Andy Miles 2nd February 2024
Prompt:
“I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never know”
Andy Miles 2nd February 2024
Ihear the crack of wood in the fire and watch a fiery spec drift across the room to burn out before it reaches the ground. The smoke catches in my throat causing me to cough, a sip of my brandy will fix that. My thoughts drift back over the years gone by, memories of family and friends, all gone now. My time is nearly over as well, people have lost faith and belief in anything they cannot buy or hold.
You know I had great plans. This was going to be my finest creation, a perfect blue jewel in a sea of blackness. I seeded it with all the ingredients required to evolve and grow and sat back to observe what would happen. Occasionally, it would need a nudge, I once had to do an almost complete reset as there was too much violence and corruption. Unfortunately, this would reoccur regularly so after the first time I just let events run their own course.
After a while, I became quite absorbed in the people that had become the dominant life form in my creation. At one time I projected myself into the world myself to see things at their level. This did not go so well, I had to leave as they decided to execute the body I was in. Getting to know the people was fun though, I made some friends (that was the word they created to describe when they got close to each other) and some enemies (this word meant the opposite). Again and again, the violence and corruption grew. Sometimes in different areas, sometimes in the same place as before. After a while, it would be defeated and there would be a time of happiness and joy.
Lately, this corruption has become darker and more insidious. I have always had trouble telling the people apart and now they seem to be dividing themselves into different groups that preach hate against each other. A lot of this is done through the technology they have created. They have reached a stage where they can anonymously make statements and claim truths that have no basis in facts. These ‘truths’ are gobbled up by others and used to oppress and condemn whoever they believe has an opposite opinion or belief. This technology has also made killing each other easier and they can distance themselves from the actual event. I think it is almost like a game to them now.
I take another sip of my brandy and put another log on the fire. The flames soon engulf it and the smell of fresh wood smoke fills the room. I let my mind wander forward in time, imagining what could become of my world and all the life in it. All the people I would never get to know, all the lives that I would not see to their end, all the wonderful events that I will not be able to experience. As I pass from this existence I could just let my creation run on.
I take one last look at it, more senseless violence, hatred and corruption. The poor and helpless are not looked after by the rich and powerful. People fight people over imaginary lines on a map or over something they think is right. I do not think it will resolve itself this time. I screw my creation up into a ball and throw it onto the fire, watching as it flares and dissolves into the dancing flames. I close my eyes one more time and welcome oblivion.