Chaos

CHAOS

It was 2074 when the world watched as India’s population was scrubbed out of existence by the Kala-azar Plague or what they called the Black Fever. After witnessing how rapidly it spread, the other countries started to begin weaponizing it. By 2077 the world was at war and all countries started bombing each other with the weaponized version that they called Kala-azar 3.0. There was only one problem though, it annihilated everything it landed on, not just people. The shelf life of the Kala-azar 3.0 virus was only 6 days but that did not matter because at the end of those 6 days the grass, trees, animals, and 90% of humans were all gone. The initial panic and starvation caused riots and home invasions throughout the country. It was a dangerous time. Sawyer was only four when he hid in the barn as his mother was beaten to death in their home during a robbery. Since then, he has been roaming the country fending for himself.

It was now 2087, ten years after The Kala-azar World War, and people were formed into 5 classifications, Techs, Settlers, Scales, Aimless, and the Primitives. The Techs were chosen, before the Kala-azar war, they were scientists that occupied the underground bunker where they bred animals, made medicines, and grew crops. There were only 10 of these bunkers within the United States. Once a week they would deliver food on the lift and people were allotted one loaf of bread, five potatoes, and a gallon of water from their underground spring. The Techs lived like royalty but everyone else was barely surviving.

The Settlers are the ones who created the settlements trying to build some sort of society. They built these settlements around natural water wells, which were always under lock and key. The more merchandise you had to exchange the more water you received. Scales were scavengers. They were shady people that would befriend you, lie to you, and kill you from behind to take what you had. The Aimless were the people that are still searching for someone or something that they lost before the war. Sawyer fell into this category. He had traveled the country three times over the past ten years searching for just one thing, a heart-shaped locket.

Lastly was a group of people calling themselves The Primitives. This group was cruel, untamed, savage, cannibalistic people that were driven by bloodthirst and power. Their leader was a guy by the name of Chaos. He believed that magical power came from consuming the warm, raw heart of his victims and that it would keep him invincible. The Primitives would prowl the settlements at night scanning for the right victim to snatch. It had to be someone strong-willed and that would possibly survive longer through the torture because Chaos believed that the longer a person fought to stay alive, the longer his strength would last after consuming the heart.

Sawyer had passed the settlement named Mecca many times, but he would never enter it because it was known for possessing the most Primitives. But this time he decided to enter the settlement because this was the only place he never searched for the locket. He figured if he went in it once and did not find what he was looking for, then mentally he would know at least he had searched everywhere. While inquiring around he received information that Chaos wears a heart-shaped locket with his dog tags around his neck. Sawyer started spreading the word throughout the settlement that he was looking for Chaos. He knew Chaos would send men to seize him if he was calling him out.

Sawyer saw some men harassing a beautiful teenage girl on the street and decided that he would intervene. Sawyer said to the men, “I think you should leave the girl alone!” but when they turned to look at him, he realized that they were Primitives.

The taller man of the two responded, “Well if it isn’t a do-gooder. Maybe this do-gooder needs a lesson on knowing his place.”

They did not like being told what to do, so the two men tried to attack him. But Sawyer was fit for a 14-year-old boy, he trained and practiced fighting every day but also being an Aimless was training enough. It takes a lot of endurance to roam the country continuously and fighting off Scales all of the time. The Primitives were astounded that this boy was winning the fight so they whistled for reinforcements. Now there were seven of them and Sawyer fought hard but eventually was captured.

The Primitives brought him back to their territory, which was a cave system where all the Primitives inhabited. For three days those seven men beat and tortured him, asking him questions about what he saw in the other settlements while he was wandering the country.

But all Sawyer would say was “I hear Chaos wears a locket. “and “I want to speak to Chaos.” Chaos was extremely impressed with this 14-year-old boys’ physical strength and willpower, so he came to the pit to finish this remarkable boy off. As Chaos walked into the pit Sawyer thought to himself that there was a hint of familiarity about Chaos, and he attempted to look through all the tattoos and scars that covered Chaos’s body. Then Sawyer recognized him. Chaos stood there and peered at the boy.

Sawyer was on the verge of death and could now barely speak, but he uttered “Locket.”

Chaos replied to the boy, “Who do you believe you are to ask me about this locket? Nobody speaks about this locket to me!” Chaos gestured for one of his lackeys to give him a blade. He stuck the blade into the boy and whispered to him in his ear, “I want you to know that when I cut out your heart, I will take my initial bite as it still beats in my hand. I will devour every morsel of your essence that is trying to escape your body.” Chaos thrust the blade deeper into Sawyer’s limp body and proceeded to say, “And while I eat my snack, what name should I assign to this do-gooder’s heart?”

Sawyer looks at Chaos and with his very final breath, he said, “You called… me…. Bug…. dad!”

Horrified he stared harder at the boy because no one knew that he called his son Bug. Only Chaos knew that he would tease his son by saying that he was named after a bug called the Sawyer Beetle. But he was actually named after Tom Sawyer because his mother was a fan of Mark Twain. Now looking at Sawyer he could see his wife’s eyes and his wife’s face in the boys. He thought to himself, “How could this be? She told me before she died that the looters said they killed Bug and were taking his corpse for food. I should have looked for him. Why didn’t I look for him?”

He looked at his wife’s and sons’ images in the locket that dangled around his neck with his dog tags. Chaos realized that if he had Bug by his side all these years he would never have chosen this dark path in life. He just wanted revenge against all the people in this new society for taking his family. Chaos wanted to die, but being fearful of death he would not take his own life. However, he now realized that the rest of his existence will be a tortured one. He snatched his son’s heart and consumed it reasoning that at least Sawyer would be a part of him eternally.

Chaos wept.