Short Story Excerpt: Next Thursday Morning - Ch3

Overview: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-the-chronosians-pt-1

Previous: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-excerpt-next-thursday-morning-ch2

Well, this is a filler chapter more than anything.

Chapter Three

The apocalypse.

Next Thursday morning.

Would my life be over by then?

No, it wouldn’t. I will find out what caused it, where, when, and how. It was the ultimate game of Clue. Only this time, there was only one suspect: me. I would cause it. Otherwise, why would Future Tiffany visit me to warn me not to do something?

“Just remember, Tiffany, don’t--”

“Indigo, what are the main causes of the apocalypse?”

“The apocalypse has not happened yet.”

I groaned in frustration. “Indigo, what are the main causes that might cause the apocalypse!?”

“Asteroid, earthquake, global warming, global free- zing, aliens, zombies, and maybe bunnies.”

“Bunnies?”

“The Bunny Apocalypse, a book written in the early 2020s by--”

“I get it!” I screamed. I collapsed on the couch, thinking about the causes. There was no way I could cause asteroids, earthquakes, or global climate change. And aliens just seemed far out of the question. And of course, the bunny thing was just ridiculous. However, I could be the cause of a zombie apocalypse. I just had to stay away from labs and graveyards. Right?

I had to read up on this.

“Indigo! What are some names of zombie books?”

“World War Z, by Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide, by Max Brooks, Rot and R--”

“Wait!” I said. “Can you download The Zombie Survival Guide on my HoloPhone?”

“Yes,” said Indigo. “Download complete.”

I relaxed. Even though it was written years ago, I could read the book and see if it would help me.

*****

Hours later, I had surfed through every zombie book in the last fifty years. The next step was to train.

I raced outside and into the yard. The yard was big enough to train for the apocalypse. Even if it wasn’t zombies, I’d have to learn to fight.

“Indigo,” I said. “Set the HoloDome.”

A transparent dome appeared at the edge of the yard, spreading upward above me into the shape of a dome. The sun reflected onto its clear surface, shining its light in every direction.

“Indigo, generate a person. Man, six-foot. Looks do not matter.”

About four feet away, a generic man appeared.

“Now give him full body armor and a sword. Download all information about swordfighting into him.”

Indigo did what she was told, then I asked her to do the same to me, except the fighting part; I would have to learn that on my own.

I was about to ask her to give him life, but then I remembered that I gave him all swordfighting strategies, techniques, and everything. “Indigo, demote skill-level to beginner.” I’d upgrade the level when I got better.

“Okay, start.”

The man came to life and charged at me. He swung the sword at me, causing me to duck. I swiped at him, missing by at least a foot. I had no idea how to fight, and I was going to have to learn in less than a week. It was going to be hard.

“Tiffany!”

I spun around to see who was talking, but ended up looking directly in the sun. I screamed as the dome split up the light of the sun, making it seem brighter. I collapsed onto the ground, clutching my hands over my eyes.

“Tiffany!” said the voice. I could now tell it was Kelli. “Indigo, end!” I heard footsteps running toward me. “Oh, Tiff, are you okay? Can you open your eyes?”

I sat up, hands still over my eyes. I blinked them open. “Yeah. But it hurts.”

Kelli opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. Then she spoke, “Um, Tiff, by any chance, did future-you have bloodshot eyes?”

“Yeah,” I said, confused why she’d bring it up. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well,” she said. “Indigo, mirror.”

A hand-held mirror appeared in Kelli’s hand. She passed the mirror to me and I looked at my reflection. I gasped.

My eyes were red and bloodshot.

Just like Future Tiffany.

Hahaha the Bunny Apocalypse was something my friends made up when we were in middle school. Apparently I thought I was going to reference one of my own books. I thought it would be published in the 2020s apparently. That's not gonna happen. I'm probably never going to write the Bunny Apocalypse. I think it would work as a comedic Webtoon more than anything. But I can't draw at all.

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