This story is by Tyler Cameron and was part of our 2021 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
It is crazy how fast everything has been moving since the colonies have been finished. It’s already been 4 years 90% of Earth’s citizens have been evacuated to the main colony around Mars. Unfortunately the advancements in technology have severely shifted to explore and develop the colonies surrounding Mars or as many are now calling it “The New World Program”. However the health departments only could go so far. There are some but for instance people in long lasting comas have been deemed unfit so set up for long term solo care which means they’re left with a battery.
So the last year of life being on Earth has come. As the last ship leaves for the N.W.P.(New World Program) Earth now has a human population of less than 1%.
The view is from the earth watching the last ship leave for the beyond. Its beautiful flames dance through the sky as the smoke trail following turns into giant gray and black storm clouds. Electric Blue and white lighting runs across the night above the small clinical facility which house’s one of earth’s last citizens. A one Mr. Jack Johns coma victim for upwards of 11years. Mr. Johns was inactive for too long for the health board to clear him for space travel. The now raging Storm outside the facility beating down the land as if to punish and cleanse for having harbored the human scum.
Into the dreams of Mr.Johns where he and his family are on a hike through the woods. Up the side of a mountain through Long Tall Pines you could smell the sap on the fresh crisp Mountain Air. Mr. John’s new that this is some of the happiest moments he’s ever had in his life. But something seemed strange to him as every time he would look off in the distance he feels as if he was being watched.
Mr. John does not understand his hazy vision but he takes it as a part of just him being overly happy. When he and his family sat down for the picnic they were journeying for. That’s when the flashes of blue and white come down on him like paparazzi. His vision begins to get Blur-over and fear sets in new is mine as he is taken from his Mountainside Hideaway to the desolate stretcher bed in which he wakes up and finds himself. Mr. John wakes up and rips the mask off of this face gasping for air.
As he tries to sit up his chest is pushed back down under a heavy pressure on him when he opens his eyes he sees a shadow wolf inches from his face. He closed his eyes and took the biggest breath he could, the intense weight still beating down on top of him. Mr.Johns was overwhelmed when he felt the air fill his lungs. So surprised that when he finally caught his breath, his eyes jolted open to find his K9 assailant had disappeared. As he gets to his feet closed his eyes and sees the wolf’s silhouette in the darkness of his mind. The uneasiness of feeling that he’s not alone made him think he was in his own private horror movie.
Mr.Johns struck in the depths and paranoia raced out into the storm. With every flashing clap of thunder he sees the shadow wolf chasing him down. Not stopping for one second guess Mr.John’s jumped without knowing if he’d be ok. Adrenaline in fear pushing him to ignore his own safety. An overwhelming tear consuming him almost growing as strong and fast as the storm grows. As Lightning cracked and struck the structure in front of mr. John’s he scene shelter through the light. A dink wet place where he was able to sit in fear rather than run from it.
The storm breaks along with the dawn still mr. John’s satin fear unable to move being tormented by the Shadow Wolf in which he sees both in the corner of the abandoned building that he found shelter in and the band of notice of his mind every time he closed his eyes.
It was around midday before mr. John’s could find his feet. He no longer believed that he could sit inactive and Paralyzed by fear. Mr. John struck out towards the highest peak you could find like the one he climbed the day he lost his family. Making it to the edge of the cliff where the Shadows could not touch for the light was too strong mr. John took his final steps off of the edge relieving him from the pain of being alone in the suffering of fear.
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