Escaping Hopelessness

Under the hazy red sky, a lone figure ran across the barren wasteland. The sound of grit and gravel crunched beneath her feet. Amina's chest burned from the hours she had spent fleeing in this vast abyss of hopelessness. She could still hear the blazing sound of sirens in the distance. It had been years since the Earth's collapse but the air still reeked of death and decay. It was a constant reminder of her own fragile mortality.

Some had thought that the world could possibly end due to global warming. Some had the notion it would end due to nuclear war. Some believed a deadly disease would wipe out all of humanity. No one foresaw the Others coming that calm, peaceful night in July 2072. There had been no way to stop them, no way to negotiate, no deals and no pleas heard. They had come with the intent to annihilate the human race. Any lucky enough to survive their brutal attack were forced into slavery. The latter had been Amina's fate. But she was never one to let "fate" dictate her life, so as foolish as it was, here she was escaping from her monstrous captors, in some asinine belief that salvation was somewhere waiting to be found.

Onward she travelled with no real destination, passing dried out river beds and broken down neighborhoods. Jagged pieces of glass dotted the landscape, once part of mighty skyscrapers. Eventually she came across the place that once was like a fairytale straight from a book, a most beloved carnival. Amina felt the numbness subside briefly as the floods of memories came back to her. Her mother's warm hand being pulled over to the carousel, her father winning her a giant plush teddy bear, her brother and her laughing jubilantly while riding bumper cars. Their faces, forever etched in her mind.

But this place was not the enchanting place that had resided in her dreams. This place was now fuel for nightmares. The head of a carousel horse stared up at her, lying lifeless on the ground. The ferris wheel bent and dilapidated, empty cabins creaking eerily as they swayed back and forth in the dusty wind. Amina longed to hear the joy and fun that used to fill this desolate space. It was now just another empty place. Empty and colorless. This whole wretched planet was nothing more than a dingy, ashy gray. It was devoid of life, of love, of hope.

Overwhelming grief struck her down and the poor woman found herself huddled in the tattered remains of the old fun house. Self doubt flooded her soul and she began to wonder what she had been thinking. She could never escape from these creatures. The technology and strength they wielded far outweighed even the strongest of men. It was only a matter of time before they caught her. The agonizing thought of the suffering they would put her through was enough to make her stomach churn. Terror caused bile to rise in her throat. Yes, it was hopeless, utterly and completely hopeless. She allowed herself to fall into her despair and began to sob.

The tears blurred her eyes, but still she saw it. Not too far off from where she was crouched, shimmering radiance cut through the darkness. It caused rays of light to dance across her tear stained face. Hesitantly she moved over to the source of vibrancy. There amongst the dirt, ash and jagged pieces of metal, sat a golden heart shaped locket. Wanting to get a better look, Amina gently picked the locket up and dangled it in front of her eyes. She couldn't believe that such a treasure existed in this cruel world. Here, in this cursed land of death and destruction, where nothing had escaped unscathed, this necklace had.

It's untouched beauty was a defiance against this brutal land. A battle cry that echoed the resilience of mankind. A reminder of the perseverance and endurance of humans. It was as if this piece of jewelry was urging her to fight still. And as if by some magical force, Amina found herself beginning to rise from the soot and grime. Energy coursed through her veins and determination beat fiercely in her heart. Amina brushed herself off and put the necklace on, using its power to fill her weary bones with restored confidence. She tried opening the locket, but it seemed to want to keep it’s previous owner a secret.

Hearing the terrifyingly familiar hum of a tracking drone, Amina gathered the rest of her courage and crept away from the oncoming danger. She sprinted into what once was a thriving forest. Dead trees reached out their leafless limbs, beckoning her to take shelter within their hollow shells. But she feared any more time idling would surely be her demise, so her aching legs continued. Every time she felt the gnawing feeling of giving up, she clutched the locket tightly to her chest and pushed forward.

Sharp edges of broken bones jutted out from the ground and scrapped at her bruised and battered legs. Her brown burlap dress hung away from her food deprived body, in rags. Dirt, blood and sweat matted her once curly hair, leaving it in a knotted mess. Time didn’t matter at that moment. It could have been hours, days, weeks, months or even years, but Amina wouldn’t have known. The only thing that mattered was surviving.

She thought back to before the end of humankind. A time when people relied on technology and the internet. How it seemed like the end of the world if you lost WIFI or you dropped your phone in the toilet. How easily arguments started because of politics or religion. A person’s value was based on name brands and popularity. How, she too, had once just wanted to fit in and find her place in society. It all seemed like a completely ridiculous notion now. None of that nonsense mattered when you are fighting for your life and praying to find sanctuary.

The sound of a spacecraft brought Amina out of her musings. Her heart leapt into her throat as she tried to slowly back away from the intruder. But it was too late, the ship started to make its descent right in front of her. Tripping on a rock she fell back and landed on the cold hard ground. She shut her eyes tightly and drew her knees up to her chest, silently wishing the nightmare to end. It wasn’t until she felt a warm gentle hand touching her shoulder, that she allowed herself to breathe. When she looked, there kneeling beside her was an older man with a tender smile on his face. He slowly stood up and reached out his hand to her, “Come child, we can not stay here. You are safe now, but we must hurry. “. “There are other survivors?”, Amina asked as she took hold of his outstretched hand. “Yes, quite a bit actually.”, he replied as they rushed into the craft, “I will explain more later. We have to get out of this hell first.”. Once the two figures were safely inside, the spacecraft zoomed up into the looming gray clouds and disappeared.

Slowly, a light rain began to drizzle upon the barren Earth. And slowly the ground became wet after years of drought and blazing sun. Droplets tinged against a shimmering heart shaped locket, now opened, exposing it’s inner secret. A simple but powerful word scrolled across the inside. Hope.