Empty Planet | Teen Ink

Empty Planet

November 11, 2010
By Sean Sung BRONZE, Morristown, New Jersey
Sean Sung BRONZE, Morristown, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

I wake up tired in a dark room. “Where am I?” at first I thought I was on my bed, but it seemed a little harder than usual. Out of curiosity I tap the bed. “Ow. Well that hurt.” I sit up with a massive headache, as if something struck me in the back of the head. “Where am I?” I stand up and wander around to find a light switch. However a beam of light on the floor catches my attention. I walk on over to the strange light and find a doorknob. I twist it to open the door and see a long hallway with another door open leading outside. I sprint out of the poorly lit room to see an empty road. The street is lit up from the stars above; it is very bright in comparison with the room hallway place. The reflection of the crescent moon bounced off of the skyscraper’s windows. The cool fresh wind blowing on my face. The sound of leaves rustling. Branches and brown dead leaves lying on the ground, rotting. I look off to my left and see a park with many trees and a fountain in what seems to be in the middle of the park. “Where am I, and how did I get here?” I wander aimlessly trying to find my way.
I have walked several blocks and I haven’t been able to find anyone. “Am I the only one in this empty city?” the silence rolls on. “I guess I am.”
As I wait for this ghost town to respond, I try to think of what I should do if there is no one to help. While walking around pleading for help, I decide to knock on some doors, go inside and try to find a map of some sort, because at the moment I am sure that there is no one in this city.
“I’ve been at it for hours and still nothing!” I start to freak out wondering where I am, and what to do. I sit down lost in a huge city.
Two hours have passed and I still haven’t heard a word from this city, and even worse, I am starting to get hungry. I walk about a mile to the nearest grocery store. “It’s locked! What do I do?” Looking through the 10 foot window of the grocery store, I can see vast amounts of foods varying from fresh produce to frozen meals. Then I wonder. “Should I break in? But what if somebody sees? Will I get in trouble?”
Soon after thirty minutes of hard thinking, my hunger gets the best of me and I break through. I jump through the giant hole I made with a huge ten pound rock, and I look around to see great amounts of food and start shopping. I took as many bottles of water and cans of food, put them in a cart and storm off. I push the cart to the nearest bench to eat. I plan to go to the nearest super store to get some supplies for my coming adventure.
The shattering of glass once more resembles my desperate need to survive on my own. I break into the nearest Wal-Mart to find a compass, map, sleeping bag, radio, watch, something to keep me pre occupied and some notebooks, pencils to record my travels if someone were to find me dead.
Writing log day 29
I have been traveling north to find civilization. It is 12:48 in the afternoon, and I am scared. I have traveled approximately 150 miles and I still haven’t found anyone. What has happened to this world? Why am I the only one left? Will I ever see civilization again? How is my family? Are they alive? The questions I ask myself frequently.

Writing log day 45
It is 5:17 in the afternoon, and there is a dog following me. I think it is a golden retriever. At the moment it is resting. Should I keep it? It would be another mouth to feed. I think I can handle it. “It could be more responsibility than you can handle!” as my dad would have said… my family… where are they? I hope they are okay.
Well I still haven’t found any humanoid beings yet and where I am. I am really considering starting hunting, because sometimes there aren’t any stores in miles and there are hundreds of deer, fish and other animals. Well I am running low on food so I guess its time to get to the nearest store.

“So… what do you want to be called? Max?”
*whines*
“No? What about Spot?”
*growls*
“Fine then! It’s not like you have a name tag or something! Or do you…”
(Moves hair)
“There it is! So… it’s Speedy.”
*barks*
“Okay then “Speedy” I bet you’re hungry.”
*barks*
“Okay then, let’s go.”

Writing log day 46
It is 7, and my newly dubbed pet, Speedy, is healthy, because he isn’t limping or tired, but the exact opposite. He is very energetic and fast. Still no life seen but, Speedy, the various animals prancing about, and I. Currently I am in a city and I am hoping to find a map. I have just restocked on food and I am preparing for a nap, because I have been coughing severely and I am starting to get worried. Am I going to die? Well I'm not going to give up! I will find my family!
Writing log day 100

It has been 100 days since I have been lost. However there is salvation! For me at least. That is because I have found a map as to where I am! It turns out I'm in D.C. How did I get all the way here? A tornado? A hurricane? Or possibly an alien invasion coming from the third dimension to harness the power of our brains as an alternate resource, but found me as insignificant to harvest? I really don’t know.
Well anyway, I think it is pretty ironic that it is exactly 100 days, until I've found a map. I'm planning to celebrate with Speedy… I wish my family was here. They would be amazed that I survived 100 days without their help. I would like to see the look on their faces. I miss them dearly.
Writing log day 135

I'm starting to get sick. I have been coughing and sneezing constantly. I don’t get it. I have been eating healthy and I have been keeping myself warm. However, the last time I took my temperature it was 98 degrees. I don’t want to die yet. I haven’t even made it home. I'm only 13. I can’t die. I can’t die. I can’t die. I can’t leave Speedy alone. I can’t leave my family. I just can’t.
Writing log day 149

I finally made it to New Jersey, my home. Just a few more100 miles. I am still sick, coughing out blood. However Speedy is still okay. He and my family are the only things keeping me alive and running. Speaking of running I should put in at least 50 miles in until my next rest stop.
Writing log day 151

I finally made it home, but… no one is here. Why? Why is it that I am the one left on this planet! Am I the “chosen one” Am I the savior of the universe! Well then I know I failed at that, because there is no one in this planet! Why am I the only one left?! What is so special for me to live by myself?! I am just a normal person just like everyone else! Is this some sort of sick simulation that is trying to figure out the human sense of survival?! Well then I’m ready to give up! You win everyone! Congratulations! I have lost my mind! I'm alone, lost and scared.

I'm just confused.

I walk upstairs to look around for my family once more before I give up. However a picture catches my attention. It is weird because I've always seen it before when everything was normal. I guess I haven’t really haven’t paid attention to it before. It was a picture on my mom, dad, sister, and I sitting on a grass plain smiling. The sun is shining and putting an emphasis of an orangey yellow hue in the background… “What happened? Where are they?!” I slam my hands on the wall causing the picture frame to fall and shatter. “No no no! That is the only thing I have left of them!” I push the glass shards aside, grasp the picture hugging it, and not letting it go, crying.

After fifteen minutes of sadness, I look over to my side to see Speedy also sad. “I'm sorry for you to have to see me like this.”
*whines*
“Come on, let’s go, I bet you’re hungry”
*barks*
“Where? I don’t know. Where do you want to go? We have all the time in the world.”

Writing log day 169


I just woke up. But Speedy isn’t. I am truly alone. I'm planning on burying him in my mother’s garden next to the tombstones I made for my family. I am now 24 years old and I still haven’t found the reason as to the where is mankind. Why is it that I am the only one left! Why me! Why do I have to be the only one left? I just want to see my family once more. I just want to wake up from this nightmare.

Writing log day 170


Even though Speedy, and possibly everyone else is gone I will continue my journey. Though the chances are slim, I must try to find civilization, it is probably what Speedy or my family wanted. I have just buried speedy in my mother’s garden and I am preparing to leave this house and move on to find civilization.

Writing log day 299


I have made it to a giant wall in Rhode Island. Could this possibly be civilization? I will have to check it out. Tomorrow that is. Right know I am tired of running. I ran about 30 miles straight! It’s funny, because before at school I used to be terrified of the mile. I wonder how fast I can run one now.

Well anyway, I better not get my hopes up, because for all I know, there could be a monster behind that wall!

“Well then, here it is, the moment of truth. Right Speedy?” I wait for a while “I wish you were here.”
I see a huge cobble stone brick wall that towers about 100 feet tall. It expands about as far as I can see. It actually fades off in the distance. In front of me there is a tall castle gate that stands before me just mocking me, telling me that it will not open for me. Well that will not happen, because I will open it if it is the last thing I do. I walk closer to the wall while looking up toward the top of the wall. Then all of a sudden, a human like figure props up and comes back down behind the wall. “Is that what I think it is?” then I hear words that came from what sounded like a male “Open the gate! He is one of us!” I stand scared, frozen in place, but at the same time excited to hear a human voice. The humongous gate then opens to reveal two soldiers charging after me. I raise my hands to signify that I surrendered. “Its okay son, we are not going to hurt you.” I follow the kind soldiers into the giant fortress, to see many houses, bustling with life.
“Where am I?”
“You are in one of the world’s last refuge against those beasts!”
“What do you mean by beasts?!”
“Well you see, scientists were found a new element not known to man. Since the chemical was unknown it was very unstable for use. So we than left it alone, because we were worried that it would tear the world apart in many ways. However one scientist wanted to experiment it on animals. The animals slowly enraged and killed the man. The animal then got out and the chemical which turned into a disease spread like a forest fire. It infected birds, mammals, fish, and even humans. We fell back and built this refuge, and counted the people who weren’t sick and recorded their names.”
“Wait wait wait. Why haven’t I seen this disease or any of the infected?”
“We have quarantined all of the eastern American states with a certain spray that kills the infected.”

“Then why not kill the infected?!”


“Well we have found out that the disease will wear out over time.”

“… Wait… then is my family here?”

“Possibly. Come on we can find out”

After 15 minutes of tossing through files, I see my last name “Here! They’re here! At house 983” I sprint out to find them.

I knock on the door and wait. The door opens. “Mom!”

“Sean?! Where have you been?”

“I don’t know, I just woke up far down south and I trekked all the way up here!”
`
“All by yourself?! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah I'm fine, but what about dad or my sister?”

“They are here. Come on inside!”

I walk inside to see my family safe and sound.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh my lord it’s Sean! We missed you very much! We were worried that you died”
“I am okay”

I told them about me breaking into stores, Speedy, about running long distances to find them, and the rest of my adventures.

Sean Sung, the boy who lasted 300 days by himself, as what the last page of the old ragged notebook said.


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