vision were blurred. I glanced down at my hands. They were dripping in blood. Unconsciously, I wiped my hands against my shirt. Panic was starting to set it.

  ‘The end is coming,’ spoke a soft female voice.

  I looked into the darkness that surrounded me. It was like I was floating in deep space. There was nothing around me. I could see no ground, no sky, no buildings or structures. I was in a black void of nothingness. A faint click reached my ears. It sounded like someone pulling on the cord of a bathroom light. A light bulb, appearing to hang from the darkness, illuminated a small section of the void. My eyes widened with shock. A sickening sensation filled my stomach. A dead body lay upon the ground. The head had been crushed. Blood, snot and brain matter dripped out like some kind of leaky tap.

  ‘Logan, look what I have.’ said Samantha. My ex-girlfriend was standing behind me in the darkness. She was wearing a long white dress. The dress seemed to glow. It was like the very fabric was created by light. She held a baby within her arms. I could feel my heart breaking, as the baby cried. I could see its little hands reaching up into the air. I watched in horror, as tears of blood dripped out of Samantha’s eyes and fell down upon the baby. This wasn’t anything like normal tears. It was like watching someone pour a cup of red paint down her face. The baby was drowning in the blood. ‘I killed my baby for you. It was all for you. I love you, Logan.’

  I jolted myself awake.

  I sat up in bed, breathless.

  Unconsciously, I wiped the back of my hand across my cheeks. I was crying? The dream flooded back into my mind. It was like one of those bad projection films flickering within my mind’s eye. Had that been my baby? Was my baby alive? Was my baby in Heaven? Why was I seeing this? I buried my head into the palms of my hands and began to cry.

  Chapter Fifteen: A New Day

  ***

  I looked down at my cell phone, as it rested upon the living room floor. Exhaling, I lifted my body up to complete my thirty-fourth push up. My arms were already turning to jelly. It didn’t matter how much I trained. I simply didn’t have the body for this type of work out. In the background I could hear the news reporters talking about a low magnitude earthquake near New Zealand. It was nothing major, but was one of many tiny tremors they had been experiencing in that region. I get the idea that the news channel was making more out of this story than there actually was. The other main headline was the head of a bank resigning, due to pressure in the media, but being paid a ridiculous bonus in the process. There was going to be some kind of statement on this situation in the next few minutes.

  My cell phone bleeped.

  I knelt down on the living room floor and read the text. It was from Isabella.

  ‘I am so excited about tonight. I am counting down the hours.’

  Could she get any cuter?

  I sent her a message back. ‘We are finally going to meet. I can’t wait until I kiss you.’

  I managed a few more push ups before she replied.

  ‘I just hope I don’t put you off.’

  That just seemed crazy. This woman was gorgeous.

  ‘How could you possibly put me off? I am going to be making puppy dogs eyes at you all night.’

  A minute or so went by.

  ‘You are so sweet. I have to head out. See you tonight xxx.’

  I sent a line of kisses back. I still didn’t see what Isabella saw in me, but I wasn’t going to rock the boat. She was beautiful, she was funny, she was kind, she was single and she liked me. This might be my opportunity to move forward with my life. I can finally close the book on Samantha and the things she put me through.

  Chapter Sixteen: Date Night

  ***

  Lucy disappeared beneath the wooden sty, as I climbed over it. It took a bit of doing. The ground was slightly moist this early in the morning. The sun was coming up, but it was still a little bit chilly. There must have been rain during the night, as the wooden sty was damp and very slippery. The last thing I needed was the slip off the step and land in the muddy ditch. I managed to get over with no drama and followed Lucy up an incline into the forest. My cell phone started to ring. A quick glance at the screen revealed that the called was Clarissa.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Good morning, Logan,’ she seemed to sing the words.

  ‘You are in a good mood today.’

  ‘I’m always in a good mood,’ replied Clarissa. ‘It does kind of suck that I am stuck in traffic right now.’

  ‘You’re already going into work?’ A tinge of disappointment filled my heart. It would have been nice to see Clarissa today. I did like being naughty with her.

  ‘I have to open up this morning. Does that mean you miss me?’

  ‘I say nothing.’

  ‘You do, don’t you? Did you want to be naughty?’

  ‘I could do with that right now.’

  I reached the peak of the incline and followed a well trodden path into the dense forest. Lucy had her nose to the ground, as she followed the various smells.

  ‘I could, too. I love feeling your fingers inside of me. Just a shame you have your date tonight.’

  ‘I might be able to go out later.’

  ‘We could try that, but...’

  I didn’t like the sound of that.

  ‘Aren’t you free?’

  ‘T
yler called me. I was not sure if I would see him again, but I agreed to meet up with him tonight.’ I don’t know why, but that actually bothered me. I know Clarissa and I were not a couple, but Tyler was a jerk. He was a complete and total asshole. He had this amazing woman that he treated like shit. I don’t get why Clarissa never learnt, but knowing her they would most likely end up in bed together. She was a bit of a slut. I think that upset me the most. I didn’t like the idea of her being with another man. Did that mean I liked her more than I thought? Maybe my Mum was right.

  ‘Well, if you are free afterwards we can go out.’

  ‘That’s if you and your woman don’t end up in bed together.’

  ‘I am a gentleman,’ I reminded her.

  ‘Just keep telling yourself that. Crap, the traffic is opening up. I will call you later. Bye.’

  ‘Bye, Clarissa.’

  The phone line went dead. Ahead of us I could hear voices coming down the path. My eyes momentarily widened with a look of horror. The two teenagers with the big black Rottweiler were walking down the path towards us. They had it on the lead, but the thing was a walking wall of muscle. If it wanted to do something there were no way those two kids would be able to stop it. I clicked my fingers to get Lucy’s attention. My little furry friend looked up at me and wagged her tail.

  ‘Let’s go this way, Lucy.’

  We stepped off the path and started moving through the trees. I didn’t like the idea of Lucy going anywhere near that devil dog. Nobody walked their dogs near that thing. It had a reputation of being a nasty piece of work. Even the other owners of Rottweiler’s didn’t let their dogs near it. You could tell with a glance than something was seriously wrong with its brain.

  Chapter Seventeen: New Opportunities

  ***

  ‘Logan, I absolutely love this book,’ said the voice of the editor. I felt like punching the air in triumph. ‘The character development in this story is fantastic. The book ticks all the boxes that we are looking for. I really enjoyed how you started off with such a naughty, but loving, house wife and turned her into this slutty dark character that would sleep with her own step-father for money. Step-father stories are very popular right now, but to have a first person female main character written by a male author is not something I have heard of. Dance of Deceit is going to be a big hit. Mark my words.’

  ‘I am over the moon,’ I replied. ‘I wasn’t sure how the story would do.’

  I shifted my cell phone to my other ear.

  ‘It is a bit of a big leap from children’s books to erotica, but I think you made the right decision. The intimate scenes are so personal and emotional. I was sucked in from the first page. I knew it was going to be a good book when you introduced the main character. She is such an innocent woman. She is the type of woman you would meet on the street, or working in a store, but she has this dark erotic side. I am already a massive fan.’

  It was time to get to the point.

  ‘What happens now?’

  ‘Well, the acquisitions manager is away at this moment in time. She will be back in a day or two. I have already e-mailed her your book. She started reading it. She is enjoying the story. Everyone in the office enjoyed the story. The acquisitions manager will have the final say on the book, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about. This is a great book. You are a gifted writer.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Just sit tight and we will contact you in a few days.’

  ‘Okay. I look forward to hearing from you.’

  Chapter Eighteen: Erotica

  ***

  The hours flew by, but it felt like no time at all. My novel seemed to be writing itself. I was writing an erotic sequel to Dance of Deceit. It was going to take place a year or two later, but throw the sexy main character into a whole new set of conflicts. The first story had really allowed me to push and develop some of the characters in ways I couldn’t imagine. Today felt good. The news about the book was positive. The editor had been raving about this book for a while. I had turned down contracts at two other publishers, as this publisher had such a fantastic reputation. My future would be secure when I signed my book deal with them. Once I had my foot in the door they would sign every single book that I wrote and I had a lot of naughty stories that I wanted to tell. I don’t know what it was with erotica, but I just enjoyed writing the stories. It wasn’t the sex. It was the emotional conflict and seeing how far someone could be tempted before they finally broke. I liked creating reasons why they wouldn’t give into lustful thoughts and then watching them fall into a downward spiral of passion and love.

  I saved the manuscript and opened the music player.

  Pearl Jam was selected.

  Lucy joined me on the bed, as I chilled out.

  Today had been a good day and tonight I was meeting Isabella. A naughty smile split my lips. Tonight was going to be a very good night too.

  Chapter Nineteen: The Forum Post

  ***

  Was this really happening? How come I have never seen this person before? My eyes scanned along the forum post. This person had apparently been posting topics on this prediction forum for nearly two years, but they were few and far between. I gave my head a quick shake and re-read his post again.

  ‘I don’t know who you are.’ The person wrote. ‘My dreams are telling me to post my predictions on this forum and this forum only. I don’t know why.’ Beneath his post were about twenty messages of people swearing and insulting him. It appeared as if this was how the man started all his forum topics. To this day not a single one of his predictions has come true. ‘Here is my contact information.’ The person’s e-mail address was at the end of the text, but the text was not a prediction. The person had uploaded a painting to his forum post. It was a painting that he had done. This was his prediction.

  It was a picture of Lucy and me.

  That was it.

  It was the spitting image of me, and the dog was Lucy.

  It was like someone had taken a photograph and uploaded it of us.

  Why would this person do such a painting?

  I opened up my e-mail box and copied and pasted the person’s email. ‘Dear Sir or Madam, I don’t really know how to say this, but the person in your painting is me. I don’t really understand why you are painting a picture of me and my dog, but I can guarantee that the person in the painting is me. If it is possible could you please explain why you painted it, what does it mean, and could you tell me anything more about the things you see? Any information would be much appreciated. Logan.’

  I sent the e-mail.

  It was a waiting game now.

  Chapter Twenty: First Impressions

  ***

  I exhaled deeply in an attempt to calm my nerves. It was finally happening. I was meeting Isabella. I sat in the front seat of my car, as I had parked in the street at the end of her garden. She lived in a pretty little cul-de-sac, which was only about two miles from my house. I had text her to say that I had arrived. A warm glow filled my heart, as the front door opened and she stepped out. My eyes were already on the move. Isabella turned to lock the front door, which gave me a perfect view of her ass. Online she looked stunning, but she was even more spectacular in person. Isabella was wearing a tight red tube dress. It clung to her slender body and mapped out every single curve. She looked like a model. The base of the dress stopped about half-way down her smooth thighs. I couldn’t take my eyes off her elegant legs, as she walked down her driveway. Did someone this beautiful actually exist? The car door popped open and Isabella climbed into the front passenger seat. The scent of summer flowed into my nostrils. She smelled good enough to eat.

  ‘Hi,’ she said in her sweet voice.

  ‘Hi,’ I replied, with a smile of my own. ‘You look amazing.’

  Isabella giggled like some kind of school girl.

  ‘You look incredibly handsome.’

  I couldn’t stop the blush from happening. I felt like a teenager again. This woman was gor
geous.

  ‘I can’t believe you are here.’

  My eyes betrayed me, as I glanced down at her tits. They were practically spilling out the top of her dress. I looked up to find Isabella watching me. She smiled a very cheeky smile, as she bit her bottom lip. A wave of pressure headed down between my thighs. How could such a simple gesture turn me on so much?

  ‘There is something we have to do,’ she told me.

  ‘There is?’

  ‘Yes. I said I would do it when I met you.’

  She started to lean towards me. My heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour. It felt like a war drum playing within my chest. Was I really going to kiss this sensational woman? My question was answered by her lips. Butterflies fluttered within the depths of my stomach at the sweet kiss. This was like a dream come true. No. This was better than a dream. I never dreamed of anyone this sexy. I was the one that turned the kiss into something naughty. I opened my mouth and welcomed her tongue inside. Isabella gave out a cute little moan, as I titled my head to one side and started to devour her. We shared a long deep lustful kiss. Her tongue was practically down the back of my throat. We forced our lips together, as our heads tilted this way and that. A wave of tingles ran down the full length of my spine at the feel of her hand upon my thigh. Isabella was wasting no time in finding the thing she was after. Her fingers began to tease the bulge beneath my trousers. I was already hard. Unconsciously, I stroked my hand up the side of her firm body. I was half expecting her to pull away, or slap my hand. I cupped her breast within the palm of my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her tits felt amazing.

  ‘Logan.’ She pulled back from the kiss.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Can we go on the date another night?’

  Horror struck me like a nuclear explosion in the face. Had I ruined this already?

  ‘Y-yeah,’ I stuttered a reply.

  ‘Good.’ She smiled an angelic smile. ‘I really do want to go out with you properly. I know we planned to go out to a bar, grab something to eat, watch a movie, but we can do that another night.’ Her sweet expression was replaced by something darker. I could see the storm of lust behind the windows of her soul. A cheeky grin climbed her face. ‘I am just so fucking horny right now.’ I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Did she just say what I thought she said? ‘Let’s go inside and I will suck your nice hard cock.’ What possible reply could I say to that? ‘I have been thinking about fucking you since the day we first spoke. I really thought I would be able to control myself, but you are so good looking and such a good fucking kisser. Do you want to come inside and fuck me?’