Chapter I

It hasn’t always been this way. There used to be a time, it seems like it was ages ago, when we were free. When everyone could do whatever they wanted, had freedom in their choice of job, freedom in their choice of love, of food and of friends. There was a time when there were rightful laws and people were free. We used to call these times “Democracy”. People were happy. At least, most of them. Then it happened. Without warning, the day came when everything changed. The sky turned red at first, then it darkened. The earth began to tremble. Every building around us collapsed. I was twelve years old, just outside the building where my parents, my little brother and I used to live. My first instinct was to run away, so I ran for almost five minutes, then I remembered that my mum and dad were still inside. I turned around but instead of the building I expected to see there were only ruins. Tears were sliding down my cheek as I was running towards it. Then the earth trembled again and I tripped. I fell. Time stopped.

I woke up 3 days later in a hospital. Everywhere around me were people. Or whatever was left of them. Many of them were missing limbs, like the lady who will only need half of a blanket from now on, since she only had the hands left. Others were wrapped in bloody bandages, strangely reminding me of mummies, except the people here were still alive. I will never forget the smell of death and decay which surrounded us. Years after I’ve been dismissed from the hospital, I heard that the cadavers have been stacked in the basement, because all the cold rooms were already occupied.

I tried to stand up. A nurse came to me and told me that it would be better if I kept on lying there. She asked my name. “Jamie,” I told her. “Jamie Spencer.” She nodded at me and wrote my name on the clipboard she was holding. I asked her whether any of my relatives were in the hospital. She checked her clipboard and answered, “I have only one more Spencer on my list, Carl Spencer.” I did not know anyone in my family who went by the name of Carl. In the first second I was relieved. It meant that no one from my family was hurt and needed medical care. Then I remembered the ruins of our house. “Has anyone asked for me while I was here?” I asked. “Not that I know of. I’ll ask the other nurses and let you know. Have a good rest now, you need it,” she said. I wanted to protest, to tell her I wasn’t tired at all, that I wanted to find out what happened to my family, what happened to me, what happened to the city, what happened at all. But the darkness came and I was unconscious once more.

When I woke up again, it was dark. I stood up from my bed carefully. There was only silence and darkness. I walked to the window and looked out. The whole city was engulfed in darkness. The moon was the only source of light. And horror struck me. Everywhere I looked, there were only shades of ruins, only very few buildings were still standing. The city, once very alive at any time of the day, was now silent. Dead.

I managed to crawl back into my bed, trying not to cry, trying not to let anyone else know that I knew. I fell asleep again. I woke up the second day and I saw the nurse I talked to the day before standing near my bed and I asked her if she knew more of my family. She had a very sad look on her face. She sat on my bed next to me and told me that no one had asked for me ever since I came here.

Even though I expected it, it still tore my heart apart. But I did not give up hope. “They could still be alive, right?” I asked. She told me that there was a chance they had survived if they managed to get to the basement on time. I clung to that hope. They could not be dead. If my family was dead, it meant… it meant I was alone. All alone.

“What happened?”, I asked. “Listen, I think you should rest for now. We’ll talk later.”, was the only answer I got. And there I lay on my bed, the only person in the room who wasn’t wearing any bandages, who had gotten away with nothing more than a few scratches. I felt only emptiness inside me. I fell asleep again.

***

“There was an earthquake. The city lies in ruins.” She told me. It wasn’t anything new to me, I’ve seen the city. I’ve seen the darkness and the silence which engulfed it. “I’m sorry, I can’t stay any longer. I must take care of others.” She left.

I did not understand it then. I was so sad, felt so left alone, no one to stay with me, no one to hug me or make me feel safe. No reassurance.