30 years. I spent 30 years down in this dark bunker, afraid of the monster above. Every day, I followed the same routine, keeping my head down and trying not to think about it. I learned to live with the darkness. I ate my canned peaches and listened to the world moving on without me.

Then one day, the noise stopped. I realized I could no longer keep living like this. So I broke through the wall and stepped into the light. I walked through the cornfield, and for the first time in 30 years, I felt the sunlight on my face. I knew the monster was still out there. But I didn't regret it. At least I got to die beneath the sunlight.