A World Gone Dark

The city was pretty.

It always had been, at least, it was to Amber. Her mom told her stories of the city, how dirty it’d been, how no matter how clear the day was, it was still impossible to see the tallest buildings thanks to the smog.

Amber stretched, the old car seat she salvaged squeaking beneath her.

Stories from the time before the crash was always so odd. Tales of a time where you were kicked around every day, barely scraping enough to earn a living while still trying to have time for your family.

Apparently, it was a time where rich people ruled over everyone and played games with lives and money because they were ‘richer than life itself.’

Every story Amber heard was a contradiction because people who remember the before times spoke of it with longing in their voices, but every story they told just reinforced how terrible that time sounded. How could something that oppressive and unfair possibly be better than what they had now?

Amber listened to all those stories, just as every other kid in their community did and watched the others say how much better it was back then, but to her? It sounded terrible.

The world was bathed a light purple as the last of the sun’s rays disappeared, turning the whole city black against the colorful sky.

Spires rose up from the ground, defying nature. If she looked closely, Amber could see the glint of glass from the city, built in a time that she couldn’t imagine, for a lifestyle she would never want.

If she waited here just another hour or so, the stars would be out, giving the silent city a whole different backdrop. The milky way, something that Amber’s Mom had never seen before the power went out across the country. It took years for that batty old woman to admit the stars were beautiful.

Her breath hitched in the back of her throat and Amber leaned forward with a sad smile.

Maybe that’s why she liked sitting here to watch the city so much, her mom took her out here as often as she could to tell Amber her stories of the before times. How hard it was for her, the single mom of an infant, to get out of the city when the rioting first began.

She never held back either, there were times when Amber would watch as her mom’s knuckles would grow white and her eyes turned cold and sharp. It was scary as a kid, but now Amber couldn’t blame her. With some of the things her mom described, Amber would probably be messed up too.

Don’t get her wrong, it wasn’t like anyone’s life was easy here, there were dangers everywhere, sure, but Amber was happy. It was easy to be happy when you’ve never known anything else.

A shout had the young woman groaning, she’d stayed out here too late… Again.

Wasn’t it just today that one of the originals had pulled her aside to chew her out for this? Ah well, it’s not like she was hurting anyone by coming out here every night.

She swore to god, if Jerry ratted her out again she’d stop covering for him when he left the camp to go snog his boyfriend, that asshole.

For a moment, Amber stared at the small pile of rocks to her side, a slight glint catching the last light from the heart-shaped locket peeking out from the rocks. Apparently, it was worth a lot in the old world, something her mom had been so proud of, but now it was just a piece of shiny metal that no longer opened.

“Amber!”

Ah, so they’d sent Jerry after her, had they? Smart move on their part, he was one of the few who knew about her little sanctuary.

“You know I can see you up there, right?”

Well, it’s not like she was hiding. A part of her screamed to just ignore him if only to see how he’d react… Hmm… Well, there was no harm in letting him sweat a bit.

A quiet yelp reached her and she grinned, maintaining her silence.

“I swear to god Amber, I can’t go up there, so come down… Please?”

It took more self-control than she cared to admit not to bust out laughing there and then, “What’s wrong Jerry? You sound stressed.”

He didn’t answer, but she knew him well enough, he was definitely at the bottom of the cliff grumbling to himself things he would never say to her face. Amber’s smile was quickly becoming malicious, “Oh, I know,” She flicked her finger up, tapping her cheek while still staring at the silhouette of the city, “It was a harmless little cockroach, wasn’t it? Oh, you poor thing!”

“Fuck you.”

Amber snorted loudly before pushing herself up. As much as she loved playing this game, It was probably better to go back to camp now. Amber could fight against most raiders that came around, but she wasn’t about to mess with any cougars or boars that got curious.

A a satisfying crack sounded as she stretched and she looked at the city one last time.

The first stars were finally starting to come out, the smallest pinpricks of light against a velvet backdrop. No matter how hard Amber tried, she couldn’t imagine what it used to look like, lit up like a beacon all the time, filled with life and bustle.

With an overly dramatic sigh just for Jerry’s sake, Amber turned around and climbed down the cliff, leaving behind the city yet again.

Most Originals spoke of the city from before as though it was the only thing that could be good. They got stuck in the past at times and some even grew bitter and refused to let go of the before times.

Amber could understand that.

However, life changed and she wasn’t going to get left behind wallowing in what could’ve been. She liked this life. She loved gathering around the fire every night to talk, and sing, and laugh. She loved the hard work that left you exhausted, but proud, most nights.

Words like ‘apocalypse’ and ‘nightmare’ were thrown around, but Amber didn’t agree. The air was clean and no matter what, she could always come back here to sit on her little cliff and watch the sunset. From here it didn’t matter that the place was a shadow of its former self.

The city was silent now, but it was still pretty.