The Descent I woke up to the world shaking around me. I struggled to find footing as I made my way outside. It was there that I saw my first glimpse of the collapse of society. Whole cities burned. Mighty skyscrapers, monuments to centuries of humankind, crumbled to dust. Bodies already began to litter the streets. For reasons unknown, I felt compelled to walk. My journey felt like years. I walked through the desolation; expecting it to have limits. Alas, some things have no borders. I watched with horrified eyes as the world's people turned on each other. There was no help coming and they turned on each other with a quickness. Hope had been lost. As I progressed so did the fighting. Wars were no longer a thing between nations. Small factions staged ambushes on the unsuspecting. In the worst of places; they defiled, raped, and even ate each other. I felt a sickness creeping down to my very soul. I finally came upon the remains of a vast city. I felt a pull to press onward. To what end, I did not know. This city was a battleground. Gunfire. War cries. Pleas of mercy. All could be heard in grave detail. At the center of Death's Metropolis, I could see a gigantic pillar of smoke. Overcome by fear- I ran. At the outskirts of the city, I found myself in a makeshift graveyard. Human remains still visible through thin layers of dirt. There was a figure there. An old man in gray robes, still and silent. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me followed shortly by the first sense of calm I could remember. I knew this man was my answer. As I approached, he began to speak. "You have journeyed across a world of desolation, yet you still feel. You have seen man turn to animal, yet you still care. Your Soul is intact, though your world is no more. One act of selflessness can save Them. A sacrifice, willing, into the fire. Tragedy begets more tragedy. You may choose to save or condemn your people." I stood, mouth open, not believing what this man had told me. I had done no wrong! I steeled myself and mustered up enough courage to say: "Could you have given me a choice?" I set off towards the tower of smoke. The great epicenter of this apocalypse. I felt the eyes of mankind upon me as a progressed, climbing onto a ledge above the swirling flames. I looked out upon the gathering masses. For the first time since the world was normal, I saw them laying down their weapons. I saw them looking up at me with a sense of wonderment. I gave a slow nod as I felt that they understood what I was about to do. I leapt into the chasm. The fall went on and on. At first I felt a searing pain as the flesh burned from my bones, orange light overtaking me. Still falling, I began to feel peace as the orange went to black and the pain stopped. I began to see a bright light, I reached for it as I fell-wanting desperately to get to it's embrace. I plunged through the piercing white light.... And woke up in my barracks room in Fort Benning, Georgia. It was Fall when this dream occurred and yet, I awoke with a red tinge upon my skin that felt like a Summer sunburn. This dream utterly terrified me in many ways. I'm sure I'll never fully understand it. I'm also sure that I don't really want to.