Hello friends! Thanks for joining me this week! :) I have an exciting post planned for you today, because it involves my wonderful friend, Eden H.! She has kindly agreed to share one of her short stories here on the blog this month, and maybe more in the future! She is a wonderful writer (and friend! :), and I hope you enjoy her story as much as I did!
~ Make sure to read to the bottom of this post to learn a little more about Eden as well ~
"The Old America"
Snarling fangs snapped viciously. Beady, yellow eyes were staring her down, and a feral hunger could be seen in them. Brynn was standing less than three feet away from the biggest Saber-tooth cat she had ever seen. The faint light of dawn shining through the hole in the wall of the old wreck glistened on the saliva dripping from the six-inch long canines.
Not again, Brynn thought. This is the third time this week!
Slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements, she let her backpack slide down her shoulders. Then, she gently un-zipped it, careful not to take her eyes off the cat. It seemed to be waiting patiently for her to do what she had to. She pulled out a smaller, plastic, Ziplock bag that contained a half-frozen Rotisserie chicken. The Saber-tooth tiger yapped in delight, and Brynn thought it might tackle her for it. Wasting no time, she tossed it out the gaping hole in the wall, and the beast pounced after it. Brynn shivered and walked down the corridor of the old WWIV fighter jet. It appeared the large cat and she reached an understanding. She brought it food, and in turn, it let her explore. She had to hurry if she wanted to finish her business before the animal had finished its breakfast.
Brynn remembered reading about Saber-tooths in her history books. After scientists successfully cloned Wooly mammoths, they decided to try the same tactic, mixing a Saber-tooth cat and a Siberian tiger. It was more than successful. Instead of being sickly like most other clones, these were strong and reproduced faster than expected. Brynn shook her head. Yet another example of man’s “wise inventions” back-firing. By this time, she had reached the cockpit and had crouched beneath the control board to find a mess of wires. Slicing through those, she got to what she really wanted. She plucked out a small, round chip, no larger than a quarter. On the way out of the jet, she checked for the cat, and it was nowhere in sight, yet no doubt nearby. She trudged quickly through the yellow grass, careful to avoiding sharp pieces of metal, spewed about from nearby plane wrecks. World War IV had been going on since before she was born, and 19-year-old Brynn Wilcox knew no other life. She was almost near the door that led back underground. Avoiding the rusty, old, security cams, she slunk up to it, and pushed on the latch. With a disconcerting groan, it opened. She had survived yet another escapade to the surface, and it was almost impossible to believe she finally had the last piece.
Through the underground streets of Old America, she went. Really, this city wasn’t old. It was just the only one still populated on earth. The only other area of civilization that she was aware of, resided in the cold depths of space. New America: the very ones they were fighting. Before long, she was standing outside their three-room apartment building. Even though the blue-grey siding was falling off, the doors and floorboards all creaked, and the garage served as a part-time mechanic shop for their next-door neighbor, it was home.
“Arlan, I’m alive!” called Brynn, tossing her backpack on the couch.
She got no reply.
Hmm, he’s not back yet, she thought. Well, that gives me plenty of time to test the chip
out!
She hurried to the garage with the chip and rushed to the far-right corner. Silently, as if waiting for her, sat a life-less bot. It was tarnished and outdated, but inside its head held valuable information, and Brynn needed it. Too long had her brother been forced to become a man and support her when he was still a boy.
“I’M HOME!”
Brynn jumped. He’d said it a million times, yet his yell always startled her.
“Brynn? Where the blazes are you—” Arlan said as he poked his head in the garage.
She squealed. “Look! I found a programming chip when I was out today. I’ve been collecting parts to repair uncle Robert’s assistant bot. If he’s still alive, this bot will tell us where he is!”
Brynn’s words came in a jumbled slew, and Arlan struggled to keep up. He kept looking from Brynn to the bot, to Brynn again.
“Let’s try the chip now,” Brynn said eagerly. It was rare for her to squeal, but this had given her hope. She was sure her brother would be proud of her. They could find their uncle, and finally live like a real family again.
Arlan pulled her aside. His eyes were sparkling with something new. He had something to tell her too. “Brynn, they were rounding up volunteer recruits in the streets today.”
Brynn squinted. What? What did this have to do with the bot?
He continued, “I’m going to volunteer.”
Her knees gave out, and she hit the floor with a thump. Arlan couldn’t have hurt her worse if he had punched her in the stomach. Panic surged through her veins and her head swam.
No, no, no!
“Brynn! What did I say? Are you alright?”
She coughed, and her head ached. He wanted to volunteer to fight in the war. He was leaving her, just like their parents.
“H-how could you do this?” she said, almost spitting out the words.
Arlan drew back as if stung. “What do you mean? Our city needs recruits. I want to fight!”
“I need you! The city can fight its own wars. You’re just going to abandon me?”
Brynn knew her words were like venom. They were harsh and cruel, but she couldn’t seem to stop them from coming out.
“You’re just like them,” Brynn cried. Arlan knew who she was speaking of. “All you care about is your own life and ambitions, not me.”
The silent look on Arlan’s face said a thousand words. He clenched his jaw tightly and thundered out of the room, tears in his eyes. Brynn screamed and threw the chip at the wall. It was no use to her now. Inside, she felt broken, as if the small spark of hope and rebellion she had been clinging to all these years had been snuffed out.
A wild thought came to her head, and she went to Arlan’s bedroom. In the closet, there was a little box hidden in the corner. She found it years ago, but Arlan didn’t know it. Inside was a framed photo of Brynn and Arlan with their parents. That was taken 13 years ago, only a little while before they decided they had enough, snuck on a ship for New America, and left their kids behind to fend for themselves. Brynn shivered every time she recalled it. She had hated them ever since, but… Arlan did not. Brynn knew he forgave them. She didn’t understand how or why, but he had always been kind and loving towards those who were mean to him, and Brynn had just treated him like dirt. Tears came, though she tried to keep them back. Because of her harsh words, Arlan likely went to volunteer anyway. She hadn’t even said goodbye.
Suddenly, she heard the soft sound of the door shutting behind her. She turned, and to her
amazement, there was Arlan.
“I won’t go,” he whispered. “I won’t leave you, and I’m sorry for thinking so selfishly.”
Brynn’s jaw dropped. He was the selfish one? Despite all she had said, he was willing to forsake his honorable ambitions for her selfish ones. She was amazed, and suddenly she wanted to be like him; she wanted to stop thinking only about herself for once and change.
“Oh, Arlan,” she said softly. “I don’t know why you would ever come back for me. I
want you to go. You need this.”
The change in his expression was instant. “Really? Are you sure?” he paused, then after a reassuring nod from her, said, “I’m going to volunteer right now. I’ll be back!”
He kissed her cheek and rushed from the room in a flurry of excitement. Brynn let out a sigh. She couldn’t just sit home and wait in fear for him as he’s out saving the planet. She’d help him somehow.
On the garage floor sat her little programming chip. She picked it up, walked over to the bot, and plugged it in.
The bot whirred for several moments, then a mechanical voice started speaking.
“Rebooting…Assessing location…Evaluating system conditions.”
Bing!
“Greetings, Robert Wilcox. How may I assist you?”
About the Writer
Hello, there. For those of you that were wondering, I am an aspiring artist and writer that hopes to possibly do something with her work someday. I enjoy spending time outside on summer days swimming, hiking, camping, having cookouts, you name it, as long as it’s with friends or family. 😉 I love to read books, play violin, ambush my little brothers, put together jigsaw puzzles, watch movies with friends, and try new things. If you like The Lord of The Rings, then we can be good friends. 😁 { Eden Hawthorne }
Ahhhhhhh, wasn't that wonderful? I hope you guys enjoyed the story, and please share your thoughts below this post, Eden and I would love to hear from you!
Thank you Eden for being willing to share your writing with us, and I can't wait to (hopefully) read more from you in the future! <3
I will see you guys again very soon!
