Wild Card Sundays!

Today's Wild card is a short story!

I feel I don't write enough Short Stories...


The hub of all civilization stretched for miles in all directions including vertically. Buildings thousands of feet tall and digging thousands of feet underground in vast tunnels and networks. On a busy day it would be easy for someone to get lost in the crowds, but now everything lay in ruins.

Vines and plant growth permeated the city that was once filled with life. Now the city teamed life of different kind. Insects and wild animals had made it their home now.

Just inside the city was a small camp of people. Researchers from a nearby city. They were charged with collecting specimens and examining the ancient architecture of this vast city.

Kate Bowden sat at her makeshift desk in her makeshift tent eager to write about today's findings when her friend Anthony Conway entered with a bottle of spirits and two glasses.

"I thought I'd find you behind your desk. Come on, take a break and celebrate with me." Anthony filled a glass as he spoke.

"I can't help it! I'm just so excited! No one has been this far into the ruins! Everything we're seeing hasn't been viewed by human eyes for hundreds of years! Doesn't that excite you!?" Kate had dreamed of exploring ancient civilizations since she was little, and this was the first chance she had.

"Think about it, Anthony!" She continued excitedly. "We may discover the reason for the collapse of this one proud civilization! Who knows what secrets lie beyond these walls!"

"It's fascinating alright but also a bit terrifying if you ask me." Anthony interjected.

"How do you mean?"

"Well," Anthony began, handing a filled glass to Kate, "no one knows what happened here. It's not likely that everyone who once lived here abandoned all this on a whim. Chances are this entire city is a massive graveyard. Millions probably died here. Hundreds more just trying to explore it. The state of decay of some of these buildings," Anthony paused and shook his head. "It's scary." He sipped deeply at his drink.

"Where you see things to be cautious about, I see things to be excited about! Who knows what kind of records were kept during the fall of this civilization." Kate was starting to glaze over in fantasy. Anthony had to snap her out of it.

"Who even knows if there are records! It seems all the information was stored electronically. And no one has been able to retrieve data from the few working artifacts we've found. What if they didn't keep any records, or worse what if the records show they did all the things we're doing now? What if its a vicious cycle doomed to repeat itself?"

"You're such a pessimist." Kate glared at him and sipped her drink.

"Look, all I'm saying is that we shouldn't rush off into the unknown, as tempting as that is. We need to thoroughly explore everything we can safely access now."

"We have!"

"We've only explored the surface! Previous records and investigations show the network of tunnels under the city stretch for miles beyond its boarders! We should map them and work our way, safely, back into the city."

Kate frowned. She knew he was right.

"The city will give up its secrets to us in time. I promise. I just don't want to lose anyone else on this excursion. Already the guides of this area are getting restless. The wildlife just gets more and more dangerous the further in we go."

"I know." Kate yielded. "I'm just so anxious to see what else there is to discover."

"I know you are." Anthony sat next to Kate, the two sipped at their drinks quietly.

"Tomorrow we'll find out more."