The Last People on Earth

Warning: Content is completely fictional, and any relation to real things is entirely coincidental. Also, keep in mind that the talking in this story should probably be in Chinese.

Ming Sying Huang lived in a small Chinese village with her parents Qiao Li Huang, Zhang Bao Huang, and her baby sister, Chao-Zing Meiying Huang on the outskirts of China.

One hot day in July, Ming and her friends, Xia and Yolanda were playing outside when Ming saw a man dressed in black riding on a horse towards her village.

That's odd, she thought to herself. This village hasn't had visitors for decades, why come now?

The man on horseback continued, and it looked to Ming like he was coming towards her. He smiled at her, clearly noticing that she was watching him, and continued along down the road.

The three girls watched him for some time before the man came to a stop in front of them.

"Hello young ladies."

Why does he look at me like that? She thought.

"Who are you and what are you doing in our village?" Ming demanded.

The man chuckled. "That's not a proper greeting for a gentleman like me."

What gentleman does he think he is? She thought. This man has no right to just come to our village like this.

"You're not very 'gentle' for a gentleman."

"You're a naughty one, you."

What does he expect me to say? She thought. You shouldn't just go around telling children that they are being naughty.

"So I've been told."

"Then perhaps your friends will be more helpful." The man replied, turning to Xia and Yolanda.

Ming frowned, upset that this stranger hadn't found her useful. Shouldn't he expect me to get my back up a bit? She thought. He's the first visitor to our village in over thirty years!

"Well then," He said to Xia and Yolanda. "Take me to your ruler."

"We don't have one." Xia told him.

"Ruler? Emperor? Nothing?"

All three girls shook their heads.

"Well, who's in charge?"

"Nobody." Yolanda told him. "This village is run by its people. We all share the jobs and vote on what we should do."

The man sighed. "Fine, then take me to the people of this village."

Ming, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up. "Why should we do that for you?"

Why does this man think he can boss us around so much? She thought.

"Because I have some news to share with the people of your village."

"And how does that explain?"

"Just, be a good girl, will you?"

Who does he think he is? Telling me to be a "Good girl." She thought.

"Fine."

***

Ming, Xia, and Yolanda left the man with his horse and went to gather the people of their village. Once everyone was in place in the center of the town the man spoke.

"People of Xijiang,"

"That's not our village name!" Someone shouted from the crowd.

"Yes it is," He said. "That has been the name of this village since the beginning of time."

"There was no beginning of time!" Another person shouted from the crowd. "The earth was always here, no matter what people say!"

"That is where you are wrong," the man replied. "There is no such thing as forever."

"Get on with what you have to say already!" A few more people shouted. "We don't have all day!"

"That's right, you don't have all day. Because while there is such thing as the Beginning of Time, there is also such thing as the Ending of Time. That is today. People of Xijiang, you must do what I say, and maybe, if we're lucky, we can save the earth from ending."

How can the earth just end? Ming thought. What is this man talking about?

***

Shouts echoed through the crowd.

"You're lying"

"There is such thing as forever!"

"The earth can't end, how could it just stop?"

"Everybody calm down!" The man said, trying to take control of the frightened people. "No, I'm not lying. No, there is no such thing as forever. And yes, the earth had a set timeline when it was supposed to end. That day is today, April 21st. But people of Xijiang,"

"That's not the name of our village!" Another person shouted from the crowd.

"What is it then?"

"Um...well..."

"Don't tell me you actually don't have a name for this village."

Do you expect us to? Ming thought. You can't really show up at a village and tell us what we're doing wrong.

"Well how do you?"

The man smiled. "That's the thing, there is no name for this village. I was just making one up that I thought you would like. Anyways, people of this village, I want you to help me save the world!"

Right, Ming thought. Save the world. How do we even know that the world is ending?

Many more shouts followed from the people of the village.

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"How do you even know all this?"

"How do we know that the world is even ending?"

"Why do you need our help? Just ask someone else!"

"Silence!" The man demanded. "I can't tell you where I learned this, but it's true. The world is ending. And I need you... Because you are the last people on earth."