The Numbers Above Us - The First Hour

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9w3F9dHGJ

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6abI1lRxX

The world didn’t end all at once.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ1cKvhiWo

It ended in pieces.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6y0djjfUp

Small, quiet moments—

like someone dropping their phone…

or a scream that cut off too suddenly.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XSiFlBN39

I couldn’t move from my bed.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgCmiBrzMb

My eyes were locked on the number above me.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ71XOYs0MA

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgT0NLkggo

It hadn’t changed again. Not yet.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xks8gQFBa

But I knew it would.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2NQUOfmrc

Somewhere out there, people were already reaching zero.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZhNTbWhbd

And dying.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTInMOxJOw

My phone buzzed again.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN54ceuepaq

This time, it was a call.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zIwWY6zJt

I hesitated before answering.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScl6DzJmoT

“Hello?”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx7Sc4Ar7M

“You see it too, right?”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOZgRHN5C5

The voice on the other end was shaking.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLs1kBbyBDj

Lina.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrF56FN8zo5

“I…” I swallowed. “Yeah.”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadp7K2Fc5a

Silence. Then—

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC7HYnYuUY

“What’s your number?”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlW8CKtev9

I glanced up.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8516pUbvM

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8MJpUH6vC

“…twenty-six.”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7QoLxfyIe

Another pause. Longer this time.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbu6ZNGdYZw

“Mine says 14,” she whispered.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyVoYZsP9p

My chest tightened.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBLsOLg1PG

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4bUOJOdkq

“People are dying.”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yl0C7Peyo

Her voice cracked.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujzLamVxmO

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRM8Rt6UnLE

“I know.”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFuWpzwINr

The words came out quieter than I expected.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCAbN5VwbJ

Because I had seen it too.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqR2g7sJaM

And I couldn’t unsee it.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6LmEf6OSy

“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.”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcmvDvZurq

Stop it.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD0kNH2Nyk

The idea felt impossible.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ruQc12Iet

But also… necessary.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEGRy79uh1

Because doing nothing meant waiting.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgpb0LgNfp

And waiting meant watching that number drop.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dLBr5s1Pa

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoe88ltcXqa

Before I could respond, the call ended.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2XxqswAJT

I stared at my phone for a long moment.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDqGsGARKQ

Then slowly, I stood up.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoXPEkz1dT

The room felt different now. Smaller.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXgnmVuZpJ

Like the walls were closing in.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudpgzbbPdv

I walked to the mirror.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1Qr7SYkM4

And there it was.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43xIMFkoyz

Floating above my reflection.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjgVKqRLjM

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZw0BdKEUj

I leaned closer.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EKyJU50pU

“Who put you there?” I whispered.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3pPu655y4

No answer.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfknuVkGuXP

Of course not.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8XMvFLlwK

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1lCnGDRHz

Another vibration.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ojVZvw0JL

This time, a notification from a live stream.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xnoA5csBc

Thousands of viewers.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpboZysaCu

I tapped it.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNoSdjQk3z

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfnw4efS4G

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wKsX8Qo1Z

My heart started racing.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2TJWF7DXH

Dropping.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHbomwv5S9

Fast.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqY83GMMPb

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMl2Lbrkd2j

His voice broke.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELnGwun7fA

“Why is it going down?”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1wh3TEOYa

The comments were exploding.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUvaFJpSPN

Mine is dropping too

Same here

What is happening??

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5ekv0jHLb

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD56i1LvX2h

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9p8KAh3mia

His eyes flicked upward.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny8BCmONPv

He froze.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLNFedca54

The camera shook.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpwiXhzV4c

“…it’s at 1.”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXKvocArPN

No one in the comments was typing anymore.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NyBLesF1a

It was like the entire world was holding its breath.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFKpyyqimC

“…please,” he whispered.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2U3AkbaJmf

Then—

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQqXUTnxAn

His body went limp.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfsXbN6eOw

The screen cut to black.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutUNZhuiTl

I dropped my phone.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzQwY6JIPW

My hands were trembling now.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAunuVDqn7

This wasn’t random.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxU2RRPzNg

This wasn’t slow.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuOqT9I7Td

This was happening fast.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTKVfVbcMX

I forced myself to look up again.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb8Htkozdz

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hLBaplnpK

Still there.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPW6JDVtKec

Still unchanged.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeg6AaRQh6

But now it felt heavier.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl7dTTFq5L

Like a ticking clock I couldn’t hear—

but knew was counting down anyway.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9o6Eb4xON

A sudden knock at the door made me jump.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfr5YKXFsyt

Sharp. Urgent.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8VBleqEOm

“Open up!”

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXkmhLsjPS

Lina.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHbO1G4ZuT

I rushed over and pulled the door open.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdabktmnmC

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeUCiFWELi

And above her head—

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXFCWsDowO

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnm6VN60aZF

My stomach dropped.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWd95eKGfm

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

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5hSINhCjv

I looked back up at mine.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDnxW4Knqk

For a split second, I hoped—

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8bX3B98NV

Hoped it would stay the same.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEgx22syyo

But it didn’t.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9FYITFj7h

It flickered.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFsHnCZ0Cf

Then—

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtpmwjxe8Y

26… 25

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LdkiYnqVB

Lina saw it happen.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA3D8V9aBc

We both froze.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpQXSVf1Nm

Neither of us spoke.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkHwV3GzVk

Because in that moment—

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmHXw10ip2

We both understood the same thing.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6B3eR1OPIr

This wasn’t random.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenCGYIGzP6

And whatever was happening…

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheyYwax0To

It had already started.

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQX9Xs8L998

102Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgoGHIssDs
ns216.73.216.175da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically