How did it get to this? I tried, I really tried to help people. I guess we were all finally struck down in our own hubris. I repeat the words as my remaining hand is on the bible. 

"I, George Taylor do solemnly swear, that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States. And will to the best of my ability Preserve, Protect and Defend the constitution of the United States." 

I never wanted to get into politics. But due to current events the only ones left are me and the of secretary of education. She's senior in the line of succession but is only aged thirty-two. 

"We need to move now!" Shouted a marine wearing full plate Armor with an assault rifle as several bursts of gunfire sounded off in the distance. 

I was dragged by two other marines as they pulled me into a helicopter. The VH-92 lifted off and I saw multiple flashes of light going back and forth throughout the city. A few days ago, I was in the Bahamas Relaxing. I strapped in and then with a lurch from the sudden increase in speed you would not expect from a helicopter we lifted off. In the corner off my eye, I could spot an Apache moving in to escort us. I leaned the back of my head against the fuselage of the aircraft and closed my eyes to try and calm myself. I failed to as a mixture of radio chatter and the knowledge that everyone I knew was dead. 

"BRACE!!!" Came a shout from the pilot after a few minutes as we seemed to just drop in altitude. A loud humming sound entered my ears which overpowered the rotors. It was probably the countermeasures deploying. 

I smirk at the irony of it. The combination of flares, chaff, and jammers might have fooled an AIM-260 but they had mostly been fazed out for the 570s which had their software coded by me. I built it to be infallible. It's ironic that the thing you helped to make would kill you. I glanced out at the burning city as for a brief second, I could see a flash before everything went black.

...

I came to and realised something was off. I looked around. I was strapped into the side of the helicopter, but I could see we were now on the ground. So, a direct hit to the rotor and we had just dropped. I chuckled to myself slightly as I looked down and noticed the dozens of pieces of metal perforating my chest.

It didn’t seem to affect me as I tilted my head slightly and stared at the mangled mess my legs had become There was a huge chuck of rubble crushing both of them. I looked around at the cramped fuselage of the helicopter. I saw the body of one of the marines which had been decapitated by something. Again, it didn’t faze me. What in the world was going on.

“Hello there.” Came voice that had a mix of an American and a British accent. It had a deep pitch with a comforting undertone which seemed to brim with wisdom. I turned my head and saw the figure. I felt a feeling of acceptance as I said. “So, my time has finally come, huh?”

“That moment has already pass unfortunately. I am just here to guide you to the afterlife.” Replied the voice. A chuckle of self-deprecation escaped my ageing face. I ran my remaining arm through my salt and pepper hair as I got a better look at the figure.

They were the classic reaper figure; Shredded black cloak, skeleton for a body, endless pits for eyes, a scythe made of steel with a weird bend at the end of the stick which was present on actual scythes. I then rest the back of my head against the side of the helicopter and gazed up at the sky above.

The beautiful starry night was obstructed by the fog of war that had descended. I then turned back to the being and asked. “Can I see the stars one last time? If it’s no bother of course?”

The figure just nodded and put out his free hand motioning for me to take it. I grasped for it but froze when my arm didn’t move but a blue spectre came out of my arm. It was an ethereal sculpture of my arm. As he grasped it, I felt my whole-body lurch forward as I was pulled out of my body. I glanced down and noticed my new ethereal presence.

I then blinked for a second and when I opened them, I noticed we were now on a mountain top as the sun was setting in the distance. It was somewhere in the Rockies, I think. I slumped against a tree and watched the sunset while the reaper sat cross-legged next to me with his scythe leaning against the tree. “So, what do I call you?”

After a few seconds he said. “Well, most humans just shriek or try to fight, and I have to force them to the afterlife. Though those that don’t call me Death. It is a pleasure to be with you in your final moments George.”

A smiled and lent against the tree again and closed my eyes waiting for the stars. “Why?” I asked after what felt like a few hours. Death answered after a few seconds in a curious tone. “Sorry?” I just shrugged and spoke. “Why do you do this? I mean help the dead go to wherever it is you take us.”

“It is a long story but know this. I have watched the death of every human to ever exist and that will ever exist. It is something I choose to do because I want to even if in the beginning I was forced to.” After a few seconds I ask. “When do we go extinct?” He just chuckled at that and replied. “About thirty years or so from now.”

I just let out a chuckle at that as a few tears escape my eyes. I then ask between sobs. “What’s the point to existing then. Knowing that no matter what we do, it is infinitesimally small compared to the vastness of the universe. We were content to exist on our little rock and exist for a tiny lifetime for thousands of years. Now look at us. As beautiful as humanity is, the pain and destruction it causes is magnitudes worse.”

Death seemed to ponder on this as I stared up at the stars. They were dazzling and bright untouched here by the lights of mankind. He then said, “True, but humanity is still in its cradle. Learning how it must act. You can’t blame a toddler for making a mistake.”

I continued to watch the sky as I muttered quietly as I began to fade away. “Maybe, someone needs to give us a spanking then.” After my utterance a shooting star shot across the sky, a true blessing for these eyes to see in their final moments. As the last of my ethereal body disappeared death stood up and said, “What an interesting fellow!” while beginning to walk off into the distance.

…

I woke up to the Death Note Theme blaring from my iPhone. I sat up with a start as my heartbeat raced at record speed while my blood vessels felt like they were gonna pop. I covered my face to try and stop the migraine while trying to figure out what was going on.

When it had subsided slightly, I Peeked through the slit in my face and glanced at the room I was in. It was my room in our family home in the outskirts of Boston. I hadn’t seen this place in almost forty years. I looked around and noticed the iPhone I had gotten a few weeks ago as a birthday present.

My parents hadn’t wanted me to have it, but my aunt had insisted. I clicked the home button and the screen flashed to life. The date displayed on it said it was the Thursday, December 20^th, 2007. I dropped the phone as it dawned on me what this meant. I had been sent fifty years back from the same date in 2057. I was the sixty-two-year-old version of myself and had found myself back in my body of a twelve-year-old. At least was I in the body of a twelve-year-old.

I quickly got out of the bed and checked on the mirror. Yeah, it was me. That scrawny weeb who would end up living in my aunt’s basement after my parents died until I invented that compression software and ended up joining the navy after they offered me a few million to build them a guidance system.

Wait, my parents. This is there house. I tried to check my iPhone but as usual it was locked, and I could not for the life of me remember the password. When I heard some conversation from downstairs. My breathing picked up again as I shot out of my room and bolted down the stairs after almost forgetting to make sure I didn’t have socks on because they made the steps extremely slippery.

I heard them talking animatedly in the kitchen and I immediately enter while still moving at a quick pace. I just stopped at the doorway as I noticed both of them looking straight at me with a look of surprise on their faces. I heard my mum say from the counter while she ate something say. “Hey, Georgie. There’s no school today remember, and its only seven you can go back to sleep if you like?” After hearing the tone of voice and the nickname which had slowly become hazier throughout the years I began to cry.

When my dad noticed this and said from the stove where he was frying something. “Hey buddy what’s wrong?” I just walked calmly forward and to my mum’s surprise almost knocked her off the breakfast bar’s stool as I hugged her and began to sob openly as my cries echoed throughout the house. They were a mix of Joy and Sorrow. Regret and Grief. After the look of shock on her face she seemed to relax slightly and then put one arm around my back while the other on my head.

She then looked to her husband with a look of ‘Please help me?’ She was never the best with emotions, and I had only realised that years later. I just continued to gently sob as I felt dad come from behind and embrace both of us after shrugging and deciding to get in on it. After a few seconds I realised that I would have to explain my actions. I said in a timid voice. “I had a bad dream.”