Into Oblivion

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Nothing was peaceful this time. Nightmares plagued her slumber; turning every moment into intense psychological torture. She saw children, wildly screaming for their parents as they were dragged away to be harvested for meat by hooded cleavers. It was as if the children were nothing more than livestock to the cleavers.  Nothing but meat, used to alleviate the starvation that was so common in the wasteland. She watched, as a ghost, the children get hacked to pieces by the blades wielded by the cleavers. The blades sliced cleanly through the children’s flesh; as if it was nothing but paper. The ones who tried to escape back into their mothers arms made it about 3 meters before a blade was sticking out their back and they fell to the ground; left to bleed slowly, painfully to death. It pained Hope to know she was so powerless to stop anything the cleavers did; to stop the monstrosities that they committed. Yet somehow, she understood, it made her wonder, how far would she go to survive if she had to? Would she resort to cannibalism? She didn’t know. She did know however, that it would be her very last resort. A fog descended on the scene and blinded her; it was cold, and strangely dry. She saw what lay beyond it as it lifted, and wished she hadn’t. It was the children again. Although this time they were still, and making no sound. As the blood trickled away from their small, frail bodies Hope began to cry. It was heartbreaking to see such tiny carcasses laid there; with their chest ripped open and several organs missing. The limbless bodies had a sinister, wicked atmosphere about them. Hope slowly walked over to them; her footsteps were soundless. As she stared solemnly at the bodies, she noticed them. The bite marks, the fingernail marks. These children had their bodies opened by tooth and nails. Hope was sick, or at least she felt like she had been sick. The inedible parts of the children’s digestive system were left to hang loosely from the sides of their body; dripping stomach acid as they hung. Hope just wanted to wake up, if this was what death was she wanted no part of it. She suddenly felt drained, she fell to the ground; throwing her arms in front of her for protection. Exhaling she rolled onto her back, she felt cold. She wondered if anybody would help her but realised anybody passing would assume she was one of the dead, gory children and hurry past; also the chances of finding somebody willing to help you in the waste land was extremely rare.  Hope closed her eyes. This was it.