The universe ended as it began — with a big old bang.

Saheel's sunglasses proved unnecessary for three reasons. One, because they flew off his face the moment he unpaused the rock; two, because the blast swept the carpet from under his feet to somewhere between ten and fifty miles east; three, because the rock broke the tower apart faster than the electrical signals could travel from his eyes to his brain. It all took place in a moment that is to a second what a second is to a year.

In keeping with the year analogy, where Saheel unpaused the rock on January 1:

On January 2nd, the rock bit into the very tip of the top of the flesh mound's highest fingernail.

By the end of January, it had cut through to the democracy chamber, tunneling through flesh and bone with zero resistance. With a sigh, every bit of energy the flesh mound channeled from the most recent vote dispersed into the atmosphere.

By the end of February the tower, already in splinters from failing to restrain the beast inside it, crumbled into a cloud of dust. The players' bedrooms, the 70,000 door, the elevator shaft — all evaporated, leaving behind empty sky.

By the second of March, the rock had cut back every growth the flesh mound ever made, reducing it only to its most irreducible, invulnerable parts — the three men in the centre. Here the weapon met with some resistance, as it spun in place against the mound with enough power to smash apart planets. From Spring the rock, unable to make further progress, settled for boring through the very middle of the mound, splitting Alan, Faust and Sean into separate beings. The three ghosts felt nothing, of course, because the nerves had long disappeared before they could even begin to send a report — and in around a century, one of them would mutter a belated 'Ow'.

In April, it tumbled down the elevator shaft, tearing through the first terrestrial layer like a bullet through a tissue. It continued its journey to the bottom unimpeded.

In June, the very first impulse of electricity started on its way from Saheel's eye to his brain, and his finger lifted a fraction of a millimetre off the pause button, although it was still depressed.

In September, the rock broke through the ninth and final terrestrial layer, and the country estate which brought Kari anguish was no more. From here, it went further down, into the abyss where Eirlys had fallen endlessly.

In October, Saheel and Connie began to fall too, at a rate of around a meter a month, because the magic carpet had already blown away. Also in October, the rock, meeting no further resistance, travelled at a speed that would lap light dozens of times over.

In November, it finally hit something. But it was only on New Year's Eve that the something it hit stopped it in its path.

The first words to materialise in Saheel's head after pressing the pause button were Oh, brother. He fell, stomach in his throat, full of giddiness and bewilderment, the world around him blurring and the air rushing into his eyes, too cold for him to scream or even breathe.

Below him, the something that the rock hit cracked, and out of the cracks poured a light so total, so bright, that his eyes registered it only as especially painful darkness. These cracks took comparative eons to spread, and he was able to perceive them snaking across the sky like lightning. At every place the cracks reached, the blue light of the endless horizon fell away, like dirt off a pot at a digsite.

And when the cracks had engulfed everything, and the pair fell into whatever was behind them, the universe was over.

—-

Sean lay in front of him, legless. When he saw Saheel, his eyes widened and he hummed madly from behind his stitched-up mouth. He flopped away like a landed fish, but his arms were weak, and Saheel outpaced him in a couple of strides.

"Mmm!" shouted Sean. "Mmm!"

Saheel's phone rang — to the tune of ding-dong merrily on high, of course.

"Mmm!" Sean insisted, making a grab for it.

Saheel slapped his hand away. He tossed the phone out in front of him, and Sean went for it like a mad dog playing fetch. It exploded under one blast from the fallen water pistol.

"You've had quite enough to say already, brother," said Saheel.

"Mmm-MMM!" hummed Sean, and it was obvious what he was trying to say. "Mmm-MMM!"

For-GIVE! For-GIVE!

Saheel pressed the cold end of the pistol to his enemy's forehead, and his finger lingered on the trigger.

Was this really what he wanted to do? Was he absolutely sure?

More than anything.

Saheel sent him on to the next world, then followed.