HELLO NIGHT - CHAPTER TWO

STILL THRIVING IN THE WASTELANDS

IMAGE BY AI. HE LOOKS DELIRIOUS.

WE ARRIVE AT the camp, there are families huddled together. They’re carrying what little belongings they have.

I see a kid holding on to her cellphone like it is her best friend. I would have expected a toy or something; she was kind of young.

There is no way that phone still worked. Even if it had any juice left, all the lines were down, and she couldn’t call anyone.

They hang on so tight to what was here before. She’s so young; how would she even know what that phone was?

I guess some people don’t age anymore. Look at me. I forget how old I am, and I stopped counting.

WE ARE HERE

The military is loud. I guess they have to talk that way to drown out all the moaning and complaining. Honestly, I had no complaints; this is the most amount of people I have been around in some time.

People look my way, and for a brief moment we make eye contact. Just for a few seconds, it feels normal. We are people sharing a moment; that moment is fleeting.

We humans, (Am I still human?) we get in our heads. Not only that, but we tend to not know what is really important in the moment. We only have so many heartbeats on this Earth, and once they're up, so are we.

I find I think about death more than I used to.

Not tonight! The moon is low in the orangey night sky. The world is not the same since the nukes fell, but oh my, what pretty colours the sky makes. I hear people complain about the chemical clouds, but what else would all this colour reflect from?

The breeze whistles through the nearly open door. I’m running by some Army buildings in the base. There are a few lethargic faces peering at me from their hovels. They don’t come outside as much anymore.

A lot of people I used to wave at are shrivelled, old, and grey. It seemed like just yesterday I was saying good morning to them as I jogged by on my morning run.

MORE ABOUT THE MOVE - HOW WE CAME HERE

The army occupied our neighbourhood. Their large vehicles lined our streets.

Don Harolds, (Ha, I remember his name), he told us what was going to happen. He stood there like he was made of stone; the breeze barely dared to ruffle his collar. His voice was so sure. This was a man who was going to save us. Everything was scary at that time, but he was going to make it right.

He helped people move into the back of the big trucks. When he grabbed my arm, we made eye contact, and I smiled. Unfortunately, like most people, he thought I had two heads. (I checked again, still only one head.)

The truck was loud. We bumped around a little. What was left of the potted roads was a challenge to behold. If there weren’t straight drops into the unknown, there was debris of buildings, vehicles, and sometimes people.

MR LAUREN

It was hard to see so many just discarded in the rubble like that. I recognized the orangey brown sweater of Mr Lauren. He lived in the old building next to me. He had such a good sense of humour.

Mr Lauren had an accent. I remember when I asked him about it. He used to stand outside in his robe in the early morning. Coffee in hand, in his ‘I hate every day’ cup. I saw the ‘I hate Mondays’; this guy had his whole week covered.

I tried to talk to him. He acted like he didn’t like me, but he was out there every morning to greet me. I guess that’s just how elderly people could be sometimes. Life is hard; dying must be easy. (I can’t seem to die.)

ON A WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD

I jogged up his road. This time I came prepared. I had brought a coffee of my own in my trusty TO GO MUG. He was standing there and brought my stride to a halt.

“Now what do we have here?” He asked.

I unclipped my mug and held it up.

“I’m going to have morning coffee with you.”

I had the biggest grin. I know it affected him. I saw his eye twitch.

I took a big, warm gulp. Great stuff. It was roasted at some hipster joint everyone was obsessed with that we all later found out was just STARBUCKS, under another name. Ha! We were all swooning over STARBUCKS! They got us, them crafty coffee-singers!

I looked up from my mug and found his steel grey eyes. These were the eyes of a man who lived his life. You could really tell he had been places. This little old man rolled in the deep.

“So, what part of England are you from?” I asked.

“STREWTH, I’m not from England. You dick head. I’m from Nana Glen! I’m an Aussie, you bugger!”

A smile spread across my face. I knew he wasn’t from England; this was going to get him to correct me, and we were going to have a real conversation.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s lovely there.” I said.

I hid my smile with another gulp of the brown nectar.

He pretty much fell dead silent after that. I think he knew I tricked him. One day he stopped coming out to meet me.

I hung outside his building for a while one day, and I met a lovely lady named Tia. Tia told me he died.

I still miss him even now. He kind of reminded me of my dad. I didn’t know him very well, either. He was always working.

BACK TO THE MOMENT AT HAND

I’m learning something is wrong this time. Everyone is either sick, old, or dying. There is no other help coming. Soon I am the last one. I can’t stay much longer.

I do the humane thing. I take care of their bodies.

Even the little children I remember are old, dead, and gone. There are so many, a pit seems sufficient. I work for days. When it is all said and done, the fire licks the night air, I say some kind words, toss some coins into the fire, and wait for the flames to die.

The smell is horrendous. I know, that’s not something I should talk about. It really is bad. I have been to a place where they cremate people. This is much worse.

I AM ALONE AGAIN

I’m feeling sorry for myself.

‘Oh, poor me. Everyone keeps dying. I’m destined to be alone forever.’ I say in a self mocking tone.

When am I going to get over this? I have to pick myself up. I don’t get hungry anymore, so that’s 'a thing now.' I don’t really get tired anymore. I don’t really like bedtime; it always feels like I am being defeated.

Now I travel. I see the sites I always wanted to see. I am not going to let the end of the world keep me down! I’m going to hit the road again. I will see everything! (I still glow in the dark!)