Zone 30 (Short Story) | Let's Make A Collage Round 220 (Entry #2)

Hello LMAC and Hive members. @shaka, now holds a monthly contest with participants having the ability to submit multiple entries during that month for consideration. If you'd like to join in this monthly round for November, visit: Let's Make a Collage - A Contest for All Creatives on Hive - Round 220 - ✨100 HIVE in the Prize Pool!.

I wanted to share with you my Entry #2 collage for LMAC Round 220.

ZONE 30

On the other side of the river lay the forbidden area. "ZONE 30" the sign read atop the cemetery gate. Other signage issued warnings alerting citizens who remained to keep out were posted as well. It had been five years since Jeffrey ventured there. But that was before the trouble began.

Across the field, a contaminated river tranquilly rest. No movement as marine life has long vanished. Jeffrey choked down a hard shallow. Painful memories followed. He'd forgotten how long rack inside the barn had guarded his fishing gear.

The air stirred movement. Jeffrey glanced out over the landscape in the direction of the desolate metropolis. The pitchfork grew tighter in his hand as he spotted the scourge over the land. A filthy, diseased vulture stared back and released a long hissing sound, then flapped its wings to let escape a grunt that resembled one of his deceased piglets. Perhaps the bird of prey was signaling its rightful ownership of the remains resting there above ground.

Nothing on this side of the river is dead. At least not yet, Jeffrey thought, his shoulders heaving.

Shaking his head in disgust, he leaned against the edge of the farmhouse and stared out over the field for a few moments. Rocky inched closer barking, then seated himself and rubbed against Jeffrey's leg signaling the time was near to retreat indoors.

Jeffrey whistled for his two livestock to return from the west side of the farm where dedicated food and water supplies kept them alive. Locking up, he retired for the evening.

Unable to rest, he rose and sat on the edge of his bed before glancing at the wall calendar. Time for him to relocate as his parents instructed. He searched the closet, then pulled out a badly worn suitcase next to the bug-out-bag his parents prepared for an emergency. It would suffice for a lone traveler for they had succumbed to the virus last year. A single tear slid from his lashes remembering the vaccine they forewent. Only one vial remained.

When morning came, Jeffrey loaded the small wagon with the remaining staples and pantry supplies. Small weapons were included for his safety. He closed, but didn't lock the farmhouse and barn. Perhaps the structures would help others on their journey.

He removed maps and instructions from his bug-out bag. South was his new destination. He had no idea what he would find there. But he'd always trusted his parents. He'd continue to do so.

Jeffrey grabbed the ropes securing his cows and turned away from Zone 30, leading them and his canine into the unknown.

My theme centered around an uninhabitable landscape that could well be a dystopian era event. Ranchers were cut off from their livelihood by an unknown event that caused parts of the country to be evacuated and blocked off from reentry.

In preparing my theme, I utilized two LMAC contest images. One images from a previous included a cow. Round 220 image provided a landscape water scene. Other images included lent credence to the dystopian desolate scene.

I then utilized Canva to blend the different type images. Below are my steps in which I began with a blank, white canvas, then added layers of elements, removing backgrounds, duplicating, colorizing, resizing, and repositioning items as needed incorporating the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.

Below is my completed collage for LMAC Round 220, Entry #2:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.