Then End Of The World, again

The world was ending. It was well known and so we prepared. Every person told their one last story. Nobody listened particularly well as we were all distracted by the question of what our own last story would be. But you listened just enough, because you'd want to adjust your story if someone before you hit on the theme your were planning or in the case of someone you knew well they could actually end up telling the exact same story you had in mind. This half listening is what allowed for the possibility that a really good story could cut through the stress, sadness and urgency of the moment and really catch the crowd, make everyone forget for a moment that the world was about to end. I changed my mind a dozen times about what story I would tell, until finally I gave up on making a choice realizing it would all depend on who went before me. I tried to reassure myself, telling myself that I was always good in a pinch...