"See you again soon, okay?" Said my mouth.
"I don't want you to go," said my eyes.
"I can't be away from you for so long," said my hands.
"You'll have to manage," replied her arms, wrapped around me. "I'll miss you too."
"You'll have to manage," said the hyper-resilient fungus that was about to cover the globe.
It's sad that we spent our days preparing for mushroom clouds, instead of clouds of mushrooms. Then again, I don't think we could have avoided this outcome, even if we knew - spores spread through air, and everyone, unfortunately, needs air. Even those in bunkers would have to replace their air filters, and the mushrooms could take advantage of even an inch of exposed skin - not that most of them noticed in time to get into their bunkers before getting infected.
The cities, of course, were hit with raiders within hours, but they were dead the next morning. Foolish, to think masks would work when the mycelium could split skin.
Nobody's left who isn't infected - dormant, in our blood, the mycelium is in all of us. Mushrooms are a different story - they need dark, damp spaces in order to grow, so if you just stay in the light, you'll be perfectly fine. Now just stay in the light for the rest of your life.
Sleeping is hard with bright bulbs shining at you from above, in rooms so dry that your skin cracks, eyes releasing tears that dry into streaks of salt on your face. The light doesn't go away when you close your eyes, either. Lights were planted into the bodies of as many people as possible, to make sure the mushrooms wouldn't grow in our lungs, in our intestines, anywhere that was too valuable to be lost. Our skin glows, too - "The Angel's Light," it's called, because the mushrooms were surely sent by the devil.
At least the light lets us go outside, right? It's a spectacle, supposedly. People call it eerily beautiful, but they're lying. I've been outside, and there's nothing to see and even less to hear. The globe is covered in a layer of silence: they say it's "washed with a quiet" that "permeates deeper underground than anyone can know," but I know the truth - it rose from there, from the depths of hell itself. It had to have.
I don't think anyone is coping with this anymore. I think, I know that this isn't some instinct we have to keep going in the face of adversity - we're only alive because we haven't died yet, because it's easier to just wait for it to take your life than to take it yourself.
I wonder sometimes if this is all some big trick, that once the mushrooms break through my skin I'll be joined by all my friends, that it's all one big party at the very end. I think it is. I hope she's there. I hope she misses me too.
I think I'll turn the lights off before bed tonight.
Hiya!!!! This is the first piece I've posted on here, and it's just a very quick (extremely unpolished) work that I wrote in half an hour or so. It was mostly just testing the waters in terms of first-person writing for me (I might post some of my third-person stuff here sometime), and I rather enjoyed writing it, even if it's clunky in some parts. I was also sorta seeing if I could do a slight bit of an unreliable narrator trope, or at least characterise the narrator a little, given that characterisation is something I usually struggle with. Anyways um give feedback if you'd like yay!!!! :3
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138,740 Literary Works • 672,270 Reviews
Hi! First review, this reminds me a lot of a video game "Mycopsychosys" and I love it! I like the idea of an air-spread virus type of apocalypse because it's not something you see very often. I also am intrigued by whoever "she" is. Along with that, the lack of names adds to the mystery of this chapter! I may be new to writing, but I don't see anything wrong with this, it hooks you in well and gets you to keep reading.
Great job and keep writing!
-gg <3
Hop here with a review! Please excuse my yapping and why this review is so long is mainly that. But let's get into the review! ~~~~
Okay this piece is bananas (gosh golly the amount of times I have been saying bananas lately...). Like in the best way. It’s eerie and poetic and kind of devastating, but also weirdly beautiful. You’ve got this soft emotional opening the body speaking in fragments, each part expressing something different and then you drop the line about the hyper-resilient fungus and suddenly I’m like oh okay we’re in apocalypse territory now.
The mushroom concept is so strong. You take something that’s usually earthy and quiet and turn it into this global horror. The line about how we spent our days preparing for mushroom clouds instead of clouds of mushrooms? That’s clever and sad and it sets the tone perfectly. You’re not just talking about destruction you’re talking about inevitability. That’s what makes it hit hard.
The narrator’s voice is great. It’s tired and honest and kind of falling apart, but still trying to make sense of things. You nailed the unreliable narrator vibe without making it confusing. I can feel the character’s exhaustion, their longing, their weird hope that maybe the end will be some kind of reunion. That last line turning off the lights is chilling. It’s quiet and final and it wraps everything up in a way that feels earned.
Also the worldbuilding is bananas. The glowing skin, the implanted lights, the dry rooms that crack your face — it’s all so vivid and messed up. You don’t over-explain anything, which I love. You just drop these details and let the reader figure it out. That makes it feel real. Like we’re just catching a glimpse of something much bigger.
The pacing is solid too. It starts soft, gets darker, and then just sinks into this quiet dread. You don’t rush it. You let the mood build naturally. And even though it’s short, it feels complete. Like a snapshot of someone’s final thoughts before everything changes.
Honestly I think you did a great job with characterisation. The narrator feels real. They’re scared and sad and maybe a little hopeful in a twisted way. You don’t need to say much to make them feel alive. That’s a skill. You should be proud of that.
So yeah. This piece is bananas and beautiful and I’m glad you posted it. I’d love to see your third-person stuff too if you ever feel like sharing. Keep writing. You’ve got something special here.
Stay awesome! Keep writing! Happy Review Month!
Love,
Hop
I mean I'd agree with you but I think the bananas were eaten by the mushrooms... oh well... bananas gone...
forgive my yapping as well :3
okay but YES TYSMMM this piece was really an experiment for me and I'm so so so happy it turned out the way I wanted!! It's part of a "series" of sorts - really just a few very short stories with heavily overlapping themes. I'd say that this one is definitely the least, ah, hopeful? Of the ones I've written so far. It's also the only one (so far) with a defined character, and I'm really happy that it worked outt!!! I'm also really happy that the worldbuilding turned out that way, like you're just seeing a small part of it. Overall um TYSMMM YAAY also everyone in this canon has a potassium deficiency now. because you took the last bananas.
Hello! My name is CATS and I'll be leaving a review! This looked very interesting and the title drew me in so my mind was like, "WHY NOT??" I remember my first work, when I was so desperate for a comment or two. So why not help out you?Let's dive in!
First off, are the first few lines the prologue? I would recommend putting Prologue over it to confirm. The fungus...I'm so curious to what would happen! You are really good at drawing the reader in close. Reading ON!!!
Wow...the title is certainly interesting...great job! It gives a shot of humor and a tint of suspense! So imaginative!
Ohhhh! Now I understand! The first paragraph really explains everything. I love how it's first person and how I can hear their thoughts ~ very fun to read.
So from what I read, the people are living on a planet/mushroom and that if they expose their skin they can get infected.
The next few paragraphs are eerie and chilling, giving the reader a sense of dread and mystery. Like IMAGINE SLEEPING WITH A LIGHT IN YOUR FACE. I would never fall asleep! This part is very well done! Your first work; you should keep going, my friend!
OVERALL: I love the suspense, horror, and mystery...it really sets the mood with the story. It is like an apocalypse, the end of the world. You have a large imaginative mind! I, myself, am a daydreamer, and from your creativity, I'm guessing you are too?
Happy Reading, Happy Review Month, and Happy Writing!!!
Sincerely,
CATS