Night had fallen and Z slept soundly in the bed across from me. I couldn’t sleep so I stared at the ceiling thinking of what the future would hold. Suddenly I remember picking up something at the mall and quietly rummage through my bag to find it. I pull out the phone and the solar powered battery pack. Checking the pack to make sure it still worked, I plugged in the phone. The screen turned on showing that it was charging. Sweet, no more searching in the dark for me. Mostly out of boredom I open the phone. There was no lock so I was able to get in without trying fifty thousand coads. On the main screen there were only three available apps. Music, photos/videos, and notes. I smile, it had been a while since I was able to listen to music. I pull out the earbuds I had specifically put away just in case and thank past me for even thinking to keep them. Opening up the music app I find thousands of songs. I close my eyes and take a breath, thankful for this simple joy. I play my favorite songs out of the playlist and go to notes reading the earliest date. 

Dear log: april 3, 2023

It is the second year of the end of the world. I have began this log to keep track of my travels and keep my mind organized. Today my group found a military base and we are currently in the east gate fort. The shadows are still here and the world is still terrible. But hey, the sun is bright, the sky is blue, everything will be fine.

The person ends the first entry there so I go to the camera roll. Scrolling through hundreds of videos I finally reach the top. It started out with a video taken three days after the entry was written. I press play and a pale freckled girl that looked to be 16 shows up. She had dark brown wavy hair and light brown eyes. The video starts out with her talking.

“I’m Mallory and this is my surviving the End of the World vlog. Thanks for tooning in this fine evening.” Her smile was captivating. “For tonight’s special, we will be investigating the military outpost and what they are doing in the harsh fight for mankind.” She turns her camera around showing military tents, vehicles, troops, and ordinary people all within a tall cement barrier which looked to be 20 feet high. It stood with an open sky, gun points positioned all along the top of the walls. She walks over to a tent and quietly opens a small slit so both her and the camera could see. Inside there is a table and supplies piled all around. 3 men and 2 women stood at the table with a map of the area and a bunch of other papers. One woman who looks to be the leader starts off with what sounded like a briefing. “Even after a year of fighting, we’ve found nothing that affects these creatures. We set up this outpost two months ago to observe and study the creatures in hopes of finding a way to kill them. The council didn’t expect this many survivors to pore in. We are running low on supplies that were supposed to last us an entire year, we’re running out of space too. The best we can do at the moment is use the momentum of our ammo to keep the shadows from climbing the walls.” A tall, bald man with a hard face and frowning scowl cuts in.

“Your being to soft! We can’t keep welcoming every sob fest that walks up to the gate. All the resources they take is precious fuel wasted. The military needs those rations to stay out here and study the shadows to find an end this slaughterhouse of a war.” He glares at the woman.

“You may think it’s a bleeding heart, but I call it saving the last of humanity. There are children out there. You would seriously turn them away just so we could stay out here a little longer and get nowhere in our research!”

“Yes. Actually, I think we should throw them all out the way it is at the moment. They are useless leeches eating, sleeping, and pooping. They don’t contribute anything at all.”

“It’s not their ‘job’ to contribute! It’s their job to survive. To live! Who are you to take that away from them!”

“I’m second in command and if the three others here at this table see fit, they can take you out of your position.”

“Fine, if you feel that way, why don’t you leave with them. See exactly how they will have it. If you survive for longer than two weeks, maybe, just maybe! I’ll take you back.”

“What are you talking about I’m partially in charge I’m essential to this mission. You can’t throw me out!”

“Actually, no, your not essential. You are expendable. Essential is the scientists that work here. Essential is the doctors that play a part in keeping us healthy. You are just a meet head that gives orders. Anyone can do that. So why don’t you think about that before you wright anyone else off.” The man is left speechless and the others stand there looking between them, clearly uncomfortable with the situation and not quite sure who’s side to be on. “Now if you excuse me, I have rounds to make.” The woman begins to walk towards the camera, or the entrance in her case, and the video ends. Wow, I guess everyone was desperate, even the military. I flick to the next video and press play. The video starts out on Mallory’s face again.

“Hello viewers Mallory here. Sorry I ended the last video so abruptly. As you could see she was coming towards me and your beloved vlogger was about to get found out.” She winks and sticks out her tongue. “But I didn’t, so welcome to the continuation of tonight’s special ‘investigating the military outpost’. I’ve been here a total of 3 days and this place it pact. Over 300 people live here, even though it is probably only the size of a high school football stadium.” She flips the camera around and I realized that it’s night time. There were lights on everywhere and I hear gunshots going off. She walks to the wall and begins climbing the latter. Gunshots getting louder along the way.

“Now folks, this next scene may be a little scary and hard for some people to handle, so viewers be advised and all that. What I’m about to show you will give you nightmares for the rest of your life.” She finally reaches the top, and from the level of the camera, was laid flat on her stomach. She begins to whisper while she points the phone to either side of her. Soldiers with guns stood along the 5 foot thick wall and fired guns downwards. “I’m not supposed to be up here so we can’t make any fast movements. I’m about to give you a first time ever look at exactly what we’re up against. The enemy that’s so fierce, so feared, that anyone who sees it is almost certain to die.” She slowly crawls to the edge and points the camera downwards. My eyes widen at the sight. Dozens of the shadow creatures clawed at the walls, ramming into it and slashing at each other because they were in each other’s space. One successfully pushed past the others and began to climb the wall. Digging it’s arms into the cement like a pickaxe and using its back legs for grip it was a slow but steady pace up. “Now folks I know what you must be thinking. we’re all doomed, right? Wrong. Check this out.” She makes it so the camera could see not just the shadow but the soldier above as well. He changes guns to something that looked strangely like a large potato launcher and takes aim. 

Aiming vertically downwards he looked like he was struggling to hold it up. A few seconds later there was a loud boom and a large metal ball propelled downwards faster than if it had just fallen. It hit the shadow directly where it’s chest should be. It surprised me that they would use that type of weapon, but what surprised me most was that it collided. The shadows went flying downwards but not before I saw the ball come out of the mist on the other side of its body. Once it hit the ground it got back up and began clawing at the bottom of the wall again.

“As you can see that didn’t hurt it one bit. The things may look like they have mist bodies but they are slightly sollid towards the center. So hitting it fast and hard enough with a blunt object may not be enough to kill it. But the momentum will at least knock them out of the way and slow them down. That’s the only semi weapon we have against them, the only reason we are safe here.” She flips the camera around to point at her. “Well as always folks. The sun is bright, the sky is blue, and everything will be fine. Good night and thanks for watching.” The video ended on her giving a two fingered salute. I had taken in a lot of information just from the two videos. The army was working on ways to fight back. They had successfully learned something about the shadows other than the fact that they killed everyone. I realize how tired I am and slowly begin to fall asleep. Not much I can do so might as well sleep. I take one last look at the girl that had given me the only spark of hope I’ve had since the day this all started. I close my eyes, actually happy to wake up in the morning for once.