June

Sunlight glistened off the glass of the office windows. The city outside was bustling with life as usual on this warm, beautiful late Spring afternoon. Staring at her screen, Victoria was typing away trying to get a head start on the latest assignment she was given. She could hear footsteps approaching from behind but ignored them. That is until a finger tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and looked up to see her boss, Peter, wearing his turquoise Wednesday suit with a black tie.

"Victoria. A word please. Come to my office. And no, you're not in trouble." He murmured quietly. Victoria stood up and followed him. Other co-workers all motioned their gaze to the two of them puzzled as to what was going on. After getting to Peter's office, Victoria shut the door. Peter went behind his desk and sat down. He grabbed the joint sitting on the desk's surface and sparked it up with the red lighter from his pocket. "Take a seat." Victoria sat down. Peter casually puffed on the joint before narrowing his eyes to Victoria.

"Is something going on sir?" Victoria asked.

"Now I haven't asked your friends Ben or Amy about this yet. I figured I'd ask you first. Do you have any idea where Jeremy has been? It's been three days and he has not showed up or called in sick. He's always had perfect attendance and never calls off. As our lead technical advisor he's in charge of maintaining the servers. Thankfully we're smooth sailing as usual and his co-worker is taking his place for now. So this is worrying me."

Victoria's eyes widened. She pulled her phone out and opened the group chat. She then put it down and looked at Peter.

"I... We don't know. He was last active on Sunday we know that. We've tried texting and calling him but never get a reply. It is bothering us too..."

"What was he doing on Sunday?"

"Um... Well on Saturday Ben invited him to this party that was going on. Jeremy ended up driving them. He only goes out so often so he planned to get drunk and have a good time. Ben wasn't feeling good after a couple hours and a few drinks in his system. So he ended up calling a cab and going home. Then on Sunday afternoon Jeremy messaged us saying he was feeling better, getting ready to head home and that he would see us Monday. And that was the last thing he told us. Been inactive since."

Peter tapped his chin in confusion. He sighed and took another hit from the joint, shaking his head.

"How odd. Listen. We need him back. After your shift, take Ben and Amy and go to Jeremy's home. Find out what's going on. Got it?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Good. Thank you. I do hope he is okay... You're dismissed. Be sure to tell the others."

Victoria nodded and stood up to leave the office with a heavy heart.

Standing in front of the current members of the Supreme Court, Natalia held a set of papers in her hands. Next to her was Madison and in the rows of seats to their left and right were all staff of the White House all wearing suits with papers on the tables in front of them. The chief judge, a very tall, older man with white hair and black glasses glared at Natalia and Madison with an intense gaze. Natalia wasn't phased in the slightest while Madison felt a bit nervous. The rows of seats behind them were all filled with other government members and agents.

"Madame president if you would please begin your report on the current status of the Cleansing Act and the progress made through enacting this morally questionable 'project' of yours." The chief judge stated. Natalia nodded and handed her papers to Madison. She cleared her throat. Madison handed her a bottle of water to sip on before taking it back.

"Your honor, chief judge William Woodsbury. Let me start by declaring that the Cleansing Act has been an outstanding success despite your claims of it's questionable morality referring to how we've been carrying out this massive project. Look at the numbers. Crime nationwide is at an all-time low. The worst neighborhoods have transformed into peaceful suburbs with freshly paved roads and clean lots where old, crumbling buildings and rotting houses once stood withering away. More businesses have been cropping up. Those people and families once struggling below the poverty line have slowly improved their lives. They can let their children play outside or go for walks without worrying about getting shot or finding needles strew about sidewalks and parking lots. From my point of view...I only see positives from my Cleansing Act. I solely succeeded where your aging, spineless, cowardly old leaders failed. I rest my case." Natalia smirked, embracing her cockiness and confidence. The chief judge's hands were shaking with frustration. He pounded a fist down on the desk and pointed at her.

"What about the death toll as a result of your Cleansing Act then?? I have seen the numbers madame president. While you are correct in the major improvements to once impoverished areas, the morals come into question when you look at the amount of people killed by-"

"Silence!" Natalia called out directing a finger at the chief judge. He lowered his own hand, staring into her crimson red eyes and feeling chills down his spine. "The actions of the brave police and SWAT forces have been absolutely a necessary evil in this equation! Look at the arrest numbers you arrogant fool. All the empty, vacant cells left from the release of the many former occupants wrongfully detained for petty reasons such as marijuana possession before the nationwide legalization, have been filling up ever since the Cleansing Act had begun. Not all criminals or thugs would comply with authority so the only option? Cut their worthless lives short. I fail to see any wrongdoing with the results. I think the staff members here and government officials here would agree."

Behind Natalia and besides her, everybody who was seated all nodded their heads and started clapping, Madison included who wore a stern expression on her face. The chief judge was baffled. The rest of the judges all crossed their arms and shook their heads. Clearly the entire room had Natalia's back in this argument. The chief judge just removed his glasses and rubbed his temple. He sighed and sat back in his chair.

"I... Okay fine. I yield my time here. Madame president you are correct in your defensive statements. I... Apologize for questioning the Cleansing Act as a whole. You are also correct in regards to your achievements where previous administrations had failed. This meeting is adjourned. Everyone here is dismissed." He stated.

Everyone got up and started to leave the room including the judges themselves. Natalia and Madison stepped aside until just about everyone had left. She had taken the papers and put them into a folder tucked under her arm. She placed a hand on Natalia's shoulder and shook it with excitement. The chief judge stopped to glare over to them. Natalia had her arms crossed and gave him a wink. He shook his head, gritting his teeth and turning away to leave. Madison stepped in front of her and smiled.

"Excellent job! I knew this would work in our favor." She exclaimed in a cheery tone. Natalia nodded, pressing a hand to Madison's cheek and kissing her. Madison stepped back with a light blush on her face, raising a hand to cover her mouth while snickering.

"Of course. All went according to plan. Well... Should, for whatever reason, the fall be prevented or halted... At least the future of this nation is looking brighter under my rule."

Madison's wide smile of joy turned to a smile of faithful hope.

"Yeah..."

"Sorry. I did not mean to sour the mood. It's just... The time is almost here. In five days the world as we know it will be reborn without us. We shall see what happens once the final day dawns upon us. Until then, let us spend as much time together as possible. I also need to prepare my final speech..."

Victoria, Ben and Amy all arrived at the apartment building in Amy's light pink coupe. They all got out to head inside. It was a typical apartment lobby with mailboxes on the wall, an elevator, a front desk absent of anybody, an office behind the desk and a staircase leading up. Since Jeremy's apartment was on the second floor they just took the stairs. Ben was the only one of the group who had been here so he lead them to Jeremy's apartment. He knocked a few times.

"Hello? Jeremy?" He called out. No response so he knocked again. Still no response. He sighed and reached into the soil of the potted plant next to the door and pulled out a key. "So he does still keep it here." Amy and Victoria raised their eyebrows as Ben slotted the key into the lock and turned it to hear a click. "Well. Let's head inside, ladies." And he opened the door.

Upon entering the apartment Victoria immediately felt a headache coming on. She could tell something was not right about this apartment despite everything seeming normal. All of them started getting chills.

"I...I don't like this. Ben, any idea where he might be?" Amy stuttered rubbing her arms. Ben pointed to a door past the kitchen and living room.

"His bedroom is right over there. And the door is only partially open. Is he in there...?"

As the group followed Ben forward Victoria heard whispered through her ears:

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"This location...it has been subjected to dimensional altering. Tread carefully child."

Ben carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside. Amy and Victoria followed behind. They noticed something under the covers on the bed. Ben motioned to the others to wait where they are as he got closer and reached down to slowly lift the cover up slightly. He saw what appeared to be the back of someone's head with short black hair.

"J-Jeremy?" Ben whispered. With his other hand he gently nudged his shoulder. The figure shuffled lightly and flipped over to the opposite side. His green eyes lifted a little then shot open and he screamed, flipping the cover up and shuffling to the edge of the bed, panting heavily. Ben backed up and clutched his chest. He had light tanned skin and bags under his eyes. He wore a gray t-shirt and black sweatpants.

"Y-you are... Wait... Is that... Ben? A-Amy? Victoria?" The man stammered.

"Jeremy? Hey buddy. It's us. What's uh, going on with you? You haven't been active in days and absent from work." Ben said looking to the phone on the night stand nearby.

"I uh. I...I haven't... Left this place. Everything is..." Jeremy glanced around the room then back to the group. "...normal? What is... What is going on?"

"Yo Jeremy what is up with you dude? You look like you've seen a ghost." Amy chimed in.

Victoria was silent. She could see the fear in Jeremy's eyes. She had a hunch that he had gone through something and took the words of the voice of Hastur to heart. Jeremy wiped the crusted sand out of his eyes and took a few deep breaths to stop his heart from pounding. The three of them took a seat on the edge of the bed with open ears. Jeremy wiped his nose with a finger. While everything around him was fine, his mental state had clearly deteriorated.

"The day after the party I..I came home. Once I stepped through the door, something felt... Not right. I had to piss and was starving. So I..I went to the bathroom. As I pissed my head was really starting to hurt over time. I then went to wash my hands. From, out of my peripheral vision my reflection it...it wasn't moving. I looked up and it was staring at me. I-I screamed and backed into the wall, hitting my head against it. Th-then I looked over at the shower. The water was running. Th-the toilet was also starting to shift and distort. I freaked out a-and left. The hallway seemed...much longer then I remember. I-I could see that the chairs in the kitchen w-were floating. So I went directly to the bedroom. The walls.... Oh fuck the walls... The patterns were moving and warping. The air felt heavy. It was getting hard to breathe. M-my head was pounding. My heart racing. It..it was as if my entire apartment was morphing into a fucking nightmare... L-like some kind of drug trip. This ominous ringing pulsed through my ears. I-I didn't know what t-to do so I... Just ran for the bed and ducked under the covers. For the next few days... I only used the bathroom and..and managed to make it to the kitchen... But only when the insanity had stayed calm. As soon as I was exposed... Shit started to go wild again. Th-the longer I looked around... The crazier I felt myself getting. My sanity... Is on the edge of collapsing right now..."

Jeremy had finished explaining everything he had been going through. Ben and Amy were in utter shock. Victoria was baffled. She remembered hearing about a similar experience from Adrian describing what his friend and co-worker Ezekiel had gone through on a late night delivery. She knew what was happening. She then reached out to take his hand. Anxious, he hesitated then slowly took her hand. She cupped her other hand over his and looked into his eyes.

"What I'm about to tell you, and you two as well, will sound insane. But take my words as the truth, okay? Jeremy... This space, your apartment. You just went through a dimensional shift. All over there have been people reporting strange things that sound like hallucinations. They even talked about it on the news. Those mysterious dimensional tears, shifting spaces that warp the minds of those who experience it. Adrian's friend went through something like this. Our reality has been slowly crumbling and falling apart all around us because... Well, because the world is ending." Victoria then proceeded to explain everything to her knowledge about what has been happening. From discovering the shrouded past of her family hidden from her to uncovering the truth about the fall. No detail was left out. Jeremy's sullen eyes were wide open. Ben and Amy would normally be skeptical despite being believers in the paranormal but the signs all pointed to Victoria telling the truth. "...Me and Adrian are going to hopefully stop this apocalypse from happening. The president is giving a speech here soon. We're going to Washington DC to hear it then... We're going to confront her. If what this being harbored inside of me is correct... She is going to be the beacon that signals the end. The harbinger. You all have to believe me. All around is everything has been going to hell. But recently with these disappearances, firsthand accounts of people entering dreamlike states, sightings of strange creatures cropping up out of nowhere... Nothing has been normal. If this calamity can be prevented... Only I can stop it."

Jeremy just nodded and put his other hand over hers. Ben and Amy were fearful and clutched each other's hands tightly.

"I...I believe you Victoria. If fate wants us all to die, then correct the path we're on. Change... That... Fate..." He murmured with a firm nod.

"I don't want us to die... Those nutjobs on the streets always blabbering on about the apocalypse might finally get their wish. But I don't want that!" Amy sobbed.

"I finally found a good man who loves me and wants to raise a family someday. If we die then... Then that will never come true. Victoria... I hope you're right saying you can stop this. I don't want to believe you but... I can't not believe you." Ben said with a sniffle.

Victoria let go of Jeremy and stood back up to face everyone. They all looked at her. She had a determined look on her face masking the fear she truly felt.

"I'll do what I am capable of. I promise." She stated.

After comforting Jeremy for a while longer until he felt safe and calm, the three of them eventually left. Victoria stood in place while Amy called up their boss to give him the news. Ben was texting his other friends in the meantime. They all felt a wave of unease about the state of disorder the world had been in knowing that the fall was almost here. While she decided to lean against the car, Victoria could hear the voice speaking to her once again;

"Thou shall not fear anything. Thou shall not fear anyone. Find the Harbinger before it's too late, child of the bloodline. If thy assistance is needed... Then thy shall obey. For the Harbinger must not awaken the Great Old One from his slumber. For if he is called upon...then all hope is lost for your kind."

Sitting at her desk with the single small lamp being the only light source illuminating this pocket of the room, Natalia was writing her upcoming speech to the public on a laptop. A few knocks rapped from the open office door. She turned around. Standing at the doorway in nothing but a short-sleeved purple robe exposing her legs just above the knees, Madison stood holding a cup of tea. Natalia smiled and gave a little wave to her. She smiled back and stepped closer.

"Made you some tea to help you concentrate. Your brain must be wracked trying to write that." Madison spoke softly. Natalia accepted the tea and took a sip, turning back to look at the progress.

"Indeed. Finding the right words to say... This may be the most difficult speech I've had to write. Just under the one I had given during my visit to North Korea." Natalia murmured rubbing her temple. "No matter how I write this, the public is going to go into mass hysteria and panic. Hell... The entire world will be watching and listening. Joseph Carter has already scrambled to get the kabbalah ready to deal with the reactions. A lot is weighing on my mind right now..."

Madison placed her hands on Natalia's shoulders and started gently massaging them. Natalia could feel some of the stress being relieved from her mind.

"There there. I know this is a lot. I... I've come to accept that this is what's happening. And I promised you that I'd be by your side all the way through. Let the words come naturally to you as if the entire world would understand like I have. You've been an outstanding leader to these people and respected by the world. They'll either believe you and try to cope in their own way... Or won't believe you and resent what you say. But you're strong. You'll take the world head on no matter the outcome from your speech."

"Yeah... You're right. Thanks... Madison. You're the best partner anyone could ask for."

"Well I certainly try. Take your time. I'll be in the bedroom watching television, waiting for you whenever you're done."

With that, Madison takes her hands off and leaves the office. Natalia kept her words in mind and continued to focus on writing the speech. She surprisingly didn't hear anything from the voice of Nyarlathotep for the duration of the evening into the night. While it did concern her, she didn't let it bother her.

The days ahead started to feel longer and draining for many people. Several high-profile individuals and their families from around the world were already being flown or driven to Washington DC after receiving notices about the speech along with detailed notices about the fall. Those who took it seriously were ready to head to the bunker under the Washington Monument. Those who didn't believe refused to leave their hometowns, luxury condos or private estates, with some choosing to stay on yachts away from the public in fear of what effect the speech may have on them. Due to constant threats from the feral creatures escaping the void tears and the fears of madness spreading from the many affected by the mysterious shifts and distortions in these pockets of the country, several residents have packed and left their homes and properties to find somewhere safer to live. National Guard troops have been hard at work laying waste to the strange creatures slaughtering both people and animals. Meanwhile the Cleansing Act remains in motion as crime-ridden towns and cities continue to see criminals killed or apprehended while those already cleansed have been seeing their failing infrastructure slowly restored and refurbished. The United States was in an unusual position at the moment. Between the success of the Cleansing Act and the various reports of mass hallucinations and invading creatures causing many panicked and paranoid people to migrate to other places, the public was in a state of confusion and unease.

The day was June forth. The Reagan National Airport was bustling with life. From busy executives ready for their business trips to families arriving from their vacations. There was always something going on. The plane had landed on the runway and docked. After stepping off of the plane and traversing the narrow tunnels leading to the floors of the airport, Victoria and Adrian held their breath on the way to their taxi cab waiting just outside the entrance doors. They loaded up their luggage and hopped in for the relatively short drive to the hotel where they would be staying. Once they arrived they grabbed their luggage then went to check into their room. Victoria snagged the key card and off they went into the elevator. They booked a room on the fifth floor since Adrian demanded they get a room with a balcony to smoke on and a nice view of the city. After unpacking the two went out onto the balcony and stood there silently for a moment. Adrian took the packed joint he had tucked into his pocket and sparked the tip with his lighter, taking a deep drag.

"Tomorrow huh? We're about to go see the president give her speech in person tomorrow. I can't believe this is happening..." Victoria said, leaning over the balcony guard.

"Yup. About to find out if there really is a way to stop the world from ending in two days. Scares the hell out of me just thinking about it." Adrian added.

"I'm scared too. But... I didn't go through all of what happened back in Maine just to accept that this is what fate decided. I..I don't want us to die. She seems like a genuinely good person too, doing so much to restore the country and our faith in the government. So to imagine that she's this harbinger for the apocalypse is just... A lot to take in. Hopefully we can maybe reason with her to put a stop to this if at all possible..."

"I sure fuckin' hope so. Getting to her will be the tough part but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I say for now, let's just take things easy babe. Tomorrow, we head for the White House."