Writing Prompt

There were gone. All of them, just like that. I shook all over, not wanting to believe my own eyes. I had left the compound for just a moment, to go to the market. We were out of food, and it was my turn to bring some back. Normally, this would involved some sort of trade. But we had nothing to trade, so I would have to steal. I was the smallest and most plain of the group, so this task often fell to me. It was dangerous, if I were caught I would be sent away, off world. It was kinder when they executed us.

I had watched the merchants for the correct time to make my move. They were bargaining with an Overseer. The Overseer would win this bargaining, but the merchants had fun. State the prices too high, and the Soldiers would ban the merchant from sales. Too low, and the merchant would lose respect. The Overseer moved on, happy with his purchases.

I waited, and the merchant turned their back. I was quick, grabbed a bag of goods and ran off before anyone saw me. I hated being out like this, the chances of being caught. I felt more comfortable in the compound, I was unnoticed, unremarked. Until I was needed. Then I was thrown out, to deal with merchants, Overseers, and the hard environment.

I sensed something was wrong as I descended back down. The air was...wrong. Did the enviro-filters fail again? No, this was far worse. I dropped my bag of food, and looked around. There was no sign of any one. No signs of struggle. This was a cleansing. Every now and then, the Overseers “cleanse” the compounds. They vaporize the unwanted, its quick, and only leaves an odd scent to the air. My entire compound was gone, and I would have been with them.

I pick up he bag off food, just for something to hold on to. Still shaking, I had to think of what to do next. I could try to move to a new compound, they may accept me. No one would return to this compound for sometime, once cleansed, it is left empty, occasionally used as storage. We never figured out why this is, we just hoped it never happened to us.

Empty. Alone. But I had this large bag of food. And now no one to share it with. I wouldn’t have to steal for weeks, months if I was careful.

This might work in my favor. I could be fed, get strong. And then decide my next move.

They were all gone. All of them, just like that.

Hold on, let’s rewind about 3 minutes.

I’m walking downtown Washington DC. I look up and feel the heat of the sun in my face, such a warm feeling, and I start to wonder how it would feel to fly. “Amanda!” Kathrine, my best friend, comes over to me, “Come on you slowpoke! Stop daydreaming again!” She gives me a warm-silly smile. “I’m not daydreaming.” I pout, but it’s still hard to hold back a smile. “Oh whatever, come on! Let’s catch up to the others!” She exclaims and grabs my hand. ‘The others’ are my brother Sam and some of our other friends. We run for a few seconds and catch up with them, and Kathrine and I end up laughing because she almost ran into Andrew. Nothing could ruin this perfect day. It was the perfect day for a view of the capitol city of the country. I close my eyes and start to think of how I wish everyday could be like this. Then that’s when we start to hear it. At first it sounded like a huge truck driving by, then it sounded like an airplane, then it sounded like hundreds of them. Everyone stops and immediately looks up to the sky. “Whats going on?!” “What’s that noise!?” “I’m scared” “It is 9/11 again!?” After some seconds of scanning the sky and hearing people making accusations, someone spots it. It’s too far away to be sure of what it was. People then start making more weird theories that all seem too strange to be real, like ‘alien attack’ or ‘the moons crashing into earth!’, until we hear someone say, “I think I know exactly what this is.” We all turn our heads to the person who said it. It was Mary, one of my brothers friends. She has an intense but controlled look on her face. I can’t tell whether I should be scared or not because of it. She clears her throat. “Guys. Don’t freak out, but I think that this is the North Korean missile we have all been waiting for. We’re in Washington DC. Less than a mile away from the WHITE HOUSE.” Everyone’s silent. Kathrine and I exchange confused and worried glances. A few seconds people scratches their heads and murmuring, then you hear the first person scream, “WERE ALL GONNA DIE! EVERYONE FREAKIN’ RUN!” All I see then is the blurred image of everyone around me running, me running, and the noise. A few seconds later, the emergency sirens start blaring, almost as loud as the missile coming for us. All I can hear is a mix of screaming, sirens-all kinds of sirens, and the sky screaming at us. “AMANDA!” Kathrine? I turn around to see her running towards me from 30 feet away. “HEY!!” I yell. But no. You can’t hear it. I can see it. The explosion in the near distance. The heat of death.

They were gone. All of them, just like that. Every photograph, every book, every piece of jewellery, and, of course, every person in the house. All lost in a single moment. A single explosion. Thomas never forgave himself for being the only survivor.

If he hadn’t been out that night/If he had just gotten home a few minutes earlier/If he had gone out with his family instead of heading to the bar... they would all be together. This was worse than hell (that’s how he knew he was still alive).

His wife Theresa, son Max and daughter Elena had been stolen from him. And he knew it was his fault. He’d brought this bad karma onto his innocent family. His drinking and other demons had manifested themselves in the form of a metal shell with explosive contents.

He had heard the blast from the bar- through his drunken stupor- but had thought there was no way it could be his street. His house. His family. He couldn’t even bring himself to release the flood of tears, and the only sound he’d made all day had been a strange croaking noise that sounded as if it was coming from far away.

Thomas hadn’t moved from the rubble and ashes that had once been his home. He spent the day crawling around, digging and scratching and praying that he might find something that wasn’t shattered to pieces. No luck. Nothing- no one- had survived. He wiped away sweat and the few tears that escaped, coating himself in grey silt. Darkness fell and he collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke to rustling. Thomas was perfectly camouflaged, but the person’s eyes still found him. Theresa’s eyes still found him.

“Wha- what- how? I-“, Thomas stuttered. He stumbled over to his dead wife. “Shhh,” something was off. She had never been that gentle. “I’m here now, and that’s all that matters.” “I thought you were dead. Wait- where are the kids?!” He was beginning to panic. “Max and Elena are at home. Waiting for you,” she looked like Theresa. Sounded like her too. But she was not his wife. Theresa would’ve called him every curse word in the book and slapped him with her many-ringed hands for making her worry. For not being there to tuck his kids into bed.

“Theresa, we ARE at home,” he lifted a fistful of dust and watched it slip away, for emphasis. Theresa changed. Her features contorted, and her eyes darkened. “Don’t be so silly, this is not our house. Come, let me take you home.” With that, she grabbed onto his wrists.

Before he could even scream, she had dragged Thomas deep into the rubble. And then deeper. And deeper. And deeper.

They were gone, All of them just like that. One minute I’m with my family trying to hid my big secret the next I’m the test subject I fear the day that cell door opens I hear the screams of the others and know it’s only a matter of time before I contribute to the taunting horrid Screams that lie behind that heavy lab door at last my fear came true as I hear the lock come undone and the creaky noise of the door I try to resist it’s no use he drags me into the lab I’m strapped down to the cold Metal table the nozzle shoved in my mouth “subject 0054 test 0001 lethal injection” jab jab jab jab several syringes Stabbed into my body making me face the cold truth of death my heart slowing down feel paralyze tension come over my body my eyes shut Despite my ongoing resistance painless yet painful at the same time my eyes open once again a smile creeping to my face thinking I’ve woken from the nightmare I look around and see I’m in the lab tears ran down my face knowing I can’t be saved Dr. X as he is called none of us know his real name he looks like a normal man no one will know no one will save us

OMG they were all gone . All of them, just like that !

It all began when they and I took things a bit further. Those I called the Shy Ones.

My fascination for them had been an inquisitive one . So one evening I invited all my close friends around and just hoped the Shy Ones would appear like they had done a year ago today.

Today was the anniversary of that first contact. They were shy but curious, I was shy but brave. Together we blended well.

I just hoped today they would appear for my friends too. I felt special that I , was who they had chosen to make contact with.

But this compliment carried too much excitement to keep to myself.

So I had decided today would be the ideal day to share the burden.

No more secrets, it would no longer be , just I, and them.

And I could not wait !

I had told my close friends and all of my family to meet me at The ole farmhouse. Everyone knew that the previous farmer had left in a hurry, nobody knew why .

Rumour has it his family had just vanished

That had been 5 yrs ago but I had chosen to ignore gossiping tongues.

I had always wanted to leave the city and find solace in rural life so I had no second thoughts about my new homes frosty past .

My family and friends were pleased I had acquired a beautiful home but not pleased to visit

Tonight was to be different .

Tonight I had told them to get a grip

So just for me , they had reluctantly agreed to meet at mine so I could celebrate my one year at the ole farmhouse.

And now as everyone gathered in the large farmhouse kitchen I was not slow to tell them just how pleased I was that they were all here and that tonight could be a very special night indeed.

As I now turned off the night and told everyone to stay still and keep an eye out the window, a growing silence filled the room as they the Shy Ones appeared.

Just as they said they would.

There was then a big flash and then OMG they were all gone. All of them , just like that !

I now stood alone in an empty kitchen. Then with blinding tears, I ran and I ran .

To this day the ole farmhouse remains inhabited.

That was 10yrs ago and a hole in my heart bleeds a fresh wound at my ignorance and loss for the ones that had warned me .... My family and close friends.

I have not been back to the Ole farmhouse since the day I had left in a hurry. And now as my homeless body huddles in a shop door way

I curl up in a ball as invisible cobwebs encase me.
It hurts that I will never see my loved ones again.

It is no longer a secret

They were gone. All of them, just like that. I looked around in dismay, not fully believing my eyes. How could this happen? Just minutes ago, or what seemed like minutes ago, I was surrounded by my friends and family. I am afraid to think about what could have happened to them. I don’t think I want to know the answer to that question. Whether they have abandoned me, as I always felt I deserved, or if they have met with some horrendous fate... No. I can’t dwell on this. I look around the hotel lobby, and even the bellhops and the concierge staff are nowhere to be found. “How can this be happening?” My thoughts are running away with me again. I shake my head, trying to dislodge the darkness inside. I start talking to myself. “How long have I been standing here?” I’m startled by a voice behind me - “Only a few minutes.” I whirl around, and see a small man standing in the darkness of the corner. “How long have you been watching me?!” My reaction is harsher than I intended, but he just smiles a little, and replies “Long enough to see that you have been abandoned. I saw your family leave without you.” “No! They wouldn’t do that to me! Besides, even the bellhops and concierge staff are gone. That has to mean something else.” I’m starting to panic now. I feel my heart racing and dread curls around my stomach. “Are they gone though?” His face drew up into an unnerving smirk as he gestured behind me toward the entrance of the hotel lobby. I turn my head slowly, and see that once again the bellhops and the concierge staff are right where they are supposed to be. My brain is racing - “Something isn’t right. What am I not seeing?” I look closer, and I notice the faces of the staff. Wait a minute. That looks like my friend Alex! But he hasn’t worked at a hotel a day in his life. There’s no way he is a bellhop. And the lady at the concierge desk. What? She looks like my mom. Something is seriously wrong with this whole scene. I turn back to the strange little man, but I don’t see him anymore. I struggle to control my breathing, trying very hard to not let the panic I feel overwhelm me. I walk to the bellhop, calling his name, but he doesn’t respond. He doesn’t seem to hear me. I then turn towards the concierge desk. “Mom?” I cry out. No reply from her either. Her stare is blank and her eyes are glassy and unfocused. “This is a nightmare!” I scream aloud, hoping for a reaction, but there is none. I feel tears choking in my throat and burning in my eyes.

“And that is the last thing that I remember” - I finish talking about today’s nightmare, as I sit in my therapists office.

They were gone. All of them, just like that.

A moment frozen in time. She looked toward the sun trying to melt the ice away. With her vision blurry, she took the hand of loved ones and strangers to guide her out of the mist. Her breath cut the mist like a puff of smoke. It lingered in the air. She watched as the particles fell like snowflakes. Whose nose will sneeze? Who will catch her cold instead of her heart? She wondered.

It ached like a frostbite left blistering in the night.

To scared to fall beneath the cracks, only the tip of the iceberg could be seen. That’s when the ground began to shake. A line once straight now zigzagged as the earth began to crumble. An avalanche was coming. She lied for cover like the monster under her bed she tried to run from.

She hid so well, they left. All of them, just like that.

They were all gone. All of them, just like that.. this describes how I feel what happened with my friend groups. They always say your circle of friends gets smaller through the years and boy were they right. Freshman year I had a lot of friends! Different groups and different standards. sophomore year the groups split and I had one main group of people that I thought were all friends of mine. betrayal and backstabbing taught me otherwise. Junior year that group split even smaller and i ended up with only a handful of those friends. We did everything together, we were a little family away from our own. And then senior year I realized the only person I truly have is myself.. the thousands of people you went to school with will be irrelevant and 95% of the time you’ll never hear from them again. I taught myself to remember that only you can control what happens in your life time, because you’re the only one who lives it.

They were all gone. All of them, just like that. The dinner table had been full of food and friends alike, laughing and talking as we ate and were grateful. Christmas had always been my favorite time of the year, even with the cold and pain it brought me. It always carries an extra bit of love in the air to warm each and every one of us. Perhaps that’s just God though.

I had asked for someone to pass the apple juice, parched from all the stuffing I had downed. And Apple is one of the bests. They laughed and played around, acting as if they might drop it, but as they picked it up...that was it. The pitcher fell and shattered on the table, and while it should have sprayed people, it just wet chairs. They weren’t here. Why?

I struggle to pull myself back to the present. A remembering will only waste time, they’ve been gone so long, they aren’t coming back.

When they first disappeared, my friends, family, relatives, all of them, I searched high and low. I reported it to the police, put up signs, looked online, went to shelters, spoke to priests, even tried to track their phones. Nothing, nada, they were gone. And when I woke from that haze I found it had been three year and I had to move on.

Maybe they had planned it. Maybe they were all leaving and leaving...leaving me behind. They may laugh in their new world or whatever, but I won’t be shedding another tear.

I stare out over the lush landscape, the green fields and deep jungles with racing rivers and singing birds. Most would call this paradise, most would dream for the life I’ve lived. But while it sounds cool, it wasn’t fun. I didn’t want it.

Looking back, all I really want is to be back at that table.

They were gone. All of them, just like that. Capes of all colors fell upon the ground like a parade that no one attended. There was silence, but somewhere a smile gleamed on the face of the wicked. Not one was left to fight, to stand up for what they believed was right. Where did all the heroes go?

Children abused, neglected, their minds perversely affected. They can’t trust their teachers, the police, their parents even. Small faces look up to the skies to find blank spaces. They wonder, where did all the heroes go?

People in politics, in business, in schools, in the streets In houses, the church, at work, everywhere you can see Watching evil be done all while knowing what is right Clench their fist but then keep their mouths shut tight They continuously fail to do what’s right Everyone is worried what the other will say Bow their heads to falsely pray Never caring unless it’s their day So tell me, where did all the heroes go?