Rufus

The old wood creaked from the frozen wind blowing into its sides. Steam from a warm mug of coffee wrestled with the cold air, doing its best to reach the heavens.

Owen strolled to the table and sat down, wrapping his hands around the tingly surface of the mug. His wedding ring tapped the ceramic and brought forth a gush of memories due to the sound.

Elizabeth…

He could’ve swore he smelt lavender and roses in the air. The cold, lifeless air being recycled into warmth to be cast back from his nostrils into a frozen hell could testify to that.

He drew shapes on the soft wooden table with his right hand. Flashes of light and memories filled his imagination. He saw her standing there, laughing, everything was moving so slow. The warm yellow overtones of this particular memory gave him the most joy. It made her look so alive.

The wind blew a pebble into the window. Snapping him back into the cold and blue hues of his reality. The steam from his coffee cup has ceased rising.

There was no electricity. Owen left his cellphone at his apartment. Ever since the world ended, he didn’t really have a need for it anymore.

You see, the world ended quite abruptly. One moment everyone was going about their lives without a doubt of tomorrow’s existence. The first wave took out the most of human civilization. The asteroids hit the brain of all the major cities. Only a couple of million people were left. They tried to survive, they did their best at remembering what it meant to be human.

Unfortunately, a second wave wiped out everyone. It sent the world into the abyss. Consumed by darkness and nothingness. Nothing mattered anymore. The screens still broadcasted reruns from programming done in the past. There were even some music playing in buildings and cars. But it was too much for Owen to handle. A shell of what used to be, hollowed out to the bone.

He hit the road.

He left everything behind. There wasn’t a concrete plan.

He wanted to meet someone, anyone would do. He just wanted to see another human being.

Yet, there was nothing.

He drove and drove until his car gave in. He finally stopped at his old family cabin. Its the coldest place he knew.

He was hoping to run into someone, a warm hug, a smiling face, a set of eyes with soul.

Nothing.

There wasn’t much to do.

He had to think and plan. Nothing mattered anymore. There wasn’t a single reason for him to stay alive.

The weight of being left behind dragged his soul down into depths he never knew existed.

Why me? What did I do to deserve this suffering?

The truth is, there was nothing special about him. There wasn’t a specific reason as to why he was all alone.

Owen was a normal guy. He had a wife, Elizabeth, and three daughters. Ellie, Sarah and Lisa. He also had a dog, Rufus.

One day after he went to work, he went outside and the asteroids hit. He was hurt. Badly. He was rushed to the hospital and booked in.

Dr. Grayson was his physician.

The panic was overwhelming. Buildings got destroyed, but the radiation from the asteroids killed the majority of people.

“We dont know why this is happening. We’re sorry we cant tell you more.” Dr. Grayson told him.

“Go spend your time with your family. We don’t know how much time is left.”

Owen and Elizabeth stared into eachothers eyes. Tears filling up both their eyes. They left the hospital and gathered their daughters.

The second wave hit.

The radiation was so strong, the impact so severe, it killed everyone he loved in an instant.

He woke up in his bed.

The cold side where his wife should have been was empty. He went out of his room and called out to his daughters. No response.

He opened up his curtains and saw no sign of life. It was all dark and burned out.

Let’s return to the cabin.

He downed his mug of cold coffee and sat in the cold, lifeless space awaiting his fate. He wasn’t sitting there for long, until he heard a knock at the door.

He jumped up with surprise, then turned to excitement. He rushed to the door. He swung it open to a short man.

“Mr Jefferson? Mr Owen Jefferson?”

“Yes? That’s me.” He replied.

“Good. Just sign here and I’ll bring you your package.”

He grabbed the board and signed the papers.

“What is it?” He asked the small man.

“Oh, you’ll see.”

He waited at the frozen door frame for what felt like ages. The short man finally came around the corner. In his hands laid a leash attached to a big mountain dog.

“RUFUS!!” Owen exclaimed and ran over to his old dog.

Tears flowing down his face. He collapsed next to his old friend and hugged him as tightly as he could.

“Where did you find him!?” He asked through sobs.

“Not far from here to be honest. It’s a bloody miracle if you ask me. But hey. That’s mountain dogs for yah.”

Owen just laughed and embraced his old drooling friend once again.

“Okay. Enjoy your company. I’ll be off now.”

“Thank you again, so much. You don’t know how much I needed to see him again.” He sobbed to the small man.

“I can imagine. I’m so sorry for your loss Mr Jefferson.” He replied.

“Thank you.”

You see. The world as a whole didn’t end. But Owens whole world came to a staggering end. His wife, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with cancer. Brain cancer. Tumors left and right. It looked like a meteor shower. She passed away a couple of weeks after the diagnosis. On the way home from the hospital, Owen lost control of his car. He drove into a wall at full speed. The impact was Earth shattering. All three of his daughters were killed on impact.

The cabin was his last stop. After his coffee a loaded shotgun was ready to help him decorate the walls with pieces and fragments from his memories.

Luckily for him, Rufus needed a family as well. He couldn't leave him all alone. He couldn't put another living creature through the hell he knew all to well.

THE END.