There wasn't much left of the little town Milpitas. And at this point, the remains here are probably the small crawl space my parents used to store wine and whiskey. Actually, Scotch, my dad would have my neck if I said it was Whiskey. All that could be left over was what was underneath the surface. The rest... was just nothing. It was a barren wasteland. The sky was rusted red, filled with the stench of smoke and garbage. No trees even sprouted out of the ground, it was all just rubble and dried roots everywhere. Was this the end of the world? It still seemed like bugs and maybe the potential of bacteria still hung around, moving their way through the cracks and gaps of the world around them. I didn't bother to approach, I didn't want the vision of what was possibly left to be ruined or tarnished in any way. Wishful ignorance was going to be my best bet in making sure I keep my sanity once I leave this place. But I needed to continue searching around. I didn't know if anything else stayed alive or working, and maybe near the end of my journey I'll end up finding what really lies beyond the old plot of land that was once my home.

I can’t get too sentimental about it now, I had a mission to fulfill for home. The home that was still standing Luckily, half of the battle was already achieved, as the area around me did not look hospitable in any way. But I needed to find out more just to be sure if this was the end all be all. So I walked. I didn’t bring any vehicle or mode of transportation with me, in fear any locals around would be in shock. I actually seemed like I was too dressed up for this affair in jeans, a t-shirt with my favorite band on it, Ghost, and some lace up Vans and a warm jacket. I didn’t know what the weather would be like but rest assured I did not need the jacket. What I didn’t prepare for was the possibility of breathing something other than oxygen getting this far into the future. Walking around made for an excellent cough to appear and the beginning of some wheezing, so my journey here would have to be a short one.

I walked to where the old highschool would have been and that seemed to have been the only building even somewhat standing. The pool was only filled with some debris and some cockroaches. Those guys never seem to die, they survived the end of the world like it was nothing. All that was left wasn’t even the gate separating the school from the street, but the two story gym they funded a couple years after my time there. Seemed like a huge waste of money but hey they loved their sports. Though as I approached, I heard something coming from the building, as if something living was rustling around. Could they have made this a safe room? Were there really still people living here? I walked, no, I ran towards the building and began taking down the barriers around the door. Why were there boards hammered into the entrance? What would they be trapping in here

Wait a second, why would this be a safe house if it’s locked from the outside? After all the noise I made, the rustling turned to moaning, screeching, and yelping, getting louder and louder. The doors began to bang open, scratching and thuds came from the other end. I decided this was not an option to continue venturing forward. Why didn’t I think of that before getting all those borders down? I had no choice but to run straight to my base and head home. If I could make it back.

As if nails scratched on a chalkboard, their vocal cords were being torn to shreds. The shrill and volume of this laugh came out of nowhere. It made rooms quiet, people stare and gasp by the sharp cackle that would emanate through the confined space. They would release the laugh, then gasp for air over and over against. Almost hyperventilating, but could catch enough breath to keep the laugh going. The Wicked Witch of the West would jolt from the sudden boom of laughter.

“Uhm, excuse me?” stifled the man at the podium with the white clerical collar.

“If you need to take a moment outside, please excuse yourself. This is not the time or place.”

This was my aunts first time seeing naked statues anywhere, let alone our uncle’s funeral. She left and eventually met us at the burial and reception.

“Your crown is made of the people’s bones and hunger.”

“Leave.”

“You can’t just ignore what you have fallen into, Michael.”

“Leave now or the consequences will match the crime, Sarah.”

He made eye contact with the guards near the door, indicating to take her out of the room to the dungeons below. Sarah saw this and began to yell even louder.

“You were supposed to be different from them! You were supposed to help the people and create a prosperous economy, not using them as your punching bags when meetings with other kingdoms don’t go well and steal their magic to make your own personal apparel. You were supposed to be better! We could have worked together and created something better for our people.

At that moment the guards grabbed her under the arms and pulled her back. As she resisted their pull, she let her body go and made them drag her out. If she was going to be removed, they would have to force her out. He turned toward his big flashy throne, like he couldn’t see what he was doing. She was losing her friend moment by moment. Losing her kingdom each step they took closer to leaving the hall. Everything she was afraid of happening was appearing before her. He was no better than his parents, and their parents before them.

The closer she was getting to the door the more she was losing him, he was going through with it.

“You know what will happen if I go through those doors”

The guards stopped, Everything stopped. Even the guards knew what it would mean if she went to the dungeon. She could almost hear his breathing heighten from across the room.

“If you throw me down there, a war will come.” Exasperated, she said, ”My kingdom will hear about this, and they won’t back down until I am safe.”

He turned around and began to stare at her, and her at him. Those seconds seemed like forever. He was contemplating, he had to have been doubting himself. He could change his mind right now and turn things around.

He started walking toward them. All you could hear was the tap of his shoes on the marbled bone ground. As he approached, he knelt down and grabbed her face by her chin. All she could see were those amber eyes whose red tint was no longer faint, but became the new color.

He spat into her ear, “And you could have had an actual chance to take on that war if you agreed to my deal. You have no army now, not compared to mine. Now, you’ll get nothing but loss and death. Your kingdom will become mine regardless of your useless presence”

He stood and directed the guards where to take Sarah, and began to drag her out of the throne room. He was gone.

though i am the sound in your head you know nothing of me you know nothing of the way my hair lays on my head if at all nor do you know the length of my nose you know nothing of how my voice cracks when excited and yet you think you know my voice the only voice you hear is the one in your head we will never be able to describe the voice in our head the way we intend because our voices are from different lives and experience different wonders you know nothing of the heart that beats with passion and lust yet you think you know my intentions you know nothing of my kindness or sadness nor will you understand who I am the one thing we have in common you will never know who i truly am, nor i with you you must decide if the anonymity is a thrill, or a threat

I would have never figured that water, H2O, a human being’s life source, would be this alien species poison. Just a drop of it will burn their skin almost like acid. Yet, to them, acid is just considered a dressing of some sort. An option to put on the side with their food. I wouldn’t even call it that to be quite honest, that stuff looks rancid and took them way too long to figure out that it was what was killing a whole enslavement camp of humans when the invasion first happened 40 years back. How did I find out?

There was a new guy on guard in our unit. Obviously new and almost mocking us non-verbally about his new post. Our wing is considered to be an easy one to manage. No criminal history, pretty obedient due to the fear that was instilled during the initial contact of this species. They are called the Fillians, a race of aliens that have gray almost styrofoam skin, but from observing their conversations with one another, I don’t think they are grey, but a color spectrum the human eye just doesn’t pick up. Like how some animal species on Earth could see UV light. To them, we are just animals who can’t see anything, like dogs who just obey and follow orders. Nothing more.

This new guard though, he was very proud of his new position because they really don’t do much other than kicking us down every now and then to remind us who is in charge, like its not already very obvious due to the fact that we aren’t even on earth anymore. I use “he” and “his” because they seem to have a similarly reproductive system as mammals, and their spectrum of gender isn’t like ours, but still very binary. He also would walk around with what I assume is his chest all puffed out and an arrogant smile to follow and the flurry of antennas coming from the top of his head stood completely straight up like he was concentrated on keeping up with this visual for the whole camp to see.

Nice to know this type of cockiness is not reserved for the human stereotype, i guess.

Anyways, he was walking around clocking everyone in and making sure everyone was in their cell after our day. Our cell was actually pretty typical of ones we had at home, a toilet in the cell with us, cement or metal beds with a thing sheet and limp pillow to keep us comfy through the “nights”. We all were delivered meals in the cell and stayed in there until the next morning for our morning duties. They made sure to keep us on a 24 hour day because they realized all too late that yes, exhaustion would kill us too if we were to be on their 54 hour days. They would sleep for about 15 hours but for the other 39, they were awake working 15 hour shifts. I can’t even get into what the rest of their “year” is like, mostly because I still haven’t really figured it out.

Our doors had little slots where they would push through our trays with, you guessed it water. Breakfast and dinner were the only times we got any water, so they made sure it was at least 16 oz each time to make sure we didn’t dehydrate completely. We were disposable of course, but still needed us alive for at least a couple years until we all die out. I mean there’s over 5 billion of us what are they really going to do? I meant their population is almost double ours so we replaced a lot of their inmates.

Tonight, I was mad. We had been arguing while making metal parts for their army about silly mundane things. We have all been together in the same hot room for almost 10 hours and that, plus barely any water, barely any food, and not sign of it cooling off any time soon, every little thing set each and every one of us off. So naturally a fight broke out and someone died this time. We all got sent to our rooms early so the clean up crew could get the poor guy together. Very much of a dystopian Oedipus moment, but instead of a gold needle, it was a power drill.

Tensions were still high by the time we were all escorted to our cells, and I myself had got into it with my neighbor because they keep banging on the wall because they are making a beat to a tune in their own head. It’s fucking obnoxious and annoying when I am trying to sleep in the most uncomfortable place in possible existence. So, when the food and water was pushed into my cell, I took the water, opened it, and threw it at the brute. Next thing I knew, I heard guttural screaming and almost a sizzling sound coming from his body. I could hear other guards rushing towards him, yelling, “How do we make it stop?”, and “It’s gonna remove the whole face!”.

Then I heard a thud on the grated metal floor and just silence. The only thing you could hear were those weird slim balls slushing around in the vents that the encampment completely denies that are investing our site. Not even a minute later, my door slams open and they take me by the underarm and drag me to where I am now. Solitary confinement. I don’t think I am going to get out of here alive, but I have to tell someone, anyone who is a human, that their weakness is our most precious nutrient possible. The one thing that could get us all back home, if its not already obliterated. It could get us back our freedom and maybe a sense of autonomy to get back into living a life worth living. All we need is water.

happy birthday dad, who’s laughter made us glad, that while the world would crumble, your love would never fumble, among the cracks and debris of those who needed to be humbled.

we were left to fend for ourselves, yet the lessons you gave weren’t how to spell, but how to love and appreciate life, since the world we are in reeks of spite,

happy birthday dad, you never taught me how to be mad, so now i have to tip toe, between a doormat and a fiery arrow, to stranger packrats, and family who left me alone,

i am relieved to say your absence does not often grab at my throat, even those who were meant to be a reminder are too remote, my nine years of life showed me more, of who my love is meant for

happy birthday dad, today is a day that makes me sad, because what am i supposed to feel, about a man who i can barely call real, but whose few words and actions made this grief a looped movie reel

though on the days i miss you, i feel sorry for the past and future me, who couldn’t ask the questions i’d need, others would speak for you and assume they knew, but all they could say was what they wanted to be true

happy birthday dad, i hope you don’t see me as bad, i made decisions i didn’t fully understand, but my heart was in the right place, even if it wasn’t considered straight

but i think i’ve found some of the last remnants of my heart, i wanted to know you were proud of my part, in this world even when i’m reckless, if your love for me was the greatest, then as long as i love myself, your love for me was, is, and will be endless