• "Umm..." 5 o' clock said awkwardly. "I am here."
    "I know!" Today snapped, obviously aware of this small fact and obviously not happy about it, either. "Thanks for letting me know..."
    "Sorry, only the usual..." 5 o clock grumbled, slowly passing by, dragging his feet as he went. Today looked out over the horizon, where the Sun had stopped, anxiously biting his nails in uncertainty of what to do. Today was always in charge, and she usually handled it easily, but when she was disgruntled, everything became... well, at a loss.
    "Where the ******** is he? People will start to notice soon!" Today whispered, starting to get antsy and concerned. The Sun looked down at his feet, saying nothing. He had a strange relationship with Today and Tomorrow. They were siblings, and it was a delicate balance. Sometimes he felt it was up to him to keep it all together, to play it neutral on both sides. He would never keep secrets from either of the two, choosing to play it safe. Today looked across the vast expanse of Everything; her stars, her galaxies, her solar systems, and even her little clusters of life struggling to get by. Everything shifted a little, a bit uncomfortable, and looked down at her little lively creatures lovingly. Today knew how they felt, trying to survive. She herself didn't get much attention or appreciation anymore, even after all she does, and it was difficult.
    Recently, her and Tomorrow had been getting into fights, typically ending with Tomorrow storming off in a huff, to think his thoughts for a little while and cool off. It wasn't so bad, or so Today had thought, but after days and years and eons, they had trouble keeping up with Time, slowly slacking behind, who looked at them disapprovingly, but never said anything. But the damage was noticeable and unavoidable. Nothing had begun to grow his dark spots bigger, black holes as a certain species might call them. One whole race of life had succumbed these spots already, unpreventable, and Today nor no one else knew where they went. It was frightening. New. Strange.
    Today knew everything, or so she had thought again. She knew about all the dimensions and realms, and even knew where the "dead" went as they left one plane of existence and into another. It wasn't anything special. But when they disappeared like this. LIKE THIS! She didn't know. They were just... gone. Conceptual tears began to poke out of Today's eyes like gamma rays.
    "Tomorrow..." she whispered, barely audible. "Please come home."
    Something tapped her foot. A small piece of time. Scrawny. A busy but small piece of time that usually rushed around was now peering up at her sullenly. 6 o clock looked a little regretful about his own existence.
    Today sighed. "Go on," and 6 o clock slumped away, not even sure why this was bad, but knowing it was. They were beginning to notice. The sunset wasn't coming, nor was the moonlight to shine on the sandy beaches. The Sun told Day to stop, to wait. People were scared, panicking. Delirious. How could Tomorrow do this to her? If he didn't come... if he didn't come to take her place, she would become Yesterday... and what? Then what? What could possibly happen if Tomorrow doesn't come when Time keeps coming? Time doesn't care... it will keep on sneaking by like it always has until the end. Today thought she might know...
    Nothing. Nothing would happen.
    Today shook her head, refusing to believe, and looked over at Everything, who shrugged her shoulders in response. Se didn't know. No one knew. Not a thing like this has ever happened. No experience to tell and no parents to help with the guidance. They would just have to wait... and hope the damage hasn't gotten to the line where it can't be fixed.
    7 o' clock slinked by without a word, watching his feet as Today stared coldly, almost accusingly.
    "I..." the Sun said hesitantly, then stopped, confused and scared along with the people he gave his light to.
    "What is it?" Today said bleakly. "You might as well tell me now, because there might no longer be today in a few hours."
    The Sun inched a little farther back in the blue atmosphere, frightened. Should he tell her? Was it worth it? Would it change anything? Was there any point in keeping it from her, anyway? He sighed, and for the first time in his billions of years of life, after near trillions of Todays and Tomorrows came and went and moved on to Yesterday, his gaseous fires flickered and wavered. Screams and cries of despair could be felt throughout the ethereal fabric of all of their bodies from the countless lives scattered about the Universe.
    Everything gave a shudder and began to moan, "Guys, this really hurts... a lot..." She began to weep.
    "Tell me now!" Today yelled, grabbing onto the Sun, shaking her unfailing friend who has never done nothing aside from assist and comfort and help her and everyone else. The tendrils of fire licking her hands had no effect on her vice of a grip.
    "Tomorrow said... Tomorrow said he was done!" The Sun whined. "He said he was leaving to find Yesterday, that he was going to skip Today. He was sick of being unloved and treated like worthless junk..."
    Today looked at the Sun in horror, and gazed around in bewilderment. How could he! Everyone else averted their eyes from Today, as if they knew. They KNEW. Boys... they were so incompetent in matters such as this! He didn't know anything! Yesterday had left right after Ma and Da were gone, and Yesterday... he hasn't been heard from ever. Today could hardly even feel her presence anymore. Almost forgotten in the dust. But Today knew what it felt like, to be no one. Everyday she had to fight to be noticed, but what did he know? Nothing. And more of it was still spreading everywhere.
    "This can't be happening..." Today groaned and slumped down with her hands in front of her distraught face.
    "Y-You guys..." Everything sobbed, her pieces floating away from her body as as Nothing grew ever larger. A type of non-existence, perhaps...
    "I can feel an ache.... deep within me!" Today gasped. "I can feel it!"
    8 o' clock shrugged, a brute of an hour, with a trusty sidetime-kick of 30 minutes waddling behind, helping it move all his muscle.
    "Find yesterday! FIND YESTERDAY, for Everything's sake!" Today shrieked, and surprisingly they found her quite quickly.
    9 o' clock peddled by on a trike with a cheery smile, waving a greeting, either oblivious or ignorant to everyone's distressed nature.
    "******** off, you cheap-s**t b*****d!" Today barked after him, nearly immersed in hysterics.
    She turned around, and there she was, Yesterday in a silky flowing white dress, as tangible as butter or bread, exactly as the last time Today had seen her. She was taller than all of them.
    "Big sister..." Today said, taking a step forward. Yesterday held up her hand, and Today stopped. From behind Yesterday stepped out Tomorrow, little brother, angry and hateful. Yesterday sat aside, allowing Today and Tomorrow to merely stare.
    10 o' clock slipped by unnoticed. No one cared.
    "Please..." Today begged, and retreated to the floor in a wreck of sour and salty emotions mixed with tangled thoughts and dreams. She just lay there in front of him, sobbing.
    "No." Tomorrow gave a grunt through gritted teeth. Time kept on rolling. 11 o' clock tip toed by, wide eyed, cautious, paranoid, observing the spectacle as he made his way. Creatures were dying, decaying, being obliterated inside Nothing as they sat there. They were even killing themselves in the hopes it would save them from the relentless Nothing, only to find themselves in another place, to be consumed by their fears.
    "Don't you see?!" Today screamed at him, almost spitting. "You selfish brat! You are killing them! You should have never been chosen for this role! They are dying, suffering because of you, and you wont save them! Who know what will happen to all of US!" Se gave another wail of misery.
    "I don't care," Tomorrow stated, rather factual, but the truth was that he DID care. He was in pain, too. He was dying, just like all of them. He was no different. But he felt the exchange of Nothing for a life of no love or affection was worth it. A fair trade. Let them all die and suffer if he had to suffer any longer.
    12 o' clock entered the vicinity of their sight, which was narrowing at this point, faster and faster. Everything's screams had stopped, nearly completely dismembered and almost dead, leaving them in a sickly silence. Almost serene and calming, in a disturbing way. The Sun and Moon, husband and wife, clung to each other above one of the last standing worlds; Earth, it was called. Today saw that fateful hour approaching, and turned to Tomorrow.
    "Look..." she began, but it was all lost anyway. She knew how he felt. She knew what it was like, living and surviving, feeling like you only exist for the well begin of everything else. Feeling used and looked at like nothing could have been lower than you. She knew what it was like. She wanted to tell him, to make him understand, to let him know she loved him, she really did, even thought times had been getting increasingly harder and life became more of a struggle.
    As she said these things, the air between them thickened and thinned, a mirage, then burned away like a film reel caught fire, and all her words lost, sucked into the black pockets of Nothing. Stolen right from her mouth. Nothing had reached them and it's empty grin grew ever wider.
    And wider.
    The last things she saw was Tomorrow's stubborn, icey stare and 12 o' clock sitting between them, his face a bank white sheet, no expression, no expression.
    No expression.
    "I'm sorry it was my fault, love," the Sun crooned, crying, closing his light and kissing the Moon goodnight.
    And then there was Nothing.