Love at the End of the World Read online

  He produced her grandmother’s sapphire and diamond ring, the one that had been removed from her hand only after death. It was a tangible reminder of the longevity of love and the care her grandmother had heaped on her. Tears sprang into her eyes as she remembered the woman who’d given her a childhood of love. And now, the man who offered the ring was offering her the world. It was right.

  There was no other answer. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

  They sealed the vow with a kiss.

  Epilogue

  Christmas Day dawned, not with the flurry of presents they’d all experienced themselves, but with an air of festivity nonetheless. In the air, she could smell the cooking meat, and she knew women were out and about gathering foods for their feast.

  Today might be a celebration, but they wouldn’t forget those they’d lost. Ramon and Liam had taken the largest losses, losing their home, their friends, and contact with anyone they knew before. The death of the phone systems had finalized that. But she’d also lost friends, in Emily and her employer, Mr. Eckerman. They wouldn’t ever be forgotten.

  Elaine had journaled everything she remembered from the formation of their new community until the present. And each day she added more to it, this wedding being one of the joyous occasions they’d share along with the births and other relationships she was sure would follow them.

  Mrs. Garmin stood behind Elaine in the bedroom, fastening the tiny buttons on the gown. “Your grandmother would be so proud of you. Of who you are and what you’ve become. Of the choices you’ve made. She’d like Liam too.”

  They weren’t going to have a traditional ceremony, instead deciding they’d meet at the front table and make their declarations, but she couldn’t help remembering the old something old—her gown—and something new—their community and family. She touched the earrings in her ears, which were the something borrowed. She didn’t forget the something blue either, she thought as he gazed down with misty eyes at her grandmother’s sapphire ring on her finger.

  She looked back up at Mrs. Garmin. “Would you stand in my grandmother’s place and walk me down to meet Liam? It feels right.”

  Mrs. Garmin sniffed, dabbed at her eyes, and smiled. “I’d be honored.”

  Ten minutes later, dressed in Mrs. Garmin’s gifted gown, she made her way down the stairs with the older woman at her side. Together, hand in hand, they stepped through the garden, past the vegetables, and out into what had been the parklands, now a formal meeting area and growing patch. Their community family waited at the tables. Ramon was there in his jeans and the good shirt they’d hunted down for him, and beyond him, stood Liam. Waiting patiently as he had all these months.

  Elaine stopped by his side, and he smiled at her. “I declare before all those gathered that this woman, Elaine, is now my wife. The woman I will love forever.”

  Someone thrust a hankie into her hand as her vision blurred, and the scent of lavender and roses filled the air. “I declare before our family, here gathered, that this man, Liam, is now my husband. The man I will walk beside for the rest of my life and into eternity.”

  Amid cheers and whoops they sealed their union with a kiss.

  About Imogene Nix

  Imogene is published in a range of romance genres including paranormal, science fiction, and contemporary. She is mainly published in the UK and USA due to the nature of her tales.

  In 2010, Imogene Nix (the pen name not Imogene herself) was born. Imogene sat down and worked tirelessly for three months culminating in the book Starline, which became the first in a trilogy titled “Warriors of the Elector.”

  Since then she’s had over thirty titles published and is now focusing on hybridizing herself—with a mixture of traditionally published and self-published works. In fact, she’s taking control of many of her back catalogue books, which are slowly re-releasing as self-published titles.

  Imogene is a member of a range of professional organizations worldwide. She believes in the mantra of mentoring and paying it forward and is actively involved in mentorship (through NaNoWrimo and her vlog: In The Chair With Imogene Nix) and tutoring of new and upcoming authors.

  In her spare time she loves to drink coffee and wine and eat chocolate. She’s parenting two spoiled dogs and a ferocious cat along with her husband and two human daughters, and she looks forward to weekends away with her husband in their caravan “The Seven Year Hitch!” Do look forward to her caravan romance at some point!

  Imogene’s Website:

  www.imogenenix.net

  Reader eMail:

  [email protected]

  The New Era

  by C. L. Scholey

  By the twenty-third century much of Earth was destroyed. Mother Nature played a significant part, but so too did the numerous meteors that slammed into the world. The Superiors, a self-aware intelligence, went online soon after their creator, Jason Superior—a kind man who abhorred violence or suffering of any kind—sent a signal to a lone satellite. The system’s intelligence grew as Jason continued to add his own ideals until his passing.

  The Superiors began to take control of the world and the few remaining survivors. Their approach to saving life was to destroy those who were capable of misguided influential acts. Only the innocent were allowed to live. Until they became not as innocent. This is their story.

  Dedication

  This story is dedicated to my mother, Marilyn. Life has thrown me a lot of curve balls. Thanks for teaching me how to catch, and thanks for catching the few I missed. I love you, Mom.

  Chapter 1

  Greyson stood staring out the window at the majestic mountains in the distance. Snow—a substance he had never felt, but he knew the name of it—cascaded softly in a calming fashion. Swirls rose and fell to his delight. Each flake apparently possessed the ability to never look the same. Like humans...unless they were twins. His lips twitched as his tongue longed to taste a flake. Deep within a small memory surfaced—he had felt the sweet coldness before—but then the memory vanished. He wasn’t supposed to rekindle memories. The Superiors frowned on memories.

  He couldn’t help but smile in pleasure at the scene. Tranquil. Life was so tranquil. Relaxing. Safe. Greyson breathed deep and caught a hint of the metallic scent associated with this scene. The beauty was breathtaking and calm. The Superiors requested all humans take in calming scenes at least five times a day. How lucky he was. How loved he was.

  He glanced over his shoulder at Infinity, his playmate since birth. Her long, brown hair flowed past her shoulders. She wore the same outfit he did—a bulky shirt, worn with a belt and shapeless pants. Their bodies were obviously the same. He detected no difference except maybe one: she was such a tiny human. Her features were delicate, and her head barely reached his shoulders. She was tall, or taller than many females, but then Greyson was the tallest of their group on this part of the world.

  He secretly thought Infinity was incredibly handsome. He wasn’t allowed to tell her; the idea would be too confusing, it was to him. There was an attraction toward her he couldn’t place, and he knew the Superiors would frown on the feeling. Emotions could be dangerous he was told.

  Infinity was engulfed in enchantment, watching a gentle rain as it coursed through hanging purple vines to float to the ground. Each drop was magical. Infinity pressed her face to the glass to get closer to the droplets.

  It never rained where they lived, or snowed. It was warm every day. The Superiors were so generous in their gifts to their children when showing a scene. Elements were fearsome. If experienced firsthand, they would be terrifying. The Superiors merely showed them in a contained way what they were protected from. For Greyson it was exciting, this phenomena of snow or rain touching him.

  A thought crashed over him, something about his grandfather telling him about movies, scenes where actual people were caught in storms. The idea was gone as fast as it surfaced. He shook his head and gazed at his handsome friend. The term ‘beautiful’ came to mind, but he didn’t dwell on it. Flowers
were beautiful.

  The expression on Infinity’s face was a gift. Gifts were a wonderment. A gift was a scene, an expression, a touch, an embrace. The Superiors had taught them all about gifts. A welcome hug from a stranger, though no one was really a stranger where they lived. Each person was acknowledged, even if they knew not their name. Names didn’t really matter when there wasn’t much in the way of interaction, except with Infinity. The Superiors explained all humans needed one friend.

  Every day Greyson thanked his luck he had been allowed to join with Infinity. She was the best gift. They had been paired at birth. Both were considered somewhat of rebels in a way as they grew, a small way. Including his name Greyson. The name Grey had been questioned by the Superiors. In this world there was only black and white, no in-between, metaphorically speaking. Mostly lively colors were welcomed. His father insisted that just because gray was a drab color it didn’t mean his son would be spineless, or combative. Mist was gray. A substance that flowed freely at one time, though Greyson was hard-pressed to remember when he last saw anything but sunshine. Greyson could be considered an element to be dealt with. Perhaps that was what the Superiors were afraid of...that he might live up to his name. A gray area.

  A gentle whistle sounded, and Greyson stepped away from the calming scene, refreshed. Snow was always soothing to him. Love and light filled him. He smiled at Infinity, who was also done refreshing, and took her hand. They strolled from the calming station, one of many situated throughout the world, so they were told.

  The blue sky overhead was familiar. There were no dark days. No storms. The flavorful aroma of grass was soft under their slippered feet. Everywhere outdoors was soft grass, except for the series of interlocking sidewalks taking a person anywhere in the city. There was no breeze to ruffle hair. The temperature was monitored to a pleasant degree every day.

  A general happiness filled the air. Greyson saw others smiling and strolling hand in hand. It was what was expected. Greyson didn’t know the names of any others; it didn’t matter as long as he was polite to them and they were polite to him. They always were. The Superiors frowned on any gathering. Memories were dangerous if shared. Memories might lead to a cleansing. Though Greyson wasn’t entirely certain what the word meant, he knew it made his body stiffen.

  Every man and woman wore the same apparel. The clothing was hunter green, Greyson’s favorite color. His world was beautiful, full of the sweetest scents, clean and sparkling. Meadows and sleeping pods were plentiful. The pods shined in the sunlight. Chambers where they played were numerous. Restaurant pads dotted corners. Areas for individuals to speak with a Superior lined the sidewalks. Hydration stations were every few feet. The Superiors provided all.

  “Which restaurant should we eat at?” Infinity asked. Her eyes, so much like the sparkle of the greens before them, gazed up at him.

  Greyson wondered again, only for a second, why she was smaller than him, then he dismissed it. Male and female were identical. All were the same. All were loved the same. He vaguely remembered a time when the Superiors thought to dismiss the words female and male, but too many of the children remembered. This certain identity was the last thought from their parents. Their parents were proud of their children.

  “Why not over there? There aren’t many people. There is no line.” Greyson pointed to where he wanted to go.

  “Wait just a moment. Please. I chipped a nail getting too close to the glass.”

  Greyson groaned when Infinity placed her fingers in a cuticle cubby. It didn’t take long, only a few moments, but it was time that could have been spent eating. When she pulled her fingers back her perfect nails were covered with the faces of kittens. Adorable creatures that were now extinct. The Superiors claimed they were sweet but died out. Ten minutes ago she was wearing pandas. There were pandas in the exhibition section. Greyson shook his head. Why should she care if she chipped a nail? So what? He chipped his nails all the time and had no desire to have stupid animals painted on them. Females were so different. He was surprised the idea popped into his head.

  He caught sight of a small ball of fur headed his way, and he groaned again in annoyance. Obviously, he was about to be reprimanded by the Superiors for something. About nails? Dumb. The ball of fur jumped into his arms. Greyson ground his teeth.

  “I am sensing some annoyance,” the fur ball said.

  It began to purr and rub against his face. Greyson batted at it until the fur rubbed his throat, making him laugh. It was hard to resist these adorable creatures. The destress furs were also situated all around the world as a way of helping those in need to remain calm. Since where he was was his world, he never questioned the sentence ‘all around the world’.

  Greyson was fine, he simply wondered about the sense of the animal pictures on nails. Why would a female choose to do that? The Superiors allowed it, and the nails obviously delighted her. A passing robot smiled at her and complimented her choice. The robots were half his size and changed colors of bright lights continuously. They weren’t overpowering hues but soft pastels. The robot rolled away with its four arms waving at everyone who passed by.

  The fur ball licked his nose and Greyson immediately relaxed. He had no doubt the creatures were equipped with a calming agent meant to soothe. He didn’t know how he knew. A memory was in his thoughts until it vanished. The fur ball wished him a good day and dropped to the ground. Infinity was watching him.

  “Let’s eat now,” Greyson said.

  She was gazing at him in a curious way but said nothing. His thoughts were his own, and the Superiors; no one was to ask about them.

  Greyson knew Infinity was wondering what made him in need of destressing. Superiors didn’t want old stresses revisited and felt it wise to let situations go. If Greyson was in need of talking, he could go to any listening booth where he could sit comfortably with a calming drink and speak of any problems. He didn’t need the booths often anymore. When he was a teen he was escorted there frequently, as were many teen boys.

  As they approached the food panel to the restaurant another couple stepped up at the same time. Greyson stepped back, as did the other man. They nodded to one another in a friendly way. Greyson had seen the man many times but didn’t know his name and didn’t bother to ask or extend a hand. He had Infinity. She was all he needed. He had been by her side since he could remember. They were pushed together by the Superiors. Dedicated to one another, or destined. Greyson and Infinity were conditioned to not openly speak to others unless necessary and only for a short time, as were all.

  “Two may approach,” came a friendly voice from the pad. “Welcome, ladies. My lovely children. I see you are having a wonderful day.”

  Infinity and the other female went to order. The two giggled and exchanged pleasantries as was allowed to an extent, tossing their long locks and showing each other their nails. For a second Greyson had a feeling he was irritated. It was a strange feeling, stronger than the annoyance he felt a few minutes ago. He’d never had the emotion this hard before, and he battled to control it, worried about another fur ball, and another delay.

  “Do you ever wonder why women always go first?” Greyson asked the other man.

  The man looked surprised. “Never.”

  Greyson didn’t know why he even asked the question.

  Infinity smiled at him as she walked by with her tray of sushi, king shrimp, rice and shrimp curry sauce. It was a good choice, but he was in the mood for something different. Greyson placed an order for steak and salad. Within moments a panel slid open and the aroma from the food filled his nose with delight. He took his tray and sat by Infinity. As soon as he sat an isolation division appeared, showing birds of brilliant color resting or walking amid the grass. A gentle waterfall was in the background.

  The steak was tender, and his dull-bladed cutting device sliced through it with ease. The juicy substance almost melted in his mouth, seasoned to perfection. The green salad had sprouts and dressing that was to his liking. Both of them sav
ored their meals. The Superiors always knew what they favored.

  “Would you care to try some of mine?” Infinity asked.

  He speared a king shrimp with his fork from her plate. As he chewed he gazed at her smile. She enjoyed sharing with him. It gave her pleasure. The grin she wore made his heart flip, and he wondered why. As of late many things she did made him appreciate what a wonderful person she was. He needed to shrug the feeling off. Intense emotion was frowned on. He was to simply appreciate her.

  “Do you know my great-grandfather at one time had to pay for a meal,” Greyson said, and he wondered why he’d said it. He saw her surprise and elaborated. “They used to have currency. Pay, money. Um, paper and coins. Do you remember? I wonder why I just remembered that. Strange.”

  Infinity’s eyes widened. “No. I mean, I remember my grandmother telling me of horror stories about my great-grandparents, bills I think they said, like they owed something to actual people, but surely they can’t be believed? How do you owe another? Why not simply give if you have it? If you wanted my shirt or something I’d give it to you. Why be mean and expect anything in return?”

  “I know, right? Apparently, their lives were horrible.” Greyson took a bite of his meal, then gestured at his steak with his fork. “Can you imagine cutting up an actual animal for a piece of this? Or, what was it they had...guns I think they were called. It could shoot a poor bird right from the sky.”

  “Please change the conversation,” was heard.

  “Indeed. Thank you. Greyson, you were making me ill. I do want to go visit the observation forest, if it doesn’t get too late,” Infinity said.