Prologue
Light. It is suppose to comfort you when you're in the darkest of days. But, sometimes it is the opposite.

Chapter 1- The Lamp
When kids are little, they always want a small light next to them, glaring at the area around them, making them be aware of their surroundings. But, as children grow older, the light gets dimmer and dimmer.

In Detroit, Michigan, there lived a shy, intelligent 12 year-old boy named Jared Smith. He lived with his family on the rural side of the city where the landfills were. Father, a lazy 55 year-old man farmer, had a lovely wife, Sarah, who would try to make their home better, and make meals from their light supplies of food. Then, there was Noah Smith. Noah was a very unique, 7 year-old boy, who spent his time in a tree, on the brink of the Detroit river. Everyday, at 4:06 a.m., he would walk down the dirt road, through the gloomy forest, and up the perfect olive tree. Noah would sit there, admiring the beautiful flow of the river. He would sit there until 4:07 p.m., and watch the moon substitute for the sun, as the ball of fire hid under the skyscrapers. He would then walk through the forest, down the trash-covered dirt road, and into his family-filled hut.
All the other children played on the long-grassed fields, but were limited by the trash in the small, agricultural area. While the children tried to make the best of it, the adults would crop the debris land they dared called “a farm.” The inexperienced adults would clean up the extended, rocky road that lead from the edge of the city to the forest bordering the Detroit River. Those days usually lead to fights among tired families, or wars between frustrated neighbors. That year, in 1939, 400 out of the 500 people living there died of wars or fume exhaustion from the garbage trucks.

Chapter 2- The Light
As days went on, more and more people died. Jared was one of the last survivors, along with his brother(who still carried out his routine everyday). He took care of the elderly neighbors and his brother. Because there were no medical services available for thousands of miles, Jared taught himself to be a minor doctor, so that he could care for the other adults. He spent his time staying inside and reading books that he got from the landfill. He taught himself how to read, write, and some math. He had nobody to tell what he had learned that day, nor did he have a complete family.


One day, while he was rummaging through the landfill, he found a golden pocket watch that was at least 50-60 years old. On the back, a quote was engraved into it. The quote was:
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”
His dad always talked about a family heirloom that was supposed to bring you luck. So, he clicked the top of it, and… everything turned black.

Chapter 3- The Awakening


Light stung his newly opened eyes, as he woke up on a cold cement floor. As Jared awakened, he saw his brother crying with doctors trying to comfort him, and people talking. But he couldn’t hear any words coming out. His stomach felt a draft and empty. He looked down at his abdominal area to see a large hole. Jared attempted to get up, but his muscles were weak and the doctors motioned for him to sit down. The surgeons tried to tell him what happened, but Jared could only get part of what they were saying. He heard, “The stopwatch had a bomb inside of it...your stomach exploded...your brother carried you…” Everything went dark.

Chapter 4- The Dream

“Am I dying? Is this the luck that I was told of? Am I going to live with my family in heaven?” He dreamed about his brother: Noah held my hand and we walked to the olive tree. We walked through the forest, but it was snowing. When Noah and I got to the tree, the river was frozen over. The sky went black, and Noah started to cry. His face got red, and before I could grab him, he jumped into the river.

Chapter 5- The End
Everything went black. He saw clouds, with light shining through the blackness, trying to fight the darkness and distress out of his world. He stepped through the gate of heaven. Jared saw his family, except Noah. He ran to them, and hugged them.