The Grim Horizon


Just three years ago, this place was my school, its halls stretching far and wide, and its six floors reaching up to the sky; but today, it lies here upon the ground, with only two cloven pillars standing beside one another—a reminder of what we can never have again.


As I walk across craters that used to be paved roads, I see my own heart reflected by the scorch marks and fissures that run deep across my homeland. I cannot imagine what could bring someone to commit such acts of destruction. The devastation and hopelessness left in their wake latch on to you and take root, and you wonder if you will ever be free from it. Will I ever be free from it?


Yet even amidst the shadow that has befallen us, there still remain glints in the eyes of my younger brothers and sisters in our neighbourhood. Perhaps seeing a few of them laugh and play with one another even amidst the dark rubble that surrounds us gives me some semblance of hope. Perhaps a future to look forward to, even though the horizon looks grim.


My journeys also make me question this. On my way back home after scouring for what little vegetables and fruits I could find, I came across yet another mother who had lost both her children to a sniper’s aim. They were only searching for food and medicine, so why…? I shared half of my rations with her and kept her company as she wept in my arms. She had lost everyone she had ever loved within such a short period.


The journey back home was long and cruel. The last light of the day was drowned by the darkness, and with it came howling winds and the biting cold. I rubbed my arms together as I waded through the rugged terrain, only to be forced to take cover under the remains of an old supermarket to escape the incoming rain of fire that eviscerated everything it touched in the vicinity. Each day was like this—an endless struggle.


I escaped the inferno with some bruises and minor burns. I was lucky today, but it seems death draws nearer each passing day. The attacks have grown in ferocity, twofold over the past two weeks alone. I don’t think I have much time. I might as well make the best of what I have, and help my community however I can. Two hours passed; it felt like two days. I was finally home…


This place used to be the spot my brother and I used to hide if we ever caused too much trouble and our dad was mad at us. We’d hide here for hours, and he’d often forget his anger and instead be worried about us, running around trying his best to find us. We always returned, but we never revealed our secret spot. If only… If only we had known the attack was coming, perhaps we could’ve all been here together, here in the deep crevice between two boulders, covered by thick shrubs that could’ve so easily concealed us.


Now it’s just me here, hiding from the horrific reality outside, yearning for the simpler times when it was all just a game and not a matter of survival. Yet there is nothing I can do about it anymore; I can only linger here until I have no place left to hide… 

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