Aftermath

The sun rises over the Earth's horizon the same as it has since the beginning of time, heating it and providing light. Appreciation is not given however. The ground is scorched, the air heavy, and the sky glowing a haunting orange. No movement whatsoever as far as the eye can see, completely still like a photograph, stuck in time. Barren and desolate whatever life that could have been lived would not last long in this world that God has forgotten. Ghostly remnants of structures and the occasional still-standing skeleton of a tree looms in view, a black apple lay at the bottom of it. No person or animal there to eat it, the apple just sits there, lonely in this new world.

Flesh and bone have long since been vaporized and strewn through the air, looming there unused. Whatever not instantly destroyed has already rotted and become part of the soil to never be used again by any plant for nourishment in order to grow. No humans alive, no violence, no crime, no hate, no death, no murder, nothing. Maybe this was the best thing that could have happened to the Earth, maybe ever the galaxy, or the universe. The rapid advancement of human technology would have at one time or another posed a threat to other civilizations and the other planets.

A sharp noise breaks the deafening silence and flesh rubs up against the stale, stagnant air. The man inhales the tainted air, it fills his lungs, staining the inside of his body. His gaze slowly changes to everywhere that it's possible to see and terror and sadness infects him. Damn them, he thinks as he climbs from his shelter, they had to resort to this. Their lust for power doomed them and everyone else, with that one push of a button they unleashed their wrath upon the Earth. Hell is too light a punishment for the souls of those men, nothing I can think of would be a fitting enough punishment.

He walks toward the skeletonized tree still looking around him for any other forms of life. As he picks the apple up it falls into ashes at his feet and he stands back up stares at the sky. His coarse breathing is the only sound audible as he admires the hypnotizing quality of the orange sky. Pretty, he thinks. He walks toward the horizon, hoping to find a city still standing maybe with some food to eat. Three hours later he stands at the edge of a city, WELCOME the sign says, but he doesn't feel welcome. The building hover overhead, staring down at him, blaming him for what has happened. It wasn't me stop blaming me! But then he realizes that he's the same, a human, human nature caused this.

Hungry. Three years I lived in that hole in the ground. I ran out of food 5 hours ago. He walks down the street and on the third corner finds a grocery store and starts looking through its food. None of the meat was any good, all rotted, all the fruit was rotten as well. All the nonperishable food was contaminated with the fallout. The realization finally hits him. I'm going to die. His breathing is very heavy but it just dawned on him how hard it is for him to breath, the pain of his body also just gets noticed. He looks at his arm and the skin is peeling and somewhat of a grayish color. He reaches up and pulls out a tuft of hair. The growling of his stomach echoes inside the useless store.

He exits the store and walks further, eventually finding another store. It's no use though, there's nothing to eat there either. Depressed and fearing death he exits the store and walks further down the street. Shadows dance in the corners of his eyes as paranoia takes over the man's mind. Death is coming for me I can feel Him approaching. Another 3 hours pass and he's walking down a desolate stretch of earth, nothing in sight except the empty ground. Starving can't breathe my left eye unable to see Death is walking behind me.

Dammit all. Am I the last one? What will happen after I die? Once again the man looks up to the orange sky. Pretty, he thinks once again. The vision in his right eye begins to fade and his legs are too tired to continue. His raspy breath is deafening and his stomach is trying to kill him. Finally he collapses. Damn them all Hell is too good for them. His body hits the ground with a loud thud, sending a cloud of dust flying into the stagnant air.

A pair of feet in front of me. Who is it? Why are they here? Why now? He can't look any farther up. "Who are you!? What are you just standing there for? Help me! Help me! Help me, damn you!" No response. Those feet, just standing there in his view. Who do they belong to? "WHO ARE YOU!!? ANSWER ME!" A heavy voice breaks the silence, it sounds as if it's crushing reality itself. The man is speechless, he just revels in the voice. It comforts him and a serene smile crawls over his face. "Okay", is all that is said. The man closes his eyes and welcomes what comes next. Silence. Peace.