Chapter 9 - Civilization

I enter what seems to be the remains of a populous city, as many buildings, although torn apart, still stand tall throughout the wreckage. Car parts and other junk from the now nonexistent human population remain, the lined street still visible although cluttered with rubble. Some structures are still somewhat intact, despite being mostly empty.

As I venture the abandoned streets, I dig through whatever’s left, and scavenge a few resources. I find scraps of plastic and old fabric that I try to make use of by patching up my battered and holed-up bag, and even get a hold of a flashlight that’ll finally let me see in the pitch black night. I scavenge a few food items that are long past expired, some even rotten, but still intact. Anything has to be better than nothing, right?

Pangs of guilt echo through me as I rummage through the previous belongings of those who used to live here. They each had their own lives, relationships, and aspirations, wiped out in an instant by a weapon of mass destruction. It makes me so mad that someone would make such a foolish decision – to have no care for the consequences and trauma that would impact the lives of many. It’s disgusting. A few decomposing body parts remain, although I find much less compared to other areas I’ve been in. Everyone must have fled in a panic…

In the distance, I spot a large amount of fencing and a strange building leading to the underground. Compared to all of the other structures around… it’s strangely intact? The sky is darkening, but if time is on my side for once, I might be able to make it before my surroundings turn pitch black. I trudge through the snow as I walk towards the strange location, hoping it’ll be a stable place to rest in for the night.