sean's+story+2013

2013

"Where am I?" I thought to myself as I walked past the alleyway. There was a boy sleeping in the middle of it. It seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Nobody was around. It was dark, but I could still see the outlines of buildings through the thick fog. I came to a streetlight. It seemed to be the only one that I had seen not broken. I stared at it, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. I looked past the light, staring at a house that seemed to be covered in ashes. I got that same feeling again, the same as the alleyway, only this time it was much stronger. I looked down at the cracked pavement beneath my feet, then up at the light grey sky. I did a very slow 360 ° turn, observing everything around me. I stopped at the house again, and walked towards it. I stared at it for what seemed to be a minute or so. Then I realized something that startled me. "This is m-m-m-my house..."

The fog started to clear, revealing a better view of the buildings around me. I didn't care. I wanted to see my parents. I ran towards the house, then stepped in something crunchy. I looked down, only to see these horrible bugs called cockroaches. My science teacher had told me that they were the only living things that could survive a nuclear explosion. "Did I somehow sleep through a nuke?"

I ran into the burnt up house that once belonged to my family and straight to the bottom floor where my room was. I ran inside it, confused at what I saw. Nothing. Everything was exactly the same as before. Even the sparkling glass disco ball that hung from my ceiling by a thread was untouched. "HOW?!?" I yelled even though I knew nobody would hear me. I heard my alarm clock go off, it said, "January second, 2013!" I kicked at the wall in frustration. It cracked, then crumbled to the ground, exposing a thick metal wall in front of me. I did the same with the others, realizing that //that// is what protected me. But who would do this?

I ran out of my house, desperate for answers. The only emotions that I was feeling were sadness and frustration. I ran down the cracked pavement as far as I could until I came across the alleyway again. The boy was still sleeping there. I went over to him, wondering how he had survived, but as I got closer I realized that he hadn't survived, he was dead. I got even closer to the boy, kneeling even, I wanted to find out who this boy was. Then I realized something that startled me, this wasn't just any boy, this was Billy, my best friend, dead. I had never got to say goodbye. The only emotion I was feeling now was anger. Whoever, or whatever, had done this, destroyed all the things that I had ever cared about. All of them.

For days, I roamed the streets, searching for clues, answers, and food. After what seemed to be the third, and longest, day, I gave up all hope. I stepped into the alleyway again, laid down beside Billy, and waited, for death. I closed my eyes, and my life flashed before them. That's when I heard them. Huma ns, survivors, about six of them, walking. I opened my eyes, and with all the strength that I had left, I crawled towards them, trying to get their attention. It worked. They noticed me, and rushed over to give me water. They also gave me an apple out of one of their bags. They looked somewhat healthy. As I put the juicy apple to my lips, I knew that there was hope.

Now It's all up to us, to rebuild a nation, one step at a time.