The Valley of Plastic

The Valley of Plastic Part 23

Niall got onto the truck, a smile still etched upon his face. He looked around at the other soldiers, immediately realising that they were all thirty-plus. At seventeen he was clearly the youngest amongst them. None of the senior soldiers made eye contact with him and he sat in his seat, silently. Still remembering her. 

The drive was silent, not a word. No radio - obviously. The roads had began deteriorating and sprouting small roots and trees through pot-holes and cracks, the once perfect concrete cracked and imperfect. They had been abandoned. Much to Nialls surprise, they were driving through a small village after around fifteen minutes of driving. There was not a soul in sight. Some doors were open on houses, and occassionally there was a dog running over what was once well kept front lawns. Cars were left, probably with half tanks of petrol, untouched for years. Some of the windows of the once family homes were smashed, and bins were tipped over in the streets - yet there was no rubbish flying around or laying stuck under cars, or in ditches. Niall noticed the drain grates were no longer in place, all of them lay flat, on the road side rather than covering the grates. The rain bounced off the horrorific scenery. It was hard to comprehend that people may be sitting in tin shacks right now, with happy memories of these homes. Abanonded. Destitute. 

Still no words.

After another twenty minutes or so of driving, the truck appeared at large black gates. As tall as a two story house, topped with sparkling gold points. The driver pulled up at the speaker, which was in the wall on the right hand pillar, and said "Delivery from Extract Zone three four seven two." Without another word the gates slowly begun to open. The rain and wind fought them to remain closed, but the cold painted metal pushed it's way through. Before waiting till the gates were completely open, the driver took the truck through as soon as the gap appeared big enough. A long winding roads, with tall trees on either side of it took led them straight to it. Straight to exactly what Niall had suspected. A building, with at least one hundred windows decorating the front of it, staring Niall in the eye. He almost let out a gasp; an actual building made of bricks and cement, and windows filled with actual glass and form fitting window frames. As the truck got nearer, he was able to see a very large white door, with a perfect letter box and brass door handle. To his amazement, there was a man, dressed completely in a suit, without so much as an umbrella stood on the left hand side of the door. 

"What is..." Niall started before being shh'ed by one of the other soldiers in the truck. The truck stopped silent, unable to be heard over the echo of the pouncing rain. The driver got out and spoke to the suit-man, although Niall was unable to make out any of the conversation. One by one each of the men started to get out of the truck, the second off last man turned to Niall and said, "Keep your head down, and say nothing." before getting out. Niall did not know what to expect. 

Each of the men made their way round to the back of the khaki green truck awaiting their orders, without complaint directly in the cold wet grasp of mother nature. "You need to take this to the kitchen." Niall was told, whilst been handed a large crate filled with food - potato's, carrots, cabbage, chicken, a few cans of rice pudding, and two chickens. Niall nodded and made his way to the, now open, door - held graciously by the suit-man. Without realising, Niall let out a gasp as he laid eyes upon the grand mahogany interior. A grand wooden stair case, winding all of the way to the ceiling, large paintings in golden decorated frames, wide open wooden floored spaces, with elegant furniture reminding the guest that they will never have this kind of bliss, or luxury. Niall lightly shook his head and walked straight ahead. He let his eyes wander looking in any of the open doors. 

He couldn't hide his surprise as he walked through one room, with the door left slightly ajar and noticed a room of teenagers. He estimated that none could have been over the age of eighteen. Why aren't they working? Nialls thoughts spirralled, and quickly turned into a silent rage. He stood for several moments glaring through the ajar door as he noticed a lot of the once familiar items he had owned. The teenagers were sat, feet up on chairs and tables, and scrolling on their expensive mobile phones. As Niall focused more, he could hear the familiar sound of Tom Holland being spiderman bursting from the room - they have a TV. 

"Come on, then?" A voice yelled from the door that he was originally headed too, "I've got meals to make you know." Niall looked at the short, plump women stood in a hairnet and dirty white apron. He nodded, his mouth still open in shock and headed towards her. The women held the door open as Niall walked, numb, inside. He looked around at the grand kitchen and took in the view - noticing immediately that there was as stack of plates on the worktop to the side - roughly forty plates, with sets of perfect silverware set up to the side. His mouth fell even further open; I was right. 

As Niall made his way back to the truck, after giving the women the food, he looked around more closely, noticing things that you wouldn't expect to have these days- especially noticing the group of six teens sat over a text book each and looking like they were studying. Another unfamiliar thing being of the internet router - flashing a number of green LED lights suggests that this place still has perfectly functional internet. Niall's blood was boiling. 

He slammed the door as he got back into the truck, and shook his head in utter disgust. He looked directly into one of the senior soldiers eyes, "I'm glad you think it is OK for us to live like pigs while we deliver to the  rich." Before the soldier had chance to respond, Niall shook his head warning the soldier not to respond. 

The drive home was somehow more silent than the drive there.

Amia is going to freak out...