Jaylen dragged the metal sled across the gravel-covered ground. It’s been years since the sharp edges were able to cut into his now calloused feet, but he still suffered from the thin atmosphere above ground like anyone else. Dropping the lead rope and standing up straight was the signal to Javvi, his brother, that they were taking a break.

“Ground bless, Jay. I didn’t think you were ever going to stop.”

“I’m anxious to get back. Today’s harvest day and the roach burgers will be the freshest!”

“Bleh. I much prefer algae soup. Roach burgers are just too crunchy for my tastes.”

The brothers sat down back to back so they could keep an eye on the land around them while they rested. A thick cloud cover hovered over the land and met the horizon all around. Thicker sections were outlined by slightly lighter lines like the stringy ligaments of the ravagers. At least that’s what Javvi likened them to, Jaylen saw them as rivulets of light trying their hardest to touch the land once more.

“Do you think we’ll ever see it?” Jaylen asked, looking at the clouds.

“See what?”

“The bright light gran used to tell us about.”

“I don’t even think it exists, she was just telling us stories from her grandmother.”

“Yeah, but can you imagine a blanket of blue and a blinding ball of light? Or what about when the big light is gone and then it’s filled with pinpricks of smaller lights.”

“It’s just a fantasy. Why do you let your imagination run wild?”

“It’s not fantasy, the elders tell us of a time when there were breaks in the clouds and green things lived on those broken stone pillars.”

A flash of light shocked them into moving. Jaylen started counting the seconds out loud until the rolling thunder passed over the land. He’d reached twenty-one before the sound hit.

“Four miles,” Javvi said. Jaylen nodded in agreement.

“You think it’s coming towards us?”

“Hard to say. I’ll pull this time, you keep the lookout.”

“Just let me know when you need me to take over.”

With a grunt, the older brother pushed his feet against the ground and pulled the salvaged materials for their village. Jaylen used the spear as a walking staff while they made their way across the barren landscape. The downburst from the storm sent dust flying into the air, once it started it told the boys the storm was coming towards them.

Jaylen would count the seconds each time the lightning struck the ground. And each time it told him the storm was getting closer and closer. When it was less than two miles away he grabbed the spare lead and hooked it to the sled.

Of the younger people in their village, they were a handful that could survive the surface without any adverse reactions. They were an invaluable resource to their people and were under instructions to abandon their tasks and get to the safety of the town. But both had agreed the materials were too important this time. So both dragged the sled at a good clip hoping the ravagers set to hiding from the storm rather than traveling above ground looking for their next meal.

“We’re not going to make it!” Javvi cried out.

“We’ll be fine, just keep going,” Jaylen shouted with his blind optimism.

“When it reaches less than five seconds we run, okay.”

“Deal, now keep pulling.”

Both were grunting with each step. The wall of red-tinted water was approaching them faster than they could move. Jaylen abandoned pulling and got behind the sled and pushed for all he was worth.

“There!” Javvi shouted as the cave entrance came into view.

“Keep pulling!”

“Fine, keep pushing.”

With strained effort, they managed to get the sled into the tunnel and up to a ledge so it was out of the water’s path. Javvi bent over his knees heaving deep breaths trying to get oxygen back into his system. Jaylen hurried to the other side of the ledge to shout.

“Acid rain coming!” His voice echoed deep into the tunnel hoping to give them a bit more of a heads-up.

The water already created a small stream of hissing water that washed down the tunnel. Javvi and Jaylen sat and watched the tunnel, trapped until the storm passed and the water dispersed.

“See, told you we’d make it.” Jaylen nudged his brother’s shoulder with his.

“Yeah, but it was too close. We won’t tell the elders.”

“Agreed, not sure I want to sit through another of dad’s lectures.”

“Guess this means no fresh roach burger?”

Shocked horror etched into Jaylen’s face. “No, no, no… aww man.”

His brother chuckled. “Maybe the storm will pass by fast.”

Jaylen hoped and they both watched the rain fall and the clouds pass by. And then like a glow worm at night a bright ray of light pierced through the clouds followed by a handful of others as the storm passed. The young brother’s heart fluttered in his chest as he stood up slapping Javvi’s back who was making sure the cargo was secure for their trip down the tunnel.

“Look! Javvi! Look! It’s the soon!”

In the end long-forgotten cave that is as silent as the graveyard, a robotic voice broke that serene silence. “Systems online. Initiating boot-up sequence. Essential systems online. Initiating sensors. Error, module not available. Initiating Belatorr. Error, module not available. Initiating Servitiun. Error, module not available. Initiating Nedicus. Module available initiating store capsule open.”

The cave was illuminated by emerald stips on the walls. The time has done its job and like an experienced chef a making good meal it mixed metal, cables, and glass mixed with stone. In the center of mixed rubble one tube-like container opened and from it, a naked woman stood up. Her gaze was distant for a few moments and then her green eyes came to life like someone switched on the doll.

“Body self-diagnosis stat”, as she said that with an almost melodic voice she started touching herself all over her body almost like a doctor examining the patient. “Body working properly.”

Looking at the rubble she noticed a broken screen to her right that showed some kind of symbols and she walked to it over the rubble not even flinching because of the jagged terrain.

After she clicked on the screen a few times the robotic voice started again “Sensors module online. Initiating scanning. Scanning, scanning, scanning. Low medical capability detected in the scanned area, multiple persons with heavy and light injuries detected.”

When she heard the last sentence her eyes lit up with a sense of duty and like the wind, she grabbed from the rubble a dirty lab coat and red rucksack and started running to the exit of the cave. The passage to the exit was not illuminated but it bothers her all, like a hunter set on her prey he bolted through the narrow passage and finally reached the exit.

From the exit of the cave, she could see a village that is half in rubble, houses burning devastated by the attack from something.

In the burning village in the passage between two houses, a young boy was crying in pain with a broken left leg. A big black wolf a size of a horse with spikes on his back jumped in front of the boy. He was frozen in fear like a statue and at that moment stopped crying as the wolf slowly approached step by step and prepared to eat the boy he was hit in the head by a fireball.

Unfortunately, the fireball did not affect the big wolf and he jumped to the old man behind the boy and bite off the left shoulder together with the arm and part of the torso killing the man.

The metal disk the size of a hockey puck flew through the air hitting the wolf in the head in sticking itself to it a moment later he was struck by lightning, the half the buried body fell on the ground. The last thing the boy saw before passing out was someone white garment and black hair coming closer, he felt hope.

[removed]

[removed]

[poem]

i spy

wiTH my little eyE

somEthiNg shining in the sanD

heaven in a tin can

millions Of peaches

peaches For me

i sing To myself

as juice drips down my beard

i kick tHE can

across the barren plains

WOndeRing if i'lL ever

see another face again

i Dance in sAnd stormS

lick deW from lEaves

but i long for something more

a little bit of Kompany

i carry oN

follOWing the sun

there may not be much left In this sunburnt land

but thaT won't rob me of what hope left i have

The survivor hid in the bunker as the trucks ran across the road. The loud noises of erratic yelling and the occasional gun shot keeping any and all sane people in their basements.

As for the survivor, she hid in the bunker she built. Despite what everyone said, she constructed this concrete safe house herself. Even after all of the comments, the crazy names people started calling her, she didn't stop.

"You'll see, and when everything comes crashing down I'll be the one who's still standing!" She'd always say this with a smile as they scoffed and demanded she stop.

But here she is, 4 months into the fall of society, still alive, but feeling some remorse about how she acted before.

"Those people weren't wrong to think this was crazy, but...they also weren't right to treat me that way" she said to herself.

"But still, after all the comments, the lost friends, and especially the hard work and money I put into this, I think it's worth it. I mean look, I'm still alive... talking to myself, but alive."

The survivor laughed at herself quietly as she spoke to herself. It was strange, after all that time those comments became almost her fuel. People doubting her became some sort of reason to keep going, but what now?

It's like that metaphor about life. The one about getting to the other side of the tunnel. Only thing is, what do you do when you actually get to the other side?

It's not like survival was a problem. Those crazy people who just want to pillage can only last so long on the food they scavenge. Not to mention that those people that actually fire back at the raiders.

It really can't be long before those raiders decide that the risk of dying isn't worth it. Then they'll turn to farming and more peaceful matters. Maybe then people can trust each other enough to get along amd work together.

The survivor walked through the concrete hall over to the garden room. The crops are doing amazing, and it seems that those raiders (or anyone else really) still haven't figured out that the solar panels on the roof of the house actually put out their power down here.

Beans, tomatoes, and potatoes. Not the widest variety but certainly some food that is easy and good. Being underground also has it's advantages in water collection. Survival here is almost too easy.

Too easy...

The survivor then goes over to her sleeping room and begins to write in her journal

Several days have passed. The cold is unreal. Of all the cold Decembers that all of this had to happen it just had to be this one!

Oh well, I still have two more books left before I run out. I really underestimated how bored people get when they have nothing to do but make sure some plants are still alive (which takes all of 20 minutes) and make sure they eat and drink enough.

I'd kill for a movie or something! A comedy show would be insane right now. But of course, nothing here but the books from my house...and technically the library. Can't really return those anymore I guess.

The journal goes on listing all of the modern comforts that the survivor missed. The things ranged from fruit punch and chocolate to being able to just go outside because you wanted to.

A few nights later.

Heavy gunfire rings through the night, waking up anyone and everyone around. The survivor immediately grabs her pistol and hides by the entrance to her bunker.

The gunfire stops pretty quickly. There weren't any sounds of trucks or cars screeching out in the streets. Did somebody actually win? Are the raiders gone?

She steeled her nervous mind and decided that of there was no more gunfire through the night, she'd take her first step outside in months. She can't pass up the chance that someone survived, that someone survived.

She went to the entrance the next morning. Not a sound was heard after the initial fight. So like she told herself, she was going to check, just to make sure.

As she opened the hatch, the grass that had grown over it ripped apart. The light blinded her, the smell of the grass and flowers pleasantly bombarded her nose, and the sound of birds chirping had never been so dearly welcomed.

She looked around in amazement as she looked at what her yard had turned into. Her fence had been knocked over, which was lame, but more noticeable than that was that there were flowers everywhere.

She smiled brightly at the flowers, there were bees buzzing gently from flower to flower, birds chirping in the branches of the tree in her backyard. It was beautiful, after the crushing loneliness of being in the bunker, she could hardly believe what she was seeing.

She spent another minute gazing at the flowers before being startled by the sound of footsteps. The survivor quickly turned and aimed her pistol at the source of the sound only to be even more surprised as she saw an older man, a woman and what appeared to be a young child very heavily wrapped in a blanket in the woman's arms.

The survivor lowered her gun as she stared at the group. "Who are you three?"

The man and the woman looked at each other before speaking. The woman nodded and looked at the survivor, "We're just a few survivors from some raider attacks. None of us really know each other, but after a fight broke out last night we decided to look around and see who else might be out here."

The survivor blinked and processed what the woman had said. "So, there was a fight last night, and you decided to go out and look for other survivors? If that's true, then why the old man? Why the baby? This hardly seems like a search group of proper makeup."

The man stepped up as the woman turned her head away at the questions, "We're all that left."

The survivor looked at the three. They can't be raiders, no way an old dude and a baby were ever gonna be raiders. But is this really all that's left? How many people died last night?

The survivor took a deep breath. Well, if they aren't raiders, and they're telling the truth, then what should I do? I guess I should help them. Is there really another choice?

The survivor looked at the three people, "Do y'all like potatoes?"

[poem]

This plane has been ravaged by spells and by storms.

To this day we scavenge to rebuild our forms.

The world is rebuilding from its deadly last age,

The mountains reform with a flip of the page.

Survivors have written in their diaries

Of the horrors they wrought that brought life to its knees.

Generations to come should act better, they say

Lest we get a repeat of the horrid Last Day.

From dragons to faeries, we all slowly healed

And ventured outside to recall how it feels.

The infinite chasms that were marring the lands

Are slowly refilled with all our helping hands.

The manticore sat next to mortals in peace

Only once they’re all fixed will it continue its feasts.

The phoenix has risen, and so too shall the earth

To continue its cycle, from demise to rebirth.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* See Reality Fiction and Simple Prompts for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

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