Resting Witch Face
breaking the laws of physics medieval style
(PLEASE ANSWER THE POLL AFTER READING THE FULL PROMPT)
Are you worth enough to be saved?
What sets you apart from the others? Is it the fact that you were among the youngest, the ones with potential? You had the capacity to do things differently than the world you left behind, but would you? Or would you simply perpetuate the cycle that led to your exodus in the first place? Are you exempt from the greed of man, or are you a lost cause? Were you worth anything, when weighed against the others? Look at the people around you, deathly silent on the emergency train system. Unlike traditional engines, this experimental prototype was much faster though lacking a suitable storage capacity for human transport. This was a gross oversight in the underground construction of the railway system, as even a portion of the large population of the surrounding city was too much for it to handle without overcrowding. When the time came to actually use the transport, this problem came to light for the first time. People regretted letting the train become dusty and unused, comfortable in blissful ignorance of coming threats. But, they were not at fault. Life had become dull as of late, without joy or color. Most people simply sat in their homes, dazed and confused.
When the sirens started wailing, the citizens did not panic or scream. Families did not push and shove to put their kin in the front of the line, and selfish men gave their spot in line to sickly old grandmothers. Slimy salesmen and kind hearted folk all in a heap, slowly walking down the streets towards Main Station. Even with the motivation of imminent demise, people had lost their will to live long before such an occurrence. What did it matter how they died, when they were already sitting dead in their homes? It was a real question for the ages. Of the 36,059 citizens of Emille's Cove, only 200 were allowed to board and escape. The rest were left in their homes, going along with normal everyday life. They were swept away mercilessly, without thought or hesitation. In an instant, the port city no longer existed.
The train ride was uneventful. Of the two hundred passengers aboard you recognize none of them. Most likely, to distribute the chances more evenly, the ones organizing this entire exodus had hand selected a candidate from each section of the city. Each portion of the city, each with it's own unique twists and turns, had a chance at redemption in the life of a refugee. Would you carry the torch of those who didn't make it onto this sick joke of a savior?
Or are you just another broken man riding the Train to Nowhere?
Caught up in thought, you carelessly nod off. The emotional trauma of being permanently separated from your hometown weighs terribly. Before long, you find the dim orange sun peeking over the horizon had long since moved on, replaced by a cold and quiet night sky. The rest of them had likely already made their stops, but you were still aboard. There were no stops after this one, so you decided that wherever you might be, it would be your new home.
As you take a step onto the platform, you hesitate taking your other foot off the train. Would it be a nice home, or would you spend the rest of your life aching in memorial to your true home? Would you wallow in the past or move on to confront the future? Whatever your decision or conclusion, the other foot came off the train with none of the previous hesitation.
This isn't the welcome you were anticipating. Looks like you weren't the only one without a destination in mind, as some stragglers akin to yourself come stumbling off the bus, in much the same tired delusion as you. The scene outside served to wake them up, however. They seemed to be sailing along the same waters as you, on the same boat in the middle of a grim, orange ocean that spanned miles in every direction. To the right, however, were trees. Pale and dusty, but still a forest in it's own right. Not another human in sight, not even the driver of the train. Come to think of it, you never heard any commotion or break time, though you were sat right at the front of the transport for who knows how many hours.
Checking quickly, you confirm your fears. There is, or was, no conductor at all. The cockpit was dusty and seemingly untouched for years.
Welcome to Nowhere, home of the vast expanse of nothingness and those who have Nowhere left to go.
Are you worth enough to be saved?
What sets you apart from the others? Is it the fact that you were among the youngest, the ones with potential? You had the capacity to do things differently than the world you left behind, but would you? Or would you simply perpetuate the cycle that led to your exodus in the first place? Are you exempt from the greed of man, or are you a lost cause? Were you worth anything, when weighed against the others? Look at the people around you, deathly silent on the emergency train system. Unlike traditional engines, this experimental prototype was much faster though lacking a suitable storage capacity for human transport. This was a gross oversight in the underground construction of the railway system, as even a portion of the large population of the surrounding city was too much for it to handle without overcrowding. When the time came to actually use the transport, this problem came to light for the first time. People regretted letting the train become dusty and unused, comfortable in blissful ignorance of coming threats. But, they were not at fault. Life had become dull as of late, without joy or color. Most people simply sat in their homes, dazed and confused.
When the sirens started wailing, the citizens did not panic or scream. Families did not push and shove to put their kin in the front of the line, and selfish men gave their spot in line to sickly old grandmothers. Slimy salesmen and kind hearted folk all in a heap, slowly walking down the streets towards Main Station. Even with the motivation of imminent demise, people had lost their will to live long before such an occurrence. What did it matter how they died, when they were already sitting dead in their homes? It was a real question for the ages. Of the 36,059 citizens of Emille's Cove, only 200 were allowed to board and escape. The rest were left in their homes, going along with normal everyday life. They were swept away mercilessly, without thought or hesitation. In an instant, the port city no longer existed.
The train ride was uneventful. Of the two hundred passengers aboard you recognize none of them. Most likely, to distribute the chances more evenly, the ones organizing this entire exodus had hand selected a candidate from each section of the city. Each portion of the city, each with it's own unique twists and turns, had a chance at redemption in the life of a refugee. Would you carry the torch of those who didn't make it onto this sick joke of a savior?
Or are you just another broken man riding the Train to Nowhere?
Caught up in thought, you carelessly nod off. The emotional trauma of being permanently separated from your hometown weighs terribly. Before long, you find the dim orange sun peeking over the horizon had long since moved on, replaced by a cold and quiet night sky. The rest of them had likely already made their stops, but you were still aboard. There were no stops after this one, so you decided that wherever you might be, it would be your new home.
As you take a step onto the platform, you hesitate taking your other foot off the train. Would it be a nice home, or would you spend the rest of your life aching in memorial to your true home? Would you wallow in the past or move on to confront the future? Whatever your decision or conclusion, the other foot came off the train with none of the previous hesitation.
This isn't the welcome you were anticipating. Looks like you weren't the only one without a destination in mind, as some stragglers akin to yourself come stumbling off the bus, in much the same tired delusion as you. The scene outside served to wake them up, however. They seemed to be sailing along the same waters as you, on the same boat in the middle of a grim, orange ocean that spanned miles in every direction. To the right, however, were trees. Pale and dusty, but still a forest in it's own right. Not another human in sight, not even the driver of the train. Come to think of it, you never heard any commotion or break time, though you were sat right at the front of the transport for who knows how many hours.
Checking quickly, you confirm your fears. There is, or was, no conductor at all. The cockpit was dusty and seemingly untouched for years.
Welcome to Nowhere, home of the vast expanse of nothingness and those who have Nowhere left to go.
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