The end of the world was nigh and we all knew it. It wasn’t something we didn’t see coming. They foretold it for years – we’d lived too hard, pushed too far, caught on too late. Those who could leave had already gone, and the rest of us were left to record earth’s last gasps, which no one would ever read.

It was surprising to me, at least, how civil we remained right up until the end. The sky was as red as an apple, even at noon. The clouds were a deep purple. It was pretty if you could forget that this was the end of it all and may be the last thing we’d ever see.