Pastiche on Courmac McCarthy

Pastiche on Cormac McCarthy

He crawled out from inside the rubble, a fresh scar on his face. Dirt everywhere. A world unrecognisable. He slowly got up and brushed some mud off his shoulder. He looked up at the sky, covered in the same dark crimson of blood. He looked around, where was his family? His parents, his brother, his wife…… his son. He sat down and fearfully looked around for them. Nothing. He was alone.

He walked around the rubble of his former home, in the hope of finding them. One of them. Any of them. He searched through the pieces of broken bricks and wood. But nothing. No luck, no hope. His family was gone, no remains of the beautiful sub-urban house which he had spent so many evenings in. He knew there was no point staying. If he had any chance of survival, he had to leave.

He had been walking for hours, mile upon mile of dust and rubble. It was very hot. Once a great city, but now the landscape resembled more of a desert. He had not seen a living thing, animal or human. Was he the only one? He asked himself. He didn’t know where he was going. South he presumed, although he did not know what he would find there. He just knew he needed to keep moving.

A slim silhouette of something caught his eye. A human? He ran his hand through his hair, which was thick with sweat. Someone else. Someone to ease the huge loneliness that he felt. `The shadow grew closer and closer until he definitely make out the figure of a human. He started to walk faster. He walked up to the man. He seemed rather dazed. His shoes were black, with what looked like tar on them. His hair black, almost burnt like. His clothes, as ragged as his hair. He was limping.

‘Who are you?’

No reply.

Again he asked ‘Who are you?’

The ragged man grabbed him. With a jolt, he pushed him away. The man staggered and fell back. His mouth falling open. His eyebrows singed.

‘Are you okay.’

The ragged man didn’t answer. His eyes half – shut, he stared at him. Sadder eyes he never knew. He knew there was nothing that could be done for him. He had to move on.