A light stirred me from my dreams and my eyes opened cautiously. There was light and it was coming through the window. The sun finally came out! I ran to the window and stared out into the sun until my eyes hurt from staring. I felt it’s warmth dance across my skin for the first time in many months.
I ran outside and fell to the ground crying, the first sign that change was on the way. I laid there on the dead grass in front of the house soaking in what warmth I could. I lay there for what seemed like hours thinking what other changes this new year could bring about.
I stood up and looked across the newly light horizon, then reality hit me: the city was destroyed. Houses lay in rubble, light posts and electrical lines scattered the streets, cars damaged and unattended on sidewalks, streets, or in driveways. Then I turned to my house and looked up at it. Most of the windows were gone, shingles lay scattered on the ground, and the garage door was crumpled at the back of the garage. I hope my insurance could cover this, I joked to myself. I ran to my back yard to assess the damage back there.
What I saw back there horrified and I will remember it for the rest of my life. The dead body of my neighbor, most of his skin was burnt off, but I recognized him from the necklace he always wore around his neck. I turned around and puked all over the ground and quickly ran back into my house before I saw any more.
I put my back to the door after I shut and slid down to the floor crying. The life I had a few months was gone, people I knew were all probably dead. I went to my tv and pressed power hoping for something to happen: nothing. I picked up my battery radio and turned it one. All I heard was static. I started moving it through the different channels, but all I got was static. Then a miracle happened; I heard a voice.
“If some-” said a voice as I passed by it said. I quickly turned back and heard deep breathing. “Please, if someone is.....help. My food supplies are low and,” static sounded over the radio and I feared I lost it, but the voice came back, “at the All Rock Sta....Maple street. My name is Travis Jerome. Please if anyone can here this, I need help.” Then static sounded over the radio again and the voice didn’t speak again.
Someone else was alive, I nearly jumped with joy and the prospect of not being the last one left alive in the aftermath of the war. I jumped up and ran into my kitchen searching for what food I had left. I opened cupboard after cupboard finding bad bread and other disgusting food that looked as though it were twenty years over the expiration date. Then I found the miracle food, canned goods. The food that can stay in a can for a long time and still taste good when opened. I ran up back to the room where I first woke to the sunlight and pulled a worn suitcase under my bed and opened up my drawers and got whatever clothing I could find and throw them in, then I ran downstairs, and threw the miracle food in. I was now prepared to set out.
(addicted to sci-fi)
