I lived in a very secluded city, or at least thats what it used to be. Over the years, the city was a bit of a crossfire to fighting countries and occasionally nuclear substances was over the place. Because of this, we has some scientists in and out of the city. It was odd because they had no certifications but were apparently the smartest peiple youd meet. The nuclear substances were not fatal, but enough to make someone sick. One day, there was an emergency broadcast. Everywhere said that there was a bomb, and if we didn’t make it to a shelter than everyone would die in the next two days. They then instructed us to go to different underground shelters around a remote piece of land. So, to avoid death, everyone and myself made their way to one.
The scene was odd to say the least, many people were panicking, having mental breakdowns but everything seemed quiet. It was really kicking in that everything but the little supplies I brought would be turned into dust. We’d have to stay in the shelter for months if not years and I don’t know the people around me, the only person that came with me was my best friend, Ana, who I’ve been around since I was three.
The first few days were blatantly depressing, we had bunkers which were many sets of bunk beds. There was large stalled bathrooms as well, other than those small stalls there was little to no privacy. What was the point through? Just yesterday we heard the bomb drop, the loud explosion followed by what could be described as a large gust of wind hit whatever obstacle in it’s way. Everything just seemed gone, so for the rest of the day and half of the next everyone was quiet as if they were mourning what they lost.
On day ten, we realized that the food we have was limited. We did know, but that was the least of our worries as the bomb dropped four days ago. There was about eighty people staring at the large walk in freezer. Meat, vegetables, food in jars and on the outside was an abundance of canned foods. For now it seemed endless. That’s when the first argument started. Who needs more food, who needs it when, excuses on why they need more food than others that was shot in return with someone else with another reason.
Eventually, someone brought the idea of even rations. For everyone, no matter what everyone would get the same. Thankfully, this made them stop.
It was day twenty. The shelter was relatively at peace, small arguments here and there, nobody had phones. There was no signal, I don’t really know who expected there to be. But in the afternoon, we got a new person. They were pale, had dead looking eyes and just genuinely sick looking. Immediately, people didn’t stay too close to them and for a good reason. I was one of these people, but at least I rarely seen them. Apparently, someone walked into the bathroom and seen the person there, he was looking frantic and scratching at his face as if he were trying to get something out of it.
We had no doctors, no “leaders” besides some people who stepped up to ask what he was doing. That was met with incomprehensible mumbles.
On day twenty-six, he was found dead with self inflicted gashes everywhere. He appeared seemingly out of nowhere, which was something off but everyone assumed he just came in. Because of the bomb we didn’t think anyone was alive to get in, but now there’s a large dresser shoved infront of the door.
It’s day forty. I’m updating occasionally because I don’t have service to send it anywhere and it’s more so to write thoughts down. People are starting to get restless, and rations are lessening by the day. What was three rations were now one a day. People began getting skinnier, yesterday someone tried entertaining everyone in the mess hall area by asking some questions to people around him. A woman glared at him and told him to shut up. We have a radio that never updates, we turn it up to be meant with static. Now, to open the shelter door means to be stabbed or killed somehow because that’s risking contamination and this rule is known. There was no children, the youngest person here is 26.
Its day fifty-two. Eliza, a girl who helped cook the rations went insane and assaulted the woman she worked with. She was twitchy, restless and shaking as she screamed about wanting to go out, that she was sick of everyone here and needs to see anything other than metal walls. It was tense here, Eliza had to be shot because she began trying to shove past the dresser to get outside.
It has been awhile, I didn’t see a point in anything and lost track of my days. It’s been a few months since I updated this. Food has ran out, completely. When I went into the bunkers today, I seen someone gnawing on Elizas arm, I would have recognized that pearl bracelet anywhere. They stared at me, it was only me and her in the room. I couldn’t tell what that look meant, but everyone was starving and I didn’t want to be her next meal. I turned away, and went to do anything else. There was eighty of us, now there is fifty-seven. We don’t know what happens to the bodies but someone deals with them and they’re gone. Over time, the people decided to make a system, trying to gain a bit of society but it was crumbling with the hunger only being filled by a few scraps a week.
We couldn’t leave or see outside in any way, that would contaminate us all. Because of us being so secluded from the rest of the world, we didn’t know much about nuclear or harmful elements, we just knew to stay away from them. When the whole place is infected with it, the shelter is home.
It’s been seventy days. People are eating eachother, there are twenty four of us. I kept forgetting about these writings, I dont really see a point in anything anymore. Our rations are now people, but we only have so much, and everyone is hungry.
From my last update, this would make it seventy-eight days. The shelter is filled with bodies, my chin to chest covered in blood. I had to live, I had to feed. I’m putting my phone in my pocket and running outside. I dont care anymore, whether I die or slowly crumble I can’t be here. The shelter smells of rotting flesh, everyone is quiet. I can’t do it.
I opened the door that was sealed for so long. The grass was bright green, trees large and healthy with a blue sky above me, above everyone.
Ana was the one I had consumed, she died of starvation and would understand why what meat she had on her body had to go to me. Now, I hope she could see how nice the sky is because now, I feel like joining her there.