From Revolution to Catastrophe

It primarily attacked people’s lungs causing decreased lung capacity for the survivors. It killed millions worldwide with hundreds of millions more infected. Everyone thought it would be here for a month or two then fade away. Years into this plague, humanity developed a decreased lung capacity due to prolonged use of masks, especially earlier in life.

Then, because of this decreased lung capacity, everyone stopped smoking, cigarettes and cigars became ancient relics. People also started focusing a lot more on air quality so trillions of dollars were invested to invent efficient fuel sources alternative to fossil fuels. Then, due to a drastic drop in emissions, Nature blossoms back into life. Food is more abundant and healthier than ever before. Soon enough, world hunger ends because there’s a surplus of food and the more developed countries are able to transport it to the impoverished ones. The push for alternative transportation and the exponential rise in agriculture created millions of jobs. Due to a healthier planet, people are living longer and healthier lives. World peace has practically been achieved because following the abundance of food and advanced transportation technology, other resources became easily available so there was no need to fight over them. Homelessness plummeted. Water quality improved. Biodiversity skyrocketed. People from across the world started to unite and focus on how similar they were instead of the small insignificant differences.

They had finally created what humanity had long strived for, utopia.

The only problem is people get complacent. They stop striving to grow and achieve more for the betterment of everyone. Selfishness sets in as people focus on themselves and how much they helped society. They start touting their greatness and demand compensation. What once was a unified group of unique individuals crumbled into an assembly of warring clones. Corruption, greed, pride, lust, and all the old demons returned with a vengeance. A new dark age dawns.

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Marty leapt from stand to stand in great long strides fleeing the voices pursuing him. Smashing fruit and other goods under his grimy feet until he landed back on the street and booked it straight on.

“Stop! Thief!”

All I need is the small piece of bread

The cries of his stomach grew louder. Not now, this is for the others. Marty slid it into his bag. He had to lose them before he got back to the others, but where could he go? This city was new. They had only been in Tresvale two days. He turned his head looking for a way to escape or even hide. It didn’t help it was now nighttime and the further he got from downtown the less lights were out. Streetlights hadn’t been on in years, not enough electricity, and those who could afford it turned their lights off soon after sunset.

Marty wasn’t worried about the one store owner and whatever cronies he had with him. The real threat laid with avoiding any and all mercenaries. Most days they felt nearly omnipresent. There hadn’t been any police since the Great Catastrophe so roving bands of mercenaries took what they want from whom they want when they want. Marty’s foot caught in a hole and his momentum worked against him. When he pushed himself back up, legs trembling and hands bleeding, he noticed an old sewer grate a couple behind a broken down car. He lifted the lid and climbed down a couple rungs on a rusted ladder then slid the grate back. One breath later he heard

“Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know, maybe that way.”

“He couldn’t have gone that far the brat looked practically dead.”

“He’ll surely be when we find him” said the first voice. The sound of feet on pavement ensued and slowly faded away. Marty waited, and waited, then continued to wait on that rusted ladder with white knuckles. This was maybe the first time he appreciated his low lung capacity so his breathing wouldn’t be more noticeable.

He slid the grate over and climbed out, not bothering to replace it he hobbled his way back to the lean-to shelter where George and Adi played a quite game of fingers, a simple game of addition where you tap another’s fingers in the hopes of getting all five showing, in which case they lost.

Marty slung the bag off his back and pulled out the piece of bread. He broke it in two and handed a piece to each of them. George & Adi went wide eyed as their small hands took the bread and their teeth tore into it. Marty then pulled out a few small pieces of jerky, handed one to Adi then one to George, and then began his dinner.

The three ate in silence, and when George & Adi were done, they wrapped their arms around Marty, who wrapped each of them in one arm, kissing them on their foreheads and said

“Goodnight”

“Goodnight Mawty” the two little ones said as they laid down on one of two blankets they had, pulling the other over themselves, and closed their eyes.

Marty pulled out a heart shaped locket from his bag, and with trembling hands and quivering lips opened it. He peered down on the picture of a young couple smiling down at a baby wrapped up in his mother’s arms. Tears pelted the locket, but he still read the inscription on the left:

To our beloved Marty, you are an incredibly joy and light in our life. We love you so much

-Mom & Dad

To be continued...