When the Time Comes

Dear Diary,

(April 3, 20XX)

Before this, there were so many ways I thought this world would end. Pollution, an unknown virus, or maybe we would be submerged underwater by global warming.

Maybe, if we were lucky, we would make it all the way to the end and our demise would come from the one that made us.

No, I guess “luck” isn’t the right word. We needed to be smarter, we needed to learn from our mistakes rather than ignore them. But one thing I’ve learned from humans is that not only does our own ego stand in the way, it can also completely destroy us.

From making synthetic robotic life, to making laws to control others lives, humans have always had some sort of obsession with the act of playing God. This time they took it too far, way too far.

They began to raise the dead.

As war continued to spiral out of control, they no longer had enough people willing to fight in yet another useless power struggle. But we still needed to be defended right? That’s how they tried to excuse this abominable deal.

In exchange for our own life, we had to trade over our loved ones that had left this world before us. I guess some like to think this was our choice but if we didn’t, who knows what they would have tried to force us to do instead.

Geez, were we nothing but cowards?

I couldn’t think like that though, at least not right now. I took a small break but I should keep moving while it’s dark out. There was no way to know whether those creatures were on my side or the other or any side for that matter.

I would hate to leave this entry on a bad note, I feel like all I write about is how terrible things have turned out since this all began. So I’m gonna try to end every entry from now on, on a happier note.

Hmmmmmm

Well, these woods are very thick. They trees stretch so far into the sky I wonder if I climbed it would I be able to reach the clouds. Their thick leaves collect rainwater on them and the hum of the bugs in the background makes the silence less eerie.

It’s actually very nice, I should have gone hiking more when things were normal.

Dear Diary,

(April 19TH, 20XX)

It’s been two weeks since I last wrote. I saw one of them, one of those things. I had climbed up into the tree for the day (sleep during the day, travel at night) and before sleep could completely envelop me I heard a blood curdling scream.

Panicked, I slipped my pocket knife effortlessly into my hand and pressed my body harder into the tree, behind the thick leaves. If anyone saw me I was prepared to jump down and fight for my life, but I was hoping the leaves would protect me.

I stretched my neck to try to identify where the scream had come from and that’s when I saw it. The creature. It was nothing short of a Frankenstein’s monster gone worse.

I don’t think a single part on that body belonged to It. Both of its arms were long enough to reach down to Its ankle. It looked like they had stacked at least two arms on top of each other.

What kind of sick scientist did they have to build this?

It had not a single piece of hair on Its body. It’s skin looked like a mosaic painting with completely different skin tones stitched together.

I wanted to scream, or vomit or both. That thing was completely terrifying but…..what was it doing?

It seemed to be pacing, not interested in the slightest in its surroundings but completely enamored in whatever it was holding. Whatever it was, it was connected by a loose string and the creature swung it back and forth a few inches from its face.

I held my breath and restrained myself from moving any more. If that thing saw me it would try to climb up here and I would have no other choice but to kill it.

I didn’t want to, I never wanted to. But this walking hell is all we have to call life now. I continued to watch it as it paused in its track and gently rolled it into its hands.

That’s what was so strange to me, Diary. These things aren’t monsters. They clearly could think and could be gentle if they wanted to. I wonder if that means they also know they’re nothing but a pawn in a war with humanity and it’s own ego.

Maybe if we would just talk-

But you know I never finished that thought, because without warning It was gunned down. Shot multiple times without warning. A few soldiers walked through, kicked the body, then continued on their route.

I still didn’t move, I couldn’t even sleep. It felt like I was holding my breath the entire time until the sun went down. When I was finally able to climb down I allowed curiosity to have the better of me. I just wanted to know what it was holding.

In its now dead (once again) hands was a locket. It was shaped into a heart and although I’m sure it was old it still glistened in the moonlight. On the side was a button and once I opened it I saw a very cute couple smiling inside.

A reminder of better times.

I wonder if It was either of them in the photo or if this even belonged to it. I couldn’t blame It for taking it even if it wasn’t theirs. We all needed the reminder so I slipped it into my pocket.

I wanted to bury the dead body. I don’t know why, it wouldn’t make much of a difference but swear for a moment there I know I saw humanity.

Could you imagine? Humanity still able to shine through in even our darkest of times. I guess that’s where I’ll end this entry.

Dear Diary,

(June 30TH, 20XX)

This past month has been different than the rest. You would think after seeing death so many times, I would get used to it. Well actually it’s more than that.

I have a secret.

I’m one of them.

One of those monsters.

I’ve hid it as best as I can, and I only travel at night so nobody will ever see me. I was made earlier on. I remember complete darkness. It was serene and peaceful actually and then it felt as if I was being yanked away from my quiet paradise. When I woke up, I was apart of this world, apart of this war.

And it’s been like hell ever since.

So like I said you’d think I’d be used to it. Seeing others like me gunned down like animals when in reality we never asked for this, any of this. All of us wish we would return to that comfort, to that peace but it was the humans that ruined it.

After watching that monster with the locket be killed without even so much of a warning I began to feel different. I wandered around for days, fiddling with the photo in the locket and that’s when I noticed an address engraved into the back of the locket in the tiniest writing.

My original mission was to find my way back to the compound I was created, sneak back into the ranks and finally put an end to all of this.

But there wasn’t enough time to explain all that. And don’t worry, right after this entry I’ll finally go back and finish this but right now I think I want to rest.

I found the house that the address led me to. It was barren and broken down, I couldn’t believe it was even still standing. It looked like it had been ransacked a hundred times over.

As I climbed the wooden front porch the stairs creaked and gave way under my weight. But I made my way inside all the way up to the master bedroom.

There were photos, dusty and barely recognizable. Clothes that will never be touched or worn again. I ran my finger along the dresser that was now caked in dust.

You know, I really wonder if this is where It came from. We don’t keep many memories from our past life. It’s like we have all the personality but none of the history that formed it. Maybe It was lucky enough to still remember.

I fiddled with the locket some more before plopping down on the bed which let out a puff of dust as if that was its final breath to give.

I could stay here, let the world sleep away, let the humans finally clean up their own mess for once.

But I know that’s a selfish way of thinking. So instead, before I leave, I want to leave this diary and the locket. Maybe someone will find it….maybe someday.

Then they can look back at a simpler time, at a pointless war I’m sure they’ll gloss over in history class. Maybe they can see the agony they cause on others and maybe MAYBE this time they won’t make the same mistakes again.

At least that’s my hope. That’s what I pray for if God is even still listening.

But I think I’ve wasted enough time here, I should move before I never want to. I have to try to end this.

Hey diary, I saw a butterfly fly past the window.

It was beautiful….