As Haley unwrapped her present, everything started to shake. I screamed out, “Haley, purple energy shield, we are under attack!”

She smiled at me, she lifted her new unwrapped sword and purple energy shot out to cover the house as she lifted it in the air. “I feel it, dad.”

Lory looked at me, she took me apart. “What happened to letting it just happen?”

I looked at Haley. Valentine, Megan, Riley, and Bob. Lory nodded, “I see.”

Valentine ran over, “What is going on? The energy outside our house is going wild.”

“Lory?”

“Yes?”

“Keep them safe, I am going to check what is going on.” She nodded and kissed me. As I ran up the stairs, I saw the purple shield that Haley made. I pulled out my smartphone and I tried to call F. Not even a ring, I opened the garage door and that shocked me to my core.

Outside, purple mist started covering everything, and out of them came monsters. These looked like dragons with a sleek body. Massive wings, and they were black. As one landed in front of the garage, I saw they had no eyes at all. Only sharp teeth, across the street, I saw someone get grabbed, and they vanished into smoke. When they touched a house, it turned into smoke. I ran over to my tool wall and pushed it aside.

I might have kept a few guns. Quickly I grabbed my handgun, Infinity. In no time, I loaded it up. The dragon thing rammed the shield. I aimed, and fired, right above its teeth. I kept firing as it kept smashing the shield. Gunshots filled the garage. After emptying my whole magazine, I quickly reloaded and kept firing at the dragon. Eventually, it went down and then it just lay there.

Behind me, I heard a sound, out of reflex, I pointed my gun. Then I lowered it as I saw Haley walk over towards me. She looked at me, “It is happening.”

“What are you talking about, Haley?”

“This gut feeling I had for a while, as if the world is going to end.”

I sighed. She looked at me, “You have had it as well, mom too?”

I nodded. She looked at my gun, “I thought you told mom you removed all the guns from our house?”

I chuckled, “I might have kept my personal guns.”

Haley walked over to the dead dragon. “You killed it?”

“Yeah, it took quite some bullets. What do we do, Haley?”

“We either fight, or we embrace death and see what is on the other side.”

Bob came out of the dojo, “I feel a lot of dangerous energy outside!” He looked at the dead dragon, “Fudge that.”

Haley chuckled, “No need to be modest, Bob. I am an adult now.”

I looked at Haley, “You are eighteen, not really an adult yet, getting there though.”

I looked at the rampage going on outside, “If we embrace, whatever is on the other side, Munchkin. We don’t know if Bob is with us then, or Valentine, Megan, Riley.”

Haley sighed, “I know, but is this place even real?”

“If we believe it is real, then it is real. Something changed the moment you turned eighteen.” A second dragon landed in front of the garage, it bit his friend, and then it grew. I walked over to my secret gun stash and picked up the rocket launcher. I looked at Haley, “Open the shield when I say so.”

She nodded. I did the proper checks and loaded up the rocket launcher while the dragon came closer. It is some kind of paradox dragon. It is trying to wipe things out that are not real. Are we not real? Have we never existed? No time for conundrums. I went down on one knee and let the rocket launcher lean on my shoulder. My older body had more difficulties with this, but I managed.

“Now!” Haley opened a hole in the shield and I fired the rocket launcher, just as the dragon roared to charge. The rocket flew into his mouth and Haley closed the shield. Then a gigantic explosion occurred. Haley infused the purple energy with ease. Lory and the others came running upstairs.

She looked at me, mad. “You told me you had not kept any guns, and you have a rocket launcher!?”

I pointed at where the explosion occurred, “To be fair, there was a monstrous dragon outside our garage.”

Lory gasped, “What, for real?”

Haley nodded, “Dad already killed two.”

Everyone walked to the shield and looked outside. Riley spoke up, “Oh my god, the world is actually ending.”

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Valentine took his hand, “It seems we may die soon.”

Lory walked over to me, “Can you call the order?”

I shook my head, “They must have been wiped out already. I fear Frank is dead.” Since the rocket launcher got heavy, I put it down and leaned on the workbench.

Lory walked over to me, “What do we do?”

“I don’t know, Lory. Everything we know is getting destroyed by those paradox dragons. We either embrace death, or we will slowly starve to death. Haley had the same feeling, I am sure she is coming with us, wherever we go. Valentine, Riley, Megan, Bob.” I started crying, “They will most likely not survive the trip to the other side. Wherever it may take us.”

Lory took my hand, “I don’t want to lose my sister, or any of the others.”

We both started shedding tears. “I have no clue what to do next.”

I heard something land outside the garage, I grabbed the shotgun and loaded it. I walked over to the purple shield and I saw a dragon come our way. With anger, I shouted at it, “You want to fucking murder us, come get some, you piece of bitch!”

I walked out of the shield, despite the protests of everyone. The dragon charged at me with its giant maw wide open. Then I unloaded my shotgun at it, its head got blown off. Then I looked at the street, the cats, and guinea pigs were fighting back, even if it was a losing battle. Slowly, I walked back into the garage. Lory looked at me, “That was reckless.”

“Yes, but it’s dead.” I took Valentine apart. “How are you doing?”

“I am not doing so well. Are we going to survive this, Steve?”

“I am not certain. Did you feel it coming?”

She shook her head, “Riley never talked about it either.”

We both looked at Bob, he had heard me and shook his head. Megan just kept staring outside, in utter shock.

I walked over to Haley, “What do we do?”

She took me apart. “We need to embrace whatever is on the other side. Staying here is only going to harm us. Either we all die, or some of us might survive.”

“But, I don’t want to lose anyone.”

She took my hand, “We can go on, for them. We need to say our goodbyes.”

Lory walked over, “I heard that, and I am sure my sister heard it too.” When I looked at her, she nodded.

I walked over to Bob, I kneeled beside him. “Bob?”

“Yes?”

“You have been a good friend, and I love you. You are amazing, you know that, right?”

“Thank you, Steve, I will never forget you, or the others. We don’t have much time.”

I got up and walked over to Valentine. “This is it then, time to say goodbye.” I hugged her, “You have been the best family I could ask for. I love you, Valentine.”

She looked at me, “You have never said that before. I love you too, Steve, as family.”

She looked at Haley and started shedding tears. I nodded, “Go say goodbye to her.”

I walked over to Megan. She stared at me, “Is this the end?”

I nodded, “It is, we are going to die. I am so glad to have had you as a friend, not just for work.” Then I hugged her, “Thank you so much for all the fun times. I hope to see you again one day.”

Megan nodded, “I hope to see you on the other side. Being a part of your family has been the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” I looked at her small guinea pig, I petted it.

I walked over to Riley. “Mydude?”

He looked at me, “This is it, right? We are going to die?”

“Yes, we are. But we do it together.”

He hugged me and cried. “I love you, bro.”

“I love you too, bro. I just wish, we could have played one more Dungeons and Dragons together.”

“Me too bro.”

“Go to Valentine, she needs you.” Riley nodded and did so. I walked over to Haley. “Munchkin?”

“Yes?”

“You know how much I love you, right?”

She gave me a kiss on my cheek, “I know dad. I love you too.” She hugged me, “I hope we won’t die for real.”

Lory walked over, “This is it, I’ve said my goodbyes.”

Haley nodded, “Me too.”

“Lory?”

“Yes?”

“I love you so much, you two, and the others are my everything.”

Lory smiled, “I love you a lot too, Steve.”

I looked at the others, they nodded. We formed a row, and took each other’s hands. “Well, here goes nothing.” We walked out of the shield, and onto the street, with our heads held high. We looked at an incoming dragon, it opened its maw, and shot a giant laser that came at us. I took one last look at everyone, finishing with Lory. “Goodbye everyone.” I heard everyone repeat. Then, with my head held high, I closed my eyes. And the laser hit us.