ENDURANCE
by T. J. Blake
London is silent. What once was a lively city is now a murderous grave, enclosed
in smoke and ash. The cause of the destruction is unknown. Left haunted and
terrified, survivor Tom confronts the mutilated streets fighting to uncover the
truth. Could he be the last hope to restore normality?
A Featured Sneak Peek
A man sat slumped with his back against the wall,
injured and staring at the last flickering light, at a
vandalised station on the London Underground;
the bricks and tiles scattered across the floor. The
bloodstained walls have made it unrecognisable.
No one else was around. He sat in the corner of
the stop, deeply hidden within the shadows. The
entrance was barricaded with collapsed concrete
and bricks. Specks of dust floated down from the
ceiling onto the ground and covered the man in a
sheen of white. Complete silence was occasionally
interrupted by loud screams from above, mostly
from women and children. As the screaming
stopped, murmuring and deep roars began. The
sounds were not completely clear, but resembled a
heavy smoker clearing his throat.
The man emptied his pockets; a wallet was all
he had; it contained only a bank card and driving
licence. Tom was thirty-years old, with roughed-up
black hair and stubble on his face. He wore a suit
that had seen better days. His shirt was covered in
blood and there was a deep gash on his shoulder,
with blood trickling slowly down and further staining
it. As he stared at his driving licence, he inhaled and
exhaled wearily, and mentally went over the events
leading to his current circumstances...
Today’s been hard. How could a day go from being
so good to so fucked up so fast? I don’t even know
what’s going on anymore. How am I going to get
help?
his injured leg, fell into the wall and slid onto the
ground.
Blood dribbled from a wound on his leg; it had been
oozing blood for some time now. Trying to shake
off the pain, he slowly and carefully pushed himself
upright…
He placed his palms on the grimy wall and pulled
himself to his feet. He stepped away from the wall
and stood upright, facing the tunnel. Clenching his
shaking fists, he began to walk toward the tunnel. As
he stumbled past the corpse, the shadows wrapped
around him; dragging him in. He disappeared into
the darkness…
T. J. Blake was born in Guildford,
England in 1993. He currently lives
in Surrey and studies at Kingston
University.
‘Writing is a powerful tool
especially Creative Writing. It gives
you the freedom to create a whole
new world inside your mind and
your readers.’
Tom slowly rose. Dust fell from him, creating a
smoky atmosphere. He choked. In pain, he clutched
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