Amy had fallen asleep and I sat on my cot and watched her sleep. She was a perfect little angel. She didn't know anything about harming people or anything bad. Babies didn't know any of that stuff yet. Why did they have to know? What is so wrong with our world that such innocence that a baby has is ruined and gets replaced by hatred, prejudice and racism? I'm not saying all babies will be racist when they grow up, but they will grow up in a world where it exists. Isn't that bad enough?
I watch my child sleep and my wife comes in. "Darling, isn't she?" she says. "It gives you hope for the world. Maybe this generation will be better." As I kiss my wife gently I know that my daughter's generation, the next generation, will be better. It has to get better. Nothing could be worse than this.
I read over what I had written and for the first time in a long time I was happy. I felt good with what I had written. I looked around Central Park where I was sitting. I watched a homeless guy sit on the ground with a can in front of him. People passed by without even looking at him. Meanwhile, a little girl, about five or six years old, was getting five dollars from her father to spend on whatever she wanted.
Nothing is worse than what we have now. We have a tyranny. Not just of one country, but the whole world. David Hendbound. It sounds like a normal name, not like the vicious, brutal tyrant who is the reason we are now in World War Four. His father, George Hendbound was the reason for World War Three. George Hendbound decided to take over the world after being laid off from his seventh job in a span of two years. The economy was so terrible in the entire world, due to inflation of Liteens (the currency of all countries). When the first Hendbound came around and got control of all the small countries, he became known and powerful. With his new power, Hendbound was able to take over the world. He began okay, but after his wife died in childbirth with his second son, he turned evil. He told his sons stories of how they would rule the world forever. After the revolt came and restored democracy in 2025, David Hendbound at age 12 was put in an orphanage. No foster family would take him. People believe that's when his evil started.
David decided to bring back the world in which he grew up. He wanted to be in charge. He wanted to bring back his world, his father's world. David did what his father did, gaining the power of the smaller countries. David was smart though. He knew if he did this publicly, he would not succeed. He was able to get control secretly. Now, in 2047, we are in the middle of World War Four. Two Hendbounds, two wars, too much gore.
I looked at what I had written again. I didn't know how to end it. The last sentence didn't seem like enough of a grabber. I looked up again. The same little girl was there, looking up at an ice cream stand. She looked to her right and saw the homeless man. She stood for a moment, and then walked over to the homeless man and held out the five dollars to him. "You look hungry," the little girl said. "I'm not hungry so you can have it if you want." The homeless man looked at the girl and smiled.
"Thank you, I am very hungry," the man said and accepted the five dollars. The girl's father came over and hurried the little girl along, scolding her for wasting the money. Suddenly, I had an ending.
Usually the next generation is better than the one that came before it, no matter what your grandparents tell you. This generation seemed to be an exception. One step forward, two steps back. Welcome to the apocalypse, only you can stop it.
(Thanks for the reviews! Sorry it's been so long! Writing this chapter was really hard for me, and it isn't even that long! I'll update soon! What will happen in Jamie's new book? What will happen in Cathy's new life? Please Review!)