My Post-World.

About a girl name Rue living in a world she hates after the apocalypse. I wrote this for a short story contest.

I remember when I was a child, swimming in the ocean with my mother. I remember playing in fields, climbing trees, fishing in ponds and riding my bike. But in this world, there is no ocean, no flowery fields, hardly any trees to climb and I can’t ride my bike. I remember the planets crashing, meteors showering, a frozen eclipse lasting for a year. I was only seven when the so called ‘apocalypse’ happened. It grew cold and frozen in our broken state, the once beautiful and sunny California. Only years later, states began sinking and even whole continents. Mom developed a rare cancer due to all the ash and dust polluting the new, foul air. I was 12 during the final stage; everything became a wasteland, continents collided, the sky blackened and the climate dropped bring years of snow. My father died during the blackout, the darkening in the sky, leaving me and my brothers alone. We learned to survive and live a comfortably as possible in the new world, never knowing what the next day would bring. That is where my story beings

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            When I wake, its pitch black and freezing. My hands reach out seeking my younger brother Draven, but the other side of my palate is empty. I feel a panic rise inside me, I prop myself up and let my eyes wonder around the room. Neither Draven nor my older brother Cato are anywhere in sight, they must be hunting. We live in a cave far away from and survivor camps or towns, doing the best we can on our own. Cato doesn’t like me to do the hunting because at 17 I’m a prey for gangs to attack, instead he forces Draven along in the mornings leaving me to other chores like; cooking and making medicine the best I can. However I am skilled in fighting, it’s a must to survive.

I dress in my leather boots swaddled in rabbit fur, sweat pants (You don’t know how much I had to trade for a pair) and head toward the front of the cave for more firewood to cook over. I begin to make rabbit meat stew, which is basically just a tomato juice broth and rabbit meat with the ever so rare potatoes, when Draven stalks toward the fire and sets down three rabbits and a bird.

“Good hunt?” I ask eyeing the new food. Draven nods and retreats to the back of the cave.

Cato struggles in with a giant hog propped up on his shoulders. He throws it down like a sack of dirt and grunts at the weight being lifted off.  It was rare to see a hog we live on the outskirts of the district of Seane which is tundra. I smile to myself, happy and sick of rabbit. Cato catches my smile and snaps

“We are trading the hog.” Before I can object he adds “We are running low on supplies and we are doing fine with rabbit.” He then shoots me a look, Draven and I call it ‘Catofied’ because once you see it you instantly shut up. He joins me by the fire, making remarks to hurry with the stew. I stir it a final time, and we all eat in a dead silence.

The air between Cato and Draven told me something happened during the hunt, which is perfectly normally for them because they fight like cats and dogs. Draven is 14 and is getting into the attitude stage which is fine with me because he doesn’t use it against the person that cooks the food and makes the medicine, oh no, he wouldn’t dare. Cato and Draven are so much alike, with a headstrong personality and arrogance. Not to mention the short temper, but we all share that. Draven and I share the looks; Light hair and pale eyes, while Cato takes after mother with jet black hair and deep brown orbs. After diner we all turn in early, everyone is in a foul mood. I dream that night of Rue, the flower I was named after, and in my dream it was warm.

 

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            The next day, it’s warmer than usual. Cato drags me outside toward Seane.

“We are trading the hog and one of the rabbits. You can pick out the food since you do most of the cooking.” Cato says on the way to town. I nod and smile. We remain silent the rest of the way, prepared for attacks. I watch Cato, he is alert and ready to protect me, I always feel sorry for him when I see him like that. He is 22 and should be living a life, with a girlfriend and still have mom and dad and scaring away any boy that tried to steal my heart. I don’t know if he can ever love or if I will ever love, or if Draven will love. It’s a dream of mine though, to make something beautiful in this ugly world.

            In Seane, I’m surprised at the low number of people. Seane is one of the top trading markets, and normally there are thousands of people. Cato seems just as surprised as me when we arrive.

“Maybe we came on a lucky day.” He chuckles “I hate the crowds anyway.” We go to butcher stand and end up selling the pig for a great amount, even more than Cato expected. We split the money and I’m to buy food while he buys supplies.

I make my way effortlessly through the streets, going vender to vender in no time.

“Chicken meat, tomato broth, potato, and….. All that’s left is spices” I say making my way through the small crowd that has gathered in front of the spice venders’ stand. A frail old man is standing on his make shift chair waving his cane around rambling about Haynitch. Haynitch is kind of like Washington D.C, it’s for the famous and rich…. It’s basically our capital. They get the best supplies, food and clothes. While the poor are fighting and struggling to hunt. Most of the poor have to become slaves once they enter Haynitch in order to live, I would never dream of going to such a cruel place.

“HAYNITCH! That’s where they all have gone!” The old man cries in a horse voice. “If you’re smart you will go! Things are happening! Haynitch is the only safe place! They will recreate the world in another world!” everyone seems to be sucking in his every word as if it were oxygen. I didn’t understand what he was rambling about, but everyone around me immediately started making plans to go to Haynitch. What does Haynitch have? As if the old man read my mind he points his twisty cane at me and screams in his frail, hoarse voice

“THEY HAVE ELECTRICTY!” that was unheard since 6 years ago after the blackout. I shook my head in disbelief. People around me stir and cheer, they all scramble to prepare for travel leaving me and the old spice vender alone.

                                   .           .           .

            Over the next few weeks the weather gets warmer and warmer to the point we can dress without fur and even lightly. There are very few people left in Seane and in other district. Even the market will be leaving and taking their business to Haynitch. Cato and I have decided together we would stay here. None of us want to conform to those snotty rich people letting the rest die off because we don’t have money.

I travel to the market by myself often over the weeks stocking up before it’s gone. I remember the afternoon it first rained very, very clearly. Draven and Cato left to hunt early that morning; it was hot as Hades and I groan in dread at the thought of walking to the market in the blistering heat. I carry the rabbits and birds on my shoulders and begin haul them to the market. Since the weather heated up and the snow stopped the tundra wasn’t tundra anymore, just barren land. Half way to the market a small drop escaped the sky, and landed itself on my hand. Hope floods my heart and spreads to my body as more drops flood around me. It’s as I thought, rain. I smile, dancing and prancing through the rain. This is the first time it’s rained in almost 7 years. I force myself to continue toward the market and avoid playing in the rain like I’m five. The market is completely empty except for the bored looking venders and the crazy old man.

I spend only an hour at the market trading and buying, and the rain pours the entire time not getting harder, but staying the same. I leave the market in a rush to get home to share my enthusiasm with my brothers. I stay on guard on the way home; mercenaries are always on the lookout for girls to sale as slaves in Haynitch. No one attacks; I don’t see a single person.

 I near the cave and I can instantly tell something is off. Maybe they aren’t home, I think to myself.

I enter the cave, instantly panic rises up. I don’t know why, but I can tell something is wrong.

“Cato! Draven!!!” I call several times, there is no reply. The place has been destroyed as if there were a struggle, not thieves because nothing is missing from what I can tell. I’m scared to move, I’m scared to know what lies ahead. I dread the thought they might have killed… but as I get further to the back of the small cave, the cave that is supposed to be my safe haven, and I’m surprised to find no blood or dead bodies. There is nothing.

Should I wait? Were they taken? Dead? Did they fight each other? Will they come back? What do I do? What if an attacker comes back?

I decide to find them instead of sitting around like a wuss and waiting. I grab a medium sized backpack and pack essentials; Meat, bread, water, clothes and herbs for medicine. I look around the cave for clues, there has to be something. I see a knife stuck into a wall. I rip it out, almost cutting myself in the process, and read the logo. It was definitely a slave trader. Why would they need Draven and Cato? Normally the want women…. Then it hits me. The old man said Haynitch had electricity! They needed more slaves to produce the electricity! That would mean everyone moving there…..would have to become a salve. I grabbed the backpack and shoved the knife into one of the pockets. I had to go after them… even if it meant I might die right? My only family. Draven and Cato. Cato sacrificed so much for me and Draven, I had to rescue him.

            The world seems so different, like I’ve become a different person when I step outside of the cave. The wind is blowing and it’s raining. And so, I begin a journey. I don’t know what will come tomorrow or what my future brings. But I am prepared.

Author's Note

I know it's not the best by far, but I wrote it last minute for a contest. I actually put a lot of thought into and it and I might decide to make it a complete story.