Dododex
ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion
The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)
Chapter 100: Over Heaven
Part 6 / 6
Original Post Date: Oct 7, 2024
Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Oviraptor. This is the last chapter of TAOH. Please do not read this first if you haven't read the rest of the story.
~
Samuel's Ending
The music seemed so loud.
Samuel looked around for a moment. He was in some large mansion of sorts, and there was chatter all around him. His eyes darted around. There were people all around him, each one dressed in black graduation robes. Samuel felt dizzy at the sight. It reminded him of his graduation ceremony, the one he never got to have.
He never really got to live his life, did he?
Samuel couldn’t think straight. He rubbed his head thoroughly, feeling a headache coming in. It wasn’t until he bumped into someone familiar that he realized he was wearing a white graduation robe.
“Hey dude, watch where you’re going!” an angry voice snarled. Samuel looked up and saw a mean looking guy with two others standing by his side. As they caught a glance of who he was though, they turned white and stepped back.
“Oh… it’s you, I’m so sorry!” Lil Jack apologized, “It won’t happen again, I swear!”
He bowed down respectfully, and his goons Mikey and Larry followed.
“Yeah, sorry for trying to whip you that one time… err, what’s your name again?”
“Samuel,” Samuel answered, a bit amused yet relieved at the sight of the three. Their deaths hadn’t particularly bothered Samuel at first, but seeing them made him feel really guilty. His gaze lowered on Larry. Larry had surrendered, but despite that Samuel still killed him.
“Hey, Larry, right?” Samuel said. Larry looked up slowly and nodded.
“I’m sorry too. For killing you. That was… unwarranted,” Samuel apologized, looking at the ground guiltily, “I guess I was scared back then. I thought maybe you had it out for me too.”
“I-It’s okay. Really. I hope we can be friends.”
Samuel smiled as the three walked away. If those three were dead, then… maybe he could find her somewhere in this crowd.
Samuel pushed past the crowd. As he did, he realized that he knew all of their names. The revelation startled him, yet comforted him at the same time. They must have all passed from the ARK.
Samuel looked around. Tables lined the walls, each one filled with an assortment of snacks and drinks. Samuel felt thirsty, so he decided to get some punch. He deviated from his goal and headed to the table, grabbing a paper cup and pouring some punch from a big jar of red punch. He could hear a distinct conversation close to him.
“So. How many guys are you gonna talk to tonight?” a gruff voice asked. Samuel turned his head to see a group of four sitting next to the wall, observing the crowd keenly. There was an overweight guy in the middle, a chubby girl sitting next to him, and then Samuel could recognize a cheerleader, Kaitlyn, sitting next to the overweight guy, and a girl with blue hair sitting next to the chubby girl.
Kaitlyn shrugged, and shook her head.
“None. They don’t interest me anymore. You’re friends. That’s all I ever wanted…”
The chubby girl blushed.
“R-Really Kaitlyn?”
“Yeah. Really, Nicole,” Kaitlyn smiled back.
“Wow. Did you hit your head on something? Cause that didn’t sound like you,” the blue-haired girl giggled.
“Shut up Ellie,” Kaitlyn frowned.
The only guy of the group rose from the ground, and he cracked his knuckles and neck. He looked down at the others, and nodded his head to the left.
“Let’s get out of here and find a more quiet place. I’m sick of the noise.”
“The only thing you should find is a gym, Gerald,” Ellie snickered as she followed suit.
“That’s really ironic coming from you…”
“What?! How dare you!”
Samuel smiled at the interaction. He didn’t personally know them, but they seemed like fun. After gulping down all of the fruit punch in the cup, he tossed it away and decided to delve further into the crowd of graduates to try and find who he was looking for.
As he pushed past more and more people, he could spot two guys hovering near the corner, their arms crossed and their heads bowed down. Samuel knew that they were Nate and Jake, even though he had never met them.
Two girls were dancing in the crowd, meanwhile, near the middle. They seemed to be in high spirits and were enjoying the environment around them. One was quite muscular and large, the other was skinnier yet just as jubilant. That was Layla and Lizzy. A guy with curly hair was also dancing alongside them, pumping his fists in the air and swaying his hips side to side. It was Landon. A brooding, gentle-looking man watched on silently with a smile. Arthur.
Samuel smiled at the sight of the man having a good time. He didn’t want to bother him, since he didn’t personally know him. Samuel and Arthur locked eyes for a moment. The two stared at each other for a bit. Samuel’s gaze averted, but he waved goodbye as he left the area.
“It would be better if he doesn’t see me,” Samuel thought as he eventually saw a bar in the corner with a variety of glass bottled drinks. A strong, sturdy man was at the counter cleaning a glass. When Samuel approached the bar, he began to speak.
“Now what drink would you like-”
As he looked up though, he gasped. He placed the glass and rag on the counter and placed his hands on the wooden counter with wide eyes, inspecting Samuel carefully.
“Samuel!” Andres shouted, “What are you doing here?!”
“Uh, I’m not sure, to be honest,” Samuel replied, looking around uneasily, “It’s nice seeing you here though.”
“Yeah. It’s actually been pretty chill though. Everyone here is nice, surprisingly. I wish Tiffany were around though. Then we’d be able to talk about the direction of our story,” Andres wished, a little sad, “I think I saw her somewhere in that crowd… but I haven’t seen her since.”
Andres turned around, took the glass bottle, and dipped it in a large pot filled with a blue liquid. He pulled it out and then placed it on the wooden counter happily.
“Want a drink?” Andres asked.
Samuel eyed the drink for a moment. He decided to take a sip. He grabbed the bottle, brought it to his lips, and then swallowed a few ounces of the energy brew. It tasted sweet. Really sweet. Samuel felt surprised at the taste.
“Like it?”
Samuel nodded. He felt pleased at the new experience.
After all, how long had it been since he had been able to taste?
“It was great, actually,” Samuel’s eyes squinted, a bit disappointed with himself, “Hey, listen, I’m sorry about what happened back then. Tiffany blamed herself for you, but it was really my fault. I’m sorry…”
“Hey, it’s alright, okay? We’re all here and that’s all that matters,” Andres told him, “It’s not your fault. I saw that woman’s implant glowing. I think if it wasn’t you that started the fight, it would have been me.”
Samuel didn’t respond. He still felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. Like sins crawling down his back.
“So what are you here for?” Andres questioned curiously.
“I’m looking for someone,” Samuel answered honestly. Andres smirked.
“I think I know who you’re talking about. I don’t know where she’s at, personally, but someone did want to meet with you…”
Andres looked to the left and a girl with long black hair that was a few inches shorter than Samuel came barreling toward him with a smile on her face.
“Samuel!” the girl cried out. Samuel’s eyes widened.
“Wren?”
The girl leaped at Samuel and wrapped her arms around him. Samuel went tumbling to the ground, and they both laughed. The two got up from the ground, patting the dust off their graduation robes.
“It’s been so long,” Samuel said, as he felt tears blur his eyes.
“It has been,” Wren replied, looking around carefully, “I don’t know anyone here. Well, not like it mattered. You know Dad didn’t care about much of that, he just wanted us to be successful and graduate without any trouble.”
“That’s fine. There’s a lot of people that are fun to talk to. Like Andres,” Samuel replied, taking a quick glance at him. Andres smiled happily.
“Thanks Samuel!”
Wren cleared her throat, and Samuel turned to face her again.
“It was nice catching up with you. You’ve grown a lot,” Wren said, looking him up and down, “Last time we met you were like, this tall.”
Wren put her hand near to where her stomach was. Then, she turned around and waved goodbye.
“Seeya!”
Wren ran off, and Samuel smiled. Who else would he meet-
“Hey son.”
Samuel turned around to see a man wearing a police uniform standing awkwardly behind him, his hair hidden away in a police hat. Samuel felt his heart throb.
“Hey Dad,” Samuel said simply.
Warren looked down for a moment, before he knelt down and hugged him.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you son,” Warren apologized. Samuel felt tears drip down onto his right shoulder. Warren continued, “I’m sorry for being a bad dad. I’m sorry Samuel…”
Samuel hugged Warren back. He didn’t know how to feel. He recalled Dan Walker’s words. Without Warren’s story, Samuel would have been killed the moment he stepped into the Starlit Sanctuary. In a way, he did save his life.
“It’s okay Dad,” Samuel replied, “My other friends are safe. That’s all that matters. And we’re here together.”
Warren smiled. He let go of Samuel and stood up, saluting him softly.
“I’ll see you around kiddo. I have some fights to break up, since I’m an officer now for some reason.”
Warren walked off, and Samuel waved goodbye to Andres. Samuel went back into the crowd to find who he was looking for.
By now though, the crowd was already beginning to dissipate. The music had changed, and now it was slow and relaxed. The party had come to a halt, and the dance floor had become reserved with the slow-dancing couples who never got the chance to fulfill their futures.
Samuel could spot a man wearing a straw hat in the corner sipping an energy brew. It was John. He looked up and waved at Samuel. He seemed especially lonely, yet satisfied with his fate.
Another woman with orange-brown hair was hovering near the corner of the room, whispering something to herself. There were goosebumps on her arms and she twitched every few seconds. Samuel recognized her as June. She looked cold.
Finally, a tough-looking man with a buzz cut was fiddling with his fingers, especially out of place because he was wearing a black suit. He looked up, and Samuel met his gaze. Bob said nothing, and looked back down at his hands. Samuel decided it would be best to leave him alone.
Samuel looked away but it was then he bumped into the second person of the night.
The man he had bumped into was muscular and sturdy, just like Andres, yet he wasn’t as tall or large. Samuel looked to see a man with brushed back tidy black hair, and a tall muscular woman. The man stepped back, and then nodded his head toward him.
“Sorry about that Samuel,” Jerry apologized. Samuel squinted his eyes.
“Wait, Jerry?!”
“Yeah. It’s me. Kind of crazy how things change huh?” Jerry smiled. He turned and nodded his head toward the woman.
“This is Esmeralda.”
“Hey Samuel. I’ve heard lots about you. Jerry noticed that you didn’t have a mark,” Esmeralda noted, “That’s cool. I’m glad you chose not to use it.”
Samuel figured she was talking about the implant. He scratched the back of his head uneasily.
“Yeah, about that,” Samuel said. He looked back at the two. It was so weird seeing Jerry as a normal functioning human being. The time he saw him he didn’t even look human.
“So what changed?” Samuel asked, a bit curious. Jerry shrugged.
“I’m not so sure. I think it had something to do with Alan. He put a bit of sense into me, I suppose. I was wrong. I think I was just really upset about everything, but now that I’m reunited with Esmeralda, I don’t really have to freak out huh?”
As Jerry spoke, Samuel noticed that his golden tooth was gone. Samuel felt a sense of relief because of it, for some reason.
“Uh, this is awkward,” Jerry laughed, “But I think I’m going to go now. I wanna dance with her. I’ll see you around Samuel.”
Jerry and Esmeralda walked off, leaving Samuel to watch in with intrigue. Samuel smiled at the sight. He turned away, and decided to keep looking for Aurora.
Samuel’s eyes scanned the room. He couldn’t spot her anywhere in the crowd. He’d know she was there because of her bright, blue eyes and her sparkling brown hair.
Samuel then noticed there was a hallway leading somewhere else. He decided to take it. He walked down the hallway and there were multiple rooms branching out to bedrooms, bathrooms, and balconies. On one of the balconies, a white-haired woman looked out at the stars in the night sky. The woman chuckled, and then looked back down below.
Samuel decided to take a detour to visit Skyler. He opened the glass screen door and walked into the outside balcony. The air was chill, and the wind was soft. The stars twinkled in the night sky, eager. Samuel walked up to the railing next to Skyler.
“I know what happened to you. That was a brave thing to do,” Samuel told her. Skyler didn’t turn her head, but nodded in agreement.
“I wanted to keep them safe, after all that happened. A part of me wanted to stay alive. But, I knew that giving up my life for them would be the right thing,” Skyler smiled. Skyler didn’t comment about Samuel’s state. She seemed to be reminiscing. Samuel looked down the railing and saw clouds upon clouds. He couldn’t see past them, but he imagined that the Earth was waiting below.
“You and I aren’t so different you know,” Samuel said.
Skyler’s face didn’t change at his words. She nodded softly.
“I guess so.”
Samuel said goodbye, left the railing, and returned to the warm comfort of the mansion. He closed the glass screen door behind him and continued down the hallway. It was then he heard chatter coming from one of the bedrooms, and he peeked inside to see a group of four playing cards.
“Okay, Loki, do you have a five?” a toned, bronze woman asked with a hand of cards in her hand.
“No Chloe, go fish,” Loki smirked back. Chloe groaned and picked a card off the middle pile. One of the guys with parted black hair looked out nervously at Samuel. That was Brad. Another girl with magenta hair was petting a dog. Sophie.
“Uh, Loki, someone’s staring at us,” Brad murmured, a bit apprehensive. Loki and Chloe looked up, and then Loki’s eyes sparkled as his eyes landed on Samuel.
“Hey Samuel! Long time no see! Well it’s only been like a few days, but still. It felt like eternity. How have you been? Wanna join us?”
Samuel ignored the first question.
“I think I’m good. Thanks for asking though. Some other time?”
“Oh okay. Well I’ll see you around!”
Samuel waved goodbye to the group and continued walking down the hallway. He heard more chatter coming from the bedrooms. He took a quick peek inside. There were seven children screaming and yelling, and it seemed they were engaging in a pillow fight. Samuel couldn’t recognize any of them, but he noticed that the oldest of the bunch had a scar on his left eye just like Mr. Mo. The realization came to Samuel only after he reached the end of the hallway.
There was a large room waiting for him. A glass dome hung at the ceiling, illuminating the inside with moonlight. A large glass pane showed the rest of the night sky, and a tomb of sorts lay in the middle. Standing near the tomb was a woman wearing white graduation robes. Her body was turned away from Samuel, facing the night sky.
“Aurora,” Samuel called out.
The woman turned around. She seemed surprised at first, but then a smile grew on her face.
“Samuel.”
Samuel stepped forward. His heart hammered against his chest.
“Are you ready?” Aurora asked, ushering her hand to the tomb.
The tomb seemed to be glowing with some sort of power. It had a purple orb embedded inside, which seemed to radiate with the same power as Dan Walker’s implant. Samuel looked at Aurora, a bit confused.
“We aren’t even going to have a talk?”
Aurora looked up at the glass dome. She smiled.
“I wish we could. But then you’d just miss me more, I think, once you’re gone.”
“What do you mean once you’re gone? I thought I was dead? Why else would I see you and everyone else here?!” Samuel questioned, slightly offended by her nonchalance toward his arrival.
“It’s not your time,” Aurora gently said, “I don’t want you to die. You still have a life to live. I never did, Samuel. My life was doomed the moment I listened to Borealis. You still have so much to do. And Nova… you can’t forget about her, can you?”
“Why can’t you go into the tomb?!” Samuel asked, waving his hand at it, “What’s stopping you, if the tomb is going to wake one of us up?”
“Samuel. The only reason why you’re being given this chance is because YOU have the implant. You have the power to bring yourself back. So please, give yourself another chance,” Aurora begged him with sad eyes, “Please don’t let your effort be in vain. We will meet again, I promise.”
Samuel looked away. He didn’t want to leave this place. Everything seemed so right. Everyone seemed so happy.
At last, he decided to enter the tomb.
Samuel walked up to the tomb, and then climbed inside, lying down as if it were some sort of bed. The tomb was coursing with energy, like the imaginary matter that the imaginary rifle was made of. It was made of the same futuristic metal as the starlit sanctuary. Samuel looked up. The stars were silent. Still, Samuel could see constellations upon constellations in Aurora’s eyes.
“Before I go… How was Borealis? If he’s even here?” Samuel asked, his eyes looking into Aurora’s. An unreadable look crossed her face.
“Fine. I met him first thing I got here, actually. He understood. After our talk, I never saw him again. I suppose he didn’t have a purpose outside of our lives back down on Earth,” Aurora answered, a bit gloomy, “Enough talk. Goodbye…”
Aurora walked to the side of the tomb, took the cover, and then slammed it down, covering the tomb in a blanket of darkness. Samuel couldn’t see, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. He could hear his heartbeat all around him.
And then he woke up.
~
Samuel awoke to the sound of silence. It was unusually cold. He could feel hard metal below him. He sat up and looked around. He was still at the Starlit Sanctuary. There were red lights blaring in the distance, and a robotic voice was screaming something.
“CODE RED! CODE RED!”
Samuel stood up from the ground. He could feel the implant still embedded in his wrist. And as he looked around, he realized that everybody was gone. Samuel’s eyes widened.
“What happened?” Samuel asked himself, “Did they leave without me? No, that’s not possible. Neddy would have transferred my implant to Landon’s body or something. The teleporter must have activated on its own after Dan Walker’s death.”
Samuel didn’t like the blaring in the background. Something told him that the Starlit Sanctuary would blow to bits soon. He rushed over to the door, where the console was located, but as he ran past, he couldn’t find it anywhere.
The console was gone.
“Where is it?! Where is it?!” Samuel asked, frantically looking around. Samuel turned white as he recalled the battle with the Overseer. Neddy and Ruby had come out to distract the Overseer at some point, yet Samuel was still gaining implant attributes. Had Neddy done something with the console?
Samuel could hear a countdown in the background.
And it was then he realized there was nothing he could do.
His arms dangled meaninglessly by his side. Slowly, he treaded to the glass pane of the starlit sanctuary. And he stared out down at the Earth, where he should’ve been.
He thought about Nova. Her laugh, and her smile. Samuel didn’t want to die now. He clenched his fists and banged his fists into the glass.
THUMP! THUMP! Thump!
Thump.
Samuel’s efforts ceased. There was no point in struggling.
Samuel stepped away from the glass, and he took a deep breath.
“TEN! NINE! EIGHT!”
Samuel thought about the vision, or dream he had after destroying the Overseer. Had it been real, or just a part of his imagination?
“SEVEN! SIX! FIVE!”
Samuel closed his eyes. He felt another tear roll down his cheek.
Would the others even care?
“FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!”
Samuel looked away in acceptance.
And it was over in just a split-second.
~~~~~~~
Bobby and Simon's Ending
“Hyahh!”
Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!
Bobby let out a sigh of relief, wiping his brow of sweat and dropping his hammer to the ground as the last nail was inserted into the piece of wood. Simon picked up a load of rubbish on the ground and then dropped it in their portable dumpster.
“Whew, that was some nice work!” Simon called out as he walked back to Bobby. As the two collided, they fistbumped, and then they looked at what they had built.
It was a large ranch house. It was pretty big, and it had taken a lot of blueprints, planning, and overall grit just to put it together. It was around two stories high and made of wood and stone. There was a large fence surrounding the perimeter and even more space in the back for animals as well as a barn.
Neddy and Ruby had specifically requested for it, and who could say no to a friend?
Regardless, their work is done now.
“So. Where to now?” Bobby asked as they walked back to their pickup truck. Simon scratched his chin for a moment.
“Let’s go get some food at Carlos’,” Simon suggested. Bobby licked his lips at the mention of his name.
“Ooooh, that sounds good.”
The two got in their truck. Simon looked out the window at the ranch house. This would be the last time they’d see that couple, at least in a while. Simon didn’t know what was next for him. He had decided to go into bodybuilding, while Bobby would enter the construction business and hopefully rise to the ranks one day. It had been an incredible journey. He wished Skyler were here to witness this.
“Hey, are you ready? Or am I going to have to drive?” Bobby asked, nudging his arm. Simon nodded.
“Yeah. Yeah, let’s go.”
Simon placed his foot on the acceleration pedal, and their truck zoomed off into the sunset.
~~~~~~~
Rick and Calem's Ending
“The wolves all bowed their heads toward their fallen sister in respect. In the end he had given up his life to save the others, but they would never let his memory be forgotten. Never,” Calem read. Rick’s eyes were wide in surprise as Calem read off the pages of the book. The two brothers were sitting under the shade of a large oak tree next to their humble home, and they were reading the stories of one of the Terran High students. Apparently he was an excellent writer, yet he never joined the Book Club. It was a bit odd to Rick, but Nova wanted to distribute the book among the former Book Club members, for some reason.
“Okay, Nova was right, that was a great story!” Rick commented. Then, he fell silent. The last few sentences reminded Rick of somebody.
Rick still missed Skyler. He considered himself the closest to her. She was so much fun to read with, and reading the lines of the story really put a mark on his heart. Rick frowned.
Calem didn’t say anything either. As Rick took a glance at him, he also seemed to be thinking about something. Or rather, someone. Rick didn’t know who. But he knew not to question as Calem chose not to question him.
The two brothers just looked out at the rising sun, not saying a word to one another. They had both lost good friends, despite it all.
Still, they couldn’t help but look at each other and smile.
At least they had each other.
~~~~~~~
Paige and Chris' Ending
Paint splattered on a canvas, guided by the gentle brushes of the brush. Red, blue, and green all blended together in a beautiful landscape filled with trees, rivers, and mountains in the background. A waterfall echoed in the distance, its sound radiating in the walls of the workshop.
A few more paintings were hung up on the walls, each one with a story to tell. There was a muscular woman with a hearty smile, and a skinny girl with a shy look on her face.
Paige studied the canvas for a moment, before dipping her brush in the white paint, and then created a circular motion near the top, building the moon in its place.
Paige smiled at the canvas for a moment. Then, she took her brush and created numerous dots across the night sky to form a constellation. A constellation that resembled that of a human. Her memory would live on.
“And I’m done,” Paige took the canvas and then lifted it off the easel, turning around and walking over to a painting that had a small group of people standing together, each one vastly different from the other. She placed the painting above, and then stepped away, inspecting it with her hands on her hips.
Just then, the door to the workshop opened and Paige heard the squawk of a bird. Paige turned her head to see a tall boy with a dark tan and brown hair enter the workshop with a leashed dodo in hand.
The dodo squawked happily at the sight of Paige and began to pull at the leash. Chris tugged back, letting out a chuckle as it struggled.
“Hey, chill out!” Chris laughed. He leaned and crouched forward and unhooked the leash, and the dodo rushed forward toward Paige, squawking and chirping happily. Paige smiled at the sight of the bird.
“Hey there! You guys decided to visit me?”
“Yeah. We decided to drop by. I just took him to get his shots at the vet. Err, HER shots at the vest. Turns out she was a girl all along. And I finally decided on a name for her,” Chris said, looking around at the paintings scattered about the wall. He noticed the painting of the Book Club members. He didn’t say a word.
“So what are you going to name her?” Paige asked, raising her eyebrow.
Chris smiled.
“Sky.”
Paige crouched down and pet Sky on the head, and she let out a happy chirp. Paige looked up at Chris.
“That’s a great name, Chris.”
Paige took a deep breath, looking down at Sky with a soft smile.
“It’s a great name…”
~~~~~~~
Sunny and Gary's Ending
“GAME OVER,” the voice blared from the computer.
Gary frowned, annoyed at his loss. He took his headset off and placed it on the desk contemptuously. He got up from his seat and cracked his knuckles. Maybe it was time for a break.
Gary left the confines of his room and ventured out to the kitchen to grab himself a snack. He opened the fridge and grabbed some hot peppers. He closed the fridge door, popped the container lid off, and then dropped some peppers into his mouth and began to chew. The spice immediately burst into his mouth like an open fire, but he didn’t mind. He enjoyed the flame.
Gary heard distant buzzing, and he looked to the right to see a fly buzzing around near the stove. He snatched a flyswatter and then smacked the fly with all of his might. The fly was squashed onto the silver top of the fridge.
Gary swallowed down the last remnants of the hot peppers, and then grabbed a napkin to clean up the fly. He squished the fly up and then tossed it in the nearby trash can. Gary was bored, to say the least. He had been stuck on a boss fight for the past few days and he couldn’t figure out how to counter it. He decided that he needed a break to get his mind off of things. Perhaps a good read would help.
Gary walked to the second floor of the house, where Sunny resided, and then knocked on her bedroom door.
“Hey mind if I come in?”
There was no answer.
Gary squinted his eyes.
“I want a good read. Got any good suggestions? I’ve already read all your stuff so…”
There was still no response. At this point, Gary was really annoyed. He decided to enter anyway. He opened the door up, which was unlocked, but as he peered inside nobody was inside. There wasn’t a trace of Sunny left. All Gary saw was a laptop stationed on her desk which was still on. Probably her current book she was working on.
“Huh. Did she go out somewhere? Thought she would say something… Nevermind,” Gary decided. He closed the door gently and headed back downstairs. The thought of stories brought him back to that Book Club he had been in so long ago, and the friends he had made. He wondered how they were doing now. He hadn’t heard from them in so long.
“I hope they’re doing okay,” Gary thought meekly.
Something told him they were doing fine, though.
~
Why was she here?
Sunny stared out at the crowd of characters she had once written. Each one was murmuring amongst each other, pointing and staring at her in awe. She couldn’t help but watch, nor did she have any words to say. The medallion that hung around her neck which manifested when she entered this world seemed so heavy and suffocating. Sunny had a distant, unreadable look on her face.
Eventually the crowd began to dissipate. Nobody said a word as they left. But still, Sunny felt a bit better about herself. She wouldn’t have to worry about the fate she befell on her characters.
Only a man and a woman remained in the crowd. The man had a shy look on his face, yet his gentlemanly nature kept him close to the woman’s arm. The woman was sweet, yet curious about the surrounding environment. The woman had a medallion around her neck that didn’t glow.
Why were they here? How had she come here? She wasn’t sure. That blue portal that appeared and took her here came out of nowhere, but she didn’t question it.
Sunny recalled the good times she had put them through. And the bad. Unlike the president, at least she had given them a good life. All lives had their ups and downs. And in the end Sunny cared.
Emma and Andrew faded away. Sunny smiled, and turned away, happy.
There was a large, white heavenly door waiting for her behind her. Sunny walked up to the door. She felt the urge to open it, for she had a feeling that this was the door back home to the real world. As she approached the door, her medallion transformed into a key. Sunny took the key gingerly and then inserted it into the door, twisting and turning until eventually the door cracked open to reveal nothing but a bright white light. Sunny placed the key in her pocket, and looked back one last time at the empty stage below her. She could still hear their voices.
Sunny turned away and stepped inside the light, back into the real world.
Finally, she could come to peace with what she had done.
~~~~~~~
Jack's Ending
Jack hummed a hopeful tune as he was reorganizing things in his home. He brushed and sweeped at the floors, trying his best to make things tidy and neat for his son’s return.
Just a few weeks ago, he had heard the news of the ARK exploding and the scholars returning home, or at least, what was left of them. Many of them were taken into custody for questioning (which Jack found absurd), but today was the day they’d all be released and sent back home. Soon, Jack would be reunited with his son Jack Jr!
Jack sweeped the last bit of dust into the brushpan and then tipped it into the trash can, pouring everything inside. Jack looked back at the house around him. Everything looked sparkling clean. Wondrous! Now all that was left would be to dispose of the weapons that were stored away in the glass cabinet. He wouldn’t be a bad influence on his son any longer.
As Jack approached the glass cabinet, he heard a knock on his door, and his heart leaped. That must’ve been him!
Jack quickly turned away. That would be for later. He rushed to the door and opened it up, but he was not greeted with the sight of his long lost son. He was greeted with the sight of a police officer.
For a moment, Jack thought that this man was someone else. That someone else who had given up his life for his own. That Warren Justice, The Judge. Jack felt a heavy feeling in his heart at the thought. He never came back that night. He couldn’t fathom how Sam felt after all of that. Jack wondered how the others were doing. Calem was a nice guy. He hoped that his little brother survived. So was Son, who he loved to bug. Maybe Son would be less grumpy once he got to be back with his nephew. Still, Jack knew that that might not be the case.
“H-Hello officer?” Jack said. The police officer bowed.
“Morning mister. I have bad news to bring to you.”
Jack turned white.
“Oh.”
Jack slammed the door on the officer’s face. He already knew what he was going to say. And he couldn’t bear it. What was it all for?
Jack’s lip quivered, and his chin shook as tears fell from his eyes. His little boy was gone. Gone forever.
~~~~~~~
Son's Ending
The sound of a mouse clicking filled the room. The roar of a dinosaur echoed inside, and the sound of gunfire. Grunts from a human character filled the room.
“Come on, come on,” Son moaned.
Son killed another Tyrannosaurus with his rifle. The Tyrannosaurus fell to the ground, and the larger beast that lay trapped within some comically large gate sniffed at the corpse and roared in approval. An interface appeared for Son to type the name of the creature in, and Son let out a cheer and pumped his fist in the air.
“Finally! Let’s go, I tamed this damn thing!” Son exclaimed happily.
His dog, Enzo, who was sleeping peacefully, jumped up from his bed and barked at Son angrily. Son looked back at Enzo, muttering an apology.
“My bad Enzo. I’ll walk you right now to make it up, how’s that?”
Enzo smiled in approval. He got up from his bed and raced off to the living room.
Son rolled his office chair back and stared at the screen in triumph. He had finally done it. After months and weeks of trying to tame the infamous Carcharodontosaurus, he had done it. He had tamed it after wasting thousands of resources. And he had done it without the help of his nephews, who typically did all of the heavy work for him.
“I’m sure the boys will be pleased,” Son smiled, as he got up from the seat.
He looked at the prompt for a moment. What should he name him?
Son pondered for a moment. He thought about the reason why he was here. Then, he leaned forward and typed the name in the box.
“Warren.”
Son confirmed the name, and the Carcharodontosaurus roared happily. Son smiled again, turning around and heading out the door to walk the mighty Enzo.
~~~~~~~
I changed my mind. There's seven parts now.