Sunshine looked toward the ocean. There was a long pier that extended from the shore. She headed toward that. It turned out to be a fishing pier, made of wood that sat atop concrete pilings. It was designed to last centuries. As she walked on it, her footsteps made no sound. The structure was solid.
“Tell me about this pier,” she waved her arm at the pier, and waited for the machines to explain.
“It was the town park. People came here to fish, and to watch the ocean, the sunrise, and sunset. People even got married on the pier.”
“Did anyone ever jump off the pier?”
“No. You will be the first, if you follow through with your plan.”
“You figured that out already?”
“You know we won’t let you drown.”
“Then I suppose I’ll think of something else.”
“You need to stay alive.”
She wanted to scream. To stomp her feet. To cry. To explain to the machines they didn’t understand. That her entire world, everything she’d ever believed, had been destroyed before her eyes. That her sister, Fauna, was gone. That she felt no sunshine in her heart. All she felt was empty. Hollow. Like everything was pointless. Like nothing mattered.
“Why? Why do I need to stay alive?”
“Because. So long as the sun rises, so long as the cycle does not end, there is a chance your people will survive.”
Sunshine stood at the end of the pier, and watched the ocean waves.
248 Words
@mysoulstears
This is Week 546 of #ThursThreads, hosted by Siobhan Muir. Please go read all the stories in this week’s #ThursThreads. They are always fun to read, and there are some great writers who show up every week.
My Soul's Tears 