Living in The Great Mushroom War

The fire took over another section of the town, clashing against the sky in a mix of fiery red and dark grey, from the deep, thick smoke that towered over everything. Even as the war was going on, the small girl standing in the rubble kept her hope.

She could do nothing but stare at the fires in the distance, along with the explosions, leaving giant mushroom clouds in their wake. Booms were all around her, and she knew that they would end up in her area, possibly hitting her. 

Her hope never faded through this difficult time, even after her whole family had left her, she still held on strong. She started running, deciding the explosions were too close to stay in her current location. 

She tripped on a rock, just as an explosion rocked the ground around her, the heat burning her legs, and a whole new smell entering her nose, a mix of smoke, strange chemicals, and possibly the bodies of those trying to escape, or those long dead, their corpses, burning, just mere silhouettes in the red-orange flames. 

The small girl quickly got back on her feet, and started running again, to find a safer location, at least, safer then her current one. As she continued running, she could hear the explosions getting farther and farther away, mere small booms in the distance.

She stopped to rest against, what she guessed, the remnants of a rusty old car, although there were no wheels, and most of it was melted. She caught her breath, her heart still beating fast in her chest, was slowing down, returning to its normal pattern. She took a deep sigh, and looked up, to the sky.

The smoke in the air, along with all the pollution, made it hard to see, but the small twinkling could be spotted. The moon, in all its faded glory, a dim light in the darkness. She never remembered the moon before then, but in a book, pictures of the moon, and all planets could be seen, with no difficulty at all. 

The light grey ball was once taken for granted, and now, more than anything, people wished for its illuminating light, lighting the night, with the millions of stars that could not longer be seen.

The small girl felt the back of her legs, where the heat of the explosion had hit her. Her skin was peeling, and her legs were still slightly numb, it was hard feeling her own fingers as they glided against her rough skin.

She was covered in wounds as well, scratches and scrapes from running and falling. Either away from people or explosions. She would sometimes run into men who would try to kill her, for food, mostly, because even she knew, children like her had no future.

She looked in the direction she came from, mushrooms exposing from the ground, in deep shrouds. She sighed, and decided to move on, to find the remains of an old building that she could find for shelter for a while, just until the mushrooms got too close. 

For her, there was no 'before the war'. She was born in the middle of it, putting another burden on her family, who had soon left this world, left her, all alone, with nothing but the rubble covering everything, whether it be old automobiles, buildings,   or even skeletal remains of poor forgotten people. 

Though there are others than humans out here. Mutations from toxins, and even creatures the young girl couldn't comprehend walked this cold, dead earth. She had seen many creatures she had wished to never see again, giant wolves, demonic creatures. She couldn't stand it, but without fear, she kept going, wanting to find life besides herself and the blood thirsty.

Her surroundings changed, from a forest, to a field of dead grass, reaching up to her shoulders. She looked around, not wanting to stay there long, not wanting to be seen by any ones who would harm her. 

Walking in a direction that would lead her back to the bungled forest, she heard the grass rustle. Looking quickly in that direction, she didn't see anyone, but she knew they were there. So she ran, the footsteps going faster behind her.

She did not want to die after going so far. She was so close.

But to what exactly? She had no idea. What was she close to? Finding living people that wouldn't kill her? A new home where she wouldn't have to worry anymore? That was the first time.

The first time she lost hope.

She continued running. Her side hurt so bad, she considered just dropping and taking whatever came her way, not caring if she died anymore. But her legs wouldn't let her. Why not? 

Why?

She suddenly felt a gloved hand clasp her arm, making her gasp. Though that was interrupted by a huge noise resounding through the silent air, along with huge billows of black smoke. The hand let go of her, and she took that chance to run, coughing all the way. 

The smoke never seemed to clear up, though she made it to a spot where she could take a breath, in the forest, behind a huge boulder. She coughed, wheezed, and sputtered. Her eyes drooped, she was tired, that was it. No more, she was done.

She could hear the high pitched noise, the noise a bomb makes when it falls, and it was close, too close to outrun. She would die there, killed like everybody else, in the fire and toxic gas. Just like all the unfortunate humans she had seen. 

Although, she seemed not to care. She simply smiled, and closed her eyes. 

 
"Goodbye, world." 


She muttered, and then felt the hot smoke forming around her, although the sound seemed far away, not as close as it should of been. 

Maybe she would end up in the 50th Dead World, if she was lucky. She hoped so, and simply blacked out, although she could feel someone grab her hand, and a small voice call her name.