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Apocalyptic Writing
Apocalyptic Writing
Just a story I started for fun. I'm practicing third person, present tense. Thought maybe you'd like it. I'm sorry if it's not that good.
One
The girl runs through the dark, foreboding city. Or, shall we say, what’s left of it. Where once skyscrapers loomed, there is now nothing but rubble. And the destruction isn’t recent, either. Its been like this for a long, long time. She’s sprinting, and the sound of her sharp panting is the only noise heard for miles. It echoes along the landscape, magnifying a sound that shouldn’t be there at all. She runs from building to building. Every once and a while, she looks up. It’s as though she’s afraid of being followed. Finally, she rounds a street corner, scurrying towards a fallen tower. The girl ducks into the collapsed building, a structure now lying on its side. She enters through crack in glass once pristine, and navigates the maze of corridors inside. And she enters a room, where there is light. The room is small, but the walls are reflective, making it look bigger than it actually is. The light bounces well off of them, allowing us to get a better look at our heroine.
She’s a girl about the age of sixteen. She has light brown hair, which has never been cut. It falls in waves down her back. She really ought to put it up in a braid, or at least a ponytail, but she would need to find some spare string to tie it up with, and such items are rare nowadays. She has beautiful gray eyes. A face scarred by unknown battles and skin tanned by years of running around unprotected in the sun. She wears a olive green t-shirt and jeans that fit slightly tight. An army jacket covers her bare arms. Her only shoes are a pair of Nikes that she scavenged from the Ruins a few years ago. Not that she knows they’re Nikes. That brand was from before her time. It’s a wonder they still fit.
“Salv?” A voice calls from the corner of the room.
“Salv, is that you?”
If you look hard enough, you can distinguish a young girl hiding beneath a pile of old clothes. She emerges from them, clutching a dagger in her left hand. The girl has blond hair and the same gray eyes as the one she calls Salv. She wears a blue t-shirt and torn jeans, and lace-up boots. She cannot be any older than eight.
“It’s me Hope,” Calls Salv to the little girl.
“I was worried for a moment there,” Says Hope, running over to hug Salv, “I thought you might have been a Cock, or even worse, one of the other Rats. I was worried.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Salv responds, brushing back a spare lock of her little sister’s hair.
Hope pulls away, eyeing Salv’s bulging backpack. Her eyes widen.
“Did you bring back anything fun today?”
Salv smiles.
“Why don’t you take a look?”
Hope grabs the bag, pulling open the zipper to unearth the treasures she knows hide within. She pulls out a few faded boxes of cereal and some edible plants scavenged from the barren landscape, and pulls out a toy kitten.
“It’s like the ones that roam the streets! Thanks Salv.”
Hope had always wanted a cat as a pet. Salv knows that in this world, that will never happen. They don’t have the resources to spare. But she figures that a toy is as good as it’ll get.
“I’m glad you like it. But now, we have to move again.”
The little girl’s smile instantly dissipates.
“Move? Why?”
“You should be able to guess,” Salv says, throwing useful items into her bag. A spare change of clothes, assorted food products, a water bottle and a pocket knife all go in. Then she grabs another bag and does the same.
“Is it the gangs again? Or have the Men in White Coats finally found us?”
Salv takes a deep breath, and hesitates for a moment.
“Is is all of the above?”
“It doesn’t matter why we’re leaving. All that matters is that we are. Take this,” She says, tossing Hope the smaller of the two backpacks.
“We’re going to try to leave the city. We’re going to try to leave Neork.”
submitted by Embers in the Ashes
(April 15, 2017 - 3:49 pm)
(April 15, 2017 - 3:49 pm)
THAT WAS AMAZING!!! Writemorepleaseohpleaseohplease! Is Neork kind of like New York, but in this world?
(April 15, 2017 - 4:25 pm)
THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!! Write more than two parts, because most apocalyptic writers can't count to three (I'm looking at you, Valve)
(April 15, 2017 - 7:17 pm)
(April 15, 2017 - 5:11 pm)
THAT WAS AMAZING!!! Please write more!
(April 15, 2017 - 6:02 pm)
Thats really good, Embers!!
(April 15, 2017 - 6:04 pm)
Thanks to everyone for the support! Also, don't worry Waffleson; I plan there to be multiple parts to this. ;-)
Two
“But we’ve never left Neork! I mean, we’ve gone from building to building, but we’ve never city-hopped before! I thought only the largest of the Cock clans did that!”
“Food’s running short, the gangs are tearing apart the streets, and now that the Men in White Coats have shown up, our only hope is to try to find a less populated area and make our life there.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit- dangerous?”
They both go silent. Salv had heard of the tales beyond the city of Neork- everyone has. Clans of people who are as savage as animals, places where the sky rains acid. The stories are common. They are always with a moral, and the moral is always the same; don’t leave the city. You’re safe in the city.
But, they aren’t anymore. Salv knows that. She’s seen firsthand the gangs tear each other to bloody bits in the middle of the streets, she’s seen the people in the white coats who came and abducted the children who roamed the highways alone. With all the death and disappearances, soon the city would be empty.
Dead, like its people.
It is time for them to leave now.
Salv hoists the backpack over her arms and fastens it in place on her back, watching Hope do the same. Despite their light packing, the bags are still rather heavy, especially for Hope, who is not as athletic as Salv. They put out the light in the room, which was produced by a single scavenged candle. Then they left, with Salt leading the way and Hope behind her, scurrying through the maze of tunnels which had once been rooms and hallways, but had become distorted since the building toppled on it’s side. Ceilings became floors, and floors became walls. They had to make new doors where before there had been none.
After a while, they once again see the light of day. Salv goes out first, whispering a few words to Hope, telling her to hide until they know its safe. Salv surveys the landscape; her eyes fall across all the relics of man, the fallen city. The crumbling buildings and the sad streets. The world with so little vegetation it’s inhabitants must rely on scavenging old buildings and factories for food. Her gaze even ends up sweeping across the brown sky, which has been so polluted that people in Neork forgot about the stars long ago.
“Its safe,” Whispers Salv.
Cautiously, Hope emerges from her hiding place. They do a quick look-over of each other and are on the road again.
They travel on a footpath, apart from the main road. They don’t want to expose themselves, become an easy target. The footpath is also convent because it’s closer to the ruins, which provide shelter from possible enemies. While their pace is rather quick and steady, for a moment Slav wishes they had bicycles. The vehicles are hard to find, it’s true, but they would definitely make travel much easier. Some of the larger gangs have them. This is one of the many times the gangs have the advantage.
Suddenly, the two girls hear a noise. They turn to look behind them, and they see what you and I call a van. They don’t know what these are. Hope has never seen one before. Salv had. They were the vehicles that the Men in White Coats used to transport prisoners. Salv shouts one word to Hope.
“Run.”
(April 16, 2017 - 7:44 am)
AMAZING AGAIN!!!!!!!!
When you're done with the story, PUBLISH IT!!!! It is amazing!
(April 16, 2017 - 10:50 am)
Three
The two girls sprint as fast as they can, but the packs weigh them down. On top of this, Salv is worn-out from her previous expedition and Hope’s legs are pretty short, as these things go. Not the best duo to outrun a van.
Hope trips and falls. Salv hears her shout in pain, and she knows this must be a bad injury. A dislocated ankle, if not broken. She hears Hope cry. Without even looking back, Salv knows that her sister isn’t going to make it.
“Leave me,” Says Hope, cradling the little plastic kitten in her hands, “Escape them, even if I can’t.”
Salv doesn’t have time to go back for her. The Men in White Coats have already disembarked from the van, heading for Hope. They both know their only chance at surviving this is if Salv goes. Their odds are better if one of them is free than if they’re both abducted. So Salv pushes back tears, and turns away from her little sister. And she runs like heck is chasing her.
She has to force herself not to look back. Looking back wastes time. There is no time to be wasted. She knows her only hope is to get out of there as fast as she can. She turns off the main road, zigzagging through alleyways and ruins, trying at all costs to lose the van that took her sister. At the same time, she must be careful to avoid Cocks and Rats. She makes sure to never step foot outside neutral territory. Despite her wish to leave the city before dark, she had to stop short. Night fell sooner then she’d expected, and she has to find shelter before the gangs emerge and the world of darkness begins.
Salv soon finds an abandoned building. It’s dark inside, and the outside has not been painted with the symbols of any of the gangs. She supposes this is her best bet. With a light step and a careful eyes, she enters the foyer of the skyscraper. She tiptoes into a small room, and before she even lights a candle to investigate, she falls asleep on the floor, still wearing her pack.
She wakes to darkness and the sound of a boy swearing.
She jumps, pulling a pistol from her pack. She aims it at the noise, and then she grabs a match and lights it against the wall, producing a weak light. In front of her stands a boy, with his hands in the air. He seems to have dropped all supplies onto the floor. He is scared of her.
The boy is about the same age as Salve. He has shaggy dark brown hair and dark eyes. His fair skin is covered in dirt, but she doesn’t see any scars or wounds. What an odd sight. On top of this, he wears strange white clothes of a fine fabric. A shirt, pants, and boots, all which fit him perfectly. The supplies dropped on the floor is unlike any Salv has ever seen before. There’s an odd-looking rucksack made of the same material as his clothes, and a bunch of strange supplies have spilled out of it.
“Please don’t kill me,” Says the boy. He has a strange accent to his words. It’s not like the uneducated tongue of the children from the gangs, or the slang of the Rats. He definitely seemed to have had much schooling.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“Well, um. Long story-“
“Can I come out now?” A voice calls from the other side of the room. The boy curses again.
“Li, I told you not to talk!”
“I’m sorry. I just got bored.” Says the voice.
A girl walks into the light cast by the single match, and Slav can now see her. She must be at least thirteen, with dark red curls and the same brown eyes as the boy. She has a splash of freckles across her small nose, and her skin is as fair and unblemished as the boy’s. She wears similar clothes to him too, except hers have been made to fit a girl’s body. She carries a rucksack, the same design as the one the boy dumped on the floor.
“Li, you need to get out of here. She could be dangerous.”
“Oh, I won’t hurt you," Salv says, "I’m a Rat, not a Cock.”
“A cock? Is that what you call those demon gangs that patrol this cursed city?”
“Of course,” Says Salv, “I’m guessing you aren’t a Cock either. But you don’t look like a Rat-“
“We aren’t from here.”
“Oh. Well, have you seen a gray vehicle? It seems to move on its own?”
The boy and girl share a knowing look. Terror creeps onto their faces.
“You know what that is, don’t you?”
“It’s called a car,” Says the boy, gathering up his fallen things, “Why are you looking for it?”
“The driver took my sister. But can you answer my first question? Who are you?”
“The name’s Retter. This is Liebe. And you?” Asks the boy
“I’m Salvator,” She says, dusting the dirt off of her already mud-stained jeans, “And I’m leaving.”
“Wait!” Calls Retter, “You have to come with us!”
“I don’t see why. All I care about is finding my sister.”
“Here’s the thing. I think we know where she is.”
(April 17, 2017 - 5:58 am)
I should be updating this once every day. Just thought someone might want to know.
(April 17, 2017 - 9:32 am)
Four
“How do you know?”
“We’ve run into these folk before,” Says the girl- Liebe.
“They’re bad news. We need to leave.”
“Leave to where, exactly?”
“We’re hoping to get to Charlotte. There’s supposed to be an ally force there. They might be able to help us get your sister back. But if you want to live to see her again, you’re going to have to come with us. So are you with me?”
Better gives Salv his hand. She gives out an exasperated sigh.
“I don’t suppose I have a choice, do I?”
“Nope, not really,” He says with a crooked grin.
“Fine. But we do this my way. So you two need to go out there and roll in the dirt.”
“What?”
“Those clothes are so clean, I’d be able to spot you from a mile away.”
After rolling in the mud for a good half-hour, Salv seems satisfied with Retter and Liebe. Then they begin to walk on a long, empty road that snakes through the city like a black river. The pavement has been cracked over the years, probably from the earthquakes that devastated the world shortly after man gave up.
“Come on,” Says Salv, pointing at the horizon, “We’ll follow the Way until we reach the city limits.”
“The Way?”
“This road. All the signs call it the Way, as well as the old maps.”
When they come to the next large road sign,
“That says ‘Highway’. Can’t you read?”
Salv blushes.
“I’ve never actually learned to read.”
“So you’re illiterate?”
“I guess so. I’ve never been much good with words. I read what needs to be read. I can pick up simple words, but only because I was told what they said.”
They go a little further, in silence. They walk for at least a quarter mile, everyone absorbed in their own thoughts. The sky has turned from its normal shade of brown to a murkier color, like red mixed with gray. It looks as though it will rain soon, but the skies have not yet opened up.
“I can teach you to read, if you like.”
“Yeah. I think I’d like that.”
(April 18, 2017 - 5:27 am)
(April 19, 2017 - 5:07 am)