Aftermath Of The Blaze

The Blaze was an invasion of mutated animals. We called them The Doomserpents. Doomserpents destroyed everything in their paths. Including human. Some Doomserpents were 300 feet tall and would knock over apartment buildings and trample over schools.

Fortunately, they were all killed. However, civilization will never be the same because everything in the world was ruined. We have no more rulers or dictators. The Blaze may be over, but the chaos isn't.

The different societies are at war with each other. The conflict may never end because there are at least 40 different societies. We have been ambushed, people have been killed, and we are running out of supplies.

Today is my first supply run as a member of the Stockers. We are a group in our society, Overland, who do supply run and stock up our people with necessities. Occasionally we will run into other people but, recently we haven't seen a soul, alive that is.

This morning, I woke up before the sun was visible. I kept quiet so my mama and papa wouldn't hear me, but unfortunately, my younger sister heard me.

"Do you have to go, sissy?" my sister said sadly.

"Yes Lizzie, I do, but I promise I will be back," I said to reassure her.

" Okay fine but here take my locket for good luck," she said handing me her heart-shaped locket.

"Thank you, I will give it back when I come home," I said smiling at her, hoping it would help her understand.

"Okay girly, let's get you back to bed, so I can get ready," I told her knowing she was tired.

After I put my sister to bed, I grabbed my black combat boots, dark green cargo pants, and a gray long sleeve shirt. Then I changed, and I brushed my hair and grabbed a ponytail holder to put my hair up. Once I had finished getting ready, I packed the bag I was taking on the run. I put two protein bars, three bottles of water, and my protective gear.

I grabbed my thing and went into our small kitchen to eat breakfast. Furthermore, I grabbed a banana and poured myself a fresh cup of orange juice. Then I sat my breakfast on our old wooden tables and sat down in a creaky chair. Quickly, I ate my food and drank my juice, so I wouldn't be late. Since I had finished eating I decided to leave early, so I went into my parent's room, woke them up and said my goodbyes, and told them I loved them.

I found my way to our small building with the little amount of sunlight creeping through the trees. I opened the door and only one other person was there. Her name is Raylynn, she has been a member of the Stockers for about a year, she is also the one who helped train me.

"Oh hey Ray, I didn't know you would be here this early," I said whilst I sat my bag and gear on the ground.

"I'm early? You're here an hour before everyone else," she told me, laughing.

" Well, I guess I woke up a little too early" I respond to her smiling.

" Since you're here early, I will tell you about where we are going," she said as she looked at me. I nodded in response.

"We know there is a town about three miles away," She said, "It's in the opposite direction of the other societies, and we don't believe anyone will be there"

After she explained everything to me the other member of our group started coming in. Once all five of us arrived at the building we put our protective gear and our padding on, we went to the edge of Overland Gates we headed out.

About two miles in we took a little break and another new member, Jake, came up to me.

"How're you feeling about today," He asked me as he sat down next to me in the grass.

"Pretty good, what about you," I asked him back.

"Alright, but my mother still isn't keen on me coming out here," he said to me with a slight frown.

"Yeah my sister was the same, she woke up this morning asking me if I had to go, but she gave me her locket for luck," I said with a smile thinking about Lizzie.

" Okay guys, let's get movin'," Raylynn yelled to the group.

We get up off the ground and we finished our trek to the town. When we get close enough to see the town, we stop and Raylynn tells us to keep our eyes open and be aware of our surroundings. The first building we see must have been a grocery store, so Jake and I were told to check it out.

Once we got into the grocery store and started to look around at the partially full shelves. As we walk around, I see some clothing on the ground that I know my sister would love. I grabbed it and quickly put it in my bag.

"My brother would love everything in this," Jake said to me with a smile on his face. I nodded in agreement.

As we walked around I heard something from outside the building, I thought it was one of our team members until Jake and I heard yelling.

I quickly go to the closest window and I see four men who weren't a part of our group with large guns. I quickly duck and hide alongside Jake, so we wouldn't be seen.

The group is told to hide if there are other individuals. I was hoping everyone in our group. I knew I was wrong when I heard a scream in the distance. I tried to get up to see who made the noise, I was grabbed and pulled back onto the ground by Jake.

After about five minutes of silence we got up and I walked to the opening we came in though and saw someone laying on the ground. I checked my surroundings to make sure no one was around. I thought that the men were gone and quickly ran over to the body on the ground.

As I was running closer, I recognized the body on the ground.

Raylynn.

She was dead.

I felt tears in my eyes seeing her dead body on the ground. Then I heard footsteps. I jerk my head to see who was coming only to see our other team members. They all had a sorrowful and heartbreaking look.

"Is she gone?" One of the older members asked as she looked at me.

I looked at the team and said nodded with a miserable look on my face. I knew Raylynn had family and I couldn't bring myself to even think about how upset they would be.

After several moments of silence mourning our fallen friend, Jake broke the quietness.

" We need to get her body and leave before those men come back,"

We all looked at him and agreed we should head back. Once the other two members of the group got Raylynns dead body, we headed to the exit of the old town.

We walked for what felt like hours before we reached the gates of Overland. After I unlocked the gates, we pushed them open and saw a few of our family members standing there with smiling faces. That was until they saw us carrying a dead body. I saw Raylynn's mother's smile turn into the most heartbreaking smile I had ever seen.

Several people gathered around us as Raylynns body was taken away by our medical staff. Her family followed behind, screaming and crying for their daughter. The other members left, but all I could do was stand there with a few tears running down my cheeks.

'C'mon honey, let's get you home" My mother told me with a sad look on her face.

Once I made it home, I threw myself on my makeshift bed and cried. I knew Raylynn wouldn't want me to cry, but she was only twenty years old. She had so much more to do in her life, but it was cut short over some idiotic people with no sense of remorse at all.

Two days after her death, we had a funeral for her in the courtyard of our community. There were so many miserable faces and a mountain of tears during the funeral. Once it was over, our leader Jerico Mathis told us to stay because he had something to say.

"Ever since this world has gone into chaos, there have been so many untimely death just like Raylynns. Our world may never be the same, but we can't stop fighting, we can't let the people who murdered our beloved Raylynn get away with this." Jerico said to everyone.

Afterward, I went up to Raylynns family and gave them my condolences, but I knew that wouldn't help them cope. I watched them walk away with saddened faces. I knew I had to find the people who did this to her, and I wouldn't stop looking until Raylynns death was avenged.

Maybe I would die doing it, but I didn't care.