Fictional Ramblings

The Day of Doom (genre - science fiction)

The government had done something like take away the subsidy from the poor people on oxygen masks, and many were dying without air. 

As I was thinking of this, someone collapsed, breathed thrice with all the air left in his cylinder and died, or so I imagined. 'Cause that was normally how a breathless person died. People gathered around him, and the scream from the crowd intensified. I could hear it so clearly from here, but I couldn't make out the words. 

The police had arrived. They were shooting people. This was growing unwatchable, so I closed the curtains and sat back down.

That is when I noticed my baby breathing those last breaths, exactly how I had pictured them. My heartbeat rose, and I rushed down to fill his cylinder from the tank. When it was almost one quarter filled, the big tank went beep-beep.

We had run out of bloody oxygen. Everything happened so quickly, I couldn't register it. I couldn't think. I started shivering, and by that time my wife had woken up. 

She was already crying, with loud sobs, taking him in her arms and cradling him as if that would bring air out of nowhere. His breathing was faster, heavier and it was obvious he was taking in more air than the normal rate.

My wife was freaking out. Even my eyes were filled with tears. I couldn't go out. If I did, then I would never get back alive. The poor people hated the rich folks, they were probably dying to get hold of one and kill him.

I frantically went to the neighboring apartments, knocked heavily, but none opened the door. Of course, not. They probably thought I was some poor folk, hovering around to attack and kill.

I screamed something, but none still came out. I rushed back into my home, even my breathing heavier and faster than the normal rate. The room was filled with the breathing and sobs. 

Why didn't I see this coming, damn it? Why didn't I notice the oxygen running low! I silently cursed myself, as if that could somehow change all this.

I went around holding my baby from the other side and cradle him with my wife. My father came out of the room, probably having heard all the screaming I was doing. 

He was the most sensible, of course, so he called the hospital. I heard only one side of it, but I knew they were not ready for emergency admissions. It was clear from his heavily disappointed face. I looked into my father's eyes, which were devoid of any hope. 

I slammed my hands onto the table and screamed, "Do something, damn it." And he did, he ran away from the situation and went out of the home. Of course. My brilliant man of a father, I knew exactly what he would do. 

He decided to fly than to fight. He couldn't stand my sobs, so he chose to run. My veins filled with fury for him, but I didn't react. I had more serious things at hand. And how could I blame him really? He knew exactly what was gonna happen. 

He had seen it happen with other children, and he knew he couldn't do anything. He was too weak to bear to see another baby slipping away, exactly when we thought we had it safe.

I looked into my wife's eyes through the helmet of my space suit and I saw they were blood shot. We stood there looking at the tiny eyes on his face, as fate slowly slipped the life out of him. We were helpless. 

"I don't care if they kill me. I am going and finding some oxygen," I whispered to her, under clenched teeth. 

She didn't say anything back but I could read her eyes, which clearly said, "I can't lose you too."

Time flew, as we stood there, holding our baby in our hands, quietly praying for a miracle. She lent her oxygen to him, taking as little as for her to survive another hour. But my baby used it up in almost quarter of it. Both of us were helpless and let fate do its course. We didn't know what else to do. Both of us were crying, the crowd below had become louder, as if loving what was happening to us.

That was when I saw the silhouette of my father walk by our window, as silently as possible. I looked into her eyes, and she knew exactly what I was thinking. 

"There is no other choice," I told her and it sounded more like I was trying to console myself. I didn't know what the feeling that was growing inside my heart was. Determination, fatherly love, whatever.

My gaze went back to my dad. He was coming to our room. I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..." I saw my baby, taking those long painful inhalations of air. I knew if I didn't act quickly, I would lose everything that had ever mattered to me.

I lunged forward, took my dad by surprise and snatched his cylinder and mask away from him. He collapsed immediately. The package he was holding fell down but I didn't notice any of it. 

I attached the new mask onto my baby, whom after a few seconds started to breathe slower and steadier. I breathed a sigh of relief, and as I stood there admiring his light snores, the realization of what I really did hit me hard.

I had killed my father. 

I looked around reluctantly, and I witnessed those last bits of life seep out of him. 

If he was in my place, this was what he would have done. I kept convincing myself. What a lame excuse! That was when I noticed his lifeless hand pointing towards the package that had fallen off his hands.

I picked it up; my heart beating faster than ever. As I pried the two steel plates away from each other, the thing I saw inside forced every iota of air out of my lungs.

It was an oxygen mask, carefully packed, hidden and preserved.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

And someone once said, a day would come when you would kill your father because he breathed a little more air than necessary. And drank a little more water than allowed. 

That would mark the beginning of the ultimate doom.

[prompt in bold]

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A/N

No matter how obnoxious the plot sounds, I actually kinda like this story of mine. Its a plot that is highly overused but that doesn't mean I can't write it, yeah? 

If you actually did like it, then please let me know by pressing that fancy star or by leaving some kind words. (or harsh words as long as its constructive :D)

I LOVE YOU GUYS FOR THE COMMENT SIN THE PREVIOUS STORIES. Thank you, so so much. <3 

Lina! :D