The Day After

by Babur Albayrak © 2002

My beloved country was nuked yesterday. I came out of the shelter I built for myself. I know I do not have much time to survive out here on the plain desert, curiosity took me outdoors. The whole city was thrown into darkness after the mushroom cloud spread its rays; alpha, beta and gamma. I had a little bit of food and water supplies at the shelter but panic caused me to finish almost all of it.

The nature was still, as if it was at hold. The sky was still radioactive and I thought to myself I was the only survivor under this blood red sky. The planet earth was not blue and green anymore and my skin covering my body as a whole was also going through a mutation phase, it was turning into blood red along with the sky like the plants and the trees.It was a well-planned action to build a shelter but I had been alone all my life and here I am screaming out loud but all I here is my echo in the depths of the desert.

As I look around I figured out what had happened while I was in the shelter. I felt the earthquake but the alpha, beta and gamma rays were interrupted and the mushroom cloud began to spread a storming ball of fire swirling around. The dead bodies here and there had not got any flesh on them. I am about to panic but I am helpless. As for me there is not any reason to remain in that shelter.

The stillness of the nature remained silent, I felt death breathing on my neck. I noticed the red leaves and the dead flower under the tree and I picked it up. I could not help my tears falling on the dead flower, thinking I might give life to it. I look up to the sky and could not see the sun. It was the x-rays spreading its light around the suffering nature, quietly.

Suddenly I realised I should not give up the fight for survival. There had to be a mission or duty, which I was responsible for because that is the main reason for me to be alive. After I walked for miles and miles I saw a bicycle and began to ride faster and faster to create the absent cool breeze, nature could not supply anymore. I was calmer and searching for a sign of life all around.

*******

The satellites captured all the history with pictures taken from outer space. This is my final thought after I notice the second mushroom cloud a few miles away. There was not any place to run or to hide.

The ball of fire stormed all over the place and the last life form riding on a bike, before it was broken into dust and bones, was the last picture captured by the satellite for the generation after and life completely ended.

x x x




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