The Other Side
“Ladies and gentlemen, this will be our last broadcast as the rogue planet Celestia is set to collide with our planet in approximately twenty minutes. It has been our greatest privilege to bring you the news. Be with your loved ones, feel no fear; and we will see you on the other side. Farewell and love to all,” said the pretty blonde news host with a shaky voice and teary eyes.
The channel then cut off to a live broadcast of the vast aqua planet dominating the sky, reminding every soul of their inevitable fate. Seven people huddling around the living television set stared at it dazedly. Ever since they had been young, living through the horrific conditions of their orphanage, they had decided that they would be a family. They met each other when Mark was five, Ella had been four, same with Jae and Jackson, Haru had been three, and the youngest of them, Rick and Chen, had been two. Pretty quickly they had stuck onto one another, all of them clinging onto Mark. They learned everything about each other, like how Jackson is from Hong Kong and is scared of everything that moves, how Rick is very much into fashion loves to rile up Jackson, how Haru loves every single living thing and would even adopt a crocodile if he could, how Chen loves to dance and is actually still a child inside despite what he might say, how Jae loves photography and he may as if he’s annoyed with them all, but would actually give his life for them. They had been together since then, all being in their early 20s now.
“Seven is the magic number”, a small Haru had said one day when he was seven, munching on some Cheetos on their tiny beds in the orphanage.
Mark, let out a shuddering breath, stood up, and walked out the glass door that led out to the sprawling terrace.
Light laughter radiated from the streets surrounding the cliffside mansion. As the redhead took in the sight in front of him, a bittersweet smile graced his face. Bellow him, teenagers and families filled the beach. Some people danced and sang together with their friends or families, blasting out music, their blissful laughs bubbling out, filling the air. Others lay together in a tight huddle, looking up at the sky in apprehension or wonder. Children ran about giddily, chasing each other and shrieking in delight as their parents watched them with soft smiles and wet eyes. Tranquility gently hugged everything in sight. The only signs of the upcoming calamity graced the skies.
Mark leaned his chin onto the railing, finally looking up at the sky. Celestia dwarfed all other heavenly bodies, taking up most of the heavens. The azure planet loomed over the earth, casting a blue hue over everything and everyone. Terrifyingly, it looked breathtaking. The rogue planet shone with inexplicable beauty; different shades of blue streaked across its waters, soft peach clouds swirled across its atmosphere, and small violet flashes scattered across its atmosphere. Maybe it was ironic that something as breathtakingly marvelous as this planet would bring about the end of their world; but, at the same time, he found it strangely fitting.
Twenty minutes; in twenty minutes the earth would cease to exist. Five billion years of history would be wiped out almost instantaneously in the cosmic scale of things. Their existence, their stories, their fears, their joy, their dreams, their memories, everything would be wiped out. It would be as if they hadn’t existed at all.
Mark thought about how had been two years since the news broke. At first, everyone had been in denial, refusing to accept their fate. How could they have? It seemed too far-fetched, like something out of a sci-fi movie, so drawn out from the reality everyone lived in, too outlandish for their minds to grasp onto. At first, there had been absolute chaos. War, riots, murder, and crime had run amok. Almost half the world’s population had been wiped out through the endless violence.
Funnily enough though, as time went on, slowly but surely the remaining population had eventually come to terms with their destiny. It had been clear that there would be nothing the world leaders could do to stop their inevitable end. No one held the power to stop something like this.
It had taken Mark about two months to finally be at peace with their inevitable future.
About a month after the news broke, Jae had tried to calm them down one by one. He radiated a gentle aura that enveloped him. Calling him the leader would be an injustice, he had been more than that. Like a guiding light, he drew them all together and watched over them. He had held onto Mark gently as he sobbed onto the latter’s chest, whispering words of comfort into the elder’s ears. He pacified Ella’s many late-night panic attacks, running his fingers through her hair as she trembled in his arms. He spent countless sleepless nights watching over Rick who had suffered from regular night terrors. Every night, like clockwork, he had gone from room to room soothing down each of them, not caring how sleep-deprived he might have been. Just like that, he had looked after each and every one of them, guiding them through their path to eventual acceptance.
The months following had been oddly serene. As odd as that might’ve seemed, he understood the strange quietude. The key to the eventual peace had been the acknowledgment that their inevitable end would come whether they liked it or not. Their acceptance had created a tranquil haze that washed over them. They were at peace.
As he stared out into the sky, he felt a pair of arms snaked around his waist as someone nuzzled into his neck, clinging onto him.
“I love you,” said the voice muffled against his neck.
Smiling Mark turned around and pulled his girlfriend beside him, kissing her cheek.
Tears ran down Ella’s face as she gave Mark the brightest, albeit bittersweet smile and smashed her lips against his. Mark moved away slowly, smiling softly, and wiped the tears off the brunette’s face.
“We’re going to be the loudest angles up there; do you think God will kick us out of heaven? If he threatens us I’ll blame Jackson and Rick because I bet it would be both of their fucking faults,” Ella said in a serious voice while pouting and playing with his collar.
Mark giggled and pecked her pout. Just as he was about to open his mouth to respond, the patio door banged open and Jackson ran towards them dramatically with the others following behind, snickering at the short blonde-haired man’s dramatic jog.
“Hey what the fuck are you talking about, Rick and I would never be loud in heaven, right Rick?” said Jackson indignantly, turning to look at Rick.
“Shut up Jackson, if anyone’s going to be loud it will be you with your T-Rex ass snoring,” said Rick snorting.
“I do not snore!” whined Jackson, smacking Rick.
“Seriously can the both of you shut the fuck up, we’re all about to die, you can bicker all you want when we’re ghosts haunting space or something,” said Jae grinning as he looked down at Jackson.
“How much longer do we have? I kind of want to have a cheesy speech session before it hits,” said Haru, slinging his arms around Jae and Rick.
“Fifteen minutes, wow this is really it isn’t it? It feels surreal,” mumbled Chen looking up from his watch.
For a couple of seconds, the seven people looked up into the heavens, up at their end drawing closer with each passing moment. Until a loud voice interrupted them from their reverie.
“Wait Jae, do you really think we’re going to be ghosts haunting space? Because space ghosts sound sick. I want us to haunt the fuck out of the Martians or something,” said Jackson seriously before he broke into high-pitched peals of laughter as he clung onto an annoyed Chen.
“Wait it actually does, space ghosts sounds like a badass sci-fi movie too, maybe I can convince heaven to let us make it into a movie or something. Does heaven even have films? I bet they do,” rambled on Rick as he looked up into the sky deep in thought, his violet hair glinting in the light.
The rest stared at him in exasperation, except for Jackson who looked just as intrigued as Rick.
“Rick shut up and let us have our cheesy before death speeches,” sighed Haru running his hands through his dark hair.
“Hey why should I shut up when Jackson started it, so tell him to shut u-“
“Oh my god, will everyone shut the fuck up, let Haru have his speech session, only we would be fighting over something as dumb as space ghosts right before the apocalypse,” said Ella sniggering.
Mark pulled them all into a huddle laughing. They stayed silent for a couple of moments, looking at each other fondly. Chen turned on the timer on his watch, and they all looked at the seconds going by, inching closer and closer to their end.
Fifteen minutes and everything they had ever known would end in a small puff of smoke in the cosmic scale of things.
Haru took a deep breath and looked up at all of them with tears rolling down his face as he spoke.
“First of all, I want you all to know that these past few years have been the best years of my life, especially these past two years. You all have pulled me out of such dark moments, and I will forever be grateful for that. Each and every one of you means so much to me; you’re all my brothers and sister, and I mean that with all my heart and soul. You guys made it possible for me to live out my dream, something that I thought I would never. I know I’m rambling, but come on I’m about to die so I don’t care honestly. Point is, you guys are my family and befriending you all was the best decision I have ever made. I love you all, and we’re going to be the most kickass angles ever,” finished Haru in a trembling voice.
Mark then looked up at Haru with bright eyes, and instead of saying anything, he pulled the others and enveloped him into a crushing hug. Haru let out a muffled cry of laughter from inside as all the limbs squashed him. After resurfacing he hugged them all one by one.
“Haru, I love you but I think you are suffocating me with your giant-ass hoodie, I might die a few minutes early,” said Rick in a muffled snicker as face pushed against Haru’s jacket.
Haru let out a bark of laughter and let Rick go. He sighed and sent everyone another bout of soft smiles.
He then cleared his throat and turned to face Chen.
“So pipsqueak, how much longer do we have?” Haru asked.
“Wow, exactly 10 minutes actually, also shut up I might be the youngest but I’m taller than you all,” said youngest looking up from his watch, his fluffy grey hair covering his eyes.
The planet now covered the entirety of the sky, dominating the horizon. The sun had long been blocked out. A brilliant sapphire glow crept up from the edge of the horizon, illuminating everything in a pale azure haze.
A small smile spread across Mark’s face as his mind slipped back to the countless early mornings and late nights spent down by the seashore with Ella; both of them wrapped up in blankets with the cool morning air flowing through their hair. The brunette always possessed a wide-eyed fascination with the star littered night sky. Many a night she would look at Mark with glimmering eyes as she pointed out specific stars or constellations, and rambled on about them with childlike wonder as she lay on his chest. Mark had cherished those moments the most. He loved the way Ella’s eyes would sparkle as she looked up into the heavens as if they held constellations of their own. The look of pure unadulterated joy on her face as she gazed up had never failed to make his heart flutter with an overwhelming rush of adoration.
His grip on Ella’s waist tightened as he felt a few tears prick his eyes. As if sensing them, she let go of his waist and gently wiped tears cascading down his face. Mark turned to look at her with a small smile, and she pouted at him shaking her head.
As he stared up at each of the six, memories with each of them flowed through his mind like a kaleidoscope.
He looked up and saw every single person had come outside with their loved ones and stood huddled together. Silence enveloped everything.
“Wow, so just a few more minutes huh? This is so weird,” murmured Rick, looking up at the sky.
“It honestly doesn’t feel like all of us will be gone in a couple of minutes, I don’t know how to explain it,” said Haru putting his head on Jackson’s shoulder, who patted his head gently.
Jae smiled as his gaze across the rogue planet, his green eyes glittering with a multitude of emotions.
“I think maybe it’s because it won’t be the end. At least I don’t believe it will be,” Jae said gently, as he looked the six with a soft smile.
“Why do you think that, how do you know?” asked Haru, his voice laced with curiosity.
“You know, they say that there are multiple dimensions? Like, it's a scientific theory that most astronomers and scientists believe in these days. It’s also said in many cultures too, that once we die, we just pass onto another dimension, and that’s what heaven is basically another dimension. I honestly think that all of us are going to meet once again up there, in that dimension,” replied Jae, his voice thick as he pointed at the sky.
“But what if when we get there, we’re all alone?” asked Chen in a small voice, gripping onto Rick and Ella tightly.
“Then we’ll just have to find each other, again won’t we? It happened once, it can and will happen again. This is so cheesy but, 7 is the magic number, right? We’re meant to always be together,” said Ella with a slightly shaky voice as she subconsciously leaned onto Mark.
“He’s right you know?” giggled Jackson, ruffling Ella’s hair.
“You guys, what if when we get there and Jackson is a hyena?” asked Rick suddenly with wide eyes.
“Rick, why is THAT what you’re thinking about right now? We literally have 6 more minutes left,” said Chen smacking his best friend across his head.
“Also hyena? Why the hell would I be one, did you get high or something?” asked Jackson, disgruntled.
“It’s because your laugh sounds like one,” said Rick snickering.
“I swear I’m going to kill you before Celestia you annoying little-”
Just then, a loud sound reverberated across the skies, making everyone lookup. The foreboding noise sounded like a gargantuan metal door creaking open, and a series of even louder booms followed it. Mark gulped.
“W-what was that? That didn’t sound too pleasant,” said Jackson, shuddering.
“Fuck wow ok, um- I think it’s starting, five more minutes?” said Chen in a quiet voice.
All the boys shuddered as Jackson let out a whistle. Mark felt Ella practically trying to burrow herself into his neck as she clung onto arm like a small koala. He whispered words of comfort into her ears. The group huddled even closer as another series of booms echoed throughout the skies and a bright flash of light illuminated everything for a couple of seconds before disappearing.
The astronomers had said that the western hemisphere would be the first hit, it would be completely obliterated by Celestia's gravitational forces. Celestia had already wiped out half of the world’s population. They knew that though. Everyone knew it definitively as the five loud bongs from the bells in the town center signifying the destruction of the western hemisphere.
Even so, not a single sound could be heard from anyone except for the occasional cry from a child. Mark felt his chest tightening from anticipation.
“I will see you guys on the other side right?” Rick asked in a small voice as little rivulets of tears ran down his face.
“Of course you will,” said Chen in a firm voice as he looked at Rick with bright eyes.
“So Chen, how much longer?” Jackson asked, gazing up at the sky.
“Holy shit, two minutes,” said the youngest as he looked up at them with wide eyes.
Mark sighed. Just as he was about to open his mouth to reply, a colossal bang echoed throughout the horizon, causing everyone to cry out in surprise. Their grips on each other tightened once more as they looked out towards the sea. As if on cue, all the water on the beach receded instantaneously, exposing the sea beds.
“Damn, it had to be this way huh? Not too thrilled but hey what can you do,” murmured Haru putting his head on Jae’s shoulder.
They nodded. They weren’t surprised, this had just been one of the many scenarios they had all been briefed about. Not that it made it any less unsettling.
“That wave oh my god,” Ella gasped, turning her head up to scan the monstrous wave which now hurtled towards them from the distance.
Mark had no words to describe it. Not even in his wildest imaginations could he have conjured up something as terrifying. It encompassed the entirety of the horizon, stretching up and hiding Celestia even, throwing their surroundings into darkness. The deafeningly loud roar of the waves echoed throughout their surroundings, ringing their ears and reverberated throughout them.
Despite the oncoming waves swallowing everything in their path, the people on the beach did not move an inch. The seven huddled even closer, watching as their demise rushed towards them. Cries of petrified children began to appear soon enough and Mark felt himself trembling slightly.
He looked up to see the monstrosity rushing into the beach, swallowing everyone on it instantaneously. Mark gulped and squeezed his eyes shut and clutched onto his family hard.
Time suddenly slowed down. He felt massive sprays of water jet onto them, almost throwing them all off their feet.
Rick screamed out a gargle of words as fast as he could.
“FUCK, I love you, I love you all, see you soon ok?”
They all followed, screaming out words of comfort and promises to meet again soon.
“COUNTDOWN, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 6, 3, 2, 1, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MU-” Mark heard Yugyeom’s screams get cut as the wave get right in front of them.
And then it hit them. For a split second, Mark felt unexplainable pain encompassing his very being. For those couple of seconds, none of them let go of one another, their grips on each other tightened. Mark felt the breath get knocked out of him as the water rushed over all of them as they still clung on.
And then nothing.
