Ben

It began with the moonrise, the ghostly sphere a silent witness. As angels slept, shadows began to stir. Soon puddles of blood began to stain the marble steps, quiet voices began to gurgle into silence, and greedy fingers slowly lifted the glass. A single ruby, expertly cut and polished to perfection. An unassuming relic, with the power to level nations. For millennia it had served as a source of life, feeding the surrounding mountainside with its limitless vibrancy. Yet as those predatory hands plucked it from its perch, the mountain was covered in a bright red glow. The explosion that followed was heard around the world. A third of life on the planet, gone, in an instant. The survivors left to wither in a dying world. No one would learn the name of the thief, no one would care to. All they could do was writhe, clinging to life, like a snake under someone’s heel. The old world was gone, and the new one was hell. Dark ash blotted out the heavens, turning something as simple as a blue sky into nothing more than a myth. Plants refused to grow. Animals choked to death on the soot filled air. Rivers overflowed with the bodies of the hopeless. Coin is worthless and knives are salvation. Brittle trust became the constant. Your brother as likely to slit your throat, as he is to take a breath. Everybody knows there is nothing they can do but pray. Pray to their gods, their ancestors, to any voice they hope is listening. Yet nothing was spoken back. The world continued to turn, but even her skin was beginning to pale like that of a corpse. A question weighed on everyone’s lips, is this the end? Many crumbled under the weight, but a few clung to hope, believing there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. This hope clings to a group of young adventurers, desperate to save their world. Blissfully unaware of the lengths their so-called friends are willing to go to survive.

The small village of Beaulès, while having survived the initial blast, was now a shadow of its former self. The shockwave from the blast had dissipated to a gentle breeze by the time it reached Beaulès, but chunks of rock and earth came raining down for days after the initial explosion. Ash and soot continues to fall like rain, covering everything in a blanket of white. The once cool water of the river that cuts through the little town, now burns to the touch. Bodies choke the roads. Some with deep cuts, others with no visible scars. Despite this, signs of life, though faint, are everywhere.

“No you’re doing it wrong Lily,” I snapped, snatching the bag from Lily’s hand, “you don’t just pour the water into the bag, you have to put gravel in it first. It’s to filter out the ash you idiot.”

“I’m trying my best Ben,” Lily whined, tears in her eyes. She’s so damn sensitive, I note, hiding a sneer.

“Cut her some slack Ben, we are all new to this,” Alexander admitted, trying to calm us all down. “We need to work together if we are going to save the world,” he grinned, though he couldn’t keep his smile from cracking. I wonder why, there’s no saving this world, I brush off the thought before it gets too heavy.

“You guys done with the filter yet? I’m getting thirsty,” Rue asked from her perch upon a collapsed tree, running her hands up and down the bark as if she were consoling it.

I would be if Lily could be competent for once. I kept that thought to myself, instead settling on, “just give me a minute.” I grabbed the sack and began shoving as much loose rocks and gravel into the bag as I could. It was a crude filter and wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be better than drinking straight from the river. That didn’t really mean much, piss was easier to swallow than that sludge that used to be water. After pouring some sand into the sack I called it good, well, good enough. “It’s done,” I said as I turned back to my friends, “we probably want to boil the water too, but I’m not sure Rue’s going to let us burn her precious wooden friends.” That earned me a glare from her, but she didn’t say anything, probably just thinking about how to kill me in my sleep.

“Nice job Ben,” Alex smiled, “now we can finally have some water that doesn’t burn your throat on the way down.” He chuckled, the once charming sound now grating to my ears. All of our voices sounded horse, a side effect of drinking straight from the river.

“Yeah, yeah,” I say to get him to stop, “let’s see how well it works.” I scoop up some of the sludgy river water in my hands, ignoring how it feels like I’m holding needles, and pour it into my filter. It soaks through the sack, the water leaking out of the bottom dirty, but cleaner than it was going in. “Not perfect, but definitely an upgrade,” I smile at my accomplishment, the feeling surprisingly foreign. Though it quickly fades as Rue snatches the bag from my hands, holding it above her open mouth to drink the grey water.

“Bleh, still tastes horrible,” she gags, before continuing to drink until the sack ran dry. At least save some for the rest of us, I frown. “Though at least my throat’s not closing up,” she adds quietly, “good idea Ben.” I pause, we’re all on edge, I didn’t need to be so harsh. I keep the thought to myself, but swallow down the venom on my tongue.

“No problem,” I utter back, my attention shifting to Lily who’s still on the verge of tears. We all lost our home, all knew our families were gone, all knew the world was ending. “Hey Lily,” I whisper as I crouch down beside her, “we got this you know, we’re going to undo all of this.” She meets my gaze, rubbing her red eyes. “You always wanted to be a hero, so how about we save the world?” I ask, hoping to bring some joy back to her face. A part of me tells me not to lie to her, but I bury that voice down.

She sniffles, “you’re right Ben, we are going to save the world.” She wraps her arms around me, “I’m just, I’m so scared.”

I pat her head, “I am too, but we at least have each other.” I hold back my own tears, this feeling reminding me of my little sister back home. I shake my head, willing the thought to go away. We might as well get started trying to save the world, we ought to check out the library like we came here to do. Maybe, just maybe there’s a story or tale with a solution to our problems. Before I can voice my thoughts to the group, an arrow flies through the air, embedding itself in my calf. My veins light up and a hoarse scream claws its way out of my throat. I’m not even given a chance to turn and see my attacker as another arrow pierces my chestplate. I feel weightless, tipping over to look up at the sky. My back slams into the group, knocking the air from my lungs. My vision blurs as I writhe, desperate for air. A scream rings through the air and it takes me a second to realize it’s not mine.