Finding Silence

The day was quiet and the sun beat down on the Earth in solitude. Rico had just gotten back from a water scavenge with his friend Fox. It was a six day trip and they had only gotten a liter of water.

Fox cried out, “Why did this happen to us, why not some other planet. But no, us.“

He started to remember, he tried with all his strength to force the thoughts from his mind, but he was to weak.

In 2941 A.D., the tensions of powerful nations of the Earth had grown too large. There were constant treats of nuclear warfare and entire communities were made in bunkers to keep people safe. The U.N. was but a joke and no one could stop the events to come. The evil in men’s hearts grew to much and that was the beginning of the end. Nuclear missile after nuclear missile had gone off. Red lights flashing on every emergency station in every country. The yelling, screaming and alarms grew louder after every second. Then just like that, silence. Where the great Pyramids once stood, there was only the sand of the Sahara. Where the White House had once been the pride of our country, there was nothing, just silence. In 3010 A.D., the chambers that were made had open, there were no supplies left and the radiation levels had gone down substantially. People exited to find silence. It didn’t last long; men turned to ferocious beats to survive. People separated into two groups. These were scavengers and the fouls. The scavengers sought out food and drink like vagrants hoping to restore the Earth. The fouls were vile, loathsome, nefarious people who sought human flesh and blood to survive and that was the only thing on there minds.

Rico’s family had been in one of these chambers and settled down as scavengers. Only to have been attacked by a small group of fouls. His parents and siblings had been dragged away, torn apart and eaten. Rico sat hiding and watching. What was he going to do, he was only eight. But he blamed himself for being aloofed from his family for the last ten years.

Rico felt anger and gripped Fox by the throat and threw him to the ground. After realizing what he had done he fell to his knees in sorrow, his skin and eyes to dry to cry.

Fox stuttered out a couple of words, “ Ri Rico, I I am so very very sorry, pa pla please forgive me.”

Rico without looking to Fox said quietly, “ There’s no need for that we must keep good spirit if we are going to survive.”

Abruptly, Rico felt a tremendous pain overwhelm his head. Fox swung his knife at the foul that had just struck Rico. He missed and the knife drove into his thigh. The muscle tightened around the blade and Fox screamed out in agony. The foul jumped back in fright which gave Rico the time he needed to tackle it. It fell and hit the ground with his naked and spinney back. A cloud of dust blew into Rico’s face, blinding him. With his eyes closed, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his arm. The foul had wedged his teeth into his bicep. Rico forced his fist into it’s head and the foul released and stumbled back. Stunned, the foul fell to the ground. Rico turned to find Fox still lying on the ground passed out. Rico left the knife in his leg and got Fox into a Ranger Hold and dragged him away. Rico looked around in urgency and saw a collapsed building. He brought Fox inside, laid him down, ripped his already torn shirt and tied it above the wound. He slapped Fox’s face a couple of times till he came to. He gave him some water and put a piece of wood in his mouth. Rico took a hold of the knife and pulled. Fox bit down and tensed his entire body. Blood ran everywhere, Rico thought quick and tied the wound. It wasn’t clean and it was definitely not pretty, but it would have to do. Rico heard the crackle of wood and trash.

Rico whispered in an urgent tone, “Fox, get up we need to go.”

Fox just gave a couple of grunts. Rico picked up Foxed and got him out the window. They traveled to a junkyard, (not much different from the rest of the world) where Rico would plan out what to do. He got a couple of materials and came back to Fox. He was doing better and could talk. It was so hot, they were both dehydrated and didn’t have much water left.

Rico held out some water and said, “ Fox take this, you need it.”

Fox answered, “ but isn’t that the last of it.”

Rico knew it was, but he smiled trying to keep a sanguine spirit and said, “na we’ve got plenty.”

Fox took it and drank. Rico had never been a wastrel but he knew that he needed it to survive. Just then, a bullet flew by Rico’s head. He grabbed what he had been working on, picked up Fox and ran. They’re skin was hot and dry. They swallowed to feel only the repulsing flavor of sand and dryness. The only liquid they could taste was blood that ran from the filthy wounds that were all over the bodies. They could feel they’re feet no more from the burning sand that ran between they’re bare toes. They’re movements were lethargic and did not make it very far. Fox fell over into the sand in pain and he could no longer keep his eyelids that felt like lead open. Rico turned to see the horrid creature that was charging after them. He picked up Fox, who is usually querulous, but said nothing and stood still facing the foul. Over the breathing of them and the horrendous sounds of the creature that stood before them, he could only hear silence. He closed eyes not noticing the pain from the sandpaper like eyelids and a single tear ran down his cheek.

He whispered just loud enough for the creature to hear, “Animals like you will be gone from this world.”

The foul, drooling, noticed the device Rico held. There was a bright light and again, silence.