The story doesn’t really follow the prompt, I just used the prompt as a starting point for an assignment for my fiction writing class.

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Hearing the bedroom door open and footsteps down the hallway, getting louder, Ellis closes and puts down the book he was reading. He watches as Jack is putting his shoes on. “Hey Ellis, while I’m at work, can you go and get groceries for Christmas dinner?” Ellis groans. “Jack, there’s no point in spending money on groceries that we won’t eat.” Jack furrows his eyebrows as he speaks. “Well, if you buy food that we both like, then maybe we would eat it.” Annoyed, Ellis sits up in his chair. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.” “Well, what did you mean then? ‘cause to me it sounds like you’re complaining about my cooking and choices of food.” Jack finishes tying his shoes and stands, walking towards Ellis. “No Jack! I’m talking about the end of the world!” Ellis grabs the book off the coffee table and shows it to Jack. “The Mayans said that tomorrow is the dawn of a new age, a new beginning! But experts are saying that it’s more than that. It’s the end. Not the beginning!” Jack crosses his arms, tired of hearing it for the hundredth time. “Are you done Ellis? I can’t believe you’re still on about the whole ‘world ending’ thing. It’s not gonna happen! How can I open your eyes and make you see that?” Ellis scoffs in disbelief. “You can’t! Because you’re wrong!” Ellis stands quickly and advances towards Jack, but he steps away. “Something bad is going to happen tomorrow, Jack. The world is going to die and I want you here with me! Not at work. Not at school. Here! With me.” Sighing, Jack steps back towards Ellis. “Sit down, please.” Ellis does. Jack kneels down to Ellis’s level and talks quieter. “Eli. I know that this is important to you.” Grabbing Ellis’s hands, Jack continues. “But there’s no scientific evidence to back that book, or the Mayans, up. I just can’t wrap my head around it-” “God! I knew you wouldn’t listen!” Ellis interrupts Jack and rips his hands from his own. Before Ellis could go on, Jack stops him. “Ellis stop! I never said I wouldn’t, so stop living in your own head for two seconds and let me speak, please!” Ellis stares and Jack goes on. “What I was going to say before you cut me off was that ‘I can’t wrap my head around it, but if it would make you feel better I’ll call in sick today and tomorrow.’” Expecting Ellis would say something, Jack stayed quiet. No one spoke for what felt like an eternity. Jack, not wanting to make anything worse, grabs Ellis’s hands and speaks softly again. “Eli. Would you like that?” Ellis tightens the grip on Jack’s hand, smiling. “Yeah, that’s all I wanted, really.”