A bright sun rose over a desolate landscape. A single figure slowly made their way across a barren field, towards a silent city. The figure, finally stopping to rest, sat under the shade of a tall building. They took off the hood that was covering their face from the sun. It revealed the small, sunken face of a girl. If fate was kind, she might have worn rosy cheeks and an energetic spirit that made everyone smile. But fate is ruthless and has no mercy, even on those who have done nothing to earn it.
Despite the girl's drowsy wishes, she fell into a fitful sleep. Slipping into her dreams she saw beautiful fields filled with long bright green grass, scattered among it were gold and red roses. She plucked one out of the ground and took a whiff. It smelled wonderful, and she smiled, for the first time in years. She sat in the grass letting the wind blow through her hair. She stared into the cloudless blue sky, content. Suddenly an acrid smell reached her nose. She coughed and turned to see the grass on fire. She quickly got up and tried to run, but it was like a force was holding her back, rooting her to the spot.
She desperately tried to run, looking back over her shoulder. The fire came closer, engulfing everything in it's path, leaving only ashes in it's wake. Just when the fire was about to swallow her up she woke up with a start. Looking around she realized that she was still in the city. Wiping the tears from her face she stood up. Her stomach growled like a wolf signaling her to start searching for something to eat. She began picking her way through the ashed, trying to find any scraps of food left.
She clambered through buildings, every step echoing in the once lively and loud city. Although she doubted she would find anything, she still searched, holding on to a little hope that fate would have mercy on her. She picked up a picture frame, covered in ash. Blowing it off, it revealed cracked glass covering a picture of a smiling family. All dead. She thought sadly as she rummaged through the remains of their apartment. She wondered what her life would have been like if the war had never happened, or even if her family survived.
She blinked and snapped out of her thoughts. She wiped the tears off her face, ones she didn't even know she'd shed. Accepting the fact that she would never find anything she made her long journey back home. She started to make her way back when she saw a red glint in the corner of her eye. Turning, she realized was a rose. A blood red dot in a sea of ashes. Walking over, she went to go pick it up. Having seen nothing but drab colors for a long time the bright red of it took her breath away. She took a long whiff from it, expecting it to smell like in her dream. But it smelled like something rotten. She coughed and coughed until she collapsed on to the ground, eyes open, seeing nothing. Perhaps the Fates had mercy after all.
