It was 2 o’clock on a Tuesday when the world ended.

I was at a Tiki Bar of all places, leaning against the corner as I waited on another drink. The sun was high and I was drunk. The perfect remedy for someone who just had their hopes and dreams shattered.

“Here you are,” said the Bartender, sliding a drink across the table to me. The contents were blue and it was topped with a little yellow umbrella. Don’t let the tropical drinks fool you though, a few of these would have me on my ass soon enough.

“Thanks,” I said, taking out the little umbrella and setting it on the bar. It took me several swallows to down the whole thing and I set the glass on the counter with a thump, smacking my lips. The alcohol burned less on the way down. That was the thing about these fruity drinks - you don’t know just how much you’re drinking until it hits you.

The bartender watched, his mouth open in surprise as I gave him a look.

“Could use another.”

That earned me a disapproving snort from the elderly couple seated at the bar next to me. Hey, I get it. Heavy drinking in the middle of the day on a Tuesday is not the best look.

But you gotta cut a guy some slack when he gets bad news two times in the same month.

Things hadn’t been going well for me lately, and I was starting to wonder if I was cursed.

First was the call from my boss. A meeting which was supposed to be a discussion about me getting a raise had gone south pretty quickly when Julie from HR, whoever the hell that was, had joined instead.

She had given me the usual corporate spiel about downsizing and making sacrifices at the end of the fiscal year. None of it had meant much to me, because I was getting laid off. Unemployed in this economy? I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

My phone buzzed in the pocket of my swimming trunks and I pulled it out to glance at the screen. 13 missed calls and every single one of them was from her.

I sighed and tossed the phone on the counter, and watched the bartender in a Hawaiian shirt mix my drink. I was on a cruise for fucks sake, and I intended to enjoy it. My phone didn’t get the memo because a few minutes later it buzzed again.

I ground my teeth. This time however it was a text message, not a call.

Mark: Zade, I know you’re pissed but we need to talk. Gemma says she hasn’t heard from you in weeks and when I go by your place the lights are off. Just hear me out, I’m sorry.

I briefly considered pitching my phone over the rail of the cruise ship and being done with it all, but my boarding passes were digital.

The reality was that sorry just wasn’t going to cut it. When I walked in on my former best friend and my now ex-fiancée I had been shocked. I had stood in the doorway like a chump even as they scrambled to pull on clothes.

There were words, I don’t remember them much. Tears from Gemma, excuses from Mark. But the whole time all I could hear was the blood in my own ears. I hadn’t talked to either of them, not really. I’d left to go back to my place and just hunkered down for a few days.

That’s when I saw the ad for a cruise. 5-day Caribbean cruise for half the price? Sounded like a deal to me.

I’d never been on a cruise in my life but the booze, the atmosphere, and the space sounded just like what I needed. So here I was on a Tuesday afternoon drinking fruity drinks to forget it all and trying, really trying, to have a good time.

Or so I thought.

My first indication that something was wrong came about five minutes after my third drink. I was buzzed but not so much so that I failed to notice the service dog not five feet away. His owner, a woman who was clearly blind was talking with one of the ship’s well-dressed staff.

The dog was an Australian shepherd with adorable floppy ears. He had a little vest on with the disclaimer that he was a service dog and not to be pet while working. Usually, service dogs were calm, but this one was unsettled.

He kept shifting around unable to stay still, whining and glancing about himself. I took a swig of my drink and frowned. As far as I could see there weren’t any visible threats around.

People lounged around a pool on the top deck in various stages of undress. A few kids played nearby, laughing and chasing one another.

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“It’s okay little buddy,” I told the dog. He paid me no mind.

As the bartender brought me yet another drink the sound of two raised voices caught my attention. A young man and woman were arguing and it was getting heated. The man, six foot something with slicked back hair and an attitude said a few choice words that my mother taught me you never say to a woman. Jackass.

But this was a vacation and I told myself to stay out of it.

Keep your mouth shut Zade, it ain’t your problem

The old couple next to me looked around, evidently eager to have a new target with which to direct their disapproval. I raised my glass to my lips and was about to take another swig when I heard the unmistakable sound of a slap.

I was out of my chair so fast it nearly fell over.

Now I’m not a big guy, 5’10 on the best of days with olive skin and short dark hair. Nothing about me says intimidating. Well, nothing except my loud mouth and the scars on my knuckles.

I stormed across the deck, people moving out of my way as I went. The young man, some blonde-haired frat boy by the looks of him, glanced my way.

“What seems to be the problem?” I announced, loud enough for my voice to carry. The young woman was clutching her face, tears gathering in her eyes. Yup, he’d hit her. A big no-no in my book.

The jock clenched his jaw and rose to his full height, which I much admit was greater than it had seemed from afar.

“Mind your damn business,” he growled, face flushing with anger. I glanced between him and the young woman.

“Let me rephrase,” I said. “What seems to be your fucking problem?”

My New York Italian accent slipped right out of me when I was riled, and boy was I riled.

All around people that weren’t staring before were now. A few patrons of the pool were looking around, some were even pointing.

Big tall and angry seemed to get the memo. He licked his lips and turned away, grabbing at the arm of his companion.

“Let’s go,” he snapped. “We can talk about this in the room.”

“You wanna go with this wet paper bag?” I asked her, raising my eyebrows. “Because ma’am if you don’t want to you don’t have too.”

The frat boy's fist tightened, his eyes flashing with anger as he turned to me. I noted the telltale signs of a man on the verge of violence and responded accordingly. I kept my lead foot front, turned my body sideways, and kept my arms loose. If he wanted to dance, we’d fucking dance.

But I never got the opportunity. Cruise Security was pushing its way through the gathering crowd at least three of them. That didn’t bode well.

“What’s going on here?” called the man in the front. He was wearing a dark pair of sunglasses and a blue windbreaker with the words “Security” printed in bright yellow letters.

“This man was just harassing my girlfriend,” said the Jock unexpectedly. It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me.

The Security guard reached us, and I got a small whiff of sunscreen.

“Sir I’m going to have to ask you to come with us,” he said. He held a small radio in one hand and I eyed it dubiously.

“Now wait just a moment,” I said. “You’ve got the wrong guy. Junior here just publicly assaulted his girlfriend in front of god and everyone. I couldn’t just let that stand, would you? He’s the one that needs to be arrested.”

“Sir, calm down.” The security guard held a hand palm outward as if trying to soothe a wild animal. That kinda pissed me off.

“Look,” I said. “I’m calm I just talk loud. I’m from the Big Apple.”

Behind me, the dog started barking. Terrible timing but there was nothing to do now but try to talk over him.

“Hey,” I started but one of the other Security Guards moved first. He lifted something and pointed it at me. I realized a moment later it was a taser.

“Whoa whoa,” I said, throwing my hands in the air. “This is all a misunderstanding…”

I trailed off when I realized nobody was paying me any attention. The Security guards, the jock, and even the now gathered crowd were all looking at something in the sky. I followed their gaze and what I saw was enough to chill my bones.

“Shit,” I said. And Shit was right.

There was a… how do I describe it? A tear in the sky as if it had been cut through by a giant blade. The fabric of reality folded back on itself and darkness spilled from within. The sun went purple. All around us, everyone and everything was cast in an unnatural glow.

I felt the hairs at the back of my neck rising. What the hell was happening? The wind picked up, and with it came sounds I had never heard before. A sort of wailing, snarling cry that made goosebumps stand out on my arms.

Then the creatures came pouring out of the rift. At first, I thought they were winged insects but as they grew larger I quickly realized my mistake. These were no mere insects. They were humanoid, with large bulging eyes and sharp teeth. And they were carrying weapons.

That’s when the screaming started. If you’ve never been in a crowd stampede then let me tell you, it isn’t a fun experience.

Security was jostled by the crowd as the panic swelled and spit over. Men and women panicked and turned towards the inner doors of the boat. Doors that I happened to be standing near. Oh boy.

The surge of bodies was sudden and fierce. I tried to turn and move with the crowd but in moments I was stuck fast, lifted off my feet, and carried along. In the distance, someone screamed. I saw a man slip and fall into the pool. Moments later his body resurfaced in a growing stain of red.

I was jostled, carried forward by the momentum of the crowd. I had to fight to get my arm free, trying to grab a hold of something, anything. A woman went down under the stampede, trampled beneath dozens of pairs of feet. Ahead I could see the double doors leading back into the ship. Could see people trying to cram themselves into it, heedless of those ahead or behind.

I needed to get out of this tide or I’d be crushed. Glancing around I spotted a path that led to the side of the ship and around. If I managed to break free I could circle around to get inside and try to find my room.

If anything I could regroup, check the news, and try to find out what the hell was going on. There was a whizzing sound, followed by the meaty thud of a body being struck by something big.

I glanced around and to my horror, I saw a spear sticking from the back of a man in front of me. I looked up and saw the first wave of bug-like creatures descending on us.

Time was up and one by one people began to die.