RATS
Do you remember the days we had? Of times with moments we played in the mud. With no care in the world. Do you remember the holidays we shared together? When we had days of fun, sun and laughter.
But now those days are gone and the sweet memories are starting to fade away. Drifting off into the darkness we have that now surrounds us.
Some of our neighbors had decided to pack up and try to move to places that still had some sun shining through the stratosphere. Others decided that it was best to just stay put.
My neighbor and I ended up helping each other after the soot started falling on the ground. Some of the kids were excited thinking it was the first ever snowfall in Zanzi.
I kind of thought it was a miracle, or another effect from global warming. My smart buddy, and neighbor, told me that things were only going to get much worse from here. I just shook my head in disbelief. I thought he was listening to a lot of nonsense from the news.
In a matter of few months, things did get crazy. The farmers produce did not survive the change of the weather. Stores did not have enough food to offer to the community. The local businesses and work places started shutting down. Even the electric company, Eszco, failed to keep the power supply going. Things were not looking good.
My neighbor seemed to be prepared for the sudden change. He boarded his windows. Placed extra secure locks on all his doors. Then he asked if I needed help securing my place. I thiught, why not. Better to be safe than sorry.
That’s how I started living. He ended up informing me about an underground tunnel network that led from his house to different parts of the city. I was in awe with all the stuff he had together in such little time.
One day~we were out and about-in search of food—and we came across an elderly woman. She smiled at us & winked at my neighbor. He smiled, but then quickly whispered to me, ‘‘Keep an eye on that one. We may be dealing with an impostor here.’’
As soon as we walked past the elderly woman, she tossed something onto the ground. There was a loud bang and my ears started ringing. Then I saw her remove her wig and toss it to the side. My neighbor was right. Now we stared in terror at the now 6 foot tall guy who held a knife in his left hand.
I charged toward him and reached for the knife. The guy had predicted my move. He quickly switched the knife to his other hand, and plunged it into my back.
He laughed and twisted the knife harder into my back. I screamed and fell to the ground. My neighbor took his jacket off to reveal his arsenal.
In one hand he pulled out an arrow from his back, and with his other hand he grabbed his bow from his shoulder. He shot the arrow and it landed straight into the guy’s heart. I gasped.
My neighbor rushed to my side and said, ‘‘Hold still. This is going to sting.’’
I cried and yelled as the knife was pulled out from my back. Oh, this was not how I thought living in Zanzi was going to be like. Maybe I should have accepted the mission exploration to Mars. The Martians probably do not have to deal with or worry about nuclear winters.
I took a deep breath and slowly got back onto my feet. I turned around to see my neighbor cutting the guy into pieces.
‘‘What in the world?’’ I sighed. ‘‘Why?’’
He stared at me and stopped cutting for a brief second, ‘‘We need some meat. In the current state we’re in— we can not be picky about where it comes from.’’
My neighbor tore the clothes off the dude’s body, and sliced the guy’s tummy. Then cut into the man’s intestines.
‘‘Hmm, they don’t look too bad. I’ll clean them when we get back to my place.’’
I covered my mouth. I could not stand the sight, or smell, of all the blood.
Bleugh!
To make the moment even crazier, my neighbor ran when he spotted something scurrying by. He picked up the rodent by its tail.
‘‘No! Please, don’t add that, too.’’ I begged. Alas, my plea was tossed to the side.
#RATS ©
26th Oct., 2020 Lundi