The End

The Ascent 4

Chloe
Overnight the world has changed. For the first time, a nuclear bomb has been used that destroyed a city and so many lives. People are scared and do not understand what just happened. Sure there may have been some terrorists in Damascus, but this is a handful compared to the millions that were living there and were erased from the world by one bomb. It's as if the world lost its senses and could not think straight. The bomb was dropped because the most powerful country in the world no longer had control of anything was was so desperate, that it did something so inhumane and stupid. I spoke with my brother. He told me that he was worried about me. The world was becoming a darker place and he wanted to protect me. He offered me a job in the Vatican. He would not take no for an answer. I had to think about this offer. It would be easier to take his offer. Being responsible for my tent town was very stressful and hard work. I do not remember the last time that I slept.

Pope Stephen X:
I have decided not to abdicate as the Pope. I know that I am not worthy to be the Pope and someone better deserves the responsibility. If I was to quit, it would give a bad example to the world. It meant that I would be saying to people that it is ok to give up hope when things are going bad. Things would get worse and we needed courage. On top of this, I needed to show that we all did bad things. God has mercy and wants us to be better people. At times, I feel bad how the troubles the world is having has done to people I knew. My brother has a new job with President Santino. This worries me as the President seems to be a dictator who just wants the people to adore him. Father Darby who used to be my good friend is also now working for the president. He left the priesthood and does some of the president's propaganda. His latest speech was telling us to forget God and that he does not believe in religion. My sister has decided not to come to the Vatican. She felt as if God needed her in her tent town. I admire Chloe and her courage.

VTT Global News:
In the aftermath of the nuclear attack on Damascus by the United States, waves of protests have surged across the globe, reflecting not only widespread condemnation of the military action but also a broader frustration with governments globally. People, united by a shared sense of despair, voice their grievances against both the U.S. government and their own leaders, who are perceived as powerless in the face of mounting crises. Citizens, fed up with food shortages, natural catastrophes, and economic collapse, have taken to the streets to demand accountability and action. The loss of lives in the wake of these crises has fueled the outrage, prompting a global call for change. Protesters express a collective yearning for solutions beyond geopolitical conflicts, advocating for a more compassionate and effective response to the urgent challenges humanity faces. The unprecedented scale of the demonstrations underscores a universal sentiment that transcends borders, emphasizing the need for solidarity and global cooperation in addressing the pressing issues that affect millions daily.

Pope Stephen X:
I have spent the whole day in prayer and this was picked up by the press and critized. Even Darby commented by saying that I was praying to God to save the world, but where was God? The Press were asking what the Catholic Church was doing to help our members. What could we do? The Church was bankrupt after the economic collapse. We managed to get food so far but this will not last long. There was no heat in the Vatican and we had so many power shortages. Still, the Vatican is lucky. We are not in the dark ages once again like the rest of the world is. Jesus spent a lot of time praying. Despite the demands on His time and energy, Jesus rose early in the morning to find a solitary place for prayer. This moment of communion with the Father sustained Him and guided His mission. It serves as a model for us in our own journey of faith. I was disturbed by the prayers when someone told me that President Santino was assassinated.

Chloe:
The Pope visited me and then I got word that President Santino wanted to visit the Tent Town. To be honest, I did not want him to visit us. I do not like the president. He is a dictator and evil. The problem is no one could see this. They see him as a hero. Some even see him as a messiah. I agreed to the visit, as I did not want the tent town to get involved in politics. I figured that he could also see how people outside his palace lived. We were hungry, cold, and tired. We lived in mud and misery. The President came with his team and of course the media. I found him to be a charming man at first glance, people would get the impression that he cared. The only thing that made me mad was that he suggested we get rid of the prayer tent as the ground it was used on could be used for something better. Shortly after this, I heard a shot. One of the residents of the tent town shot the president. We had a doctor who lived in the tent town who tried to save the president's life. After a few minutes, the doctor shook his head and said that the president was dead. Andrew shot the assassin. I was in shock, this would make the tent town the most hated place on earth.