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Have you ever heard a conspiracy theory so incredibly insane that you can’t help but consider the possibility that maybe - just maybe - it could be true?
It wasn’t uncommon for anxiety to have Katherine Howard up at all hours of the night. Tonight was one of those nights when a nightmare jolted her from her sleep at 5am, leaving her with nothing to do but stare blankly at her laptop screen.
YouTube was a great relief to Kit on nights like that. Tonight though, one of her videos led to a recommendation she would never normally click on.
‘Proof The World Will End on 22/06/2020 - CONSPIRACY’
Usually, Kit would’ve scrolled right past the video. In fact, she’d probably have giggled at the concept altogether and sent it to Parr with a joke about her accidentally using the wrong Youtube account again. Parr always did like to watch that sort of thing. Seeing the date at the top of her screen though, the girl found herself intrigued.
Sunday 21st June 2020: the day before the end of the world.
Anne Boleyn was used to being woken by her cousin during the night. The woman quickly grew accustomed to the younger girl crawling into bed with her after nightmares. What she wasn’t used to, however, was Kit launching herself on the bed at 6:30am and frantically shaking her awake.
The look of panic on Kit’s face had Anne genuinely concerned until the girl began to speak, rambling about the apocalypse and meteors.
“Kitten, it’s just a nightmare. Go back to sleep,” Anne grumbled, gently pulling the girl into her arms. Kit wasn’t going to give up so easily, though.
Giving a pout, Kit pushed herself back up and grabbed the glass of water from Anne’s bedside table, pouring it straight on the barely-conscious girl’s head.
That did the trick.
Within moments, Anne was on her feet, her eyes wide in shock. Kit didn’t apologise, though. She didn’t even smirk at the woman’s reaction. Instead, the pouting girl simply crossed her arms, furrowing her brow as she mumbled something.
“It wasn’t a dream. The world is gonna end.”
Well, she was persistent. Anne would give her that.
Giving a sigh, Anne wrapped herself up in a towel to avoid getting anything else wet before taking a seat beside Kit on the bed, careful to avoid the wet patch. The woman pressed a kiss to her cousin’s temple and gave a wink before speaking.
“So, the world’s ending, huh? What exactly do you want us to do about that?”
A small shrug was the girl’s only reply. What could they do? The apocalypse was inevitable. The two former queens were nowhere near powerful enough to help.
As if reading the girl’s mind, Anne gave a smirk. “We can’t stop the apocalypse, right? So there’s no use in stressing about it. If you really think it’s our last day, make a bucket list. We can do whatever you want. May as well enjoy it!”
Of course Kit could rely on Anne to make her feel better. The green queen always knew what she needed.
By 7am, Kit had a comprehensive list written on her phone. Imagine that. Treating your bucket list - a record of your final actions on this earth - as if it were a simple shopping list or takeout order. If you’d have told Kit that she’d be writing her bucket list in preparation for the apocalypse a few days earlier, she probably would’ve laughed in your face. Here she was though, finishing up her fifth and final point.
“Number one, tell my family I love them,” Anne read with a smirk, “lame but do-able.”
To Anne’s surprise, Kit didn’t want to frighten the others by telling them about her apocalypse theory. She wouldn’t want to ruin their final day, after all. Instead, the girl opted to simply kiss Jane on the cheek and thank her for breakfast, eating alongside her family as if nothing was wrong.
As if she wasn’t anticipating their tragic fates.
If it had been anyone else, the hugs and declarations of love as everyone left the dining room after breakfast may have been suspicious. Given Kit’s sweet, clingy personality though, the others’ didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow, all returning her sentiments with bright smiles.
“Okay, what’s next?” Anne hummed, wrapping an arm around Kit’s shoulders as she stole her phone.
The grin that grew on Anne’s face was slightly unsettling. God knows that mischievous grin and the ideas that came with it never led to anything good.
“Go wait outside. I’ll be two minutes.”
Well, at least Kit wouldn’t be involved in whatever shenanigans Anne was about to get up to. You know how the old saying goes. Ignorance is bliss.
After a few minutes, Anne left the house with a smile and took Kit’s hand, leading her to a car. Catherine of Aragon’s car, to be exact. From the way Anne fumbled with the keys, glancing back to the house every few seconds, Kit could tell they probably didn’t have permission to use the car.
The figure screaming at Anne through the kitchen window as they sped down the driveway only solidified that theory.
“What? We’re just borrowing it!” Anne reasoned with a laugh, seeing the disapproving look on her cousin’s face.
Kit couldn’t argue with that! It was the end of the world, after all.
The two drove for hours, singing along to the radio all the while until, finally, they reached a little coastal town. A tiny town with a huge theme park.
“Welcome to point two of your bucket list,” Anne smirked, gesturing to the entrance gate to the park, “time to ride a roller coaster!”
Since their reincarnation, the queens had been to a theme park only once, but Kit was far too nervous to ride the rollercoasters with Anne and Cleves. Instead, she opted to play in the arcades with Parr and watch from the sidelines. Now though, with the world about to end, anxiety about a dumb ride seemed stupid.
She could do this!
Oh god, she was doing this…
The view from the top was breathtaking, even if Kit did feel like her heart may jump from her throat at any moment. They could see kids playing on the beach, seagulls attacking a group of teenagers for their fish and chips. She even swore she saw a boat way off in the distance, though she couldn’t be sure.
For just a moment, time seemed to freeze.
Then, without warning, Kit found herself screaming with joy as they were launched into orbit. The entire thing flashed by in a blur. One moment, Anne was holding Kit’s hand up in the air and the next, the ride was over.
Still, the exhilaration left the girls flooded with adrenalin as they queued to buy their pictures.
As they stood in that line, their hair a mess, their hearts pounding in their chests, Kit had to wonder how something so wonderful had ever scared her. How many other euphoric things had her fear caused her to miss out on?
Never again. If by some miracle, the world didn’t end, Kit swore to be braver. To try more new things. To really push herself.
Sometimes, the scariest things in life are the most fun.
“So… Wanna ride again?”
After a few more rides on that coaster, and a couple of other ones for safe measure, the girls decided to grab some food and explore the promenade. Those seagulls really are lethal when they sense food. Watching Anne dramatically chase them off made it totally worth losing a chip or two, though.
There’s something about the ocean breeze that makes it so much easier to breathe. Walking there with her cousin - her sister - Kit felt so free.
Feeling completely unstoppable at the end of the world seems slightly ironic, doesn’t it?
Dragging Anne onto the peer to play the carnival games, Kit couldn’t bring herself to care about their impending doom. After all, Anne was right. There’s no point in fretting over the inescapable. You can’t let anxiety rule you, no matter how debilitating it may feel. Not at the end of the world.
It turns out, shockingly, that not every carnival game is a scam. Not for Anne Boleyn, at least.
After £30 of throwing balls at cans and darts at targets, Kit finally found herself cuddling a giant stuffed bear. ‘Mr Apocalypse’, Anne affectionately dubbed him as she handed him over with a grin, making Kit giggle.
“So, what was number three?”
Opening up her notes, Kit turned the phone to face Anne with a blush. It was nothing elaborate or particularly exciting, but it was important nevertheless.
“Make a stranger smile.”
The mischievous grin from that morning returning to Anne’s face made a strange sense of dread and eagerness bubble up inside of Kit. What on earth was she going to do this time?
Without a word, Anne dragged Kit over to the busker who was currently blasting some jazzy tune on his saxophone, sat down Mr Apocalypse, and held out her hand. Of course, Kit graciously accepted the offer, giggling away as they danced together. What she certainly wasn’t expecting though was the crowd that formed around them. Nor was she expecting Anne to spin her away and take the hand of a stranger, nodding for her to do the same.
Looking to the crowd, Kit gave a smile and gently took the hand of an older looking woman, careful not to tire her out too much with their dancing. The lady couldn’t help her infectious chuckling as Kit spun her around, doing her best to make her feel like a princess.
By the end of the song, the crowd was cheering away. The busker seemed thankful as well, commenting that it was the most tips he’d made in months. People appreciate seeing true joy. As bad as the world may seem sometimes, there is still love in people’s hearts. The girls saw that firsthand.
“Thank you, dear. It’s been decades since someone asked me to dance,” the older woman chuckled, pulling Kit into a hug before hobbling away, still beaming brightly.
Very occasionally, Anne had brilliant plans.
Jumping into her cousin’s arms, Kit found herself close to tears from the pure glee she was feeling. If you’d have told the Kit from 500 years ago that such a pure sense of delight existed, she never would have believed you. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that the fragile little girl who was forced into marrying a king, the girl who’d known nothing but pain, was the same exuberant young woman who put her life and soul into performing. The same girl who spent her days giggling constantly at her cousin’s shenanigans.
Her world already ended once. The first time, given how things turned out, Kit knew it was probably for the best. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too bad the second time either. Not with Anne by her side.
“Okay, onto point four!”
Anne’s voice tore Kit from her thoughts. Just two more points to check off and her bucket list would be complete!
“Four was watching the sunset on the beach, right?” Anne asked, waiting for a nod before picking up Mr Apocalypse and handing him to the younger girl. “You know what’d make watching the sunset even better? Ice cream.”
It’s true. Ice cream makes everything better. At least, Kit thought so.
Sitting on Anne’s jacket on that beach felt surreal. If not for the sticky frozen delicacy dripping its melted remains all over her fingers, Kit may have thought she was dreaming. This was no dream, though. This was life. The best of it.
Watching the mesmerising ripples of light dance over the ocean as the day’s journey came to an end, Kit found herself overcome with a sense of peace she’d never quite felt before. The faint taste of salt in the air, the soft feeling of Mr Apocalypse’s fur in her lap, the sound of the waves crashing into the shore. It was all so perfect.
Giving a sigh, Kit rested her head against her cousin’s shoulder and let her mind wander as she absorbed nature’s true beauty one final time.
“Annie?”
A small hum of acknowledgment was the only response that came from Anne as she gently raked her fingers through the younger girl’s windswept hair.
“If this really the last day before the world ends, I’m glad I got to spend it with you.”
That confession was so sweet, that Anne couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to her cousin’s forehead as adoration for the girl took over. She’d be lying if she didn’t say that this was her perfect final day too. Seeing her baby cousin so full of joy, without a care in the world. That was all she ever wanted for the girl.
“Beheaded cousins against the world.”
As the final rays of the day illuminated the water, casting a brilliant orange glow over the horizon, Kit knew she was ready. If dawn never came, then so be it. This life had been a perfect one.
Without realising it, Kit had completed her bucket list.
Point five: be happy.