Post by Ameavaleur on Aug 14, 2010 16:52:08 GMT -5
Well, I felt like a creeper member just lurking and not posting anything, so here is a story!
It takes place in a kind of future, where some disaster has destroyed a lot of the human race and things are messed up and bleak. It's a little depressing, so be warned. Without further ado:
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One Day at a Time
I woke up, sinking into the quiet desperation that heralded the start of each new day. The only thing that greeted my eyes, the only thing that ever greeted my eyes, was the corrugated tin roof that I had accidentally installed upside down. I sighed loudly as my feet hit the ground, though there was no one to hear me. I grabbed the can of beans and shook it. From the sound of it, it was only about a fourth full. Great. I'd have to forage for food today, on top of everything else.
I pulled aside the curtain and winced. A few more abominations had gotten impaled in the night on my death traps. Well, not really mine, but that memory was too painful for so early. I had left up the previous ones that had been impaled, hoping that it would act as a warning, but apparently not. Cleaning their bodies out would have to be another task to do today. Awesome.
I suited up, putting on the seven layers of clothes need to stay at least semi warm in this climate, then suited up with my boots and hat. All this in the summer, and it was worse in the winter, trust me. Opening the door, I struggled against the wind hoping to thwart me. I remembered back to when that wasn't my job, the door was opened for me, and shook my head. There was no time for that!
I walked out, the exposed areas of my face chapping quickly. I braced, leaned into the wind, and walked to the nearest zombie. There was really no other word for it. Ever since people had learned how to survive in the horrors that were left, nature threw more things in the way. The worst of them were the zombies. People didn't stay dead anymore. They would, slowly and surely, claw their way up through the ground and to your door. Or at least their bodies would. Nobody ever got close enough to see if it was the same person. Which is why people set up zombie traps. In my case, a layer of spikes pointing outwards at around a 45 degree angle. Simple but effective, like my house. I didn't need anything elaborate, because there weren't enough people around for fresh dead to wander by. Old dead were half-rotten, stupider, and better for humanity.
I pulled the first one off with relatively little flesh remaining and threw it out past my yard. Funny, about a week ago this would have made me throw up. But I was alone now, and there was no time for luxuries. I pulled the rest off, leaving one of two that I didn't want to touch, and trudged to the nearby mall.
Going inside, I tore off my hat and rubbed my face. Normally, I would take off all my other layers, but I wasn't staying long. "Hey?" I called, leaning in front of the fire. "Just a sec." I was answered, and a few seconds later, Stu came from out back. He looked surprised to see me. "Already?" He asked. "You seem to eat more, even though you're alone now." As soon as he said it, he winced.
I ignored it. "Yeah, I guess it's comfort." I sighed. "What do I have to do?" It wasn't foraging, per say, but it was close enough. The barter system was rusty enough and people were too tired to do anything about corruption, so the people with the power were the ones with the food. Stu, luckily, was one of the nicer ones.
He sighed. "I'm telling you, all you have to do is move in here and you'll have all the food you want." I wanted to laugh, but I held it in. I needed him, if not for that. "Yeah, maybe one day. Just not now." I told him. This was an old argument. He tried to get me in the beginning, but I never needed him. Now that I was alone, he was doing more. And more. And more. I'm pretty sure it's going to escalate until I can't come here anymore, but that's in the future.
He looked around. "Can we hurry up? I have a lot to do, and it's already getting dark." I said, trying not to sound impatient. He flapped his hand at me. "That's just the ash of people who were cared about enough to be burned." That was a deliberate dig, his way of getting back at me for not moving in. I already knew it was useless telling him I lost the body, so I just sighed again. He glared at me. "How about you clear out my basement, and I supply you for a week?" Stu smirked.
I froze. "You know I can't…" Those jobs were the worst. I had always hated zombies, and now that they were reality, well, every bad dream I had was 15 times worse. Especially when I had to travel down, hunting them. I lifted my chin, refusing to give him the satisfaction. "Two weeks." Stu raised his eyebrow. "Do it tomorrow, and you only get two candles."
I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my body. Only two candles? It would take me at least 4 hours! But it wasn't like I had anybody to go back to anyway. "Sure. But give me an advance." I said, and silently took the can of corn he gave me. "Remember sweet, just move in. I can take you in tonight, you know." He licked his lips and looked out his window. "It's mighty cold out there, and colder when you're alone."
I shivered again, but this time with disgust. "Yeah, I have to get home. It's pretty dark. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow." I informed him, pulling on my hat and leaving. Back at the house, I realized I had only done two of my tasks. "Crap." I muttered, looking out. It was too dark to do anything now, the remaining dead would start to hunt soon. I couldn't do it tomorrow, because if I didn't die, it would take all day. "Crap." I repeated, flopping onto the bed. I looked at the other side, the side that was usually occupied. "I wish you were here." I whispered, holding in the tears. "We always made it. I'm sorry I lost it."
I rolled on my back, letting the tears come. There was nothing left to live for, unless you counted Stu's continued flirting. What was the point? I was alone, and I would stay alone, eventually crawling to Stu for company, hating myself all the while. Maybe I would just… let myself lose tomorrow. It would be so easy. Walk towards them, make a lot of noise, drop my candle… hopefully, it would be painless.
But I knew I wouldn't. I would keep myself alive, for the same reason that I ran when the only person I cared about needed my help. I was too scared of death, scared of dying, and too damn stubborn to let them win. No matter what, I would stay alive, if only to spite the people who caused all this. I looked to the left again. If only it weren't so lonely…
But one day at a time. One day at a time is how I've lived ever since, and I wasn't going to stop now. "Time for bed," I told myself. "Long day tomorrow." I closed my eyes, succumbing to the despair that had become so close, that had become second skin, inescapable, temporarily surrendering to the feeling that would kill me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yep yep. That's all I have so far, and I think I'm working on other chapters... hmm. And I don't know if the whole story is called One Day at a Time, or just the chapter.
Thanks for reading!
It takes place in a kind of future, where some disaster has destroyed a lot of the human race and things are messed up and bleak. It's a little depressing, so be warned. Without further ado:
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One Day at a Time
I woke up, sinking into the quiet desperation that heralded the start of each new day. The only thing that greeted my eyes, the only thing that ever greeted my eyes, was the corrugated tin roof that I had accidentally installed upside down. I sighed loudly as my feet hit the ground, though there was no one to hear me. I grabbed the can of beans and shook it. From the sound of it, it was only about a fourth full. Great. I'd have to forage for food today, on top of everything else.
I pulled aside the curtain and winced. A few more abominations had gotten impaled in the night on my death traps. Well, not really mine, but that memory was too painful for so early. I had left up the previous ones that had been impaled, hoping that it would act as a warning, but apparently not. Cleaning their bodies out would have to be another task to do today. Awesome.
I suited up, putting on the seven layers of clothes need to stay at least semi warm in this climate, then suited up with my boots and hat. All this in the summer, and it was worse in the winter, trust me. Opening the door, I struggled against the wind hoping to thwart me. I remembered back to when that wasn't my job, the door was opened for me, and shook my head. There was no time for that!
I walked out, the exposed areas of my face chapping quickly. I braced, leaned into the wind, and walked to the nearest zombie. There was really no other word for it. Ever since people had learned how to survive in the horrors that were left, nature threw more things in the way. The worst of them were the zombies. People didn't stay dead anymore. They would, slowly and surely, claw their way up through the ground and to your door. Or at least their bodies would. Nobody ever got close enough to see if it was the same person. Which is why people set up zombie traps. In my case, a layer of spikes pointing outwards at around a 45 degree angle. Simple but effective, like my house. I didn't need anything elaborate, because there weren't enough people around for fresh dead to wander by. Old dead were half-rotten, stupider, and better for humanity.
I pulled the first one off with relatively little flesh remaining and threw it out past my yard. Funny, about a week ago this would have made me throw up. But I was alone now, and there was no time for luxuries. I pulled the rest off, leaving one of two that I didn't want to touch, and trudged to the nearby mall.
Going inside, I tore off my hat and rubbed my face. Normally, I would take off all my other layers, but I wasn't staying long. "Hey?" I called, leaning in front of the fire. "Just a sec." I was answered, and a few seconds later, Stu came from out back. He looked surprised to see me. "Already?" He asked. "You seem to eat more, even though you're alone now." As soon as he said it, he winced.
I ignored it. "Yeah, I guess it's comfort." I sighed. "What do I have to do?" It wasn't foraging, per say, but it was close enough. The barter system was rusty enough and people were too tired to do anything about corruption, so the people with the power were the ones with the food. Stu, luckily, was one of the nicer ones.
He sighed. "I'm telling you, all you have to do is move in here and you'll have all the food you want." I wanted to laugh, but I held it in. I needed him, if not for that. "Yeah, maybe one day. Just not now." I told him. This was an old argument. He tried to get me in the beginning, but I never needed him. Now that I was alone, he was doing more. And more. And more. I'm pretty sure it's going to escalate until I can't come here anymore, but that's in the future.
He looked around. "Can we hurry up? I have a lot to do, and it's already getting dark." I said, trying not to sound impatient. He flapped his hand at me. "That's just the ash of people who were cared about enough to be burned." That was a deliberate dig, his way of getting back at me for not moving in. I already knew it was useless telling him I lost the body, so I just sighed again. He glared at me. "How about you clear out my basement, and I supply you for a week?" Stu smirked.
I froze. "You know I can't…" Those jobs were the worst. I had always hated zombies, and now that they were reality, well, every bad dream I had was 15 times worse. Especially when I had to travel down, hunting them. I lifted my chin, refusing to give him the satisfaction. "Two weeks." Stu raised his eyebrow. "Do it tomorrow, and you only get two candles."
I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my body. Only two candles? It would take me at least 4 hours! But it wasn't like I had anybody to go back to anyway. "Sure. But give me an advance." I said, and silently took the can of corn he gave me. "Remember sweet, just move in. I can take you in tonight, you know." He licked his lips and looked out his window. "It's mighty cold out there, and colder when you're alone."
I shivered again, but this time with disgust. "Yeah, I have to get home. It's pretty dark. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow." I informed him, pulling on my hat and leaving. Back at the house, I realized I had only done two of my tasks. "Crap." I muttered, looking out. It was too dark to do anything now, the remaining dead would start to hunt soon. I couldn't do it tomorrow, because if I didn't die, it would take all day. "Crap." I repeated, flopping onto the bed. I looked at the other side, the side that was usually occupied. "I wish you were here." I whispered, holding in the tears. "We always made it. I'm sorry I lost it."
I rolled on my back, letting the tears come. There was nothing left to live for, unless you counted Stu's continued flirting. What was the point? I was alone, and I would stay alone, eventually crawling to Stu for company, hating myself all the while. Maybe I would just… let myself lose tomorrow. It would be so easy. Walk towards them, make a lot of noise, drop my candle… hopefully, it would be painless.
But I knew I wouldn't. I would keep myself alive, for the same reason that I ran when the only person I cared about needed my help. I was too scared of death, scared of dying, and too damn stubborn to let them win. No matter what, I would stay alive, if only to spite the people who caused all this. I looked to the left again. If only it weren't so lonely…
But one day at a time. One day at a time is how I've lived ever since, and I wasn't going to stop now. "Time for bed," I told myself. "Long day tomorrow." I closed my eyes, succumbing to the despair that had become so close, that had become second skin, inescapable, temporarily surrendering to the feeling that would kill me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yep yep. That's all I have so far, and I think I'm working on other chapters... hmm. And I don't know if the whole story is called One Day at a Time, or just the chapter.
Thanks for reading!