Day 110

Day 83

The piercing sound of screams echo through the distant trees. My body lies idle, paralysed in fear. My throat tight, forcing my breath to grow quiet. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. I don’t think I’ll ever be used to the helpless screams escaping from the dying people. The moon peaks through the tree’s branches slayed by the autumn season. However, no light highlights the grounds surface. I stay still. I can hear my heart pounding from my chest, I can feel it in my throat. I can’t sleep. How could I? Humanity is under attack, people are dying, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

I remember the start so vaguely. I was with my family. It was early morning weekend and I had just come down stairs. My little sister was eating breakfast, my mother was making coffee. I remember my father calling out to us to check the news. A scientist named Ian Clarkson had created Artificial Intelligence. Human robots had been manufactured. ‘A helper to human kind’, they said, ‘our slaves’. They looked just like us, no robotic voice, no metal casing. They even showed emotion. This didn’t last long. It took a year for the robots to turn into these deadly inhuman assassins. With their only sole purpose to destroy mankind. I couldn’t save my family. I don’t even know if I can save myself. Now that part I remember so clearly. However, I wish I could forget.

The icy cold breeze causes my body to shiver uncontrollably. I wrap my arms around my legs in the foetal position as I lie amongst the crunchy autumn leaves. I lie hope the rustling of the branches in the wind masks my shivering breath. I struggle to gain any rest throughout the sleepless night.

Day 84

The sun beats rays of heat upon my idle body. The surrounding woods is now visible. The thick air is still cold however, the warmth of the sun makes it manageable. I stand to my feet, dusting the dirt, leaf residue and bugs off of my body. The lack of rest and resources make it difficult to continue. But I need to keep moving. I need to find shelter, food, and water. Am I even really living when I’m fighting to survive day by day? My legs ache in pain as I walk, my stomach grumbles from the lack of food.

I hear a scream. A young girl. The sound echoes close to me. My body freezes in fear. My heart starts pounding from my chest as memories flood my head. Lily! I couldn’t save my little sister. I felt paralysed and helpless as I listened to my family being slaughtered. I couldn’t save them. Her screams haunt me. It’s been 84 days and I still can’t stop replaying her screams so vividly in my mind. I hear it again. That isn’t Lily. It could be a trap. But what if it isn’t. I can’t move. I need to move. My heart is in my throat. My stomach is sinking knowing someone is losing their little sister and daughter. And I can’t even get my legs to move. Again, I hear her piercing screams. However, I hear no gun shots. Her cries are accompanied by barking. Wolves!

I run, my legs break paralysis and head towards the screams. My mind hadn’t even made up if I was saving the girl first. I spot her, standing on top of a rock, almost slipping as the wolf attempts to reach her through jumping up. I stop, the wolf hadn’t spotted me yet, there’s only one. I try to evaluate the surroundings. I don’t know how to reach her without being caught. An idea pops into my head, I don’t have time to rationalise it. I start running around the side of the rock. Leaping over leaves and sticks to avoid drawing the attention of the wolf. As I reach the back of the rock I start my climb. My knuckles and knees graze against the rocks surface. Finally, I reach the top and reach down the side where the girl is stuck. I force her up by latching onto her shoulder. Tears soak my shirt as she grabs me tightly, burrowing her face into my stomach. I lie across the rock holding her tightly, as if it was Lily. The wolf slowly loses interest after a while and leaves me and the young girl alone. When she finally calms down she looks at me. She looks about 8 years old. Blonde messy hair, green tear swelled eyes. Around her neck is she wears a heart shaped locket. I point towards it. ‘Who gave you this?’ I ask trying to prompt conversation with the scared girl. She sniffs and gulps before whispering a light reply. ‘My mum and dad’. ‘Can I see?’ I ask reaching for the locket. She nods in reply. I open the locket to who I assume is her parents. ‘Where are your parents?’ I ask. She shrugs ‘they told me to run and that they’ll meet me here. But they never came’. Her breath starts to shiver again as if she’s about to be over whelmed with tears. ‘it’s okay’ I reassure her, ‘I’ll help you find them’ I state.

Day 93

The little girls name is Destiny. Her parents are probably dead. However, I won’t tell her that. Hope is all we have left. We have to hold onto every bit of it. I walk with her latched to my back. Like I use to do with Lily around the house not merely enough. We discovered an abandoned Petrol Station on day 86 just out of the woods. Allowing us to gather supplies and warmer clothes to get us through this hell. We packed a bag with a torch, batteries, 3 bottles of water and canned foods to ration. Were almost finished it all. Thankfully, the bag is much lighter, however our bodies are growing much weaker.

We continue to walk for what fells like the entirety of the day, with nothing to find. Until a sharp bang pierces the air. My heart drops as the bullet whistles past my face. They’ve found us. I run pulling Destiny to my front hiding her from the flying bullets. One after the other are shot at us as we weave quickly through the endless supply of trees. We can’t escape them. We are drained of energy. But I can’t decide for Destiny’s that her life is over. I run unable to even feel my legs. Another shot fired. Destiny squeals in pain. Her leg is grazed Until I finally spot something. I sewers. Were far enough to escape into it without being caught. However, they’re right behind us. I place destiny to the ground as I take the sewer drain off from the ground. I hold Destiny close to me as I lower us down to ladder. I pull the drain back over us creating complete darkness. As the ladder draws to an end we drop into the ankle-deep water. The smell is revolting making my eyes water and my nose sting. We wait for the robots to pass.

I slowly start to walk through the murky water, Destiny whimpering in pain. Finally, we reach an area where the water is dried up. I sit destiny onto the ground. I reach for my torch in the bag but before I can grab it I hear cocking of guns. Darkness surrounds us, but that’s defeated by two blinding lights shinning on us.

‘What are you?’ the first voice states. A man. They’re human. No robot would hesitate to kill. Finally. ‘We’re human’ I state relieved. The torch shoots towards destiny. ‘Fred she’s bleeding, they’re human’ a female voice states. ‘He isn’t bleeding.’ The man states. I freeze for a second before realising I should reveal myself. I pull the sweats from the petrol station up revealing the grazes on my knees. ‘they’re both human Fred, you can stop pointing your gun’. The female walks towards us presenting her silhouette of her body. ‘Come, follow me. You’re safe here.’

Day 108

We’ve been with the people for 15 days. The have fresh food and water down here with hunters who go out to ensure were safe. Everything was calm. We were finally able to sleep through the night. But the people grew impatient. They didn’t want to be in hiding. To them, surviving isn’t living. They had a plan, and many resources to make it possible. ‘Were going to blow the main power line up. They can’t function without their power’. ‘Who is going to plant the bomb?’ The main power line was about 6 kilometres away from us. Half a days walk. Many of the hunters were injured or not that fast. I am the youngest person capable of completing their mission. ‘I’ll do it’ I declare. No one apposes, everyone knows this is a suicide mission. If I can save my friends I won’t choke like I did with my family.

Day 110

The day everyone has been eager for. Everyone besides me. I have now signed my death certificate. Christian Frances 17.08.2302 – 23.04.2321. Fred repeats the steps to me again. ‘Place the bomb down. Flip this switch and click the GREEN button. If you click the red button it’ll blow instantly. This gives you approximately 1 minutes to remove yourself from the blast zone.’ ‘I got it, don’t worry. Flip the switch, green button then run’ I repeat back to him. He hands me a drawn-out map of the area. ‘you’ll be able to spot it when you’re a kilometre out’. He states. He pats me on the back, everyone does there own slight farewell. I turn to Destiny. Touching her heart locket around her neck. ‘These people will help you find them.’ I ensure her. She holds me as tight as she can. Her grip around my neck is almost chocking me. As I pull her down she pulls the necklace from her neck, breaking at the clasp. She hands it to me. Tears moistening her eyes. ‘I want you to have it’. She says as she hands it to me. I put it in my pocket and hold her one last time. Before grabbing the bag with the bomb and leaving.

The sun has just risen as I exit the sewerage drain. I have the entire day of sunlight to get the bomb to the power supply. I walk for hours, as the sun passes peak I start to spot the power supply tower. I start to be wearier. Robots could be anywhere.

The tower is ahead, just across the clearing. I look around one last time before making a direct beeline to the tower. I leap over logs and rocks to make the distance more rapidly covering the stretch in a couple of seconds. I reach the tower covered by a high chain wire fence. Holding to the gaps of the fence, I climb. I only have one shot. I can’t make any mistakes. I rapidly reach the other side. I kneel down unzipping the bag which encased the bomb. I place it against the tower’s exterior. I flip the switch and pause. I have a minute to jump the fence and make the clearing. I need to be prepared. I punch down the green button.

60 seconds… I twist rapidly towards the fence and make my climb back over. My heart pounding out my chest.

52 seconds… I drop down the side of the fence, falling to my knees. I get up quickly and start sprinting the clearing.

38 seconds… I’m halfway through the clearing my throat tight unable to know how much time I have left.

12 seconds… I take Destiny’s necklace from my pocket clasping it in my hands tightly.

5 seconds… I spot a rock, possible cover, I leap for it.

BANG! It’s all over.