Fiction logo

The Fight for Life

The pursuit of a Life without Pain

By MohpreetPublished 3 years ago 9 min read
1

"It's a success. We did it!", shouted Rabia, a junior intern at the International Laboratory of California(ILC). Marina, the Senior Research Analyst added, "It took humans 22 centuries and many more to find a way to live, live without a fear of death, live immortally." David and Samuel hugged each other. The lab was lit up in joy. Marina being the leader of the team requested the Computer Wizard, Samuel to spread the word. Soon enough, the news spread like fire and the research and experiment were published. The team did not want to give away their idea and decided to keep the formula secret. As of now, all the team members, the experiment subjects and some of the Lab’s Heads were immortal. The only drawback of the formula was that falling from a height of more than 500m could still kill the person.

As soon as the news went into the ears of Jaqil, he wanted to fetch the formula. He wanted a revenge for all the bullying he has been subjected to for being a dwarf. He wanted to destroy the world and its people. The ultimate satisfaction would be to kill everyone and live the life like a King. The desire for this life has made him wicked and immoral, and he could go to any extent to fulfil his wish. His intelligence focused on generating the wicked plans. Jaqil started preparing to rob the formula and created a game plan. He decided to dig a cave from the nearby forest that will open up in the lab and the robbery would be done at night when the world is sleeping. He collected his men and started working on the cave. On their way to the lab through the cave, they found a treasure trove. Alas! Jaqil was not interested in the chest and ordered his men to move it aside so that he could march further. Finally, he reached the lab, stole the formula, and became immortal.

Interesting! Everything worked out to his plan so easily. But here is the twist. Fortunately, the chest that he left behind was more of a lost opportunity than getting the formula. One of his men, Trent, a creature as weird as one could imagine in 22nd century, took the chest with him. Inside it he found a beautiful heart-shaped locket with a note that says, "I am good. I am bad. You decide you want to live happy or sad." Trent thought that his life is more of a hell, so he pressed the button. It was dawn by now and the day was breaking. He could see Jaqil coming out from the cave. Fearful of Jaqil, Trent thought of keeping his happy life secret and threw the locket. There was an unusual, ominous silence for a few minutes. Before Jaqil could reach Trent, there was a blast in the sky and a voice that says, "You do not know what sad life is. Let me take you there." Then, everything started trembling, the sun vanished and there was complete darkness once again. All the technology started failing and there were cries and shrills all around the city. The animals died, plants drooped, water dried, and the air was dead-cold. The people who survived the disaster describe the experience as if someone was trying to pull something out of their bodies.

The scenes around the city were gloomy. There were bodies all over. Someone was crying for water and the others for their loved ones. Many people could not breathe because of lack of trees. Earth seemed to be a hell place to live. All of this was because humans never appreciate what they have, and the locket wanted to teach them the value of those things. The blood-filled roads, the fallen buildings, a destroyed earth, and a complete darkness added to misery of those who lived. Even they wished to die. Soon, the world became black and white instead of blue and green. The clouds stopped forming and wind was the only deciding factor for climate. It rained anywhere, it snowed anywhere and there were sudden temperature changes. This was followed by reducing heat in atmosphere because the trapped heat started depleting.

Just before taking his last breath, Trent had left a note for Jaqil about the locket and asked him to find it to save them all from the ongoing disaster. After reading the note, Jaqil was the only person who knew about the locket but did not know if it would change everything back to normal. He started daydreaming of a life where he can get everything back to normal and live a life without humans. His evil thoughts began to dominate his approach to find the locket and use it. He wanted to have control over the locket and decide a life or death for humans according to his mood and choice. With all this in his mind, Jaqil began his discovery. Suddenly a strong wind blew away the note out of Jaqil's sight. He was too engrossed in his findings and never minded looking for the note again.

Out of the very few people that survived, the immortal team at the laboratory was still wondering what happened and started their investigation. The Laboratory Head blamed the Team's formula to be responsible for the destruction because it interfered with the nature. Marina decided to refute all the blames and promised herself to bring the Earth back to it's original state, the Clean, Green and Beautiful Earth. In a badly lit room, Marina ordered Samuel and Rabia to interrogate people to look for cues. Marina and David, Marina's Husband cum Research Assistant, started searching around. The leftovers from the cave looked like a result of the disaster at first, but on a closer look, the cave was clearer. They dug it and found a messy cave filled with sand and debris at places. Marina immediately knew that their formula has been misused and felt that the disaster is their mistake. However, David reassured her and motivated her to look in detail by reminding her of the painful death of their children.

After long periods of digging and searching, Marina and Davis reached the other end of the Cave and searched around in the dead bushes. On the other hand, Samuel found a man from Jaqil's team, who out of a hope to live, told Samuel and Rabia about the short guy, Jaqil's, evil plans before the disaster. He did not know if it would be helpful but wanted them to find a way to live. Rabia sensed something fishy in the chest that appeared in the man's cave story. They immediately went back to the lab, only to find heaps of sand. They wanted to communicate the news as soon as possible. So, without a second thought, they jumped into the cave and started moving forward. Jaqil was still searching for the locket in the dead forest on the other end of the cave. In the outer world, people were robbing and killing each other for food and basic amenities. There was a complete violence and the only way to save life was to revert the Earth.

Samuel came out of the cave, pulled Rabia out and they started searching for Marina and David. While they were searching, Rabia said, "Wait, there is something in that bush." It was the note left by Trent for Jaqil. It stated that there is a heart-shaped locket that did everything and Jaqil should find it as soon as possible. They just moved a few steps when Rabia fell in a pit. Marina and David were still searching for the cue when they actually saw the locket. David thought the locket to be any other normal chain and kept it hanging in his pocket. They moved further and Marina saw a man searching around far away in the bushes. She wanted to ask him if he knew something about the cave. So, they marched forward. This man was Jaqil and in a fear to get caught, he disappeared somewhere in the bushes. When they reached at the place told by Marina, they found no one. David thought that she was hallucinating and asked her to be calm and relax for a bit. They sat down on a stone-like structure.

Just when they sat down, Jaqil saw the locket in David's pocket. He wanted to snatch it, but his intelligence kept him still and focused. He decided to introduce himself as a common man searching for his locket that fell somewhere around, and in this way, he could tactfully get the locket and rule the world. After an hour or so, David and Marina started looking for the cues again and reached near a cliff. They almost lost the hope and thought that the man who build the cave must have died. Then, Jaqil appears in front of them, dressed like a poor man. Without even being asked, he started telling his mocked-up story to Marina and David and asked for the locket because that was the only thing that poor guy was left with. Marina almost got emotional and was about to give in when they heard Samuel shout, "Stop! Do not do this." Marina stopped. Samuel and Rabia rushed towards them. They stood on the other side of Jaqil. Jaqil acted like innocent man looking for his locket.

Rabia told them about Trent's note and the man's statement from the town and suspected this little guy to be Jaqil, if he is alive. Marina could now connect all the dots and pressed the button on the locket saying that they appreciate all that they had and want their Mother Earth back and then promised to take good care of it. The locket worked and the sun shone over them. There was a thrill on everyone's face.

Realizing that he was caught, Jaqil jumped on to the locket. Jaqil snatched the locket but was inside the circle created by the ILC team. There was no way, he could get out. He confessed all that he did, cried and told his story about bullying and acquiring power. He wanted to rule the world and create a place where nobody is ever bullied. Jaqil was still acting while back inside his mind, he was prudent that he is invincible and could do anything now. He pushed Rabia and tried to run, but David was physically strong and started following him. Jaqil reached the end of the cliff and threatened David to jump, unaware of the fact that the formula would not save him from dying. David moved closer to Jaqil and Jaqil moved back. Just at a difference of a meter from David, Jaqil slipped, and the locket fell on the ground. David caught him from the forearm and tried to save him but lost the grip and Jaqil fell down. This marked the end of a villain, who was not a villain by his choice but by people's discrimination. Marina destroyed the locket and threw it down from the same cliff. The ILC team was able to get their reputation back and end the suffering of the people that lived. The world was small but still a beautiful and happy place to live. Jaqil's story was broadcasted and documented everywhere to make the people aware of their unintended mistakes when they bully someone. The Life started again, and so did the desire to live. Everyone in the story wanted to live happily, but the actions taken to achieve this goal differed and made a difference.

Short Story
1

About the Creator

Mohpreet

"I do not read, I do not write. All I do is express to make my mood light." - Preet.

Writing means emotions to me. Feel me through this journey....

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.