The Letter

Dear Children,

We live, we die, and the world continues to change with or without us. In 2135 forty years after the wreckage of dolphin pox, poverty hadn’t improved and barely one thousand people survived. The rebuild of humanity involved a reliance on accessories. Everyone needed five pieces in order to function. Earrings for hearing, a hand bracelet for touching, a heart shaped locket for speaking, an ankle bracelet for moving and a nose ring for seeing. Of the survivors some became creatures of the terrain “soil mongers”. Beast that catered to destruction and lived in the ground only to kill anyone who left Akala. People who couldn’t afford accessories lived miserably in one section of Akala and once they lost all senses, they were sacrificed to the soil mongers. Everyone believed no one could live outside of Akala.

The ground split in different directions, I felt the dirt against my feet for the first time in fifteen years. “Why is everyone afraid?” I said to myself as I walked barefoot towards the tree. I barely dodged the hands reaching for my feet. “Are you crazy?” I heard a voice in the distance, “Are you asking for death?” the same voice, was it in my head? “No one can save you if you leave Akala!” maybe that person was right, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be free! “You’ll get in trouble if they found out you took off.” why was this person following me and nagging? “Shut up! No one cares!” I said, when I turned around no one was there. Finally, I reached my destination a luscious apple tree. I’ve eyed the tree from my window and I’ve always wanted to climb it. “Don’t eat the apples!” again a voice bothers me and was almost like my conscience. When I reached the top, I could see the soil mongers; grotesque beings living in the ground on the outskirts of Akala. “Why aren’t you scared of the soil mongers?” At last, an image appeared with the voice. She was gorgeous and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. “Why should I be afraid? Everyone says the soil mongers are dangerous. I wanted to see for myself.” She looked at me with eyes like a puppy as if she found her master. “Can I take you somewhere?” she asked, and I felt compelled to be with a stranger. “Sure, why not?” I’ve never been anywhere with a fairy; I assumed she was a fairy. As our journey continued, I realized she was exactly like me.

We were about two miles from Akala, after walking in silence she spoke “I’ve watched you since you were born and I’ve waited for the day to bring you here.” I was stunned because the small village before me looked like a replica of Akala. “What is this place?” I asked her, “This is where I live, and I need your help.” Why did she choose me? “You can hear me now. After the years passed, I thought you’d never speak to me again. You are the only person who can stop the madman!” She kept talking to me as she gathered a few items into a backpack. “What do you want from me?” I asked her, “I’ve been patient for ten years. I have to guide you, and help you end what’s coming.” She looked determined as she spoke, but I had no clue about what she meant. “The people in your life are imposters! You cannot go back to Akala.” “My parents are in Akala deciding who my future partner will be. What are you talking about?” “Sit down, I want to show you the truth.” I was hesitant to listen to her. She opened her bag and pulled out a stick “Hold on to this.” She gave me the stick, then she blindfolded me. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath.” I followed her instructions “Grip the stick tightly and wait five seconds.” I didn’t have any time to think about whether or not she was trust worthy, I felt in my heart with her help I could achieve greatness. “Now relax and open your eyes.” She removed the blindfold and all of a sudden, I knew what I had to do. “I love the look in your eyes, you made it back to me. Now let’s go!”. She grabbed a couple of bags tossed them in to the back, and we took off in her jeep.

For decades Dr. Marshland experimented on humans. After the breakout of dolphin pox, he found survivors, took them in under false pretenses, and created beings known as half breeds. Many were caged, others like myself and Hazel were implanted in Akala with a mission to find weaknesses. I helped Hazel escape and she built a home outside of Akala. When I was caught by the guards my memories of Hazel were erased and memories of my family were altered; I was placed with a fake family to ensure I’d never leave Akala again. She waited for me to leave the walls, but I was under constant surveillance for over twenty years. The profound deception was a part of Dr. Marshland’s plan. The rest was contingent on finding a way to eliminate the reliance on accessories. He desperately wanted to go back to life before dolphin pox changed the world. Soil mongers were another one of his creations used to instill fear in the citizens of Akala. I felt it was my duty to expose him, and tell everyone in Akala the truth.

Luckily Hazel owned an ID and a vehicle that allowed her into Elastin without any suspicion. We were about five miles from Akala, and we listened to music during the ride. She dropped me off with a disguise and other tools. “I am leaving everything in your hands, be safe and don’t die! I love you.” she said as she drove off. My memories were fuzzy, but I knew where to find Dr. Marshland’s hide out. With the map that Hazel gave me I planned a fairly quick route. “Where is your ID badge soldier?” A man called out to me “I might have dropped it, let me check my pockets.” Before he could get any closer to me a boomerang flew across and sliced off his head. “You can’t let them find out who you are. Grab his gun and badge. Get out of here!” I tried to see where the voice came from, but no luck. It was a mystery; I don’t know who helped me. Nonetheless I had to keep moving. I checked the guard’s belongings, grabbed his equipment, and tossed his body into a nearby incinerator. Fortunately, the blood was easy to clean and I left no evidence of foul play.

I felt as if I was walking into a trap. Even so, I decided I’d put an end to Dr. Marshland and save the people under his clutches. People should decide how they want to live their life and not be fooled by others. It took a few hours, but I made it to his hideaway. As soon as I opened the door “Took you long enough.” The man I waited to see sat at his desk and spoke to me “I almost lost faith in you. Take a seat.” He said as he pulled up a second chair towards his desk. “I am glad you surpassed my expectations but you are too late.” “What do you mean?” “I plan to destroy Akala and those who do not submit will become soil mongers. They do what I say, after all they are my babies.” He spoke to me like a child, and he laughed at me when I pointed a gun in his face. “Killing me won’t stop what’s begun! You are my most successful piece of art.” He walked towards me, ripped off my disguise, and tore off my accessories. “The one specimen that survived my experiments and gave me the cure I was looking for.” He talked with pride and waited for a response from me. My brain filled with despair because I knew I couldn’t do anything without my accessories.

Suddenly, my body felt like it was on fire but nothing happened. “In ten seconds, you’ll be relieved.” The look in his eye as he spoke was like someone possessed. I lifted my arm after being stationary for ten seconds. “Are you serious? This has to be a joke.” I said, I was in shock! My body worked freely; the earrings, nose ring, heart shaped locket, hand bracelet, and ankle bracelet were no longer needed. “This is not a joke! You are the key to saving humanity.” He broke out in tears “My work is done!” He grabbed my gun and shot himself in the head. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t let anyone know. “As I suspected, my husband was a genius and you are the answer.” She said as she crawled from underneath the desk. “There’s no need to worry, I am a half breed like you. However, my power to sustain myself without accessories is limited. We’ve waited for the day when we could unleash you.” She said, a robot? She was a robot! What in the world happened? I thought to myself.

I had no where to go and no one to turn to. The person I thought was the mastermind killed himself. “Listen, I don’t have time to explain the details. I need your help because I want to stop my husband’s plan.” “Why should I help you?” “Hazel will die, and so will your family.” Her words were callous, and confusing. “Your parents and your sister are alive. What you saw when you were a kid was a lie.” “That can’t be! I watched them die!” “We needed you to believe our story because without trauma, without heart break I couldn’t create the medicine. That helps me live.” “Tell me where they are!!” I ran towards her, tackled her and started to choke her. “Tell me where they are!!” she seemed unphased by my anger. “I don’t want to fight you. I’m half robot I’d win without a doubt. I want to use your blood and prove a point.” “I won’t cooperate until you tell me where to find my parents.” I said to her as I let go of her neck.

We lived in a world that was torn by disease, and no one knew about half breeds or why soil mongers existed. Mrs. Marshland took me to my parents and my sister. Hazel was also in the bunch; I didn’t know back then but she was the best wife a person could ask for. No one could have predicted that Mrs. Marshland would turn smear her husband’s name and create a medicine to ensure her safety. By the time my letter reaches you, I’ll be long gone. I wanted you to know your history, and that your family was a beacon of hope for future generations. We released the soil mongers from their pain, the half breeds from their cages, and along with Mrs. Marshland we became legends. Once the medicines were distributed to those without resources Akala became a productive city. An alliance with Elastin created lasting wealth for both cities. In the end our struggles were not in vain, and we built a stable world. Hazel and I loved you with everything inside of us. If you come across another major disease in your life time, do your best to survive and create a peaceful life afterwards.

Love Kurt Justin your father