July 6th 2035

July 6th, 2035 by Valera Ainsworth

July 6th, 2035

5:31a.m.

No sunrise, no surprise. There hasn’t been a sunrise or sunset since the wannabe gods draped blackened snowflakes over the Earth. They theorized it would help with climate change. It helped all right, the Grim Reaper collect more death.

If memory serves, I use to miss the colors of the sun. But time has made me numb. Though, there was a sliver of orange glow creeping between the mountain ridges. A different kind of heat. Fires that have melted so much life that they have created lava flows. I’m internally laughing because all the volcanoes are dead, too. Probably the new hangout for the Devil and his wannabe gods! I am so tired of death. Enough! On to the next entry.

Miles traveled yesterday- Ten miles plus eight feet. That is good sign proving I can get over my obsession for the number eight. The goal has been eight miles a day. I did two miles over! Plus, eight feet. Well, it’s a start! I loved that statement-it’s not how you start but how you finish. My take on it is, “It’s not how you start life, but how you finish with enhancing life.” Boy, was I wrong! How the fuck can I enhance life when it is destroyed!

July 6th, 2035

10:34a.m.

So far, two miles today. The smoke and tree stumps are providing a good cover for now. I wish I could travel in the dark. What am I saying, I AM TRAVELING IN THE DARK! I mean, I wish I could travel by the light of the moon, but that, too, is gone. John, I hope you can hear my prayers. There was a time that I felt you were with me even years after your death. Please, help me reach the ocean. I just want to throw my half of the locket in. The beginning of this quest was to retrieve the other half of the silver heart. I don’t know how high I climbed into that sycamore tree to attach the locket to one of the tree limbs.

I was hoping a magpie would discover the locket and fly it away. Now I question if that was the real reason for leaving the locket in the tree. I think I wanted it discovered by one of your grandkids to show how much I loved you and how much you loved me. I put the best picture of us into one side of the locket and the same in the other which I kept. And, the note you wrote to me, “find the sweetness in life”.

But today it hit me, the tree would be destroyed. Half of the locket is probably smoldering ashes. Well, I’m not going to let that happen to this half of the silver locket. I remember what you said about the ocean preserving life. You would say a piece of driftwood is proof. The strength gained from tumbling by the ocean waves.

If my calculations are right, I should feel sand creep into my boots by tonight. I just wish I could smell the ocean or at least feel a breeze. I pray that I could see the ocean through the heavy smoke. I know, greed has killed miracles.

July 6th, 2035

5:30p.m.

I don’t know how much longer I can hide from them. I can’t believe that I wish they were drones. At least with drones you could hide in a tree-covered area. You can’t hide from the orbs except underwater. Another reason I need to get to the ocean- to die.

I’m sorry, John, but life doesn’t exist anymore. Not the life I loved. Family and friends are gone due to all the manmade diseases. I know if I turned myself in, death would happen on the government’s terms-slow and painful. Please, I’m trying so hard to survive just to die the way I want. My choice. Please, help me John. I know……….

The old lady screamed in pain as the journal flew from her hand. The other hand grasped the silver locket. Eight orbs surrounded the body, their colored lights flashing to guide the soldiers.

Two soldiers approached. “Well, we haven’t seen one this old in a long time. How old do you think she is, Lars?”

“Looks in her hundreds, but realistically she’s probably about eighty. Don’t touch her.”

The soldier ignored Lars’ warning. “I’ve got gloves on, so no fear here. Plus, I’m pretty sure she didn’t die of the virus.”

“Duhhh. What gave you that clue? The laser cuts?!! Just leave her.”

“But that looks like a trinket my kid would like.”

Lars insisted. “No. Leave her. We don’t want to bring her back because of these malfunctioning orbs. They shouldn’t have shot her. What a waste.”

“We can’t leave her here for others to discover her.”

Lars looked around at the surroundings. He wiped ashes from his gas mask. “Let’s just push her over the cliff then we don’t have to report this.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said his partner.

“But first, let’s get the Orbs to leave.” Lars reached into his holster and aimed a remote device at the Orbs. Once he pressed the buttons, the group of eight flew out of sight.

“Okay, let’s do this.” Lars placed his boot onto the old woman’s neck. The other soldier placed his boot onto her hips.

“One, two, three….” The soldiers counted together the amount of pushes it took to get her to the edge of the cliff.

“…six, seven, ….” One final push on the count of eight, death flew over the edge crashing on a pile of driftwood.

“Dammit! Why did she have to land there? Now someone will see her.”

Lars reminded his partner. “No one will see her. The tide is starting to come in.”

The End.