A Window To A Soul

Chapter 43: Henry

I coughed, feeling my ribcage crack as I did so. There was so much dust and debris. I was in so much pain. I struggled to climb out of the broken bunker. I don't believe anyone else survived. It was getting dark out. I got to the top and fell down on the outside ground. Glass stabbed my arm, but I didn't move. I was so tired.

I looked around. So many buildings had fallen. There weren't any left. I saw many piles of dust and blood. I can just imagine what Oden did to them. It was horrible.

I tried to move, but my muscles ached. There seemed to be nowhere to go. Everything was gone. I then thought about a possibility. He may not have gotten to the end of the town. And maybe the other bunkers are available.

I tried to get up, but it resorted to crawling. A piece of the cement had broken one of my legs. It felt like it was about to tear off. I felt tears stinging my eyes, but I don't know what it was from. I didn't know if it was from the fear, pain, or just to clear my eyes from the dust.

I brushed more glass, metal, and wood out of my way. I kept crawling, wondering if this was my end. Was I going to die here? I had just barely begun to live. I knew where the closest bunker was. I was so close. Just 20 more yards to go. I can make it.

I kept crawling, thinking about what the city used to look like. I was so happy when I first saw it. I was so happy when I first entered the school. What has this come to?"

I felt my hands stinging in pain as the cuts were slashed again as I moved more glass. I felt the bone from my broken leg scraping against the cement. It felt numb to me though. I lost so much feeling in my body. I was so tired. I felt like going to sleep. Maybe this is all just a dream. Maybe I'll wake up and go to class, go to training, and eat my breakfast. Maybe I'll make a new friend, maybe an enemy. Anything would be better than this.

Only 15 more yards. Only... 15... I felt myself growing more and more tired. How long have I been crawling? How much longer will I crawl? Will I make it? Will they let me in if I do?

I felt so thirsty. I felt the sun beating down on me. I wanted to pray to the gods, but I knew that it wouldn't do anything now. Instead I just hoped that this was a dream. I hoped that I would wake up and be thankful that it's over. I wanted to do my normal routine. I wanted to go to class. I would rather be beaten than this.

It started to dawn on me that I wasn't going to survive. Everything started to look fuzzy. I had lost so much blood already. I want to sleep. I want to dream of something else. I want to leave this world. I'm not getting out of this anymore.

I should have taken advantage of the life I had. I should have lived how I wanted to. I felt more tears running down my cheeks. I want to live! I want to live! I still want to live! I want to be able to be a bodyguard. Even if I'm treated like a slave. Even if I'm beaten!

I kept crawling. Only 10 more yards. I'm so close. I can't... stop now... I need... to keep... going. I need to crawl! I tried to keep going. I tried to imagine a world where I survived. The possibility of me getting to the bunker and getting medical treatment.

But reality laid upon me and I knew that I was going to die. I knew that was only a daydream. This was my reality. And I was going to die, a pathetic little being in a world that doesn't care. In a world that had its own problems. I'm only one out of hundreds, thousands of deaths.

I've never made a friend. I don't have an actual family. No one will care when I'm gone. No one knows my name. No one will cry over my grave. I won't ever smile and laugh with someone my age. I won't ever be able to take my first test on the stuff I learned in class. I won't be able to meet the scorekeeper, or kneel on a Great One's doorstep. I will die, right here.

Only 5 more yards. But I couldn't move anymore. My body is giving out on me. I fell onto the ground, giving up. My cheek was stabbed by glass. I felt so pitiful. I wondered what I did to deserve this. Why didn't I die with the others? Why was I given a long painful death?

I started getting even more tired. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I felt so... so tired... I want to go to sleep... I... so.... Everything faded to black as I fell into an eternal slumber.