Prologue: The beginning of the end
My father used to tell me stories from a time long before I was born when the planet first became sick. He would say luna when I was just a Nino; our people use to take pride in tending the crops. My Papa used to take me to work with him every Saturday. I would meet up with the other children that also came to work with their papas. We run through the crop fields till it felt like our lungs would burst. We would imagine we were in some exotic jungle searching for a lost city, with each winding turn taking us deeper into the unknown. At the farthest end of the crop field lay a pile of boulders, and we climb to the top, shouting to the world of our conquest. Through the eyes of a child, the fields appeared to be waves swaying through the wind. From a distance, I could see my Papa and the other men hard at work. I imagined the fruit trees to be giant magical trolls in disguise, and I, a knight, sworn to protect my kingdom and its people from them. Life back then was full of possibilities, no thoughts of hunger or worries of starvation. Our land overflowed with food. Then one day, I’ll never forget it. My friends and I came across a section of the field, which at first glance appeared burnt as if a blaze of fire swept through. Curious at what had transpired, I carefully approached the area. What had seemed to be an incident of fire was now an entirely different ordeal than previously thought. The spot oozed with what I could only describe as veins of black tar. It appeared to move; I thought my mind was playing cruel tricks on me. I rubbed my eyes and focused on the bizarre thing.
The thing seemed to pulse and vibrate. Frighten by what I had just witnessed; I ran as fast as I could back to my Papa with the boys not far behind. Papa. Papa. I shouted. What is it, boy?!. I tried to speak, but I was too winded to form a sentence. The boys all yelled simultaneously, trying to get their story of the ordeal out, which only confused the men more. What the devil got in you all!. Papa said. Hush all of yous. Speak, Jacob. Please look for yourself; you must see this; you will not believe me unless you see with your own eyes. I fear the crops are in danger.
Papa could sense that something indeed was wrong. Alright, boy, show me then. I lead my Papa, and everyone else followed in suit. As we headed back to the spot where we discovered that bizarre thing, the sun had begun to set, casting red and pink splats across the sky. The wind quickened its pace, hurling ominous howls. The atmosphere had almost spontaneously shifted from pleasant to dire. Reaching the spot, I instantly saw the fear in my Papa’s eyes. I had never seen him this frightened before in my life. Get back; I don’t want any of yous getting close to this thing.
I did as my father told me. All the men huddled, speaking almost in a whisper that I could not distinguish the words they spoke. They seemed to have come to some agreement and dispersed. Boy, come we need to go. But Papa, what about that thing?. don’t make me repeat myself. I instantly became quiet, feeling defeated, and followed his order. I know my father was serious, and I did not want to cross that line. I saw as the other boys also left with their fathers. The walk back from that spot to the truck was quiet. Leading the way, Papa would look back every now and then as if he was making sure I was keeping up with his pace. Perhaps he realized the sadness in my eyes when he stopped and motioned me over. Get up here; he said with a smile while patting on his back. Letting out a grin, I motioned a hop and plopped on his back. Jacob, you did the right thing by coming to me. I know I’m hard on you sometimes; that’s just because I love you. I couldn’t help but feel a little relief after hearing him say that. I mean, I know he loves me, but it’s nice to hear sometimes, you know?.
Reaching the truck, Papa set me down, motioning me to the door. Hoping in, I watched as he made his way to the driver’s side, slamming the door shut. Alright, boy, go on, let’s see what’s on the radio. Papa backed up and made his way on the dirt road. After a while of scrolling through the stations, I declared to Papa that nothing good was on. Heck, boy, then let’s see what the news got to say. Aww, do we have to? Yes, now hush. Changing the station to the news channel, we sat quietly listening to the world events of the day. Nothing eventful had happened at all. At this point, I felt like my ears would fall off from all this boring news. Can we please cha- Breaking news, we interrupt your daily broadcast to inform you of a worldwide disease that seems to be attacking our food supply. Please be on the lookout for what officials can only describe as a black fungus that attaches itself to the food source, consuming it. Papa! that’s what we saw, isn’t it!- if you or anyone has come into contact with this fungus, immediately contact the CDC at 1-800-426-3693. Well, shit!. I guess I better give them a call. That was the beginning of the end. As the years past it became harder and harder to grow crops, and in turn, the livestock began dying off. That was just the tip of the ice burg. The undead began to rise. It was reshaping the world as you see it now.
Good night my sweet Luna, for tomorrow may bring new hope in a dying world.
