Unidentfied

Unidentified: A short story

Unidentified's POV
I shake the small paint can. Listening to the click clack of the can signing the"name" I was given:Unidentified. Pretty, right? I look my masterpiece up and down, and then I cover it so the nurse won't see I painted the wall. I live in the busy, crowded town of Winton. It's in California near San Francisco. I've always wanted to go to San Francisco ; it's my dream. But just like all amazing things it was destroyed, abandoned, left alone just to rot. Instead I am trapped here in this hellhole or the "mental rehabilitation camp" as the government calls it. They put me here because of my father, he was a genius, figuring out ways to save the planet. They locked him up too, apparently it's crazy to help the planet! I mean it's 2150 and they haven't figured out that they're destroying earth. The world sucks, not the world the people on it. And I can't escape it, I can't even escape this prison. F the government, f this prison, I have to escape!

Everyone sees me as small broken... crazy. I had one friend, my only friend was X (like in algebra) she was the only one that understood me then she was killed the war. She was here, this prison only for nobody's, crazies and people without a home. I need a true home: someplace to love, and maybe someone to love.

I need to leave. Go. Run. Be free for once in my life. I need to save myself. Save my father. I hear a knock at my door interrupting my thoughts, I pretend to read because I know it's the nurse bringing my dinner. All the nurses are mute for a reason I don't even know. She places my dinner on my table lightly smiling slipping me a note. It reads "I am sorry but your father is dead". I scream not knowing how to react or if to cry. I only knew him until I was 12. 8 years have past since I even saw his face. Heard his voice. Known his smile. Listened to his words of wisdom. I need to leave, for him.
I pack up my bag only bringing some extra food and my paint cans. I slip out the front door leaving here like I was only a gust of wind. I slowly walk down to the old sign at the end of the road that says "San Francisco 10 miles". I run leaving the city limits. Looking back at the gray skies and old places I used to love. It seems like all the color, all the happiness was drained from Winton. I keep running not stopping until I hit someone, hitting the hard pavement.
I try to get up as a man helps me up. He is oddly familiar, someone from my childhood maybe? "I'm sorry ma'm I didn't see you there" he says quietly.
" Uh, uh .. my bad I .. I" I remember now, it's Levi the teen who lived down my street. Well he is not a teen now.
" I remember you aren't you Davids daughter I'm Levi I lived down your street."
" Yeah I gotta go," I reply.
" Wait where are you going?"
" San Francisco" I say quickly as I continue to run.
I sit down as I look around trying figure out where I am. It's right in front of me, a big sign the reads in chipped paint "an ranciscc" I've made it. I jump up and down cheering screaming " I made it!". I am here. I escaped.
I walk down the streets looking for a place to stay. I see a old apartment building with the words Homeless shelter on a wood board. I walk in seeing that no one was here. I lay in the corner on my jacket slowly falling asleep.
I wake up feeling something brush up against my arm. I quickly jump up pulling out my pocket knife. I realize that I am holding up a little knife to Levis neck. He's still asleep. I lower the knife and slowly pick up my bag. Crap! My jackets under him. I try to slide it out from under him. But him jumps almost hitting me in the face.
He gasps as he stares at me confused looking like a little child not knowing what a word means.
"You followed me! Why? Why would you follow me?" I yelled furious.
"I... I just wanted to see you more and apologize " he whispers under his breath. I was going to continue but then I saw it. His ID badge from the insane asylum, he put me in jail. He imprisoned a 12 year old girl years ago, scared and accused of being crazy.
"My father's dead" I blurt out "It's all your fault!"
"I'm sorry I didn't want to it was the only way to not kill you, I didn't mean any harm." I pause unable to speak. I help him up and wrap my arms around him. He doesn't respond at first. But he pulls away only holding on to
my arms. "Thank you for your forgiveness" he smiles.
"No problem" I say as the ground starts to vibrate. Rattling the shelter and everything in it. The concrete ground cracks as we go under the doorway. We hold each other to stay balanced. The ground cracks more as I fall. It's like the ground is stealing all the strength from everything around it. As the ground separates into two parts I hear a scream.
Everything stopped, all was silent as I pulled myself up to my feet. "Levi! Levi!" I yell calmly then I realized. He screamed. He fell into the earth only leaving his shoes and hat in the world.
I put on his leather hat and climb out the window the only thing there was a crushed building and shoes. I start back to Winton. No. I must go find him. I sprint back to the old building and take off my shoes. I look into the earth where it separated. I close my eyes and jump. All I feel is heat coming closer and wind through my hair. I think of my father, my friend, Levi. I keep my eyes shut as I feel heat racing towards me. I let go. Let go of life. Enjoy the fall the sweet air. "Goodbye father" I whisper
"goodbye."