I had written this a while ago for an assignment in my creative writing class. I love this piece mostly because I wrote it in an all girls catholic high school and my teacher-- a dedicated catholic-- was disgusted by the outcome of her prompt (That was my goal from the beginning, I hated that teacher and she hated me). I was the only girl in the class to take a realistic approach to the issue, everyone else talked about farming, building shelter, and rebuilding society. Needless to say, I am satisfied with my ending effect and I hope you all enjoy it as well.
The soft October moon crosses the blackened sky, freckled with trillions of stars. Each star taunts us with every twinkle and wink, as if to flaunt the ample supply of teeming energy stirring in its core by dimly shining through light years of darkness, racing cross the expanding universe, and finding its way to our deteriorating world. The sparse amount of light they supply is our only source to illuminate the night as we sit atop a hollow city building, huddled together for warmth and protection. Without the resources needed to create power we quietly suffer till dawn. There is nothing left of this world that we can burn, our mines are empty and oil wells are dry. Any other possibilities of energy have failed to sustain our existence and as I sit still under the soft October moon, huddled into a small corner, I question reality and the worth of the world. I recall a life when the minor comforts of energy were more then a dream, and I can remember clearly our slow and painful downfall that led me to this very corner.
The collapse of our society was gradual in the beginning. It started with no electricity, a small inconvenience during the first week. Families made the best of the summer days, playing outside to keep cool, and camping out at night. This went on till the government called for a ration of all gasoline. The peaceful population turned into an ocean of enraged citizens, they rioted through the streets, protesting against the government's demand for any and all gasoline. Soldiers marched through the city, suppressing the angry mob enough to retrieve the last of the liquid gold, killing thousands of rioters and soldiers in the process. War broke out between the population and government. The people attacked city buildings, attempted to assassinate political figures, and destroyed any thing they could get their hands on. Mother's and children hid away in abandoned buildings that were unearthed of anything valuable, they quietly sat with only a thin wall between them and the cruel war.
They attempted to ignoring the gun shots and cries that occurred outside the build till they heard silence in the street but they still did not leave, fearing the sight of the remains of war; bodies, blood, and bullet shells. This sight made the circumstances that once were believed to be impossible into reality. Crime thrived and neighbors became the enemy, no one could trust another. Everyone became the competition in the race of survival. Depression rose through our isolation from trust and love, and people started killing no only themselves, but their loved ones. Mother's killed their children believing that this quality of life is no life at all, and hope was loss among the debris scattered through hollow hallways in empty city buildings.
At this time, our societies collapse was a steep, slippery slope, and our numbers decreased significantly. What was salvaged from the war was not enough to support life and death was as common as a cold. The authorities that were entrusted with our lives fled long ago to an old jail in Europe to lock themselves away from the chaos that surged outside their concrete walls. Leaving the population to eat away at itself and to suffer.
The war was not the only source of our suffering. Vegetation could not grow. Land is ruined by radiation. Our loss of energy caused power plants to shut down. Our ability to keep the uranium core cool with water from near by rivers was defaulted, which provided enough heat to melt through its container and leak into our water supply, leaving us with little to drink and any animal that drank from the water died from radiation poising.
The collapse of our society was gradual in the beginning. It started with no electricity, a small inconvenience during the first week. Families made the best of the summer days, playing outside to keep cool, and camping out at night. This went on till the government called for a ration of all gasoline. The peaceful population turned into an ocean of enraged citizens, they rioted through the streets, protesting against the government's demand for any and all gasoline. Soldiers marched through the city, suppressing the angry mob enough to retrieve the last of the liquid gold, killing thousands of rioters and soldiers in the process. War broke out between the population and government. The people attacked city buildings, attempted to assassinate political figures, and destroyed any thing they could get their hands on. Mother's and children hid away in abandoned buildings that were unearthed of anything valuable, they quietly sat with only a thin wall between them and the cruel war.
They attempted to ignoring the gun shots and cries that occurred outside the build till they heard silence in the street but they still did not leave, fearing the sight of the remains of war; bodies, blood, and bullet shells. This sight made the circumstances that once were believed to be impossible into reality. Crime thrived and neighbors became the enemy, no one could trust another. Everyone became the competition in the race of survival. Depression rose through our isolation from trust and love, and people started killing no only themselves, but their loved ones. Mother's killed their children believing that this quality of life is no life at all, and hope was loss among the debris scattered through hollow hallways in empty city buildings.
At this time, our societies collapse was a steep, slippery slope, and our numbers decreased significantly. What was salvaged from the war was not enough to support life and death was as common as a cold. The authorities that were entrusted with our lives fled long ago to an old jail in Europe to lock themselves away from the chaos that surged outside their concrete walls. Leaving the population to eat away at itself and to suffer.
The war was not the only source of our suffering. Vegetation could not grow. Land is ruined by radiation. Our loss of energy caused power plants to shut down. Our ability to keep the uranium core cool with water from near by rivers was defaulted, which provided enough heat to melt through its container and leak into our water supply, leaving us with little to drink and any animal that drank from the water died from radiation poising.
Our once clean streets are lined with corpses, lying open wounded on sidewalks, dangling from streetlights, as a reminder of our fate. Their stench filling the hot air as the summer heat decomposes what is left. Avoiding them is almost impossible but necessary do to deadly diseases and the parasites they carry. The revolting aftermath of our dying population is a repugnant layer of contradiction against the early morning sunrise-- a symbol that once promised a chance for a better day then yesterday.
Communication with each others is non-existant. There is nothing to talk about. No reason to talk. Everything is pointless; we are simply a small speck in the universe. Our movement is as insignificant as the particles on our torn shoes. We have no purpose for surviving. We are only floating among ruins of a once favored life. Empty halls, and dispirited building that held vitality now symbolize our bodies.
You could say that we died long before now. Individuals that once woke up and felt they had changed something for the better and went to sleep at night excited for the next day, now sit among us, wishing for morning to never arrive so they do not wake to another day of suffering. Silently, we calculate where we had gone wrong and in time we realize how our progression had dug us deeper into a hole that we would never be able to get out of.
It saddens me to think that it is only now that we wish to live when there is no life. That is it now that dreams mean the most to us. Where our only regret is not waking up smiling and enjoying the comfort of another human heart. Now as I take a leap of faith off this ledge, I can only hope that heaven has electricity.
Communication with each others is non-existant. There is nothing to talk about. No reason to talk. Everything is pointless; we are simply a small speck in the universe. Our movement is as insignificant as the particles on our torn shoes. We have no purpose for surviving. We are only floating among ruins of a once favored life. Empty halls, and dispirited building that held vitality now symbolize our bodies.
You could say that we died long before now. Individuals that once woke up and felt they had changed something for the better and went to sleep at night excited for the next day, now sit among us, wishing for morning to never arrive so they do not wake to another day of suffering. Silently, we calculate where we had gone wrong and in time we realize how our progression had dug us deeper into a hole that we would never be able to get out of.
It saddens me to think that it is only now that we wish to live when there is no life. That is it now that dreams mean the most to us. Where our only regret is not waking up smiling and enjoying the comfort of another human heart. Now as I take a leap of faith off this ledge, I can only hope that heaven has electricity.
I really, really like this - great ending - perfect ending - very bleak and despairing, excellent work!
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