The Beginning of the End

I will walk out of this room, out of this life, and into something completely different. I can feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me, like a heavy cloak that I can never take off once it's been placed upon my shoulders.

As I stand up from the ancient desk, the chair creaking in protest at my movement, I can't help but glance around the dimly lit room one last time. The shadows dance along the walls, whispering secrets that only they know. The air is thick with anticipation, crackling with energy that seems to hum beneath my skin.

I laugh quietly, shaking my head at the thought of pouring out my heart and soul onto the digital page. The words flow effortlessly as I recount the highs and lows of my existence, the moments of joy and sorrow that have shaped me into the person I am today. Sitting before the ancient computer from the 1990s, its keys clacking with a nostalgic rhythm, I feel a sense of reverence for the vintage machine that has seen years of stories unfold. The screen flickers with a greenish hue, casting an eerie glow in the dimly lit room, reminiscent of a portal to another era. Dust particles float in the air, illuminated by the faded light from the monitor, adding to the mystique of this outdated technology.

The cursor blinks expectantly on the pixelated display, like a sentinel waiting for commands from a bygone time. Each keystroke echoes through the quiet room, punctuating the stillness with a sound that feels both ancient and comforting. As I navigate through the clunky interface, navigating menus long forgotten by modern users, I can't help but marvel at the simplicity and complexity intertwined in this relic of digital history.

With each letter that appears on the screen in jagged fonts reminiscent of early word processing software, I am transported back to an era where technology was less sleek but perhaps more soulful. The whirring of the hard drive serves as a backdrop to my thoughts, reminding me of a time when patience was not just a virtue but a necessity in every digital interaction.

Though I haven't yet begun to write my letter, the act of typing on this vintage computer feels like an homage to a simpler past, where words held weight and every sentence crafted was a deliberate choice. In this moment, as I navigate this archaic machine with its quirks and limitations, I find myself embracing not just nostalgia but also a newfound appreciation for how far we've come since those early days of computing.

With a small click of the mouse I open the ancient word processing application and begin to type out my last letter to humanity: 

There’s a lot to unpack in the little amount of time that I have. Typing this out on one of the oldest computers in the history of the human race has to be one of the best things I have ever done with my human life. Notice how I said human there, that’s because I am still human right now at this very moment. In a few moments I won’t be myself anymore. I won’t be the girl that went to Virginia Tech and obtained her degree in History, just to teach in a small private school in Washington D.C. when she should be walking among the monuments and studying the pockets all the time. I won’t be the girl who heavily regrets not telling her mother that it was my sister’s fault for my father’s death 15 years ago. I won’t be the girl who would give up everything to bring justice to those traitors who took her father’s life away. The fact that I won’t be any kind of girl, is unimaginable to me. 

You see, you have stumbled upon something the human race was never supposed to read. This is something the government wants to hide from you because they know that knowledge is a powerful thing. More powerful than any opioid. More powerful than any higher institutional educational degree. More powerful than the incomprehensible thoughts any human could ever make. Yet, here you are, taking in every word that appears on this page in front of you, not knowing of the adventure that awaits you. An adventure of the unknown. 

In a moment’s time, you will run out of words on this page and turn it. You will then no longer be in your world, but in mine. You should know now that I was someone who was known to set harsh boundaries and rules in their life to keep everyone from bleeding into the hardened walls around their heart. You will see those walls crumble down as I take control of the path set in front of me. You will get to see what happens when you back me into a corner with no escape plan and how I manage to unhand myself from the nasty clutches of evilness. I hope during this adventure ahead there are times that you laugh, I hope at some points you see how rationally irrational I can be, and I hope at the right points that you grieve. 

Once I open this cell door, my time as a human has officially concluded. My new life will commence, a life full of decisions entirely reliant on who I choose to be in that very moment in time. This life of a human girl has been real and some of it has been fun, some of it has been hurtful. But most of all, it has been a human life. The timer has hit zero and there’s a knocking at the door. If I don’t answer it soon, I’ll be letting the entire human race down. (Don’t act so confused, I promise it will all make sense soon!) Just know that even when things look so dark and that there is no way out, take advantage of the time to rest in the dark. Light will appear when it is time and lead you right to where you need to be. 

Let me leave you with some parting thoughts: Take a step into the unknown, you know you want to. I know that I sound like a raging lunatic, but you’ve made it this far. Remember that you are an important piece to this story, because you chose to read it. Wouldn’t you hate to leave such an adventure unfinished?

Enjoy! 

See you among the stars! 

Macy Katherine Montgermy 

Human 2024



I hit the save button and lean back in my creaky office chair, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. The letter is done, my farewell to a world that never quite understood me. With a sense of finality, I shut down the computer for the last time and stood up from my desk.

Walking to the window, I gaze out at the world beyond, knowing that I am about to embark on a journey into the unknown. The sun is setting on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape.