A Short Story.

Not sure where this was going...



The landscape was soiled; everything was gray and synthetic. The sun never shone there, it was blocked by the skyscrapers. Over the years, anything that was once thriving with vegetation had been destroyed. In its place was Man. Concrete covered the Earth, leaving no room for life. Houses, the size of condos, were closely packed in rows. Wherever you looked, no color was to be found. Every window had bars and chains across them for protection against negative forces. There was a constant stench hanging over this place, an odor known as the overflow of sewers.
In this place, known as Hell to the tenants, gangs ruled the streets. Anyone walking on the grime covered sidewalks either carried a gun or a knife. If one was caught without either of these weapons they were instantly “fixed”, a term that inspires horror in the hearts of the townspeople. Women and children often spent the majority of their miserable lives behind the curtains. The men did everything that was needed for the family to thrive. It truly was prison.
She ran as fast as she could. If she could reach the gates, everything would be ok. That was when she could begin her own life, free of the troubles she faced at home. After sixteen years, Skylar was finally going to get away. With every step she took the backpack bounced against her hips. It created a rhythm, one she depended on to keep going: left, right, left, right. Skylar refused to be caught, not after all her careful planning. She had spent the last five years dreaming of this, and now she had made it a reality.
There it was the last obstacle in her way. The gates to her town were covered in rust, nothing more perfect to represent the monster it kept in. Skylar was almost struck with grief at the sight, but the she remembered her plan. Swinging the backpack around, she opened the zipper. Inside was all of her belongings, plus an aerosol can. A few years ago, a certain book had crossed her path. It was a science book, all about the elements. Of course, rust being an element, it was listed in the book. Along with other scientific terms was the weakness of rust. She had figured a way past the gates.
An hour later, she had finally managed a hole big enough for her to fit through. Throwing the bag first, she pushed through. As she lifted her belongings onto her back, Skylar walked into her new world.