“Julianne!” Rebeth whispered as she saw the woman turn around the corner. Julianne, quickened her pace as she saw her comrade. “Is anyone following you?” Julianne shook her head. “Good. Quick, follow me.” Rebeth turned and cautiously ran back to the perimeter base.
Upon nearing the outer wall of the base, Rebeth called out like a bird of prey: the red-tailed hawk. Instantly ropes were dropped from the wall. The two women sped as they neared the wall and jumped upon the ropes. The women began climbing as those on the wall began to pull the ropes up.
“Alright, I need to see Pateri.” Julianne stated with urgency as she stood up.
“Follow me.” Rebeth led Julianne into the complex. She took Julianne into a room and then said, “Wait here. I’ll go get him. Take a minute to breath then, pass the message on to him. I’ll be right back.” Rebeth left the room.
Julianne leaned against the wall and went over the message one more time, so she wouldn’t forget from exhaustion. She put her hand in her pocket and felt her lighter. Upon finding her lighter, she remembered her cigarettes, pulled them out, and lit up. She took a deep drag and held it before releasing the smoke into the air. If only her mother saw her now. Back then, Julianne never would have dreamed of smoking. Times were different.
The world had turned to war. People murdered each other for the fun of it. They were recruited to kill. Killing was the way of life. You couldn’t escape it. There was an apocalypse and the only way for people to cope with it the death and horror that it brought, was to kill even more.
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Alright. So, I'm trying out a few new things with my blogs for 2010. With this one. I set up a mini story in a post-apocalyptic world. What I want to know, is what do you think society will become? Will it revert more to a way of life where all in a group work for a common goal? Will it be completely life or death in that there will be complete anarchy? Or will a few see the opportunity and seize power? Or could it be something different. I actually can't answer this question myself and am curious as to what you think it might be.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the type and scale of the apocalypse, and even a difference of a year might change the global consciousness enough to yeild a different result. Also, it's never happened before, so who knows?
ReplyDeleteGreat stub, it seems like it could become a cool story. Also seems like an RP for some reason.
Haha, Thanks. I just had a mini urge to write something. But more storylike when I wrote this. Didn't turn out quite as I had expected, but I think you're right as to what would happen being circumstancial.
ReplyDeleteOpinions on what, exactly? Your story, or what society will become?
ReplyDeleteWith regards to your story, well, the whole post-apocalyptic thing is becoming as formulaic and cliche as the harlequin romance and the country western in terms of "ordinary people suddenly become hardened badasses" and that's a troped that's been played a ton. To achieve any kind of freshness in that genre, you really have to think outside of the box. The whole "taking up smoking" thing as a way of showing how hardc00r these people have become just irritates me.
I did like your closing line although again, the sentiment expressed is another cliche of post-apocalyptic theory.
One thing I think you could expand on as a way of getting something fresh; I noticed it was specifically the cry of the red-tailed hawk that was the signal for ropes to be dropped. If you were to conceive of a resistance faction making use of the symbolism of birds as commands and as representative hopes - what with the whole being able to fly free above a poisoned world - you might be able to dig up something original. Perhaps scarce sightings of actual birds here and there, maybe the adoption of a nest, codenames, whatever.
Although haha, in an aside, the cry of the red-tailed hawk is forever "TSEEEEEEER!" to me. xP
With respects to speculating as to what a post-apocalyptic world would be like, I don't personally care. Speculating about something which would in all likelihood, kill us all anyway - sadly we are not as hardy as cockroaches - is generally an exercise in futility. To pursue it theoretically, though, too much depends on what the cause of the post-apocalyptic thing was. Global warming? Well, look at Venus and just try imagining living in that. Nuclear winter? Lots of mutations - and not the cool kind, more like born-with-fingers-sticking-out-of-eye-sockets-and-dead-by-two-at-best kind of mutations, general sterility, etc.
I think there would be initially, a localization of economy where either you can provide for yourself, or you die. And either resources are insufficient and the world does not improve, so that everyone inevitably dies, or circumstances slowly improve and the world returns to normal.
Wow that was morbid. Really morbid and that's about all that I can think of to say.
ReplyDeleteThough, thanks for the feedback on the short story. I wasn't really trying for anything exact. Though, I do agree with all that you see. Maybe not getting irritated. Next time I shal try and write something more to you're liking then. :P
Well, don't write to my liking. If it's not something you're happy with, there's no point in writing it.
ReplyDeleteI confess, I referenced the eyesocket!fingers from Stephen King. xP
The what?
ReplyDeleteAnd FINE...... :P