A C i t y I n R u i n s
P r o l o g u e : A D e s e r t e d C i t y
B y : T w i s t e d M u s e

The first thing her eyes came upon when opening them was the grey shrouded sky. There was no colour to it. It seemed to be set in a monotone scale of shades with the sun non-existent. The second thing that became apparent was the wet street she was currently lying on. The damp stone soaked her clothing and chilled her to the bone. Her head lolled to the side to try and catch a glimpse of other life but, again, she was met with the same grey, dreary emptiness as the sky above her. Her eyes scanned the windows of the surrounding buildings and alleyways. The areas she could see, that is. Still, there was not a soul in sight. A ghost town, if you will. When first coming to, she believed this to be another one of those dreams she often had because normal was one word she would not use to describe them or this city. Everything was too real; she could feel and sense all that was around her. This was what told her, in her mind, that this was not a dream. The last thing she remembered doing was going to the book store with Charlie. How had that led her here?

Going against her body and her mind screaming at her to stay put, she sat up and attempted to collect her bearings. She rubbed her eyes fiercely; the sting of dryness evident. After blinking a few times, she rolled over onto her hands and knees. Even when she stood up her body felt strangely heavy. Not a heavy that would indicate a bad night’s sleep, but that would be similar to gravity working against you and forcing you down. She stretched out and groaned, her voice carrying on the wind and ricocheting off the large monuments of what could possibly be a town’s square. Begrudgingly, she started forward and further into the abyss of the ‘ Grey City’, as she had chosen to call it. There wasn’t all that much to see except for the deserted buildings and dead streets. It was sad really; she could imagine a city like this with so much life, but it was left lifeless and abandoned.

She rounded the corner and immediately her hand shot up to cover her nose. A rancid stench permeated the air and left a feeling of death in its wake. As she traveled farther along the cobblestone roads, the scent only grew stronger and more unbearable. She was almost to the point of turning back but the sight coming into view made her continue. The deep, rich red was the only colour she had seen thus far while walking. Its liquid form flowed from a large fountain and now she was certain she had entered the town’s square. She made a beeline for the large object; her feet could have been mistaken for floating, her movements were so hurried. Her eyes narrowed curiously as she leaned over the giant ledge to peer into the fluid. Her own reflection greeted her but she could swear she looked worn out, aged. Dipping her fingers in hesitantly, her own face dispersed into ripples on the water’s surface. She ran her digits together experimentally, testing the texture of the substance. Her tongue danced around the inside of her mouth, her brain taking notice to the sudden lack of saliva.

Glancing back down to the wine coloured liquid, she weighed her options. For one, the ‘water’ could be contaminated, possibly the reason as to why there was no sign of other life. On the other hand, it may not be harmful in the least and could just be an attraction to the town. Considering her thirst, she didn’t see the harm in indulging in a drink. She cupped her hands gracefully, sinking them beneath the still surface to fill them with the crimson essence. Her lips met her palms and she gulped back, taking in a large mouthful. The flavour played on her tongue before the copper assaulted her taste buds and realization hit her. The coppery taste of blood. She spit it out, the bright colour spilling onto the dull road. She choked for a moment, spitting over and over again to rid herself of the evidence of death from her lips. It was then that she spotted the bodies littering the sides of the circular area. Their lifeless eyes stared up into the sky as if begging for God himself to help them. Obviously help was never offered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a large crucifix standing tall above the invisible crowd as if to make some sort of statement.

She slowly walked up, almost scared that the body dangling from the wooden structure might jump at her. When she looked up, she squinted to get a better look at the face. The breath she was in the middle of taking caught in her throat and stopped her heart from beating. She was currently looking into the face of herself, although it was apparent that the version of herself hanging from the cross was years older, early or late thirties. Her body was beaten something horrible. Bones broken and bent out of place, bruises marking the visible skin exposed from the ripped clothing. She was literally staring death in the face, and yet she was still her, somehow staring at her future self and what was to become of her.

Where in the hell was she exactly? Why was she here and why hadn’t she woken up from this nightmare yet? Etched into the wood, beneath the dead carcass’ feet were a few scribbled words and a date. A date that couldn’t be right even if this could somehow be true. The end of a war built solely on the bitterness and hatred of one little girl; August 15, 2203. Yesterday, if she could call it that, was the year 2005. The body that hung before her was her, only two hundred years old and still looking as young as thirty. If only she had someone to ask questions, but the only ones around to hear her were the empty roads of an equally deserted city.

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So I decided to start something new. This hasn’t been revised at all so please excuse my mistakes. For those of you reading my other story Why Bite Me, I am still working on it but I need to get some things out of my system. The next chapter should be coming out shortly.

This is some-what of a metaphor for what I’m going through right now I suppose. I am currently going through some issues and this is the way I appear to be venting myself. I pretty much have this story worked out though, so it should be interesting what my mind works up in between.

Remember R&R, I like to know what you think.

Serpents Vanity