at the End of the World

Here is a short-story I wrote some weeks ago. It's been waiting for a revision, and I finally took the time to do it. I think it's quite good, but not nearly my best.

at the End of the World
It’s dark. It always has been, right from the moment I was born. I have never seen any light in all my life, altough the parents and grandparents of my clan talk about it sometimes. It’s like the opposite of dark. I don’t know how that looks. I can’t even begin to imagine, they say, how beautiful the world outside was, before the breakdown. There were colors and forests and trees and bees and little animals, like dogs, jumping around. There is a month since it was told last, the story of the world before. I think they’re scared of what I’ll say when they eventually tell it again. Last time the story was told, I asked; «But if it was all so beautiful, why did you destroy it?» Nobody had a good answer to that. So they all just kept their mouth shut, hoping I would never bring it up again.

That is, as I’ve said, a month ago. Last night, they told it again. And again I asked the question which they all feared; «If it was all so beautiful, why did you destroy it?» Again everybody was nervous, and again they went quiet. But this time, and old wise one answered. I did not know his name, and neither will you. But this is what he said; «We were foolish, young one. We did not think enough of the consequences of our lifestyle. We sat inside all day, not living in harmony with nature. We just sat there, and watched TV, entertainment or read a book.» I’ve read a book. Actually, I’ve read quite a few. I think they’re interesting. I even read a Survival Guide on what to do if Zombies attacked. I do not know if Zombies was a problem in the old world. I certainly hope not. I will have to ask them one day, about the Zombie war. I’ve read about that too. It was terrifying.

But the old man wasn’t done with his story. He continued, after a long pause where no one made a sound. And this is what he said next: «We were selfish. We did not care about anything apart from ourselves. Maybe that was the problem from the beginning… Anyway, we knew about the damage we had done. Unlike you, we had a choice; to live in the light and harmony that was the world, or to kill it. Eventually, we chose, yet no choice were made; we just continued to live like we wanted, in the world we loved. As it turns out, that was also a choice; it was the choice to not do anything. Oh boy, you should have seen the world when it went mad from the consequences that it’d made. Suddenly, it was every man from himself; people started to kill their neighbours and eat them to get food. It was back to the old principles of the Stone Age. In the end, all humanity ever did was killing itself. The suiciders were just smarter. We didn’t need a bomb. We didn’t need a war. Humanity did what it always have done best; destroying ourselves. After a while, the government revealed that they had built these bunkers over in America. Some would be chosen to live in these bunkers. The bunkers was connected, so it was a large place. They called it THE ARK. And once again, things changed. Now, humanity had something to fight for. All the people of the world races to America and the bunkers. There was even one guy that attempted to swim over the sea. No one ever saw him again. He probably died, like millions of others that day. Things were mad, you have to understand that. Because when they came to the bunkers, there were no one there. They suddenly heard a speaker, and the President of the United States, spoke to all of humanity. I do not recall exactly what he said, but I’ll try as best I can. «You have failed», he begun. «You have been dumb, selfless creatures, unwilling to change. None of the people that is here today is human. You’re merely an animal that thinks too little. We, all of humanity, has been granted the wonder of knowledge and the ability to think. You’ve destroyed all that. At the moment this world was destroyed, you went back to the Stone Age, and took everyone with you. Only those who fought for the environment shall be allowed to pass. The rest of you may burn in hell.» Millions of people tried. Some of us succeded in answering the questions. They let us past the giant wall. People tried to break through, but it was the wonder of technology, only letting in those that answered right and their families. Then, the sky broke in half, and our knowledge of the outside world broke with it.»

They have no idea what it’s like up there. Maybe God came down to help. Maybe we’re our own gods. Maybe we’re the kind of gods that seizes to create, and merely destroys. Maybe we’re all going to hell anyway. Or maybe we’ll survive. We’ll never know. And so it goes...
THE END