Lex Talionis

The Ruins of Lapithes

                                             " The world breaks everyone,

                                                           And afterwards,

                             Some are stronger at the broken places."

                                                     -Ernest Hemmingway

        I moved closer to the fire, my fingers lingering upon the flame. I could barely feel the skinny fire tongues licking my fingers slowly as I allowed my thoughts to wander. It seemed so long since the third world war begun, but it had been barely a year. I remember the chaos that unleashed on the streets, the violence that followed, the flaring of murder and unspeakable, heinous acts of terror unleashed brother against brother. Many would count my livelihood as a sign of luck, but the truth was that for many a times I wished the bittersweet kiss of death to touch my lips. There was nothing left of the world as I had once seen it. There were no beautiful sunsets by the beach, no more family to count on, no more food to eat, no more moments of quiet in which the murderous paranoia of being hunted overwhelmed you. The world had collapsed and all that was left was the ruins of a once successful civilization.

      I felt my stomach churning as I stood before the fire trying to keep warm during that cold night. I had not eaten in days, but then again, there was nothing to eat. I had canvased the surrounding area and had found nothing to quench my hunger.

      "Damn it." I grunted as I felt a cold drop of water land of my fingers followed by the sizzling of the fire. Soon droplets of fire begun to fall from the sky incessantly; the cold water that rained upon me stealing the little warmth that kept me alive.

     I grabbed my old, beaten leather bag from the ground and walked away from the fire I had started hours ago. Not all battles could be won.

     I walked through the desolate ruins of the city of Lapithes, the quiet and solitude chilling my spine as I walked. Rain poured hard from the sky hitting the top of my black parka and clothes, weighing me down.

        I remembered very little of the times before the war. I could vaguely remember the birthdays, the Christmas dinners, the laughter. War had managed to change us all. It all began as an effort to survive together. We would share food, help one another, aid the injured, and live in compounds formed of numerous people. This were the first years after the war. There were no more governments, no more rules, no more food. We were alone. At first all took care of one another but as soon as things began to get tough, once we realized food was extremely scarce, that medicine was running low, and that there was no escaping our hell, everyone separated. Things got ugly really quick for everyone. There were constant fights for resources in which those with guns took the bounty and left the rest starving.

      And so I decided to leave my home, leave the city that reminded me of a vague past that had once been filled with happiness. In movies and books there is often a reconstruction after the war, a time for adjustment, but this was no movie. Right after the last nuclear bomb exploded and nothing was left, the scant survivors left- those who had been lucky (or unlucky) enough to survive had to continue fighting to stay alive. We had no period of adjustment, no time to rest or think about what will become of us in a an uncertain future. We survived, yes, but at what cost. Some of us were no longer human, and others who survived the nuclear bomb died weeks later because of the radiation that corroded their bodies. Our survival was not granted no matter what we did.

       I entered an old building whose remaining structure was enveloped in bright purple vines that constricted the cemented remains, tearing apart the remaining symbols of a strong society. At least I was safe from the rain there for the time being. I sat in a corner of the crumbling building as begun to sharpen my hunting knife to keep myself awake. It was not safe to fall asleep our in the open.

       The hours seemed to pass by as the rain continued to fall vehemently, soon thunder and lightning joined the aerial show. I sighed and leaned back against the cracked wall and closed my eyes for a minute too tired to care if someone killed me on the spot. I could hear the howling of the wind as it crawled through the crevices and open walls of the decrepit building. I could hear the hard drumming of the wind and the systematic sound of thunder followed by a bright flash of lightning. Soon the lullaby from nature dragged me into the depths of darkness as I fell into a deep slumber.