It was big, at least ten feet tall. Its dark grey hooded shroud was flapping in the ethereal winds the monster was generating. The robe itself was tattered, and so baggy that it was impossible to see who...or what...was underneath. Where the face should have been was just a black void that I found I couldn't stare directly into without feeling like I was dying.

And it was hovering about five feet from our noses.

"Egon!" I screeched. "What is that thing?"

"I'm not sure!" he yelled back.

Another frightening rasp issued from the thing in the hood. But the scary thing was, it didn't sound like it was coming from the direction of the beast. It sounded like it was coming from the inside of my own mind.

"Hey! I saw one of these in Harry Potter!" called Peter.

"Venkman, now is not the time for jokes!" I shouted at him.

"What?" he asked, shrugging. "Just laughing in the face of death."

The d-word chilled me to the bone. I quickly turned back to Egon. "Is that what it is? Death? The grim reaper?"

"Not exactly," said Egon slowly.

The creature groaned menacingly. "What the hell is it saying?" I yelled.

"I believe it's speaking Sanskrit," stated Egon.

"Well okay! You speak that, right? What's it saying?" I asked urgently.

"It says its name is era mahemis finito," Egon translated. "In English, it would translate to..." he paused. Then he finally said, "Armageddon."

My heart began to thump harder. "But...but that's the end of the world!"

Egon nodded gravely. "Armageddon has been trapped in the sixth dimension, or the Underworld, since the last time the population was wiped out in a giant flood."

"You mean, Noah's ark?" I asked incredulously. "That giant flood?"

"Exactly," Egon confirmed.

"Well thanks for the history lesson, Egghead," called Peter. "The question is, how do we kill this mother?"

"That's the bad news," said Egon uncomfortably.

"I hate it when you say that, Spengs," I groaned. "What's the bad news?"

"Well as you said, none of the demons we've ever faced have matched the level of psychokinetic energy such as the one Armageddon maintains," Egon explained. "He's not even a primal force like Gozer. He's on another a completely different level and I'm afraid to admit that our proton packs would have no effect on him whatsoever."

I froze as realization came over me. "Wait...so you're saying there's nothing we can do?"

Egon gave me a look. The same look he had given me so many times when he had something to tell me that he knew I'd hate hearing, something that he didn't want to tell me.

We were going to die.

So I did the only thing I could do: I took the hand of Egon Spengler, the smartest man I'd ever known, my confidante, my rock, my best friend, and now the man I loved; in mine and squeezed it tightly. And there we stood, waiting for the end to come.

1996

I was tucking my five year old daughter into bed, humming quietly. She sighed and turned over on her side. As she was nodding off, I heard her quietly mumble, "I love you, Mama."

I smiled and pushed a lock of out of her face. "I love you too, Alice. Sweet dreams." I watched her green eyes blink open more time and shut. They did not open again.

I quietly left the room. I was feeling tired after all the things that had transpired that day. My divorce had become official and I had cried onto the shoulder of a friend I never thought I would see again. I couldn't help but wonder why Egon had rushed to my side when he knew he could have been imprisoned for it.

Because Egon's a great friend, a voice inside of my head told me.

Seeing Egon again had made me feel alive in a time when every part of me, it seemed, was dying. I hoped I could hold onto that feeling.

I was just sitting down to watch the news when all of a sudden I heard a tentative rap on the apartment door. I looked at my watch: 9:30. Curiously, I got up to open the door, wondering who on earth would be visiting me at this hour.

I turned the knob and got my answer.

His dark hair was unkempt and his green eyes were bleary, like he had just gotten out of bed...or was inebriated. Yes, I could definitely smell the bourbon on his breath. He stared at me like I was an angel delivered from Heaven. "Oh, Jenny!" he slurred and he threw his arms around me. "God, I missed ya so much!"

I pushed him off of me. "Alex? What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. "And why are you drunk?"

"Oh, Jenny, lemme tell ya," he said, plopping a grubby hand on my shoulder, "I made a horrible mistake! You were righ' 'bout Candy, she uppen leff me just like that!" He snapped his fingers to punctuate his point. "I wan' you an me an Allie back there ta be a fam'ly 'gin, just like we used ta be! Wouldn't that be nice, Jenny?"

"Alex, let me make you some coffee," I said, quickly trying to pull myself away from him. But Alex grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him. "C'mon, honey," he breathed in my face. "Ya know ya miss me too."

"No, I do-" My words were cut off as he pushed his lips into mine. My immediate reaction was to push him off. I started to struggle, but Alex kissed harder. My wriggling ceased and I found myself melting into the embrace.

God, I thought dreamily. It's been ages since he kissed me like this!

My hand reached up to his head and my fingers ran themselves through his hair. He moaned against my lips. "That's it," he whispered.

He cheated on you! Don't let him in! my conscience was screaming at me.

He gently pushed me back into the apartment, up against the wall. I pressed my lips up against his in defeat. "Mmm," I groaned.

Oh, who cares if he cheated! I thought back. This is worth it!

Stop, another voice cut in, this one male and strikingly familiar. Don't do this.

I froze mentally, letting myself be pulled away from the passion of the moment. Egon?

You're worth more than this. He broke your heart. You really think he won't do it again?

I winced inwardly. But...but he loves me. He's here, isn't he?

He's here because he's drunk and knows he can take advantage of you, Egon's voice advised. He'll only hurt you again and I'm not going to let him. You deserve better.

I snapped out of it. I pulled my hand from the back of Alex's neck and slapped his cheek with it as hard as I could.

Alex abruptly pulled away. No, stay, some weak part of me was saying. But Egon, or rather, the delusion of Egon, was right. I did deserve better.

"Whassa matter, Jenny?" Alex gasped. "I thought we had somethin' for a moment!"

I pushed him off of me. "We had something for five years. But you chose to violate that. Now, the temple is closed."

Alex stood up. "Then why the hell did ya lead me on like that?"

"Force of habit," I grumbled. "Now get out of here, Alex! And while you're at it, never come back!"

Alex gave me one last melancholy look. "But, Jenny-"

"And DON'T call me that," I added, pushing him out of the door and out of my life.

Egon had been there. When no one else could, or would, he was there. Even then, he had been my voice of reason. I'd never told anyone that story.

I ripped my eyes from the horrific beast known as Armageddon and looked at him. I was the idiot who had let him slip through my fingers. He had always loved me. And I loved him. I realized that now.

But it was too late. I'd never even be able to tell him I love him.

I gulped and stared back at the monster. If death was going to come, let it come right-

"Now, guys! Blast him!"

I meant for Egon to get to say his famous line from the video game, "We eat gods for breakfast!" but I couldn't find anywhere to fit it in. Last chapter coming soon! And comment if you want me to do a story about the kids!