Chapter 87

1 0 0
                                    

A brush of wind swept past him, his feet dragging against the floor as though he had been dragging stones for thousands of miles. He had been dragging himself for a long time, running forever and ever with his mind gone numb but still feeling the pain. He had been running from Ultra, as he had been chasing him down before than with a swarm of flesh eating locust that would tear apart a man in seconds. But for Brick, he would only live. And he'd only live because Ultra would keep him going.

A man broken and dragging his feet, with the thought of his family which he has long gone without is still in his mind. The granddaughter he never got to see truly grow up, his son and daughter in law he saw both get ripped out of their very bodies and having their very nervous systems placed into a small enclosed capsule which made them go through more pain than any being could imagine. The wife he saw get raped right in front of his eyes, he remembered those very moments but even more so he remembered the times when everything was good, when everything was okay. He hates how much he years for it, knowing he could never go back to that time. He could never be there with her again, he can never tell her how much he thought of her or how he sees her face even now every single day. His friends he still remembered, very much so. His last friend being still in his thoughts very much, a man who wore a pair of glasses and could see the future who had gone mad seeing everything that would be. Or his first friend he very much so remembers, two people who both first he saw as enemies until they became friends. Both of them were like mentors, both good to him and he missed them dearly. His greatest friends being those who were with him throughout the hardest of hardships, throughout the wars. And of course there are those of friends which all he greatly held close to him. Those he had been training to save the Omniverse itself in case it ever needed saving, but now it had all gone to waste. Everyone which was named are all suffering, forever and ever with no possible way of going back.

He looks up, he sees the lush green hills which rolled nicely and endless plains of bright green grass. He could see the sky was bright and blue and across it like art were white clouds which contrasted perfectly with the sky, somehow beauty had found its way even here in the worst of his moments, "I miss you." Brick fell to his knees, than rolling over to his back. He was tired and dirty, covered in dirt and blood which was all his somehow. He took deep breaths as he felt the warmth of the sunlight hitting against him. He felt the sun against his belly and face. Normally it would be annoying at having the bright sun shining across his face, but he didn't mind it at all. In fact he enjoyed the sun on him, he gladly opened himself to the warmth of the sun as it shined on him well, inviting the sun's rays onto himself.

He would continue on, walking miles and miles across the lush green grassland as the sun was still over him. He finally reached what he called home, a small hovel in a large flat and open area, which he was the only person within the area. He opened the door to his hovel, it was barren and nothing within it except for red meat which had been sitting there next to the only window of sunlight, rotting. Brick looks at the meat and he eats the rotten meat raw, stuffing his face full of the meat. After the finished eating he layed down on the dirt, tired and sore from his legs for having walked for so long. He layed there in fear for when Ultra would come again, threatening him even further with the worst of fates. The dirt soft and there were bugs in it, and the bugs didn't disturb him much as they crawled on top of him. Grasshoppers entering the hotel and jumping around, worms crawling on his warm body. Even with the bugs all around it was still quiet, and he started to sleep with his arms and legs laid out.

He woke up staring at the dirt roof of the hovel, slight confusion as he got up. He ran his hands through his hair, feeling his hair and than shaking the dirt off his hair, but no matter what he did it was still there. So he got up, and looked outside. He turned around behind his hovel and saw the sunrise. He didn't realize how long he had been sleeping for, but it must've been through the whole day. He stared at the sunrise, the yellow-orange light beaming straight and over the small hills. The morning sun was magnificent, beautiful, and grand. The sun looks enormous in the sky as it rose up over the hills. He was once again in disbelief that such a world was made by a ugly creature, it didn't feel that it was made that way. He than saw the starts above him in the dark sky that was being illuminated by the sun. He than remembered her, "You see everything around, Futuri? Be good, okay?" It felt cruel even to say the words, he knew she was suffering but he knew he couldn't do anything. All their suffering was his fault, and he could never do anything about it.

He continued walking, unbothered he walked for miles and miles on end, proceeding through the grasslands without disturbance. Not an animal, a man, nor a sound that would disturb him as he walked on this journey. As he headed east the sun would go right past him, the sun unaware of his story that he carried with him as was the Earth, all unbothered.

Eventually venturing into a village, filled with people who were all walking somewhere within their sandy village. The people laid no attention to Brick as he walked through the village, with so many people being busy either carrying things or selling things. The place stinked of dirt, body odor, and of the putridness of the people. He walked into a adobe structure which was paired closely alongside all the other buildings in the right corridors of the city. The building was slightly leveled lower than the building next to it, and as he entered the place was filled with people. Smoke puffed everywhere and small children suffocated from the smoke which they inhaled as the adults near them puffed out from their cigarette. One child was surrounded by many other children as he talked almost like a lead, which that child too had a cigarette on hand and the child would puff the smoke out away from the others.

Brick walked towards the center of the building, which was surrounded by both wooden and chair made of metal and plastic. The center was an enormous collection of drinks which included things that were almost entirely alcohol down to simple juice or water. Brick looks up as the bartender approaches him, he points towards the water and the bartender walks away.

"That's not a man's drink." A man said to Brick. Brick looked at the man, he wore a cowboy hat and he looked to be some sort of cowboy and he had roughened hands and skin. He sat down next to Brick and he raised his hand to the bartender, "Give me the hardest liquor you've got." The bartender nods his head.

"You don't know nothing. Who are you to judge me?" Brick says.

The man stops, "What's your name?"

"Brick."

He sticks his hand out to shake Brick's hand as he smiles, "I'm Conry." He looks away from the man and turns back to the center.

The two men started talking, walking outside of the bar and quickly the two of them left the village as they continued talking to one another. Conry talking about himself and about horses and the dirt and the land and all sorts of things that a man raised on a ranch would of. As they continued on and on in talking the man would state his opinion about the world at the moment that he knew.

"Have you ever heard about what happens at night? Out there in the grasslands we're heading to?" Brick stayed quiet, staring at the man, "Seems you don't know. But most people don't know about the grassland. But those who do know why we never built there. Because the land there is dangerous, everytime a man has tried to build there something happens. Ran by a bull, a thunderstorm lights the man on fire, a disease, on and on I could go about what's happen whenever one tries to build there."

"So why are we going there?" Brick asked.

Conry stopped, turning around in the direction they came from. The ground was dry and everything seemed so distant. The best began to pick up, causing sweat on the two men and they look up at the sun and the sun was burning more than ever before, "Too far gone now. I guess I'll have to keep moving over, further out West."

Brick grits his teeth, "You were just telling me of the dangers of the grassland, is it not West?"

"Yeah." The man turns around and they continued walking further West.

Their feet clamp down on the hard soil under watch the bright green grass. The grass flowing with the wind and he feels animus clearly in the air, like he shouldn't be there in those grasslands. Yet he continued, the two still talking and Conry talks about his future. Brick listening in as Conry continued along with him, seemingly in no direction. It didn't take long for Conry to than again stop, "What's it now?" Brick asked.

Coney turned back, "I wish I could go back now. But like I said, I'm too far gone ain't I?"

He was silent for a moment, "What're you up to?"

Conry turns to Brick, "West, how do you know it was this way?"

Brick stared at Conry for a second. The two of them looking each other in the eyes with the quietest silence in the air. Only the eyes speaking and saying hundreds of words at that moment. Conry didn't know what was going on anymore, but Brick knew something he didn't. He points behind Conry, he turns around quickly and than turns back to Brick.

The moment he turns his head around towards Brick a rock is pumped into his face.

Universe Part 10 (FINALE): FinalWhere stories live. Discover now