Rapture

‘And fire shall rain from the heavens and celestial bodies will merge and collide and a great expansion will happen.’

That was the first lesson I remember from the book. There were others but that was my favourite.

His voice boomed through the speakers in our hatchback. Thickening the close humid air with its resonance. Like a book on tape, but with out stories. This was the word, this was scripture. Our scripture. His word.

There were five of us tightly packed into the car, the weight of the doomed world resting squarely upon us. We packed everything we owned into it the night before.

 I couldn't see why we needed possessions where we were going but he told us we needed to bring them. So we did. So now we were here, on the way to the end of the world with front row tickets and bags to check in at the door.

The world was to be our stage.

We arrived, sweat and sleepiness sticky on our skin. A ranch far away from prying eyes who don't know they are already dead.

He was there to greet us and show us to our places. Radiant he was. Tall and strong and godlike in serenity and poise. Graceful hands handed us each a sippy  cup of juice. In the sky the sun and the moon were visible at once…'celestial bodies will merge'… It was all true.

We drank the juice before the fires came. Before humanity was set ablaze we drank, gulping deeply and gladly and fell to the ground sobbing deep breathy sobs of joy.

We faded into a gritty, ecstatic delirium. This was it. We were going home. Sweet rapture, the time had come!

Soon we would be perched upon the rings of Saturn, hand in hand with God himself, watching the whole world burn.