The Numbers Above Us - The First Hour

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD7c2mu5Md

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiO7Sep2RA

The world didn’t end all at once.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WuHOpauqP

It ended in pieces.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKWuU1f6Ja

Small, quiet moments—

like someone dropping their phone…

or a scream that cut off too suddenly.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSarA2bSe2

I couldn’t move from my bed.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO9e1E1sfg

My eyes were locked on the number above me.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kfiIShhT8

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcXXpL8YaO

It hadn’t changed again. Not yet.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Qi12bzPf1

But I knew it would.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE38T8AQBFX

Somewhere out there, people were already reaching zero.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HYiLLh5Nq

And dying.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf8MV8FCEf

My phone buzzed again.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCVKfxlrTV

This time, it was a call.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8ocyTcjg1

I hesitated before answering.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxV7nuINlu

“Hello?”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2ttQ8dr8b

“You see it too, right?”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XeUbxfive

The voice on the other end was shaking.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTafO9jxFr6

Lina.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNAUkdNugC

“I…” I swallowed. “Yeah.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUFBwjAEjM

Silence. Then—

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsa1lIpoOl

“What’s your number?”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUET22mlrA

I glanced up.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxculyWDLQ

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4ZRWva3b3

“…twenty-six.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1AoD2E4ap

Another pause. Longer this time.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgOSWRP12U

“Mine says 14,” she whispered.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTmNDQrkuo

My chest tightened.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThJv6G26jX

“That doesn’t mean anything,” I said quickly, even though I didn’t believe it. “We don’t even know what it is yet.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3zeHXMuee

“People are dying.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtT9dgix2p2

Her voice cracked.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfQAYo4MUc

“I saw a video. Someone hit zero and just—collapsed.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneek6xdY2h

“I know.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwKvygQxpL

The words came out quieter than I expected.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQ2EwedgAs

Because I had seen it too.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYrTU9MWod

And I couldn’t unsee it.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiNSSIt5Hm

“Listen,” Lina said suddenly, her tone urgent now. “We need to figure this out. Maybe it’s time… or—something else. Maybe we can stop it.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBxMVn3FN3

Stop it.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6emvp4wff

The idea felt impossible.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EBw2qQS3A

But also… necessary.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGO4wMXQxi

Because doing nothing meant waiting.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjQ5pTPjKq

And waiting meant watching that number drop.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtptt0tiygb

“I’ll come to you,” she said. “Don’t go anywhere.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFUPNAzf3T

Before I could respond, the call ended.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIQsQLZ7az

I stared at my phone for a long moment.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwwjhFj9LJ

Then slowly, I stood up.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PX1ccVy0u

The room felt different now. Smaller.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIe4V7kWkLQ

Like the walls were closing in.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBI9fG0qO8

I walked to the mirror.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43aNhntdWe

And there it was.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67mVQEiZN0

Floating above my reflection.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE71euHBXn

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlscG669L4J

I leaned closer.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwZ9Q9Id5D

“Who put you there?” I whispered.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSLihJKOVP

No answer.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCOe6i2PuZ

Of course not.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnF5RnQslb

This wasn’t something that could be explained that easily.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB478Xrwn9c

Another vibration.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYF0GBt1loT

This time, a notification from a live stream.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAu10GnVkSe

Thousands of viewers.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvqHNniD8k

I tapped it.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQE9FYdXOm

A man appeared on screen, breathing heavily as he pointed the camera at himself.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnJqXUOSf2

“Okay—okay, listen,” he said. “My number was 10 ten minutes ago. Now it’s 5.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmlS76d0jz

My heart started racing.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwZ2YgVPkY

Dropping.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFB2wnN8nm

Fast.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvslKCABjy

“I haven’t done anything,” he continued. “I’m just sitting here—”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1Rw8WFoBE

His voice broke.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBpDPHKM8S

“Why is it going down?”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLDntYpeEn

The comments were exploding.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5FGla1uaT

Mine is dropping too

Same here

What is happening??

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIbQMwpa8b

The man laughed suddenly, but there was no humor in it.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbXdKIhqMW

“This is insane,” he said. “This has to be some kind of glitch—”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2oFCYWut4

His eyes flicked upward.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnBh09MaHe

He froze.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5lrLcU8u0

The camera shook.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbQiM43d36

“…it’s at 1.”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFvUUJjJui

No one in the comments was typing anymore.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4XCDvfOye

It was like the entire world was holding its breath.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiQ7GjtjPF

“…please,” he whispered.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wgt4roCCP

Then—

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhXxIoytYQ

His body went limp.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYbEL9LURo

The screen cut to black.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYyTjSNz2W

I dropped my phone.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwvA4AicAo

My hands were trembling now.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbGc3xm3MR

This wasn’t random.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS6KIO4RsY

This wasn’t slow.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrgxYoxap2

This was happening fast.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevzR8mhKaA

I forced myself to look up again.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeo74Wj7cq

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsOxDOU3sm

Still there.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiRdOK6T4O

Still unchanged.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡam5upY8x88

But now it felt heavier.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRJf90EmM8

Like a ticking clock I couldn’t hear—

but knew was counting down anyway.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Esqen05Zl

A sudden knock at the door made me jump.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn30cY8XdR

Sharp. Urgent.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEE1SU4Vky

“Open up!”

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPhOwZTb6b

Lina.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbanAo0PX0b

I rushed over and pulled the door open.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ7P9KWin9

She stood there, breathing hard, her eyes wide with fear.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAHHsZ1xUl

And above her head—

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wh1cMzeuz

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG2VPrCrRU

My stomach dropped.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LZHGT8N3N

“It just changed,” she said, her voice barely steady.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHBXH0Hpih

I looked back up at mine.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeK0C8XNzf

For a split second, I hoped—

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8E1EUOPYw

Hoped it would stay the same.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs9TWFqvs6

But it didn’t.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8phxR2vEhT

It flickered.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb64nZ7Itsp

Then—

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaSYzNHxhb

26… 25

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8OII1YZuJ

Lina saw it happen.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MtvhybXTe

We both froze.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeeAsMi8gd

Neither of us spoke.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KWHKfFCiL

Because in that moment—

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ898z5d6DjL

We both understood the same thing.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1ZO8h6j8o

This wasn’t random.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYCvDuks8K

And whatever was happening…

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rVJMJheaS

It had already started.

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNk1HkhUwxB

155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkHaq7pIv3
ns216.73.217.139da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically