Sounds of people crying and shouting were but an old song to my ears at this point. Looking outside the window while the soldiers brought out food for the starving population. A frozen potato was all that they could even afford, while the children were satisfied, the grown ups could never be filled by something as simple as a singular potato…
I looked away and sat down in the small road to the side of the main road, well if it could even be called a road.
It had been a few years now that earth had been taken over by aliens. It was foolish of us to expect that seeing aliens was good news for us, that they would welcome us with open arms. If only we hadn't opened a wormhole… if only I hadn't created the damn thing. Well I could only reminisce about the whole ordeal as now only a few strongholds were left in the north were the creatures seemed to have problems taking over.
A small town that seemed to come out of the medieval ages was where I resided. Up to the north of Estonia, a small place with a few hundred villagers still left, none who I knew well. There was a library, a blacksmith who used ancient tools. Edvin was the blacksmith who said he used to do larps and thus the tools, not that it mattered. Finally, the town had a church.
The church was full again this morning, everyone seems to have turned to God, for help. But it wasn't my type to believe in such a thing and anyways if I believed in it, I knew that my destination was straight to hell, so why would I even want to believe in such a thing?
Well, it didn't matter anymore, I would know the answer soon enough as I would join the few thousands of stars in the sky…
The sky was beautiful, after a big reform in the global laws on light pollution it was finally possible to see the thousands of stars that should have been there. On this night we could even part of our Milky Way, well its center of it were the blackhole and the wormhole resided were at the very least. I looked at it with tears in my eyes... just how… how had my passion for these magical things led to the destruction of humanity… I smiled bitterly before standing up.
As I walked towards my cabin at the top of the little slope, we had in our village I picked up a potato. I should at the very least have a meal before I leave should I not? I was lucky in many regards considering the situation; my cabin still had some power and thus I could afford to warm at my fireplace my frozen potato. It was a 2-room building, the main room having a dinning table, the fireplace and a small kitchen with old tools and dishes. The other room was my bedroom, in it a singular bed. On the walls I had hanged up the few pictures I still had of me and my friends from way back when… when they were still alive. My wife kim… I missed her so much, if only I hadn't been so scared of death I would of joined her long ago instead of delaying the inevitable.
I took a last took around my little abode, I had already reminisced enough in the past few days but I couldn't help it, I wanted to at the very least finish my time with good memories in my mind, not the horrible things I had done. But again, I couldn't hold the emotions inside…
Everyone… I'm… I'm so so sorry for everything, please… please find it in your hearts to forgive me. I know yes, I don't deserve them, any of it, I led humanity to its destruction and made you guys into test subjects… I wont ever forgive myself… But if you guys do… maybe… maybe I can truly rest in peace…
I was looking at a picture of me and my friends and co-workers, behind us was the project of our lifetime and the beginning of our hell…
I looked down, not wanting to think about it anymore, I took the rest of what I needed to end everything. In my hands a rope and a small stool. I walked outside, attacked by the snow, in the sky the stars couldn't be seen anymore, covered by the clouds of the snowstorm that was happening currently. I smiled bitterly, it seemed like I wouldn't have a nice and peaceful death in the end, but it was karma for everything I did surely. I started to walk towards the forest, looking for a suitable tree, one were I could attach the rope without too much problem.
My hands were getting cold, I didn't wear gloves because I didn't imagine it would take so long, but here I was now with blue fingers and my whole body trembling, I had finally found a suitable tree but I simply couldn't manage to attach the rope to the tree. I sat down defeated, so I wasn't allowed even a peaceful death in the end, I wanted to cry but as soon as I would it would freeze. A small line of ice covered my cheeks instead as it grew bit by bit, my cheeks were now red and swollen and I couldn't even bend my fingers anymore. I moved up to the tree and sat down, looking at the couldy sky, well what I could see of it with the snow covering it. I could feel the fatigue coming over me, my bodily functions wernt responding, I could barely keep my eyes open…
The snow was finally setting over me permanently, my legs already were, and it was starting to reach my stomach, it was time for me to rest, to go to hell or wherever I would go, I could finally rest.
The snow embraced the man, his black hair and green eyes that could resembles green jades. The worn down didn't reflect the atmosphere of the man, with glasses and an air of wisdom around him, it was clear that the man had a spent a long and sorrowful life. But, as a man once said, snow embraces all and this man, Henry Archeus was covered by a warm blanket of snow as he went on, on his journey.
My eyes hurt, and my head was really foggy. I thought I was dead… what was happening? Had one of the villagers come to help save me? No that wouldn't make sense, it was a normal occurrence for someone to go hang themselves and no one would go and help them, let alone me who had no friends in the town. It didn't make sense but I couldn't do anything about it for now, I wanted to go back and rest before I had to go back and attempt it again. I rolled to the side and my mind went adrift again, slowly falling asleep.
I was slowly woken up again to the sounds of someone talking close to me…
I'm telling you… yes yes… around… he turned around
Were they talking about me? The voices had something that didn't seem similar to me… I couldn't quite tell. I tried to open my eyes and turn my body around to see what was happening around me. I groaned and turned around; it was to be expected after I got frostbite on multiple parts of my body.
As I opened my eyes I saw before me something that I never would have expected. I big room with a beautiful décor, one like you would see in those medieval books. My eyes hurt from the sunshine coming in from the window. It illuminated the whole room, outside there were trees, flowers, a blue sky. I felt emotions welling up inside me again. I cried slowly… how long had it been since I had seen such greenery? Too long.. way too long…
Joel… are… are you ok?
I turned around, I had completely forgotten that there were people around me. I looked around and saw a maid and a butler, the maid had long brown hair, attached in a ponytail and her eyes were the same colour of brown as her hair. She had a small figure and seemed to be around 20 years old, she had a distinguished attire, on her suit was embroidered a red flower surrounded by vines. It was a cypress vine. On her face she wore a stressed expression, as if she didn't know what to do.
The man beside her had the typical butler attire would one imagine, he on the contrary had black hair and beautiful blue eyes. On his suit the same flower could be seen. Unlike the maid he wore a genuinely surprised expression on his face. Seems like something was going on about me.
I looked up at them and waved shyly.
H…hello
My voice clearly seemed to have a difficult time coming out, so I didn't force it and just smiled at them awkwardly not truly knowing what to do.
The maid burst into tears as soon as she heard me talk, rushing towards me and screaming something to the butler but sadly I couldn't quite work out what she said as I my mind still felt fuzzy… in fact it was getting worse with every second that was passing by.
Joel stay with us! Don't fall asleep aga… Keep…
I could see the women talking but I couldn't understand what she was saying anymore, just words going threw one ear to the other, I guess my mind still needed rest, I should give it some rest… I should sleep…