City Evenings

It was a warm evening, though they were all warm evenings now. A gentle breeze shook the leaves of the trees and the vines that now covered what was once a vibrant city.

But now it was empty.

The small homely cafes on street corners that once served morning commuters a dark roast pick-me-up, now dark, abandoned.

Skyscrapers, once places of official business and places of serious work, stood tall and brooding, some windows broken, office supplies scattered across desks and floors.

Cars lay strewn across the streets, covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust, now a place of shelter for the cats and dogs that remain.

Nature had reclaimed the concrete and the tarmac, the metal was rusting, and eventually all sign of man will be covered in foliage, green and lush. Plants that had once only been able to break through small crevices, and persisted in places where it was hard to grow, were now plentiful and thriving.

The city was silent, but it was not still.

For with the loss of man from this place, the animals had found a haven.

Pets that had managed to survive the downfall of humans, now lived in packs throughout the city. During the day they hunted for food, and at night found quiet shelter to sleep.

Wild animals from near the city were now comfortable to enter in search of food and home. But the animals that derived the most benefit from this new world were the birds; safe in the skies the birds could search for food in peace, and find comfort in the higher reaches of the city, where the predators on the ground could not find them.

One such bird, a raven, is using this evening to find nesting materials for their new family. They use the breeze to glide through the air, letting it direct them as it pleased, and taking delight in the dimming sun.

It was the perfect time, the golden sun was angled just right, it hit the city in just the right places to find the best materials for their nest.

But today, something new hit their eye as they were taking flight down a street, lined with once beautiful tall houses.

If men had still been here, they would have been eating dinner at this time, small children would be making noise, and maybe the tv would have been on, showing the football, or a soap opera.

Now the houses stood dormant, gardens overgrown, windows broken, and doors hanging off their hinges.

In the window of one of these houses sat something small and shiny, reflecting brightly back at the raven. As though the sun wanted the raven to find this item.

With a flap of their wings, they dropped down to this window, it seemed to be intact, but thankfully stuck ajar, and wide enough for the raven to enter.

When in the room, the raven found themselves in a nursery, a room that would have once been home to a young human child. The walls were a light blue, similar to the colour of the raven’s eggs back at the nest.

To the far wall sat a dusty cot, with a greyed veil hanging from the ceiling. On the wall to the left was a chest of drawers, and littered around the room were soft toys and playthings for the child.

Cobwebs covered the furniture, and the light hanging from the ceiling, as would be expected from a room that had been neglected for so long.

The raven turned to the object that had caught their attention, it was a small, gold, heart-shaped locket with a golden chain, open partially to reveal a picture of a family. A mother and father, with a plump baby boy in their arms.

The raven took a close look, they had seen items like this before, but never so shiny, or in good condition.

The light began to dim, it was getting late, and soon it would be dark. The raven needed to head back soon, as it would be too dark to find materials.

But this locket seemed too special to leave behind. A symbol of man’s innocence and kindness, something that had become scarce in the end.

It would be a nice inclusion for the nest, and for the raven’s children to learn from and admire.

They took the chain into their beak, and prepared to fly to their nest, in the tallest skyscraper in the city. Where the family, and their child would have the best views for time to come.