by S.A Moore

Hanley was never a religious man. Matter of fact he had never even sat down to the tells of Noah or the Ten Commandments. He gathered himself as an ordinary man without God. He didn’t feel special or different from anyone who believed, it was just that he didn’t share their passion. He had other ideas and systems to live by. Yet even Hanley the devout non believer he was had heard of the trumpets calls and the day Jesus would come back to judge them all.

As the fire balls fell from the sky he realized that today was that day. The blaring of sirens filled the air. Waves from the sea came crashing up over the pier. To think today had been his first visit to Hollywood. Some vacation watching the world end, the Hollywood sign blew to small wooden shards. The trumpets started to blare. Hanley was now officially wishing he had found God before today, but in his mind he knew there still had to be time. He ran down the street dodging and weaving the buildings as cars flew through the air. Hanley was amazed that no one else was in the streets, had all of Hollywood really been so devout? Taken by their God to save them the torture of the end times?

Hanley zipped around the corner just in time to miss being sprayed by a rampant fire hydrant. He saw what he was looking for straight before him. As he reached the church doors the windows blew before him. He jumped back in fright, was Jesus telling him it was much too late? He had to try anyhow, so he opened the doors slipping inside. The sounds outside were violent and scary to his ears. He slides quickly into a pew opening the bible. He skimmed the first few pages. Adam and Eve, the creation, Cain and Able, Noah the ark, Moses and the commandments, he read as fast as he could. Then he began to pray. He told God of his love for him. He told him he was devout now, and he was sorry he had not been before. A wall of the church started to shutter and promised to collapse in on him. He prayed faster, told God of his love and passion. He told God he would be better, he just needed a chance, some more time to prove himself. Asked God of what he could do to stop this from happening. A boom outside and car alarms started to blare. He was sure this was the end, did God not hear him? Or more likely did he not care?

Hanley skimmed more the bible. He said more prayers and even tears started to fall down his cheeks. The church was now shaking he knew this would be the end. He wasn’t ready to be crushed though so he stood running down the aisle. A statue of Jesus fell before his feet, was God trying to block his way? He hurdled over and ran for the wooden doors. Bursting through the sun glared off his face. Wait! Hold on! Cut! Hanley opened his eyes before him was a man in a chair holding a megaphone. The man yelled sir you can’t be here! Hanley looked around the air had cleared. The day was beautiful. He smiled his prayers had worked. The world was going back to normal. Hanley took the advice of the nice man holding a camera. He moved towards the side of the street, and crossed some tape blocking the road. He wondered to himself now if God was his friend. As Hanley walked away he started at the billboards of Hollywood. They said coming in June Oh! What a lovely Apocalypse the motion picture. He smiled; they were already making a movie about today.