Falling to Ruin

The nation's capital, once the heart of American democracy, now stood as a haunting testament to a fractured past. Washington D.C., with its grand monuments and historic edifices, lay abandoned and neglected, slowly succumbing to the ravages of time and disrepair. The corridors of power, once bustling with legislators and leaders, were silent, their echoing emptiness a grim reminder of a government that had ceased to function.

The Capitol Building, its dome once a symbol of unity and governance, now loomed dark and foreboding against the skyline. Vines crept up its marble walls, and broken windows gaped like hollow eyes. The rotunda, where great orators once inspired the nation, was choked with dust and debris, its floors littered with the detritus of forgotten battles and hastily abandoned offices.

The White House, long a residence of presidents, stood ghostly and forlorn. Its pristine lawns were overgrown with weeds, and its imposing façade was marred by neglect. The once meticulously maintained gardens had become a wilderness, and the iconic pillars of the South Portico were streaked with grime. Inside, the rooms were shrouded in darkness, the chandeliers gathering cobwebs, and the furniture covered in sheets of dust.

The National Mall, where millions once gathered to celebrate and protest, was a vast expanse of desolation. The reflecting pool, now a stagnant pond, mirrored the decay surrounding it. The Lincoln Memorial, a beacon of hope and resilience, had become a sanctuary for those seeking shelter from the chaos, its steps worn by the passage of countless desperate feet.

The Supreme Court, the guardian of justice, stood in silent judgment, its columns cracked and its halls empty. The Library of Congress, a repository of knowledge and history, had become a mausoleum for forgotten wisdom, its books moldering on neglected shelves.

In this city of ghosts, the streets were eerily quiet, save for the occasional scavenger or stray animal. The echoes of a once-vibrant capital whispered through the ruins, a mournful dirge for a nation that had lost its way. The future was grim, the promise of renewal overshadowed by the certainty of decline. Washington D.C. was a monument to a past era, slowly falling to ruin in a nation without leaders, a stark and somber testament to the fragility of civilization.