1.

Lead everywhere: the sky, the clouds, the torn walls of the houses, due to the clogged air filled with all kind of toxins. The only contrasting colors are the green water, polluted and maybe even radioactive considering the way it shines, and the yellow signs with multiple crescents which formed the symbol for “Toxic”. You could find them on the factory’s fences, some houses, at the forest entrance etc.

The town: completely deserted. Nobody dared to leave their house, to risk an infection or in the worst case certain death in the stinky air.

Why didn’t they close it earlier?  Supposedly they were trying to help us survive, and the factory was the only power source.

Of course: no flowing water, no open field for sun or strong wind, we didn’t have any other source. Whose fault was that? Those basters!

Without masks the survival rate near the factory is 0%. Even the animals were affected. Some have developed additional limbs, others suffered severe mutations to adapt. The less lucky species, like the birds, died fast. Not to mention the aquatic life; have you ever seen a 3 m pike? With sharp teeth and impenetrable scales? Horrible, o fisherman was ripped in two by such a specimen. Poetic justice I guess.

People destroy, is a well-known fact, not the first time. But now a new level of recklessness has been reached. The factory was supposed to comply with the rules imposed by the environmental association.

Sweet dreams: the town thrives, the citizens get jobs, everybody is happy. Wrong. This was only the beginning. Apparently the source of energy was not wood, coal or other nature friendly materials. On the contrary, they used toxic, radioactive substances from the abandoned nuclear power plant.

Fools used the pretext of a new factory to use the power plant in secret. The result? That is easy to guess: the boiler, where they burned the substances, overheated. The signs where there even before the disaster, employees had coughs, headaches, hair loss, hallucinations, euphoria and, in some cases went bonkers.

A protest was organized; too late. The boiler exploded scattering toxic smoke over the gathered crowd. The luckiest, if you can call them that, suffered a few major changes to eye, hair or skin colour. There were even victims of madness, they retreated to the forest, rarely to be seen.

Irony of fate: the factory owners and scientists were prepared for this outcome, but choose to stay silent to get rid of the revolt.

All of this happened 10 years ago, nothing can be recognized anymore from the old views for tourists. I also forgot how the sun looks like.

What is more ironic is the fact that we need to use the power plant, the source of all misfortune, in order to survive.

I’m Max by the way, happy to meet you. I and my friends grew up in this messed up town.

VS

2.

-Freaking damn, just forget it! All’ya wouldn’t understand anyway, so shu! Go on, I ain’t got all day, the old lady warned.

-Chill out ma’am, we were playing ball when came out of nowhere. No need for violence, one of the teenagers tried to calm her down

-Violence my ass! You youngsters better learn some manners before I personally beat them into your thick skull, she took one firm swing without hitting anything.

-Easy there, you drunk or something? the teenagers backed away with their arms up in defense.

-Who you calling drunk you little punk?!

The old lady firmly grasped her cane, took one step back, and in a swept motion hit the wall with it. The bricks crumbled to the ground, leaving behind only the shape of the cane, which surprisingly remained intact. Not even the lady showed any sign of being out of breath. The teenagers were terrified, each starting to run in different directions.

-Hm! Serves you right punks, don’t cross on my turf if you don’t have the guts to stand up to me, the old lady watched in triumph, cane on one shoulder as if expecting to strike again at any given moment.

-Not bad grandma, but at your age I think it would be better not to draw attention upon yourself. What do you say? a voice came from behind.

Like a spring the lady’s arm unwinded in the direction of the voice, its tip a centimeter away from the culprit’s face.

-I will take it easy once I’m dead. You should know by now, can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and this Rottweiler still has some bark left in her, she replied with confidence.

-I never doubted that, I’m just your regular doting grandson looking after his grandma, smiled the young man innocently.

-Yeah right, cut to the chase, why you really here? Stupid grandson, she mumbled resuming her original stance.

-I wasn’t joking, I am here to see you, but from the looks of it you seem to be doing well. I’m glad; anyway uncle wants to invite you to a family dinner this Friday, think you can make it? the young man approached until he was right next to her.

-Yeah, yeah, keep the distance, she nudged him with the cane. Why didn’t he just call instead of sending you all the way here?

-Apparently he did, you never picked up, he looked at her exasperated.

-Did he now? Must have dropped the damn thing somewhere, she faked innocence.

-I swear you always do that on purpose, next time I will just send a bird, he hang his head in disappointment.

-Hehehe, glad you see things from my perspective grandson, she smiled cheekily.

-Well, I’m going to go pass the message to uncle.

-Leaving so soon? How about some tea and a spar?

-Didn’t think you would offer, you’re getting softer grandma, he returned the smile.

-Time does that to everybody, you coming or what? she started walking in the direction of her house.

-Coming, coming, geez I feel like a 5 years old again.

-You always will be to me stupid grandson. Hahaha!

WHO WINS?