Short Stories

The Ghost City

[Note : This was for school. The prompt was post-apocalyptic!!]

The crunching of leaves under the weight of your foot brought you back to reality. Taking out your notebook; you read the list: metal, books?, and other useful items. The forest around you was quiet, quieter than the forest around your new home. Max, your trusted golden companden, rubs his head against your knee.

"I know, Max. Let's keep going," you continue walking with Max two steps behind.

Nearing the place you saw in a book with maps, you start picking up your pace. Taking out your gas mask, you put it on. The abandoned city was gigantic; nature, itself, had taken over the city. Vines were covering the now forgotten, burnt buildings. Birds were talking, all was calm. Cracks grew out of the once stable roads. It smelled of rust, nature, and fruits. Touching one of the buildings, you noticed it was rough, and sand like. The feeling brought back old memories, memories before the incident.

Setting off to the buildings, you go to look for the items you set out for.

Giving a tuff push against the rusted door, the locks made way for you. Opening up the door with a loud cry.

The smell of rust and leaves fill your nose. Taking in the building, you notice the five story building was covered in cracks and vines. The first door you see is the washing machine room. A creek could be heard, when the rusted door opened.

Dark stairs illuminate from the now open door, showing off its reches crack. Stepping down into the darkness, you hear a shuffling from the darkness.

"Max, stay," you orderly whisper to your campandon. A whimper is answered.

"Hello?" you call out.

"Hello..." it answered back.

"Who are you and how are you here?" you questioned the darkness.

"My name is...," it hesitated, "is... Murk. That's my name. I... uh.. Don't remember how I got here."

"Ok.. Murk.. D-Do you wanna come with me and Max to look for some items?" saying this, you have a concern on who this being is.

"...," hesitation, "Alright."

Shuffling could be heard from the darkness, a figure emerges. The figure appears to be a young male, maybe your age. It's hard to tell. He seems to be in pain. You noticed burns on his hands, neck, and legs. His face was burned, too.

"Are you alright?" you asked him.

"Yes... I think so." Murk answers back quietly.

Quietly going up the cracked stairs, you, Max, and Murk head outside. Now in the sunset light, you notice Murk's clothes are torned and he's blind in his left eye.

"You know we're going to have to take you back to our home."

"Yes."

You and Max lead the way to the city's border, following shortly behind is Murk. Your concern is how this guy has survived in that building without a gas mask, and when this guy, Murk, even got down in there in the first place. The burns on his body looked fresh, but at the same time not. It's strange, maybe from the radiation exposure?

Reaching the border now, you stop. You've completely forgotten about the items you need. You can't just come back empty handed to the 'Little Nation on the Hill'.

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave."

"What?" turning around. You see Murk is fading away. "Wo, Murk are you ok? What's happening to you?" panicking, you don't know what to do.

"Thank you, Dusk. Fo... For freeing me..." his voice fading to nothing.

He's gone.

"Murk?" staring blankly into the now empty space before you. How did he know my name?

A loud whimper is heard.

Wolves. You yelled, "Max!"

Racing over the cracks towards the sound of the whimper. Barking is now heard. Three adult wolves surround Max into a corner. Taking out your dagger, you step in between the bullying. Swinging the dagger around, the wolves slowly back up but do not retreat.

Looking quickly around, the only escape route from the wolves is up.

Taking Max's front paws, placing them onto your shoulders then lifting his body up. You begin to climb. Placing your hands between the cracks of the broken wall.

Breathless, you push Max up onto the roof. Getting your hands up onto the roof, you pull yourself onto it. Laying on your back, gasping for air.

"Ok, Max. Let-Let's," you cough, "stay here for... a bit."

Max comes over and rests his body next to yours.

A few hours later, you wake up from your nap.

"Max?"

Movement and snoring is responded. Slowly getting up and stretching, you look around. The city in the dawn light is beautiful. The golden light made the restful city a blazing.

Climbing down the same wall you went up last night. You start looking for the items on your list.

Scraps of metal laid near to the wall. Bending over, you pick it up. Examining it closely. It was rusted but you could see the original shine to it. Picking up more, you start to place those into your backpack.

Walking around the buildings, you notice makeshift stairs going up the side of a building. It seems to go up to the place where Max is. Going up it, you go to wake up Max.

Slightly shaking him, he wakes up easily. Rubbing his head under your chin.

"Let's go home. It has been a strange day."

Getting down the makeshift stairs, you and Max start heading home. Through the now abandoned city to the serene forest; back to the 'Little Nation on the Hill'. Pondering on how the war affected not only the living, but also the dead. Trapping them there. 

The End