Chapter One - The Beginning of the End

First POV

It was March 1, 1987 when the whole world turned into hell on earth, the giant nuclear + atomic war that happened all at once with everywhere that had access to these things. Everything fired at once. Now, you may be wondering how I'm still alive.. well sorry to burst your bubble but I'm not alive. My mind is still mentally alive but no other part of my body. I sometimes try to move my fingers or toes but it ends in failure, I think everyone was blown to pieces but I'm not sure so I won't assume. The worst part about this is that I can't remember a lot about the world, only little bits come to me here and there. I wonder if anyone is alive or even alive in their mind like I am. That thing they speak about in church.. what was it? Oh, that's right! I haven't been sent to as they say, heaven or hell. All I see is darkness and sometimes the darkness is filled with these small flashes of information and that's how I've learned to speak real words.

I don't remember my name but I think it started with a "J" maybe it was James. James sounds like a rude name, I think I'll go with John.. it sounds like a fun name. I can't remember a lot of my family but I remember where I came from! I think I'm Dominican Republican or British so royalty or pretty beaches? Doesn't matter anyway because I'll never see whatever it was again... I remember this girl.. or boy maybe? I don't remember but they had beautiful dark brown eyes.. I got lost in them every time I looked into them. The world is cruel to make me go through the pain of love only to find out that person is dead. Wait. What's this? I hear something? Pit-pat, pit-pat. What's that word? The word for that noise... rain! That's rain! I haven't heard anything since the war! That means there's a chance that life will rise again! Well, it might totally start over but it'll still be better than nothing! Wait... what's that noise? That sounds like feet! Wait, where am I? Am I just a head? I need a body! I'm going to try and move my body! I'll start with my eyes.. come on... just open! I- I still can't see anything but the darkness. I'm going to start assuming things. I'm probably just going to get eaten by maggots or die soon. Why did the war even happen? Money... it was money. I need to cry but I can't because of the stupid money problem. Stupid people.. making people go through pain because of paper?? I want to die now.. kill me please. I feel something.. I'm getting lifted and it feels like more than just my head! A grunt? That was a grunt.. I've heard that voice before... it's low pitched and a male. I can tell you that much.. I can hear his heart beating.. come on brain.. I need a name! L-... Luis! This is that person's father! He must know where the person with the brown eyes is! I need to make a noise..."L-" I'm coughing.. Wait! This has to be fake! No one could have survived the war! "I'm here, my boy." He's talking to me!

I continued to be carried until I finally get sat down, I feel my eyes being peeled open. The light is way too bright! I look around a the area I'm in... familiar..? I look out a window.. the outside is horrid. Debris everywhere, dust, ash, dead things that are alive? I look down only to realize I've been chained to a wall.. Wait what?? Steel cuffs are holding me to a wall and Luis is looking at me with sadness as he points a small mirror. I pick up the mirror and look at myself with horror, I'm bleeding and burnt in so many places. I'm dead but I'm half alive.. Why am I chained up? I want out... help please.. help me. I look at Luis. He looks at me with shame, pure shame and sadness. I look in the mirror again. I'm going to use this to help me see my own features. I have light blue eyes and brown hair and my skin is a light shade of ivory, my cheeks have cuts all over them, but there's a slight pinkish blush shade near them, and the white of my eyes is a dark pink mixed with a light red. A small stubble placed on my chin with my brown, thin hairs.

I look towards Luis again only to realize he is no longer in his current place. I look at the ground and begin to feel something fall down my face. I see it hit the floor and it's blood red color scares me. My mind begins to fill with very discouraging thoughts. Crack. What was that? Creak. I look towards the sounds and notice the door has opened and a young boy of about eight or nine hides behind the door but not enough so I can see him. "J-Joshua?" Joshua? Is that my name? I look at him with an attempted smile, his facial features quickly change into a bright smile. "I'm so happy to see you, mon ami!" His young voice using a bit of French. I looked at him then heard another voice come into range. "Carlos, what are you doing in there? You know that room is saved for when we find-" The man's voice comes into the room and his eyes open wide. Those eyes... "Benny, it's Joshua!" The young voice, who I'm assuming is Carlos, says with happiness. The older male looks at me with tears falling down his face, I feel that feeling of something falling down my face again. The blood red tear falls down my face. "Mon amour," I notice the slight French and Spanish accents in his voice complementing each other. "I missed you so much!" The happiness in the room was soon cut off by a loud booming voice. "Get out of there boys! He's going kill you!" The boys backed away but the younger boy stood his ground and started to say things in Spanish. "¡No me hizo daño en absoluto! ¡Él me sonrió papá!" There was more back and forth yelling but I didn't hear anything from the one who's name I had guessed was Benny. He was silent. The way he stood there quietly on the other side of the window, sometime glancing towards me, was unsettling. Why does he keep looking at me like that? His eyes have such a painful look. I need to make him feel better but how?? I need to smile again.. I look at him and when I notice he is about to look at me again I smile. His eyes chance from sorrow to a brighter, happier look but that soon changes as Luis' closes the window. His emotions went from happy to see me to wanting to kill me. Why do I want to see Benny's eyes again? His brown, elegant eyes and their dark shade of brown are pulling me into something I'm not going to be able to get out of.