The End of the World

There was once a village full of bugs. By human standards, these particular bugs lived about 4 hours. To the bugs, this represented a full life span.

What was once a basketball court was now faded and broken cement with grass and weeds growing up everywhere. Two metal poles that used to support basketball backboards now represented great "time dials" and between the tall grass at half-court was a giant dog turd. This turd was the epicenter for the bugs. All life had come from it; It served as a source of inspiration and united them.

The bugs lived simple lives. 2 bugs, Bog and Beggy, loved each other and loved to go on adventures outside the village. They'd go crawling around for what felt like days at a time. On one particular day while crawling along the edge of a blade of grass, Bog stopped. Beggy watched as Bog looked at his shadow, and then directly up at the Light far above them. 

As they began to move again, Beggy asked Bog, "So what was that?"

"It's just- our parents said that it used to be so bright that the light blinded them."

Beggy didn't like where Bog was going, "Well maybe we've just adapted and so it's as bright as it's ever been, you just don't know it."

Bog stopped in his tracks and looked over at her annoyed, "Now why would you say that, you agree with me, don't you? It's not as bright."

"Okay, fine, I agree, so what, I don't want you to scare me."
"I'm not trying to scare you. I'm curious about these things and I like to think about them."

Beggy started crawling again, "You're in your head too much. Let's just go, okay."

Bog knew he was and let it go. He crawled along next to her.

Bog and Beggy arrived back in their village. Before going to sleep, an emergency meeting was called at the Great Turd, Bog had not been the only bug to notice a change in their world. An open forum started and the bugs began to debate and argue.... 

Whether they wanted to admit it or not, their world was changing and they didn't understand why or how, and not knowing scared them. The meeting ended with no resolve. Bog and Beggy crawled back to their home and went to bed. 

When Bog woke up, he saw Beggy sitting on the edge of their bed. 

Bog rubbed his eyes, "Well you're up early."

Beggy was feeling worried, pointing a limb at the sky, "Can you see, it's not as bright, you were right, it's changing even faster!"

"Whoa, wait a second, why do you sound so worried?"

"Because I don't know what it's doing or how fast it'll go or when it'll be over."

"Well putting your energy into all these things that you can't figure out is probably what's making you so worried."

"I could die!"
Bog smiled coyly, "We all die, don't we?"

"Stop, okay, if you're not going to help just leave, okay."

Bog crawled out of bed, not looking at Beggy, "I'm going on an adventure. Wanna come with?"

Beggy pointed to the sky again, "When THIS is happening, how could I go on adventure now!"

Bog shrugged, "It's fun, you like crawling around with me... c'mon, you need to stop worrying about this. Come play and when your mind goes back to--"

Beggy folded her arms and and turned away from him, "I'm not going."

Bog looked at her for a moment and then crawled away. He was gone for 3 days. Beggy was worried sick. Worried about Bog, worried about being alone, worried about the Light going away and the Darkness approaching. And then she saw Bog, a big stupid grin on his face.

Beggy didn't even wait for him to speak, "Where the HELL have you been, you shouldn't have left me!"

Bog stopped in his tracks, his smile disappearing, "What? I asked--"

Beggy broke down, "I don't care about the stupy adventure, I'm AFRAID, Bog. Okay?! I'm afraid."

Bog was unusually calm, "I want to take you somewhere. Will you come with me?"

Beggy thought for a moment, as if her other emotions were on hold, "... No."

Bog began to turn away"Fine, I'll see you later--"

Beggy started to follow, "Don't leave me, I'll come with!"

After a few hours of going on an adventure, crawling through the tall grass and lakes and swamps, Beggy became impatient, "What're you showing me, I've been here before."

Bog kept pushing forward without skipping a beat, "Yeah, but you never looked through that, did you?"

Beggy was catching her breath, "Through what?"

As they crested a blade of grass, Bog pointed up at a giant magnifying glass laying on the ground. They approached it together, but once they got close, it's stature intimidated Beggy and she was hesitant to go near it. When Bog noticed she was no longer next to him, he motioned for her to join him, "C'mon, it's not gonna bite you, just come here."

Beggy finally crawled onto the handle. The magnifying glass was on it's side, just above a 1-inch-wide crack in the ground. When they finally climbed all the way up the handle, Bog stepped onto the glass. Beggy was hesitant to join him, but did. Bog took her leg in his and they slowly moved towards the center. Bog smiled at her as they approached what appeared to be a giant chasm just below them, the glass in the magnifier was the only thing separating them from a mighty fall. Bog looked at Beggy, smiling, "Just don't look down."

Beggy smiled at him, 'this was kind of fun,' she thought to herself. She was feeling excited, like she did on the other adventures. She wasn't feeling anxious anymore or thinking about the Darkness.

And then she saw it. Inside the crack in the ground, were tiny little bugs, just like she and Bog, but even smaller. Beggy was in awe, "What do you think they are?"

Bog smiled at her, "Bugs...." He then became serious, "Not like us though, they're probably nowhere near as advanced as we are."

They peered below. Bog continued, "I found this place a day ago, been watching them for a while. It's amazing, they live so much shorter than we do..."

Beggy was watching as a group of the small bugs pushed a small looking rock, when suddenly one stopped and fell on it's side. Beggy was flustered, "What just happened?!"

"I think it died."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but look, look over there, there's some being born. Now watch them closely."

Beggy watched the small bugs hatch from their eggs, crawl around, move to different areas, bump into other bugs...and then after a long time, stop moving altogether. Beggy watched carefully. After another hour or so, Bog spoke up, "Is it alright if we go back home?"

Beggy looked at him, as if coming out of a trance, "Yeah- thanks for showing me this place."

"You're welcome. How uh, do you feel, you know, about the changes and the Darkness that's approaching?"

"Well...you know, not all that great- but better. I'm actually feeling a lot better about it."

Years went by and it continued to get darker. Bog and Beggy were growing gray hairs now. There was only a faint wisp of light in the air still as they lay on their backs looking up at the sky.
Bog, "You know how lucky we are?"

Beggy looked over at him, "What do you mean?"

"I wonder how many other bugs are gonna get to see what we do! We get to see something that probably never happens again. It's so unique and it's really going to change future generations, if we can survive and teach them about this, that is."

Beggy sat back and looked up at the sky again, "I still don't know what exactly it is we're seeing."

"I don't either."

"Really? You don't know?"

"Nope."

Beggy smiled to herself. Bog looked over, "What?"

"I just...I just never realized...neither of us knew."

"Well I was pretty sure it was getting darker, but yeah, I guess outside of that, I couldn't really tell you what was going on up there."

And then like that, the light was gone and there was only darkness. There was a long silence. Beggy spoke loudly, "That's it?"

"Hey, what if it's dark for so long that the bugs forget about the light altogether?"

"What?!"

"What if-"

"Stop it. I know what you mean, just stop."

"What if, what if that's us, and we forgot about the darkness."

Years later a giant foot crushed the turd and most of the village. No one saw it coming. Not even Danny.

"Ah shit," Danny said. He looked over his shoulder at Tara.

"Ha, you meant that literally."

"I told you this was gonna be stupid, let's just turn back."

"No! I want to keep exploring!"