The End

December 25th, 2012

Shannon willed herself to believe that everything was going to be alright, that everything was gonna be fine and dandy. She was going to live until she was 90, a hobbling old woman with a creaky old voice. She would live a happy life, still in touch with her old friends from high school. For the first time that day, Shannon smiled. She suppressed a giggle, but she only laughed halfheartedly. She knew quite well that that wasn't going to happen.

Normally, on a Friday night, she would be having a late-night party. She would be enjoying her beautiful life with her best friends and laughing and talking and having a blast. But today, this girl was a different Shannon. She was the Shannon that sat by her window and kissed everything in her life goodbye. Goodbye lamp, she thought. Goodbye bed. Goodbye flower vase that I always admired... No matter how much she tried, Shannon couldn't sleep. She tried crying to make herself feel better, but not a single tear escaped her eyes. She turned off the lights and saw the time. 11:30 P.M., it read. She should be asleep by now. She very well knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, so she simply lay down in her bed and stared towards the ceiling. Hey, she thought. I've always wanted my life to be adventurous. She smiled once again, sadly this time. She rolled over and sleep finally met her.

December 26th, 2012

After a fitful sleep that night, Shannon threw herself up and off the bed. There was no way she could sleep beyond 8:00. For a second she actually forgot about the 2012 crisis and fear had left her behind. She bounded down the stairs and opened the kitchen cupboard to make herself cereal, like any other day. Somehow, the cereal reminded her of something, and she instantly turned grave again. She briefly considered going to the mall and spending all her money on clothes... this was her last opportunity to go shopping. Her mother and father both worked and they both had a meeting today (oddly enough, they worked in the same place) so Shannon was free. She slowly finished up her cereal and brushed her teeth. Shannon went to go take a shower, and then decided to call her friend Tracy, for their last shopping spree. She dialed Tracy's number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Tracy?" Shannon asked.

"Yeah, hey Shannon! Wat up, girl?" Tracy replied, as if nothing was going on at all.

"Hey. You think you'll be able to go to the Country Square Mall today?"

"Yeah, I guess... what for?"

Shannon sighed, which sort of gave Tracy the hint.

"Sha-nnon... its gonna be ok. I can't believe you actually fell for all the 2012 junk. I mean, look. The Mayans probably got bored of writing down the calender every single day. Maybe the recorder dude died before he could finish the calender. That doesn't mean we have to go bizzerk about it. What happened to the fun-loving, loud, tough girl Shannon we all know and love?"

Shannon laughed, really this time. Shannon was none of those things. She was pretty much quiet and completely moody. But she sure did know how to have fun.

"I guess, maybe..." Shannon's voice trailed off.

"Maybe?"

"Maybe... maybe that Maya stuff isn't real..." Shannon chuckled.

"That's the spirit Shannon! I'm calling Bianca. You better start gettin' prepared for our big day today, girl!" Tracy pointed out. " 'Cause I ain't letting any 2012 junk ruin my best friend."

Shannon boldly marched up to the mirror and gave herself a triumphant smile. Tracy was right. She wasn't going to let all this 2012 stuff get in her way! But a single thought shattered all her glory. What if it does happen? What will I do then?

"Well, I guess I'll see you and Bianca later then."

"Ya you too! Bye!"

"Bye." Shannon put down the phone. Bianca and Tracy will always be there for her. She had her mom and dad too. What was there to be afraid of?

Later that day...

Shannon stepped out of the car, laughing like crazy, and walked up to her house. Tracy rolled down the window and yelled, "Bye! See ya!!"

Bianca rolled hers down as well and screamed, "Do you know where to buy roses for someone you love?"

Shannon let out another crazy laugh. Grinning, she yelled back, "Look in Flowers For Granted, dummy!"

"Oh right! I'm so stupid!" Bianca knocked her head.

Shannon waved, and walked into her house. Everything that had just happened was heaven for her. Sure, she'd gone out on a girl's night with her friends before, but it was never this awesome. She relived every single bit of what happened.

Tracy had come to pick both Shannon and Bianca up. They drove to the Town Square Mall a couple of blocks away, and spent a good 2 hours shopping for stuff they didn't need, just like those kids on TV. Finally, when they stepped out of the store, they had about ten shopping bags in each of their hands, and they ran to the nearest restaurant -- all three of them were starving. They stopped at a mexican diner and all three of them pigged out on huge veggie burritos. At the diner, Bianca spotted this incredibly hot guy sitting with another decent guy and having his dinner. Bianca had had a crush on this guy for 2 years now, and she was head over heels for him. Tracy and Shannon made her go up to him and talk to him. She ended up burping explosively in front of him, but he just laughed it off and told her that she was really funny. They're going out this Saturday night. Then they spent another hour at one of Tracy's favorite stores and then they came back home. Oh, if only she could do this again sometimes.

Suddenly, tears stung at Shannon's eyes. No, she wasn't gonna do this ever again. Tomorrow the world was going to end. Well, she didn't know that for sure, but yeah, it was. All of her friends and family would be dead by day after tomorrow, and she would perish with them. Letting the tears run down her cheeks, she sped upstairs and threw some comfortable clothes on, plopped onto her bed and weeped.

December 27th, 2012

Shannon forced herself awake. She didn't remember sleeping last night. She must have fallen asleep when she was weeping herself to death. She closed her eyes once more and tried to fall asleep again. But sleep wouldn't come to her. She cursed under her breath and wished that she didn't force herself to wake up this early in the morning. /her body was sore from her shopping spree yesterday and her body was practically glued to the bed. She sat and stared into the ceiling, and she wandered into a maze of deep, deep thought.

What seemed like hours later...

Shannon shook herself and she came back to reality. She had drifted off so much that she couldn't even remember what she was first thinking about. She pushed herself off the bed and checked the time. Her mouth dropped. It had only been, like, 15 minutes!! Shannon pulled her deep red hair and groaned. She got to her feet and stood up, straight as an arrow sticking out of the ground. Shannon closed her eyes and brought her arms up to shoulder length, pointing straight out of her sides. She willed the Earth to do whatever it was to do to her right now so she won't have to see it. However, nothing happened and when Shannon opened her eyes again, the world was still in perfect shape. Sighing, she put down her
arms and trudged down the stairs to begin her long and final day.

Later that day...

Shannon shuffled in her seat. It was mid-afternoon. Nothing dangerous or even suspicious had happened yet. She wasn't able to concentrate on the annoying algebra equations her dad had given her to study over the weekend. She picked up the ohone and quietly called Tracy. Shannon could hear the mild ringing when she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Shannon?"

"Hi Tracy."

"Oh whatdya know? You're still alive. I told you that 2012 junk is just mumbo jumbo."

"Yeah... well, sorta. The day isn't over yet, you know. The world can end while we're asleep."

"Well, I'll be pretty darn happy if it does! Then I won't have to see it!"

"But still... I wanna wake up tomorrow morning."

"Shannon, Shannon, Shannon..." Tracy sighed, somewhat playfully. "Have I taught you nothing? Of course you're gonna wake up tomorrow morning! Girl, you gonna live 'till 90, k? That is, if 2012 doesn't come first."

Shannon let out a small shiver.

"You knew I was kidding! Look, there is nothing to worry about. I'm pretty darn sure that you will wake up tomorrow and call me right then to thank me. Wait... I'm getting another call. I have to go, bye!"

"Bye..." Shannon murmured. She put the phone down. Tracy had pummeled some of the fear in Shannon, but not all of it. She just wanted to be mentally prepared in case something happens. She turned back to her dry math problems and put her pencil back on the ruled paper.

That night...

Shannon crept into her sheets. It was nearly 9:00 P.M. and still nothing had happened. Courage began to rebuild itself in Shannon. 2012 wasn't gonna happen. No, not this late. If it were to happen it would probably happen