Chapter Seventeen: Joel:

Diary Entry: Joel

Day 128

The strangest thing happened to me today. I find it almost hard to put into words. To be honest, I couldn’t be sure if it was real at first.

I remember wandering around on a giant hill covered in sand. At the time, I got separated from my camp. Despite the sun being high in the cloudless sky, it felt cold. I knew that I had to get back before nightfall. Night in this world was the worst. I’ve seen poor bastards frozen to death in the sand. I didn’t think it was possible until I saw it with my own eyes. That looked like that would be my fate too tonight.

The sun was starting to go down and I had no idea where I was going. I didn’t even have much gear on me in the first place. I had already eaten my ration earlier. Time doesn’t exist in this world anymore. We only live by it being day or night. I looked up and saw the sun sinking in the sky. My stomach dropped as I realized that my chances of survival were starting to drop.

Oh damn. How am I going to get back from all the way out here? I had no other way to tell where I was. Technology was dead in this world and most of us still didn’t know how to live by the old way. By the time it started getting dark, I was hunger and tired. My legs felt like old jelly. I was so used to using computers to help me get through life. By the time I cleared the hill, I sank to my knees. Here it comes. Death was coming for me.

That’s where things get weird.

I thought I heard someone calling my name at first. Was I dying?

Hello? Hello? Hello?

I lifted my head. “What?” When I looked around, there was no one in sight. Was I going crazy?

Hello? Can anyone hear me?

I blinked at first. “Who’s there?”

Who’s there?

“Where are you?”

I think I’m in Germany.

I rolled over onto my back and started laughing. Oh great, I am going crazy with some guy from Germany talking to me.

You’re not going crazy.

“Of course not.” I wondered if those poor bastards who froze to death heard this before they kicked the bucket.

I can help you get back to your camp if you hear me out.

“Sure, sure.” Might as well. I’m going to be dead soon anyway. I wondered how long before this found my body in the sand?

That’s when I heavy thud in my chest.

My breath grew heavier as strange images filled my eyes. What I saw next blew me away in a spinning whirlwind. Explosions, spirals, flower bombs, and bright colors. My ears filled with white noise. I could barely keep up with what was in my mind.

What… What is this?

I have been looking for someone to share this with. I have been sitting on it for a long time. Everyone has to know the truth of why this is happening!

But why are you showing me all of this?

You were the first one I could reach out to alive.

I think there was more, but I couldn’t grasp it. All I remembered was my body jumping with a violent jolt, a sea of white, and nothing.

The next thing I knew, I was walking back to camp which was a few feet away and the sun was high in the sky. I can’t say what happened in those long hours on the other side of the hill. I can’t say if it was all a dream or real. All that I knew was that I had been given one massive secret and I had to tell somebody.