Forum Thread

Sign Ups

And just like that, everything changed. Humanity can only be described as extinct.

Just like normal, every day was followed by a night, one that would eventually end and begin a new day. Humans would continue their daily lives after a night of sleep, just like how it’s always been. But what if one day that stopped? What if one day, there was not another day after that? What if it became night forever? What if nearly all of the humans never took another breath again? Before this, these were just mere questions, a thought to ponder about from time to time. We would think of them, shrug it off, and go on with our lives. Unfortunately, those questions became a reality.

The sun had disappeared from the sky, and so has the moon. Either that, or it had been blocked out. The sky became pitch black other than the speckles of the stars millions of miles away, and in some places, the aurora borealis. After a few hours, temperatures drastically dropped and almost every human began to panic. They knew what had happened. After a few days, people began to die due to the overwhelming cold that had swept the earth. The earth was still in complete darkness. Weeks passed, people passed, and everything was getting worse. After a few months, humanity was reduced to a mere speck. Only those living in places where geothermal energy was abundant was living. But that changed after a year. You would think that there would be no survivors, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, a very small number of humans were immune to the devastation.

There were only around 10 survivors on earth, and their goals were to just survive. For some odd reason, these individuals developed a strange, inhuman ability. They all were different and some of them even helped their survival. One other odd thing was the momentary flashes of brightness in the sky, like the sun had come back. They happen about once a week if you’re lucky, but they could appear over a month later. If you blink, you miss it. There has also been supplies hidden in the survivors homes, if they had one. Fresh meat or crops could be found in containers or other things of the such, but it was a rare occurrence. Everyone who was smart enough knew something was off, it was more than the sun disappearing from the sky. Someone was playing god, messing with their lives like an experiment.

(I made a new character, don’t mind me, I’ll write about him later)

It was cold, dark, terrifying, lonely, quiet, hopeless. Why... Did anything matter anymore? Was it worth living in this hell? On the verge of death, living in a world where hardly no one was around, feeling hopeless but still trying to survive? Why was she one of the people who had survived? Well, she couldn’t really know if anyone else was on this earth, but that was her last hope. Misaki laid in her cold, stiff bed while she thought the things she had everyday, not really having any motivation to get out of her bed and start her day. Wait... was it day? She had no electricity, meaning she didn’t even know what time it was. She didn’t know what day it was, or even what year it was. It seemed like it had been thousands of years, all without any lack of any contact. The last time she had any of it, it was with her parents dying right before her eyes. One had took a bullet to the head in order for “her to survive”. It was pathetic... Wouldn’t she die of the cold anyways? Even if there was a little bit of food left over from one less person, it wouldn’t matter in the end. Besides... Not like she could die... Every cell in her body was regenerating at the same rate they died. And for some reason it didn’t cause any problems, she was still perfectly healthy. In order to prevent herself from diving into a deep pit of pointless thoughts, she slowly got up from her bed and walked around the house. Maybe there was something she could do... Maybe outside could give her something?

---

After waking up in pitch black, Kenji raised his hand out of the shadows of a snow covered tree. He carefully raised himself out of the shadows. He was terrified and confused of what just happened. All he remembered was him going to sleep in his room like any other night. He was cold and he couldn't see anyone anywhere. All he could see was snow. He felt his side to check if he still had his sword and sure enough, It was there. He decided to walk through this cold to see if any cities survived this disaster. Within a few minutes, He spotted a city but, no lights were on. As if the city had been deserted. He decided to take shelter in one of the buildings then, check the stores to see if any food had survived the calamity. " What in the world happened," says Kenji. " Why is it so cold and What happened to me?" Kenji was curious of this newly found power he has. He went to the darkest corner of the room and slowly sunk his hand into the shadows. He peered at the site of his arm disappearing into the shadows.

A̷l̷a̷s̷k̷a
Everything was frozen. Not just cold, like the whole world had become seemingly overnight more than a year ago, but completely frozen. At least in the seemingly abandoned home of of the Hales, it was. Frost crept up the walls, both inside and out, and emanated from the foundations of the contemporary building. In the front yard, a weather beaten cross of ice marked the grave of a man long-since succumbed to the elements. On it was written a single word; "Dad".

Inside the home, a girl who's clothing was completely unsuited for the climate stood by an herb-turned-vegetable garden inside of a greenhouse. The dim lighting powered by only the vestiges of power from the home's generator gave her face a strange haunted look as she checked over the tomato and soybean plants that she subsisted upon. Despite every other surface in the house being covered completely in a thick layer of frost, the ensemble of perhaps thirteen medium sized gardens were heated around the clock to the minimum temperature needed for plant growth. While the silver haired girl couldn't even feel the bitter cold surrounding her, she was not exempt from other basic human needs, and therefore this was the only room in the large modern house with its switch flipped to "on" in the circuit board in the basement.

Jonathan Hale, the second the sky had been blotted out, had immediately rushed to the nearest store, taking one work van and having his daughter drive the other, ignoring all speed limits and traffic laws, and completely bought them out of propane. He and Alaska had created a plan of how to stretch their supplies out for as long as possible. Even then, he'd known something was up. When the man had begun to falter just a little more than a month into the whole ordeal, he'd insisted that she stick to their plan, that she not turn on any extra heat for him. To this day, Alaska absolutely abhorred herself for obeying.

She strode to the sink and turned the knob for hot water, which at this point was really only lukewarm, and allowed a cup of it to flow out into her watering can before switching it off. The modern Californian home was on well water, and therefore the plumbing still functioned. The hot water heater was also run by the generator, which made it so the pipes within the house itself didn't freeze. After pouring the water over the plants, the girl turned and left the greenhouse for the living room. Along the frosted walls were even thicker lines of ice crystals where Alaska had trailed her hand as she walked alone through the halls. The sound of her footsteps was accompanied by the crunching of the ever-present frost that also coated the floors.

The icy state of the entire building was the direct result of the girl which occupied it. She had no idea why or how this had happened. She wasn't sure she even wanted to know. All she knew was that her dad had died while she lived. It wasn't fair. It made no sense. Why her and not him? Some days she couldn't even imagine continuing onwards, but she always ended up doing so, knowing it was what her father would have wanted for her. All the same, as she flopped onto the black couch in the room in which she had once spent so many fond evenings with him, hopelessness threatened to overtake her once more. She didn't cry; she'd spent all of her tears in the first couple of months following his passing and the reception of the news that Court and her mother had also left this world behind. She just buried her face in the ice covered cushions, trying to block out the thoughts, the memories, the persistent gnawing of hunger in her stomach born of eating barely enough food every day.

---

Amon had long ago accepted that this world was doomed, there wasn’t any hope. Long ago he had already decided that he wouldn’t try to live anymore, he would just go with his daily routine. That is, until he one day decided to leave his home and wonder out. He hadn’t seen all of the damage yet, he had only seen the fraction of chaos that happened in his little circle of living. It was a nightmare walking through, the cold piercing his lungs and skin, the blue-tinted world with little to no life, it was heart breaking. He had to step over forever preserved bodies in the streets, the bodies of those who had died suddenly away from their homes. Walking through it all without ever knowing anything was pure torture, something he would’ve never thought anyone had to experience. Thank god he couldn’t see it all in a clear picture, for once the darkness was a savior. He had been roaming for a month or two now, and he had yet to see another human being. Every one or two days he would stop by a random building and rest, only to get up and move as soon as he was finished. It was so boring... So quiet... Today was one of those days, he had to find a building soon. He was in a large forest for a few days now, he couldn’t afford to stay her much longer. After a few minutes of walking aimlessly, he had stumbled into a city. Weird... He hadn’t seen a city in so long, which surprised him due to thinking cities were much more common than this. He decided to go to the first building he saw, which happened to be the same building Kenji was in. As soon as he entered, he stopped. It would be stupid to just enter without checking what was inside... He turned his flashlight on and scanned the room, then marked it clear. He slowly took a few steps forwards, the metal wings behind him scraping against the tile floor. The sound annoyed him, it wasn’t quiet and it could be compared to nails on a chalkboard. He continued walking around, using the light in his hand to scan the rooms he had passed by until he saw something unusual. There was another person.

---

Kenji stands up and pulls his hand out of the shadows. " Oi, Who are you?" says Kenji. " It's not very nice to sneak up on someone." Kenji glares at the man with the flashlight. ' Who is this guy?' Kenji thinks, ' I didn't know there were people still alive.' Kenji grabs the handle of his blade, readying himself to attack. " Well? Are you friend... or foe?" says Kenji. Kenji enters his samurai stance as he prepares to attack. " I'd rather not kill someone I just met but, if I have to..." Kenji states as he unsheathes his sword a little bit, " I'll do it without hesitation." As Kenji gets a better look at this guy, he decides to ease up as he realizes that this guy is just trying to survive... like he is. Kenji lets go of his sword and stands up straight. He sticks his hand out so they can shake hands. " My name is Kenji. What's yours?" Kenji asks.

The man stared at Kenji with a blank expression, the effects of the threat didn’t cause him to react in any sort of way. He didn’t bother to shake hands, instead he continued to glare at him, slightly tilting his head as he observed the situation. “Why kill the only other person you’ve met... Wouldn’t you at least want info? Know what they know? Gather supplies from them? For a swordsman, you’re not that smart...” He sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment, along with lowering his head. “If it matters, the name’s Amon.” He raised his head to look at him directly once again before turning off his flashlight and stuffing both his hands in his pocket. “Hey, what was that about, sticking your hand in a wall like a cheap magic trick...”

Misaki had slowly walked out of her apartment, stumbling around in the darkness, tripping over various objects until she had finally reached the door. Once she opened it, she was greeted with a scene that was pitch black. Not a surprise, it had been that way every single time. She just didn’t want this nightmare to continue... She took a step forward, then another. Soon, she was outside, no clue on what to do or where to go.

---

" That? I don't know. I woke up completely surrounded by darkness." says Kenji, " It seems I can submerge myself into the shadows. My name is Kenji. Nice to meet you." Kenji fully sheathes his sword. ' This guy..." Kenji thinks, ' I don't get him.' Kenji starts to leave the building. "I'm going to look for supplies. Maybe if we work together, we can figure out what the heck is going on." says Kenji, " Plus we can gather supplies much faster if we stick together." Kenji signals him to follow. " Who knows. Maybe there are other survivors like us."

---

“It’s been a year and a half and you still don’t know? Is this some kind of joke?” He said aggressively, his eyes narrowed, but he let Kenji pass. “Why the hell would I work with someone who doesn’t even know how this world works anymore?” He turned to face the exiting Kenji, who he began to follow. Not like he had a choice... “Whatever...” He decided not to reply to the statement about his newfound abilities with his own, it was pretty obvious anyways and he didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to it.

---

" I've been sleeping for a year and a half. Jesus christ. I hope my family is ok." Kenji exclaims. He continues to walk in the snow." He looks around for a grocery store and fortunately spots one. He runs over to it and pushes the door open. " You go to the left. I'll go to the right. Be sure to grab extra flashlights, batteries, food, and probably something to haul it all in." Kenji says. " Meet me back here when you finish." Kenji starts to grab food and check if they have expired.

---

He sighed after hearing that statement, already done with this guy. He did what he asked though, going to the left of the store and picking up everything useful. “Sorry to tell you, but everyone’s dead. There’s no one left but us. Get it to your head already...” he growled, finishing up his side of the looting. Even if there were more people, he doubted that any of their family was still alive.

She could barely see in the dark, and she didn’t have a flashlight, so she was startled when she heard the faint sound of talking. It seemed to be far away, just up ahead. Her curiosity and desperation got the best of her and she began to run in that direction, not even considering the consequences. “Hello? Anyone there?” She called out as she ran, not stopping once she reached the door. She opened it and continued calling out, only to stop moments later. “Get it to your head already.” Wait... where was that coming from? Did that mean someone else was here?

---

Kenji just kept looking for things to salvage. " That doesn't mean EVERYONE is dead. Maybe... Maybe there are people like us. Those that survived the odds." Kenji said. Kenji just found a flashlight and tried to turn it on. It worked. He begun to look around and fortunately found a backpack and batteries. He walked towards the back of the store. ' This guy... Why does he have to be so rude.' Kenji thought. Kenji kept walking towards the back of the store picking up useful items like batteries and occasionaly finding some food.

---

A̷l̷a̷s̷k̷a
A flicker of movement in the city less than a quarter of a mile away caught Alaska's eye through the large wall of windows in her living room. Though frost threatened to coat them entirely, the middles were still somewhat transparent, though a bit fogged. At first, she assumed she was imagining it, nearly laughing at her own imagination. The chances that someone else had survived were so, so low. All the same, she stood from the couch and moved to one of the window frames. She reached out a hand to wipe the fog from the window, but where she touched it, ice spread outwards, like a blot of ink. With a sigh and a slump to her shoulders, she turned away, but as she did so, she could have sworn she saw something yet again from the window to her left. After a moment of hesitation, she tugged on the handle to the sliding glass door. Although it seemed frozen shut, with a bit of force she was able to break it free.

The 18 year old hadn't left the house for perhaps seven months. She'd visited her father's grave every day for the first four months after she had buried him alone. However, eventually she'd had to stop, as doing so expended too much energy, physical and mental. It was draining, and she'd known it from the get go, but that couldn't quench her mourning. Now, as her curiosity got the best of her, she finally strayed outside once more. Staring off into the distance, yes! She hadn't just been convincing herself she saw something, there was actually someone or something moving about in the nearby collection of buildings.

Closing the sliding door behind her, Alaska set off at a steady walk. Running would have cost too many calories, she knew. However, the further she got from her home, thoughts began to creep into her mind. Whoever was out there had to have been hardened by the circumstances, potentially willing to do whatever necessary to survive. Might they harm her if she was discovered, come to her home, and steal her resources? She decided it was worth the risk. If they killed her, so be it. At least she'd be reunited with her father. And it wasn't like she couldn't put up a fight, she remarked to herself with an emotion that was a sorry excuse for humor. As she walked down through the dead grass, preserved only by the cold, she left icy footprints. Yes, she could defend herself perfectly well.

---

Noah had been traveling around, going from place to place. After all, there's only so much nonperishable food that's stored in one location. Of course, that meant stealing, which is wrong but his parents had said it was alright, back in the beginning of all this, while they were still here. A lot of things have changed in the past year, hasn't it? Regardless, he pulls open the back door to the store he found, pulling it off of its hinges before it falls to the floor with a loud, echoing clank. Well, it's not like the store owner is going to need that door there anyways. Now in the backroom of the store, he starts looking around the items that had never been put on the shelf, never to be put on the shelf. A bit sad, really, but there's not much that can be done about it now.

---

Kenji heard the loud bang coming from the back of the store. "Huh?" says Kenji. ' What was that? I just heard a loud bang.' Kenji thought. Kenji starts to make his way towards one of the doors that leads to the back of the store. " H-hello? Anyone there?" Kenji asks. Kenji points his flashlight through the door and sees...

---

There was too much noise, way too much compared to what he’d heard the entire time he’d been alone. A yelling from the front of the store, one from the other side of the store, and one from the back. He let out a small groan and glanced at each direction, clearly wanting out of here. “So after all this time...” he let out a small chuckle “They suddenly came now, huh...” he turned his head to the unlit lights above them. “Hooray... what fun...” Well, since Kenji had taken the back, guess he had the front. He slowly walked towards the entrance, ignoring the inevitable screeching of metal that would forever follow him. All of a sudden, the random flash of light happened yet again. He had nearly forgot that this happened, but not like it was important. This allowed him to see who was at the entrance for a brief moment, a young girl with a terrified expression. He sighed and continued walking, at least he knew she wasn’t armed. “Shut up, will ya? Your repeated screams ain’t gonna do you any good...” he grumbled, coming within 3 feet of her.

Misaki had heard something behind her, but she had forgot that thought as soon as a man walked up to her. The words he said frightened her even more, as she believed there was malicious intent behind it. She stepped away in fear, her whole body shaking. “Y-yes sir...” she stuttered, the flash revealing his face made it even worse. “W-what are you doing here...” she asked hesitantly, frightened that she had said something wrong.

---

Noah looks up from the pile of unopened cans he had found--score!--as the sudden flash of light from Kenji's flashlight floods the dark room. He squints, quickly bringing his hands up to filter the blinding light before taking a peek through his fingers. Is that... another person? How long has it been since he's seen another person anyways? Far too long. He takes a moment, blinking to try and adjust to the bright light, not quite focused on Kenji's voice.

---

A̷l̷a̷s̷k̷a
As the girl neared the city, one of those brilliant flashes lit up the sky once more, stunning her. However, she was close enough that she could see the silhouettes of an assortment of people through the windows of a store. Alaska froze, shocked. There were at least three. Three other people. Three other survivors. She wasn't alone. Somehow, she wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

Quickening her pace just a bit, she hurried towards the buildings, though determined to simply observe them and not make her presence known. If they questioned her as to where she had come from, she might have to lie in order to protect her own supplies. While the idea of leaving others out in the cold did pain her, she knew it would be necessary. The canned vegetables and beans that she'd been steadily producing over the months was barely enough to sustain her, let alone three plus extra people, not to mention that the propane would only last her another three months or so. She was still struggling to come up with what she would do once it ran out. It wasn't like people hadn't tried to keep themselves alive; all sources of fuel had been snatched up in a heartbeat.

As she slipped silently into town, she realized that she was still leaving tracks of ice behind her. The girl grimaced. Great. She'd left a trail straight back to her home. If they followed them, they'd find everything she'd been storing up. She hoped the icy complexion of the large modern house that she'd unintentionally created would drive them away, if it came to that. Trepidation caused her to tread softly, and though she was doing her best to control this curse of hers, every five steps, it seemed, a bit leaked out, leaving small, shoe-shaped dapples atop on the snow covered ground.

The other people were holed up in a small store stocked with groceries. Silently clambering up a fire escape ladder on the side of the one story building, she then touched her hand to the roof, closing her eyes and concentrating for a moment. Ice shot forth from seemingly nowhere, forming a thick slide towards a skylight that had shattered and fallen in some time ago. This was so she wouldn't alert them to her presence with the sound of her footsteps. Tentatively moving onto it, she dug her fingernails into the frozen water as she began to slowly slip down, as intended. As the roof wasn't on much of an incline, she barely picked up any momentum, and was able to stop without much effort. Careful not to lean over the edge, she sat there, listening.

---

" Oi, Who are you?" Kenji asked," I didn't know anyone else was alive." He walked forward towards the person. He stook out his hand to shake hands with this new person he had found. " I'm Kenji. What's your name?" asks Kenji, " It's good to see another person alive out here. Well, A second person. I met another guy named Amon." Kenji grins widely.

---

It was another dark, gloomy morning for Sirient, since his watch alerted him it was morning. He got out of bed, and decided to have a morning snack, a pretzel would be enough. He grabbed his headphones, and tuned it to his favorite music track, it helps him calm down and relax in this darkness. As he finished his pretzel, the room dropped in temperature severely. "Sigh, guess the heater's out." Sirient sighed as he grabbed a flashlight and some materials he would need. "This is like the 100th time this thing has broken." Sirient murmured as he headed out the door. Just like he thought, the heater had shivered up from the cold, despite Sirient's attempts to fix that issue. Sirient shot out a small burst of fire in hopes of heating up the heater. "I might as well do some foraging, see what's left in the wild, maybe find some people who aren't crazy.

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