hershchocben
12-01-2008, 08:13 PM
Well this is a story prologue that I've written. It is set in the near future and as the title suggests is about war. WARNING for the squeamish, there is a fair amount of violence.
DATE: DECEMBER 7TH 2061
He walked down the streets of Broadway and Columbus as casually as anyone would and traded smiles with those who were willing to give him eye to eye contact. He inhaled deeply, and savored the crisp December air of the city that never slept. It was a sharp sting to the nostrils, but a refreshing jolt that had slight traces of the local bakery, car exhaust, and a latté from the late business executive who rushed by Starbucks. The sky was a crystalline blue and signaled a sunny day, but the temperature spoke a different story. It was between the time where the first snowflake had not yet fallen, and the autumn leaves on all the trees had vanished. He could feel the rays of sunshine greeting his face and it was a welcome gift to receive.
He listened to the various sounds that plagued and encompassed all of the Big Apple, from the city pigeons cooing and flapping their wings, to the never ending construction worker’s jackhammers drilling into concrete. He could hear car brakes squealing, rush hour’s honking, radio’s blaring everything from country to hip hop as well as Christmas carols, cameras clicking and flashing, not to mention the city’s denizens talking incessantly to their phones. The sounds that would drive a rural or country person mad, yet they are the only sounds that would make a New Yorker sleep comfortably.
He could see the dewdrops that coated blades of grass, drip and disappear into the soil. The colors of this day seemed to have high resolution, appearing in a stronger color than usual. The grass seemed greener, and the fruit stands seemed like proverbial rainbows. He could see Christmas decorations all throughout the city, from fresh evergreen trees, coated with dozens of colors, to fake cheesy Santa Clause figures that moved and ho hoed like a drunken grandfather. The skyscrapers always seemed as if they were alive as well, they towered over the town, and they were the characters that gave life to the city. The plethora of sights, amalgam of smells, and cacophony of sounds was unrivalled anywhere else.
He had been gone for nearly two decades, and the memories seemed to be flooding into his mind. He was now near Central Park and its massive acreage. He remembered going here whenever he could as a young child, where he would always play and hang out near the reservoir during the warm summer days. He kept walking, past the tourists, joggers, and dog walkers until he reached his old playground. There were no boats there, nor any animals, just birds; the water was most likely hypothermic inducing. There were barely any people around, only an old woman who was feeding a few pigeons, and a young man leaning on the side fence. He sat on a bench and waited for his students to arrive. It had no doubt retained the freezing cold from the night before. The metal felt like ice. Good thing he wore a thick jacket, and an extra layer of pants.
He closed his eyes and willingly let his mind wander. He gladly reminisced on nostalgic memories of the past, his times here with his friends and love. He remembered her face. Her smile, the smile that ignored his foolish nature and saw his love for her. Her infectious laughter that could make a Queen‘s Guard break into merriment. Her beauty, that could make any person fall in love with her. He also remembered his best friend, whom he knew since they were children, getting and stirring up trouble together. They were inseparable, and to most appeared like brothers. And then he remembered his children, who were without a doubt adults now. The night he left them hauntingly replayed in his mind constantly like a broken record. But now, all that he had was gone. He could never return to those most dear to him. This thought made him rush back to reality and he opened his eyes. It took a few seconds to readjust to the light. As he did he saw one of his pupils sit next to him, a young man who had seen so much already.
“Thinking about something sir?”
“You could say that.”
“What would you like us to do?”
“Oh so many things. When I leave the park, I want you to strike.”
“Strike sir?”
“I want you all to take out everything that breathes. I want everything destroyed. I mean men, women, children, pets, kill them all. This is only the first step. Step two will come when the cavalry arrives. But don’t worry I’ll be back by then. Hopefully we can coerce them with this.”
“And you, what are you going to do sir?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason, just a bit curious.”
“I’m going to see some old friends, all of whom I haven’t seen in such a long time. Anyways, do what I told you, and we will be one step closer.” The young man nodded silently.
“Of course sir.”
He got up from the bench and dusted his jacket. He saw five more of his students standing still, awaiting orders from him. He looked at the young man he had talked with and signaled him to stand. The young man obeyed without hesitation and walked towards the others. He gave a nod of approval to his students, before walking away. One woman stepped forward, and asked him something before he left.
“Sir? What of the Resistance, they will surely come here.”
“Don’t worry, I will deal with them. Just do your job, and I will do mine.” he said with his back still towards them.
“Yes sir, my apologies.”
“Any more questions?” He was answered with silence.
“Very well. Go now.” He waited until he could hear receding footsteps behind him, before he began walking back on his trail.
As he continued walking away he thought of the Resistance, which he started himself over forty years ago. It seems fitting that he be their undoing as well. Such a shame he thought with a slight grin. As he finally got out of the park, he looked at the unsuspecting citizens going about their daily lives as they always have, oblivious to what would befall them. As he walked he saw a young beautiful woman, seemingly an accountant, drop her case of papers. He walked up and helped her pick them up.
“Oh, this is truly embarrassing, thank you sir.”
“No problem miss. Crappy weather huh, might’ve caught you off guard.”
“Yeah I guess, but it’s just a normal day in New York. This sadly happens to me all the time, I'm pretty clumsy.” she said with a smile.
“That’s too bad, but like you said this is just another day. Maybe tomorrow will be different.”
“I doubt it, but maybe you’re right. Thanks again.” She said happily as she finished picking up the last of her papers.
“You’re welcome, well I’ve gotta run, I’ve got a meeting that I might be late for.”
“Oh please go right ahead. I don’t want to get you into trouble. Thank you again for the help, it’s rare to find such a gentleman here.”
“Well, usually when someone sees a good deed, they end up doing one themselves. Hopefully I've inspired someone. ”
“That’s probably very true. Well thank you again.”
“You’re very welcome, have a great day.”
“Thanks, you too.” She said as she walked back in the other direction.
As he continued walking he heard an explosion that was only a few hundred feet away. He saw people screaming and running, he could feel the floor vibrate slightly. There were the sounds of more explosions as well as sirens bellowing, and guns bursting. He saw another blast this time in his field of vision, a taxi that was thrown from somewhere behind him at the building on the curb as if it were a toy. It created a fantastic sight of red, orange, and yellow flames combining and dancing with one another. The heat warmed his cold face, but the sound was deafening. Countless bodies flew away from the explosion and were tossed through store windows and parked cars. Some were caught in the flares, and he could hear anguished cries of pain and begging. He could smell the familiar odor of burning bodies filling the air. Black smoke started to darken the sky around him; it seemed as if the Armageddon itself arrived in a grand fashion.
Still walking forward, seemingly unfazed by all that was happening around him, he saw a cop crawling on the floor with a bloody trail behind him, with a portion of his leg missing. He followed the trail with his eyes and saw it leading to a car crash. A tangled mess of broken glass and metal, he could hear a dying siren making a noise that sounded like a videogame from the eighties.
He stopped walking as he heard the woman he had just met scream OH MY GOD! As she ran past him, he saw that she left behind all her possessions. Then another explosion threw her high up like a doll at the fourth or fifth story of a business building, before falling like a lead balloon onto a parked white SUV with a sickening splat and crash. The vehicle was now splattered all over with blood and broken glass. Her face was completely unrecognizable, a raw and horrific mess. He could hear her moaning loudly for a few seconds before finally stopping.
As he looked around he saw dozens if not hundreds of corpses littering the streets of New York like trash. He saw the bodies of the elderly, and adolescent, as well as the adult and infantile. No one was excused from Death’s grasp. He also saw dogs running away from their dead owners, some barked in futility, and the very unfortunate ones were struck by runaway vehicles. He saw hundreds more people running and shoving each other as they tried to run away from their tormentors. He saw cars hoping to escape, only to end up running over living people who were tossed aside like road kill. They ran over dead as well, creating loud crunching sounds, before it careened into a wall and burst into a fireball of flames. He saw more police cars pass him a mad pace confused on what problem to get to first.
The blue sky was now gone, replaced by a thick black haze that limited his view to only a few feet in front of him. The only sounds he could hear were gunshots, explosions, or screaming. The smells were horrible and painful, the scent of burning material and smoke, strong enough for him to taste it, the taste of ash and dirt. The wonderful sensations his senses had earlier were now being subjected torture. Yet he still eerily smiled to himself before he continued walking calmly amidst the chaos.
“Ha, it’s just another day. Just another day.” he said with a light chuckle as he began whistling the tune of American Pie by Don Mclean. He could still remember the lyrics of the chorus, and thought amusingly on how fitting it was to this particular situation.
Bye bye Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing this will be the day that I die. This will be the day that I die.
DATE: DECEMBER 7TH 2061
He walked down the streets of Broadway and Columbus as casually as anyone would and traded smiles with those who were willing to give him eye to eye contact. He inhaled deeply, and savored the crisp December air of the city that never slept. It was a sharp sting to the nostrils, but a refreshing jolt that had slight traces of the local bakery, car exhaust, and a latté from the late business executive who rushed by Starbucks. The sky was a crystalline blue and signaled a sunny day, but the temperature spoke a different story. It was between the time where the first snowflake had not yet fallen, and the autumn leaves on all the trees had vanished. He could feel the rays of sunshine greeting his face and it was a welcome gift to receive.
He listened to the various sounds that plagued and encompassed all of the Big Apple, from the city pigeons cooing and flapping their wings, to the never ending construction worker’s jackhammers drilling into concrete. He could hear car brakes squealing, rush hour’s honking, radio’s blaring everything from country to hip hop as well as Christmas carols, cameras clicking and flashing, not to mention the city’s denizens talking incessantly to their phones. The sounds that would drive a rural or country person mad, yet they are the only sounds that would make a New Yorker sleep comfortably.
He could see the dewdrops that coated blades of grass, drip and disappear into the soil. The colors of this day seemed to have high resolution, appearing in a stronger color than usual. The grass seemed greener, and the fruit stands seemed like proverbial rainbows. He could see Christmas decorations all throughout the city, from fresh evergreen trees, coated with dozens of colors, to fake cheesy Santa Clause figures that moved and ho hoed like a drunken grandfather. The skyscrapers always seemed as if they were alive as well, they towered over the town, and they were the characters that gave life to the city. The plethora of sights, amalgam of smells, and cacophony of sounds was unrivalled anywhere else.
He had been gone for nearly two decades, and the memories seemed to be flooding into his mind. He was now near Central Park and its massive acreage. He remembered going here whenever he could as a young child, where he would always play and hang out near the reservoir during the warm summer days. He kept walking, past the tourists, joggers, and dog walkers until he reached his old playground. There were no boats there, nor any animals, just birds; the water was most likely hypothermic inducing. There were barely any people around, only an old woman who was feeding a few pigeons, and a young man leaning on the side fence. He sat on a bench and waited for his students to arrive. It had no doubt retained the freezing cold from the night before. The metal felt like ice. Good thing he wore a thick jacket, and an extra layer of pants.
He closed his eyes and willingly let his mind wander. He gladly reminisced on nostalgic memories of the past, his times here with his friends and love. He remembered her face. Her smile, the smile that ignored his foolish nature and saw his love for her. Her infectious laughter that could make a Queen‘s Guard break into merriment. Her beauty, that could make any person fall in love with her. He also remembered his best friend, whom he knew since they were children, getting and stirring up trouble together. They were inseparable, and to most appeared like brothers. And then he remembered his children, who were without a doubt adults now. The night he left them hauntingly replayed in his mind constantly like a broken record. But now, all that he had was gone. He could never return to those most dear to him. This thought made him rush back to reality and he opened his eyes. It took a few seconds to readjust to the light. As he did he saw one of his pupils sit next to him, a young man who had seen so much already.
“Thinking about something sir?”
“You could say that.”
“What would you like us to do?”
“Oh so many things. When I leave the park, I want you to strike.”
“Strike sir?”
“I want you all to take out everything that breathes. I want everything destroyed. I mean men, women, children, pets, kill them all. This is only the first step. Step two will come when the cavalry arrives. But don’t worry I’ll be back by then. Hopefully we can coerce them with this.”
“And you, what are you going to do sir?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason, just a bit curious.”
“I’m going to see some old friends, all of whom I haven’t seen in such a long time. Anyways, do what I told you, and we will be one step closer.” The young man nodded silently.
“Of course sir.”
He got up from the bench and dusted his jacket. He saw five more of his students standing still, awaiting orders from him. He looked at the young man he had talked with and signaled him to stand. The young man obeyed without hesitation and walked towards the others. He gave a nod of approval to his students, before walking away. One woman stepped forward, and asked him something before he left.
“Sir? What of the Resistance, they will surely come here.”
“Don’t worry, I will deal with them. Just do your job, and I will do mine.” he said with his back still towards them.
“Yes sir, my apologies.”
“Any more questions?” He was answered with silence.
“Very well. Go now.” He waited until he could hear receding footsteps behind him, before he began walking back on his trail.
As he continued walking away he thought of the Resistance, which he started himself over forty years ago. It seems fitting that he be their undoing as well. Such a shame he thought with a slight grin. As he finally got out of the park, he looked at the unsuspecting citizens going about their daily lives as they always have, oblivious to what would befall them. As he walked he saw a young beautiful woman, seemingly an accountant, drop her case of papers. He walked up and helped her pick them up.
“Oh, this is truly embarrassing, thank you sir.”
“No problem miss. Crappy weather huh, might’ve caught you off guard.”
“Yeah I guess, but it’s just a normal day in New York. This sadly happens to me all the time, I'm pretty clumsy.” she said with a smile.
“That’s too bad, but like you said this is just another day. Maybe tomorrow will be different.”
“I doubt it, but maybe you’re right. Thanks again.” She said happily as she finished picking up the last of her papers.
“You’re welcome, well I’ve gotta run, I’ve got a meeting that I might be late for.”
“Oh please go right ahead. I don’t want to get you into trouble. Thank you again for the help, it’s rare to find such a gentleman here.”
“Well, usually when someone sees a good deed, they end up doing one themselves. Hopefully I've inspired someone. ”
“That’s probably very true. Well thank you again.”
“You’re very welcome, have a great day.”
“Thanks, you too.” She said as she walked back in the other direction.
As he continued walking he heard an explosion that was only a few hundred feet away. He saw people screaming and running, he could feel the floor vibrate slightly. There were the sounds of more explosions as well as sirens bellowing, and guns bursting. He saw another blast this time in his field of vision, a taxi that was thrown from somewhere behind him at the building on the curb as if it were a toy. It created a fantastic sight of red, orange, and yellow flames combining and dancing with one another. The heat warmed his cold face, but the sound was deafening. Countless bodies flew away from the explosion and were tossed through store windows and parked cars. Some were caught in the flares, and he could hear anguished cries of pain and begging. He could smell the familiar odor of burning bodies filling the air. Black smoke started to darken the sky around him; it seemed as if the Armageddon itself arrived in a grand fashion.
Still walking forward, seemingly unfazed by all that was happening around him, he saw a cop crawling on the floor with a bloody trail behind him, with a portion of his leg missing. He followed the trail with his eyes and saw it leading to a car crash. A tangled mess of broken glass and metal, he could hear a dying siren making a noise that sounded like a videogame from the eighties.
He stopped walking as he heard the woman he had just met scream OH MY GOD! As she ran past him, he saw that she left behind all her possessions. Then another explosion threw her high up like a doll at the fourth or fifth story of a business building, before falling like a lead balloon onto a parked white SUV with a sickening splat and crash. The vehicle was now splattered all over with blood and broken glass. Her face was completely unrecognizable, a raw and horrific mess. He could hear her moaning loudly for a few seconds before finally stopping.
As he looked around he saw dozens if not hundreds of corpses littering the streets of New York like trash. He saw the bodies of the elderly, and adolescent, as well as the adult and infantile. No one was excused from Death’s grasp. He also saw dogs running away from their dead owners, some barked in futility, and the very unfortunate ones were struck by runaway vehicles. He saw hundreds more people running and shoving each other as they tried to run away from their tormentors. He saw cars hoping to escape, only to end up running over living people who were tossed aside like road kill. They ran over dead as well, creating loud crunching sounds, before it careened into a wall and burst into a fireball of flames. He saw more police cars pass him a mad pace confused on what problem to get to first.
The blue sky was now gone, replaced by a thick black haze that limited his view to only a few feet in front of him. The only sounds he could hear were gunshots, explosions, or screaming. The smells were horrible and painful, the scent of burning material and smoke, strong enough for him to taste it, the taste of ash and dirt. The wonderful sensations his senses had earlier were now being subjected torture. Yet he still eerily smiled to himself before he continued walking calmly amidst the chaos.
“Ha, it’s just another day. Just another day.” he said with a light chuckle as he began whistling the tune of American Pie by Don Mclean. He could still remember the lyrics of the chorus, and thought amusingly on how fitting it was to this particular situation.
Bye bye Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing this will be the day that I die. This will be the day that I die.