Short Stories With Alice

An Ashen City

I wrote this short piece for a University class in 2018. As stated in the previous entry, all rights for my coursework are still mine and can be posted online for free reading.

When the Abbey walls started to fall, I had to run.

Run, before the chunks of cascading stones fell on top of my fragile body. A place where once the angels were said to have existed, now a dirty, dangerous scene. How could my home city have befallen to such a state? In the time of our Lord 2018, it was once filled with excited crowds that only wanted to party. Now, in the year 3018, all I see is a grey mist that is starting to grasp my lungs hard.

A child shouldn't have to witness this. I'm fifteen years old and must try to focus on the goals that the executive government want all future generations to fill. I'm lost. How can I get to the Grand City now if my home city is falling fast? I want to weep for my father, mother, best friend, cat... just anyone to see if they could magically appear and rescue me. There's no such chance of any miracle happening. This is a situation that I have to try and break free from myself.

I hear shouting to my left, but the voices are so muffled that it could be anyone's words. A shop that displayed expensive glass vases, now befallen to the growing orange flames that somehow make the skin on my arms wall but my mouth dry, as trying to scream became impossible. The cobblestones beneath my feet were moving, legs trembling as I tried to gather my senses.

I had to run.

But something within me stopped. The Roman and Georgian architecture in the square next to me had a calling sense. A part of my home city's ancestry, soon to be lost under the horrific ways of fire. With no-one else now present, I would be the only one to witness their final goodbyes.

"I'll always remember you!" My mouth finally had the nerve to open wide quickly before a cough came on. They must have thought I was mad or something. Alas, I really wanted to save something precious in a time of sadness. A coin? Part of a door? Ah! I could save part of the sign that once adorned the walls of the Roman Baths!

Moving quickly, I bent down close to the boarded up door and yanked into my hands part of the sign. Roman. City. Bath, my City. Why is the world coming to this? So many unanswered questions but there's no time left now to ponder. I have to run, before I get burnt like the fiery sun that keeps us in the knowing about day and night. It's night now, time unknown but the spewing of oranges and reds make me think of the daylight.

Finally I run, first to the right before yelping at the sight of more buildings crashing down before me. I retrace my steps and run this time to the left, past empty shops, shop sellers gone long ago. There's one place of comfort that I could seek out, if others haven't got to the same place before me that is. The River. Water, the craving of a coolness so deep, I could just run towards the end and poke my face in to wipe the sweat and dust off my face. Or simply gather my jumbled thoughts up together. The choice is mine.

It feels like a lifetime, running and half panting, half choking out of breath until I slap somewhat clean water down me. The leaves from the trees are no longer green, rather a blackened ash colour, making me think of petrol. Once where squirrels and birds roamed, there's a bleak silence in the bushes and paths. Who could have done this to all of us? My parents would have their suspicions, not being able to ask them hurts.

"Hey, hey, hey." Something captures my attention from the other side of the river. A breeze out of nowhere suddenly strikes the side of my head like a rocket.

"Um, hello?" I croak, fully aware that danger is everywhere and anywhere.

"Meow, meow, meow." repeated the sounds of the breeze. I know that straight away from having previously owned one. A cat!

"Hey cat, um, I don't want to hurt you!" I reply as my gaze darted left and right, up and down the river waters like a hawk.

Three things seemed to happen at once. First, a box suddenly appeared from an old docking station opposite my position and float towards me with an ease that made my stomach churn. Then, the crashing of a building nearby succumbing to the burning flames. Finally, the strangest moment of them all. The box lid opened to reveal a ginger cat, fluffy, mystifying eyes staring deep into my soul.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you." The ginger cat spoke, front paw waving in front of my face.

I'm stunned. Very stunned. They say cats may have hidden things about humans that they want to say, never have I actually heard a cat speak in english.

"You seem a bit... stunned." frowned the ginger cat.

"That's because I am." I frown back, "When did you ever learn to speak like that?"

"I'm a cat that you humans don't know about. One that has been tasked with an impossible mission, save this choes of a city from burning." he lectured with a nervous grin.

"Well, you're not doing a very good job of it." I remark back, realising that a gimmick was not the best distraction at this time.

"I need a human, local to the city to guide me. I'm from Grand City." he finally replied.

Grand City. My City. My trusts were already dented as it was. However, he did seem to offer some confidence I certainly didn't have within me.

"I'll help," I slowly replied after a pause, "But only if we can trust each other."

The ginger cat smiled, "We have a deal then my brown eyed, brown haired friend. Let's save this City."