The Creep of Neglect

In the twilight years of civilization, as neglect gnawed at the sinews of progress, America's once-proud cities fell silent under the relentless march of nature. The bustling streets, once filled with the symphony of urban life, now lay shrouded in verdant silence, reclaimed by the earth from which they had sprung.

It began imperceptibly, the slow creep of neglect as infrastructure crumbled beneath the weight of indifference. Roads cracked and buckled, bridges sagged wearily under the burden of neglect, and power lines hung limp like forgotten tendrils of a bygone era. With each passing year, the grip of decay tightened, until finally, the great arteries of civilization seized, choking off the lifeblood of progress.

As the cities withered, so too did the promise of abundance they once held. Supermarkets stood empty, their shelves barren husks stripped bare by the winds of scarcity. Farms lay fallow, their once-fertile fields choked with weeds as the machinery of agriculture rusted into obsolescence. Hunger stalked the land like a silent predator, its gnarled fingers reaching into every corner of society, leaving naught but desperation and despair in its wake.

Amidst the ruins, the population dwindled, each passing day a grim reminder of humanity's fragile grasp on existence. Families huddled together in the fading twilight of civilization, their faces gaunt and hollow with hunger. Disease festered in the cramped confines of makeshift shelters, claiming lives with merciless efficiency. And all the while, the specter of extinction loomed ever closer, casting a shadow that stretched across the land like a shroud.

Yet, amidst the despair, there flickered a stubborn ember of resilience. Communities banded together, forging bonds of solidarity in the crucible of adversity. Neighbors shared what little they had, their acts of kindness a flickering beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness. And though the road ahead seemed fraught with peril, they refused to surrender to despair, clinging to the belief that even in the face of annihilation, the flame of humanity's spirit would endure, but for how much longer?