Ashes

“It’s almost over”. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell myself repeatedly day-in and day-out, since my wife and two sons died in my arms well over a year ago from the very start of this pointless conflict. I truly think about them every single day and each time I do, I can’t help but to also remember the faces of the heartless bastards who murdered them in the name of their ‘so-called’ “Divine Savior” of a leader. My country was once considered to be one of the most powerful and feared on Earth, militarily and in terms of widespread political influence, but as I look on, all I see now are the ashes and ruins of once-thriving cities and the dead corpses of the ones I previously cared so much about.

I won’t ever forget the day, nor the hour in which the president came onto live television and announced we were being invaded in the millions by seemingly unending swarms of foreign soldiers. Continuing immediately and days after the announcement, the sight of blood and dead bodies littering the streets of cities nationwide across America was all anyone ever saw on the news and nothing else. Neverminded the widespread effects of nuclear fallout from the several strikes that we received throughout the last couple of months, in addition to everything else. Most surprising was the lack of response and quietness from our military and government officials to retaliate against the opposing threat and they seemingly just let them do anything they pleased without offering much resistance. Some say it is all a conspiracy and it was planned out, but honestly, I couldn't tell you.

As much as we tried to relocate from place to place in the hope of finding a safe to lay our heads every night, they would soon eventually catch up to us, as they did to many, countless other people. With nothing but us trying to live another day being the key part of my mindset, I went out for a bit to collect whatever scraps I could find in the already abandoned supermarkets in the area. Be it just a half a loaf of bread or a single can of beans, I considered it all to be an accomplishment, regardless of how minor my findings were. As I came back, the relief that I felt was quickly shattered as the scene I witnessed was something straight out of a horrible nightmare, but to me, it was nothing short of reality. My mother laid on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to her body, with my father having received something very similar.

The only one still somewhat breathing was my wife, crying next to our two already deceased children, and from her went the sound of deep wailing and sorrow to silence as I watched her eyes go lifeless to empty, right in front of me in an instant. I’ve never in my life cried so hard as I did in that very moment and as I held them all, my heart was filled with nothing but rage and hatred towards the world for everything that has happened to me and my family. My life has been turned upside down and, unfortunately for me, very little from my previous way of living remains. We have already lost this war and the body count continues to rise into the millions, with no end coming anywhere within sight. I have prayed to God every single day that my suffering and emotional torment will end and that maybe death is the only way I will be at peace again. With that, maybe I'll be able to see my lovely wife and children once again.

I have been damned along with the rest of the world and as I lay here alone dying and wilting away, all I have left now is the heart-shaped locket given to me by my now deceased wife on the day of our marriage and the distance unforgettable memories of everything that I cherished and will no longer have the pleasure to experience again. I tried to survive as long as I could, but as now, with all the violent acts that I have caused in return, the gates of hell will likely be awaiting me once I depart this world, and to be honest, I’m quite deserving of it. My name is John, and to my wife Leah, I just want you to know that even if we don't ever meet again on the other side, I will always love you.