The Numbers Above Us - The First Hour

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYjhoHEbvf

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWeLT9ZdDw

The world didn’t end all at once.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CQkoqD8u2

It ended in pieces.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMqPhv47j4

Small, quiet moments—

like someone dropping their phone…

or a scream that cut off too suddenly.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtdFG2WmrA

I couldn’t move from my bed.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LLsveb7eN

My eyes were locked on the number above me.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F4eEqisEd

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELWkfSUM5o

It hadn’t changed again. Not yet.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10HILXuczc

But I knew it would.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtiY9koDM8

Somewhere out there, people were already reaching zero.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Nk2IIT8G4

And dying.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DfmMEnAFX

My phone buzzed again.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxTAZYzp02

This time, it was a call.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk96gTnJ74o

I hesitated before answering.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvcoqbW2T0

“Hello?”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIHuomc3Tt

“You see it too, right?”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeOjkgAzsz

The voice on the other end was shaking.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJKgNwZn3O

Lina.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jp851xMPi

“I…” I swallowed. “Yeah.”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb5apZlN90

Silence. Then—

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5PSCK9TST

“What’s your number?”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOjj4F5jh8

I glanced up.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqs8LdvQIh9

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqeGp8W6Ro

“…twenty-six.”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacaIThGWcZ

Another pause. Longer this time.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFWuYLqzWA

“Mine says 14,” she whispered.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CUH2iGzYW

My chest tightened.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuqXofgp7K

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXB4HyUmpNs

“People are dying.”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nan8sLr5R

Her voice cracked.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApT2SZWOKk

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cxTNZ0VPe

“I know.”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vMmkaNxl4

The words came out quieter than I expected.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YeSP9ru1c

Because I had seen it too.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6S7C2rqbt

And I couldn’t unsee it.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BqjE5eTDk

“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.”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWUrKgbYrO

Stop it.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4ldGf6g3E

The idea felt impossible.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreK3meVTkp

But also… necessary.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt16xYlew8S

Because doing nothing meant waiting.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMtvoifukB

And waiting meant watching that number drop.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jDMyXoHAM

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2L8okr9Dt

Before I could respond, the call ended.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmXWRlf697

I stared at my phone for a long moment.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbcJRI15UV

Then slowly, I stood up.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2qMqMhB87

The room felt different now. Smaller.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8IpabELfW

Like the walls were closing in.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuDeuku3Ia

I walked to the mirror.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdmDmd4h99

And there it was.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1bjH7uS1B

Floating above my reflection.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUCZtXqrf0

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj7LFhEe5X

I leaned closer.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE04csWnpB

“Who put you there?” I whispered.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsFHtldx7w

No answer.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4klDoCFFW2

Of course not.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcX8hfitZf

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQr6WRFA0E

Another vibration.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5rnu0Tjrd

This time, a notification from a live stream.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJIb51q2Ic

Thousands of viewers.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJY64AI5RD

I tapped it.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCNK7rTqwv

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHH6VSHY2w

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6IIvYXTZj

My heart started racing.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqvMG0EfgA

Dropping.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcnUnnT6Hm

Fast.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvW3wOQgt6H

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AbSUJ5bE7

His voice broke.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddOdDQB4pX

“Why is it going down?”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AscJ6i50X

The comments were exploding.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkp2JKiNXa

Mine is dropping too

Same here

What is happening??

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0WLRrI2jC

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TlH6FJYUE

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDQJKBkGt6

His eyes flicked upward.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowrjyilgJs

He froze.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDAHckPhGI

The camera shook.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVorVr9Vgcv

“…it’s at 1.”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvPmbd0Hj4

No one in the comments was typing anymore.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYsxkR8Pzq

It was like the entire world was holding its breath.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKsr1KUCfd

“…please,” he whispered.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UGTj8q0b4

Then—

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUU5QYJuyh

His body went limp.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoIrLKPTIA

The screen cut to black.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNDhVJ9d5w

I dropped my phone.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JQ9j8JoFX

My hands were trembling now.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6Z2SrdqrN

This wasn’t random.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2F9E4pFml

This wasn’t slow.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0pTE0KEHJ

This was happening fast.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsvoqi4FjO

I forced myself to look up again.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisCxrSCBwh

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHIWoDju7X

Still there.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUft28bQAWa

Still unchanged.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUl3DjMxxv

But now it felt heavier.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIseOHcxHUz

Like a ticking clock I couldn’t hear—

but knew was counting down anyway.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuYHNtsTsF

A sudden knock at the door made me jump.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWgHjd2233

Sharp. Urgent.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TqtNoSAls

“Open up!”

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zArSdqnFl

Lina.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjILtC8MPFB

I rushed over and pulled the door open.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw2VoNbOi2

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeW7lD1CBDg

And above her head—

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XWEThDvfl

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHRqPX4t5c

My stomach dropped.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXBPWcAVyZ

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

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9R48FHoeV

I looked back up at mine.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcNkO2ZCeT

For a split second, I hoped—

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4fziMOOJI

Hoped it would stay the same.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK3WFRSGST

But it didn’t.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQEKp9JYUT

It flickered.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSbZX0JqTe

Then—

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45x796Bkat

26… 25

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPEWEpurMa

Lina saw it happen.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2aLCqFqhV

We both froze.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUQpl9ZBeD

Neither of us spoke.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTt2dI0SkE

Because in that moment—

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjchsVlWlpb

We both understood the same thing.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOHUcvKYwO

This wasn’t random.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UODIlrGM7

And whatever was happening…

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFaCcJMkDv

It had already started.

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Bi5dNknIx

105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzxUx2Kazt
ns216.73.217.15da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically