Our Extinction

Chapter Five

My parents' warning came back to me, my father's last words before he died because of radiation. "The human race will try to commit suicide. Your job is to stop him. Promise me you will try. You will use your photos, your memories, to save others. Please, promise me this." He thrusted my baby book into my hands. And I promised him. Tears streaked down my face, because even as I said it, his eyes closed. My father, my hope, had gone, never to return.

The morning came. The morning everyone was condemned to die.

"Open up!" A gruff voice yelled as they pounded on the door. I ran to the steps, each of them in sync with the pounding.

Pound, pound, pound, pound, pound, pound. "I said open up!" Just a few more steps. Four... Three...

There was the sound of wood breaking. They must have broke the door down.

By now I was at the top of the steps. I searched, frantically, for the one hope left for us. "Please! Please! Let it be here!" I prayed. I found the book. The same book that was with me at my birth. The same book I had grown up with, strapped to my thigh with a piece of fabric. The same book The had survived the bomb. The same book my father had handed me. I could only hope my father had left me a miracle.

"Come down here or we shoot!" The soldier yelled. "We know you are here." I walked down the staircase. My house was trashed. I was near tears. All of my hard work, gone. My home was not a home, it was a junkyard.

"Why didn't you open the door?" The leader said, and on his shirt was a badge that read, "Sargent".

I remained silent, waiting for a few more seconds.

"Tell me!" He screamed. "Or I kill!!"

" I was searching for my baby book." I said, keeping my voice even. "That is not illegal, is it?"

"Grab it and come." he said, gruffly.

"Shese!" I said, suddenly feeling very sarcastic. Hey, if you are going to die, at least have a laugh. "Hassle much?"

"Shut up!"

"Yep, definitely hassled."

"I said SHUT UP OR I WILL PERSONALLY KILL YOU."

"Stop yelling!" I said, enjoying the scene.

"Enough is ENOUGH!!" He said, pointing his rifle at me, and aiming it at my heart. I sucked in my breath. He wouldn't really shoot me, would he?

Another soldier piped up, "Sir, remember the pay dock?" The Sargent lowered his rifle. I released my breath.

Then I laughed. "The extinction of the entire human race is coming, and you are thinking of your next paycheck? HA!"

"Never mind." The soldier said. "Sir, permission to fire?"

"Commander said to keep the majority of them alive. We already killed thirty-seven. Anymore-" One other soldier exclaimed.

"Fine." The commander barked. "Take him and bring him to the building. I will personally search the rest of this rubble."

"Yes sir!" The soldiers said. They grabbed my arms and pulled me outside, being as rough as possible, I'm sure. I waited until we were a small distance before I began to struggle.

I tried to get away, I really did, but there were four of them, and three of me. Eventually, one of the soldiers pulled a switchblade out of his boot, the same soldier who had almost shot me.

"Enough is enough." His voice was a deeper and more masculine voice than his commanders. He told the soldiers to hold me still, and they did so. He quickly made on quick, effortless cut on up my arm, maybe five inches, and fire shot through me. He slashed my other arm, and my stomach. Not enough to mortally wound me, but enough to scar. And to hurt.

" No more complaints, and we'll forget about it. If not? Chief said not to kill you, but we can most certainly cut it as close to death as we want. Now, quiet up and come."

By now, my body felt like lava.

"Move!" One soldier sneered, and poked a blade at my back.

I stumbled, and almost cried, but held back tears. My hatred grew.

At least they will die. I may not, but they will. And every last lash will be worth it.