Coming Home

It has been almost 50 years since the world crumbled apart into the ruins of society, we find ourselves struggling to survive in today. Ever since the bombs decimated over half of the population of this dying planet, I have come to realize that we are undeniably a virus. The thought of being in control of our own destinies blinded us from the truth and that truth is, we were destined to fail. Instead of coming together and working out our differences, we pointed fingers while making excuses rather than accepting the consequences of our decisions. The crumbling and desolate landscape we scurry around in trying to make it another day is the result of our own demise and hubris.

I slowly lean forward only to groan in effort and pain as I stir the glowing embers of the slowly dying fire before me. I feel a fresh wave of warmth overcome me as a slight breeze gives a short glimpse of life back into the coals as I lay back down upon my pack and the rubble. I begin to wheeze as I feel the muscles in my chest tighten and squeeze my lungs as if being constrained or constricted against my will. I raise my trembling arm to my dust and dirt-stained face as I struggle to gasp for air while coughing into my sleeve almost as if I were choking on the very air surrounding me. I close my eyes and wince in agony as I feel the excruciating pain overwhelm my broken and weathered body. I slowly open my eyes and struggle to refocus my blurred and doubled vision only to find my sleeve stained and blanketed with the crimson red color I have come to despise.

I once had the most beautiful and stunningly gorgeous woman as my loving wife who gifted me with 2 wild but amazing children. They were my life and the only reason why I continued to play the mind-numbing games of the old world. I swallowed my anger and resentment towards the world around us to the best of my capabilities, but some days were more of a struggle then others. The hate that filled the hearts of millions only led us deeper and deeper down the chaotic, darkened path that we created. I did everything in my power to give my family the life I felt they deserved...only to fail them in the end. We knew deep down that the “society” we lived upon was quickly diminishing into a shriveled lifeless ghost of what we were promised. The thin fleeting layer of ice that we recklessly stomped and stampeded upon finally gave way. Instead of rebuilding from the mistakes we created, we aimlessly fired our words of aggression into the crowds around us.

My sun baked and time weathered hand fumbles around in my jacket pocket as I grasp the cold thin chain intertwined between my claws. My bones crack and pop as I lift myself up into an unaligned but upright position. My unreliable eyes begin to grow glassy as they are flooded with tears as I unclench my hand. Laying in the center of my unconditioned leathery palm is a faintly twinkling heart shaped locket. The gold plating no longer shimmering like a newly captured star, but instead replaced with the tarnished and stained corpse that remains. The thin wired chain twisted and deformed where the links have been tied in knots, bent, and crushed over the years. With my skin cracked and callused thumb, I press the rusted button release and softly smile as it splits open revealing the true treasure within.

I have had to hurt a lot of my fellow survivors over the years, most of them received lot more punishment than they deserved...some, not enough. In a world that is full of loud, chaotic young men you must learn to fear the collected, calm older man with gray in his beard for the battle scars tell his story. This world was so much purer and lively before we arrived and took over like an infection. We took more than we needed because we were greedy and fought to the death so no one else could have what we did. The people who are left scattered among the trash and crumbling remains believe that the world became deceased when the bombs wiped away society. I believe the true world ended when we refused to put our differences aside to become one in the beauty that no longer surrounds us. We deserve the consequences and the pain we brought upon ourselves as a result of our unwavering stupidity.

I sniffle as I feel the tears run down the canyons and creases upon my time weathered face as I gaze upon the locket. The photos that lie within the two halves of the eroded heart are damaged with stains of dirt and blood. The edges lifting away from the plating and bleached white from years of over exposure of the grueling sun. One has the face of a young women with beautiful golden locks of hair and the most stunningly green eyes almost as if made of jade. She is wearing a clear sky-blue sun dress and has a single but prominent sunflower resting above her ear. The other photo has what appears to be a younger boy and a giggling toddler girl. Both youthful children have glowing reddish hair and stormy blue greyish eyes. The boy is wearing a camouflage green t-shirt with the top half of a tyrannosaur’s rex gleaming over the shoulder of his younger sister. The little girl appears to be in a pair of denim overalls with small yellow and purple flowers embroidered into the straps with a flamingo pink shirt underneath. I feel the cold touch of death begin to reach out from the darkness for me as the beacon of life begins to fade yet again. I shakily bring the locket up to my grizzly bearded face and I gently kiss the photos with my cracked and chapped lips. I slowly lie down upon my pack and gaze upon the glorious heavens above while chuckling as a shooting star blazes across the multi-colored canvass of the night sky. As I slowly rest my eyes and enter the dark, I softly whisper with my final breathe,” I’m coming home my love...”