The Bleak Times | Teen Ink

The Bleak Times

June 11, 2012
By reessaufley SILVER, Milton, New Hampshire
reessaufley SILVER, Milton, New Hampshire
9 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"close only counts in horseshoes and nuclear war"


“the days have grown bleak” says the anchorman, “we are being punished for our sins” says
the preacher , “ the cure is coming” says the scientist, “we must stictogetherr as americans
and humans” says the politicians. but in our world there are truths and lies and none know the
difference our world is bleak but i can't describe how bleak with additives and description so i'll
tell you a story of the world i live....
I was 10 when it began a boy living in a rural town a small school a small house small
family only a sister, my mother and my father who i love dearly (although they did not feel the
same to each other it seemed).
It was a saturday when i sat on my bed reading a book as i always did useing NPR to
drown out the sound of my quarrelsome parents.
“ We have breaking news from new york people are dieing in the thousands of a
strange infection the origin is unknown so is the manner it is spread. the symptoms are clear
fever followed by unimaginably painful headaches caused by the brain swelling and constant
nosebleeds any one with these symptoms should seek hospitals immediately “
The news from that day forth was filled with reports of other large cities becoming
infected, riots, quarantine, military takeovers and the government examinations. Then the
migration started people began moving from the larger cities to smaller ones to avoid the
plague. unaware that in the process they move the plague with them.
I was 15 when the biggest migration came to my town military trucks with military
personnel came and took over the school the local beach any government land they could find
and began setting up the massive shelters. They were followed by the trucks, the campers,
the buses and the cars. Thousands came from all over i met people ffrom new york
portsmouth and even one guy from atlanta georgia.
I spent a lot of time in the camps the people were always interesting and their news even
more so. But the most important was jenna, she was the girl of my dreams pale white skin like
the moon beautiful long red hair th fell in ringlets like waves of ruby's eyes as blue as the sky
on a summer's day .I spent hours at the camps with her and her alone .
It was a year after that that it finally came... a man by the name of john michels dies in
the night nose gushing blood soon it spread throughout the camp and then the town. People
were died in the hundreds.
The military left a week after it began anarchy soon spread... i remember this is the
first time i killed a man. My family was leaving and i was going to bring jenna (much to their
protest). I had a .32 to protect myself hollow points in each chamber. I was at her tent when
i saw it 3 men had her and where haveing her they where rapeing the love of my life. time
slowed at that moment and it was no longer me with the gun it was … someone else, the men
saw me and i saw their fear but i could not stop the pain was unending. I had the power of
vengeance the cold steel smith and wesson revenge.. and i used it the first round took the man
holding my love's arms the back of his became pudding on the tent behind him. I watched as
the gun pushed the air away and pulled the cold hinge of death again this time its mark was the
man with a knife to a my loves chest i saw the gashes he had cut into her. My round slammed
into his chest burning a hole into him his knife dropped then he did. the final man the one who
was in my love made me the most sick. He tried to flee, i shot him twice each of his knees had
whole when i had finished . He tried to crawl away but i grabbed the others knife a quick death
was more than he deserved. i walked over to the crawling man and stabbed him over and over
each time the weapon slid in i could feel every convulsion of pain. I could feel his life essence
as the warm red liquid covered hands until i felt no more convulsions no more struggle and he
died and my rage went with him. Suddenly, i remembered where i was and went to jenny who
was gasping for breath. It was only then that i say the gash across her beautiful white neck. I
grabbed her i still remember the conversation clear as day ,
“love” i said tears pouring from my bloody face
she looked at me with dying eyes “ shhh don't cry you need your strength run leave me
i'm dying ”
My tears pour like a rainstorm cleaning the blood from my face “ no love i can't i …...
can't leave you love no.
“there is nothing you can do go before you die as i am “
It was then that she left her eyes told me good bye as her breath went away . I kissed
her forehead and i wept, i wept for i don't know how long. I died to that day but it wasn't literal it
was emotional. I don't remember it but i've been told the story a thousand times, i rose from my
crying position and stood with a grimace. loading my gun then the stories say i took my rage to
every man woman and child who was still in the camp ranting of how they didn't save her they
could have but they let her be raped and murdered.
After that others followed me, i don't know why weather out of fear, respect or some
other ideal. But they did i abandoned my family and lead a band of raiders known to most as the
immortal marauders we gave ourselves no such name . Me and my men became feared by all,
we attack any who came into our territory, killed them and took their food.i justified it , you need
to survive your people need to survive so we can emerge anew from the ashes of the old world.
I know now i was wrong.
My people erected churches everywhere saying the best way to survive was to praise
god ask for his salvation in these dark times. They said he brought this upon the world to make
us repent for our sins.. i never went or helped or even supported such things, i didn't believe
them before the plague why would i now. Besides if he does exist i don't want him he took my
love away he is evil and i would kill him given the chance.
Years passed of living the life of a raider kill burn attack be attacked kill burn attack
be attacked kill burn attack be attacked these were the patterns we lived by until the day it
happened and i realized all of my transgressions. We were attacking a settlement thriving north
of ours the attack was going great. Then i saw it several of my men rapeing some girl i thought
nothing of it until i saw her face she looked like her she could have been jenna. Suddenly it
all came back the pain, the love, the hate, the sadness. Suddenly she was jenna my mind
brought me back to that day the grunting the screaming flesh on flesh the blood all at once i lost
myself and watched from the sidelines once more as i gunned down my own men. Then i fired
my pistol into the air one two three until my pistol was unloaded into the sky. all stopped and
everyone looked at me my men and enemy alike and i screamed like no man has screamed
before. and then i blacked out.
I find myself now no more than a few hours later in a small cave somewhere north
reflecting upon my life. Writing it down in this journal so no one can repeat my actions to the
man or woman who finds me and this book live life not like me be good don't let hate and pain
consume you no matter what make the world which i ruined better. I'm going to end my blight
now no more raids no more love no more pain just the sweet bliss of death goodbye and
thank you for reading this.
Ps burn my body



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.