A Nightmare World free essay sample

They were all I could see as I stared at the lit cigarette igniting the beginning of my death. The pain of burning streaked across my foot as I rose into the air and violently stamped my feet to end the brutal agony. The conflagration rose high above the window, to give me a glimpse of the azure blue sky outside and the rest of the world that had no idea of my imminent death or the flames that would eventually destroy the whole town. The fire was almost mocking me, as it let me see only a tiny fragment of the window and the outside where I was so desperate to be. The inferno raged and made that sickening noise as it burned my possessions and swallowed them like it was about to swallow me. I realized that my only escape was to exit the room and hope that the fire had not spread. We will write a custom essay sample on A Nightmare World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In trepidation, I slowly held the door ajar and peered at the inferno outside my room. Indeed it had spread and the choking taste of smoke filled my lungs as I coughed aggressively into my duvet. I felt as if everything inside of me was slowly making its way up my neck and out of me, as I coughed once more for my life. I looked out at my beautiful garden, completely untouched by the mass destruction. The beautiful roses lay amongst the verdant grass as I inhaled the last gasp of clear air. In the distance, I saw children playing jubilantly with a football, and that clogged me up with envy. I wanted to scream at them, yet they could never hear my cries and they could never save me from the torment I was suffering from. I banged on the remaining window that had not been ruined in the wreckage, yet still my rage was not to be heard. I repeated the same words â€Å"Help† over and over again until they were permanently etched into my brain and I felt myself repeating them without meaning to. Yet still, no one heard my desperate cries and no one felt my searing pain. I looked out at my corridor and at the waves of fire that took over my sea of stairs and bookcases. I stared deeply into the flames and not only did I feel like everything I had was washed away, but my life along with it. I crept furtively down the stairs, almost waiting for another body of orange death to try and wipe me out. However, I remained strong, dodging all that crossed my path and then I saw my wonderful kitchen, killed by the cigarette I left lit. My china set of cups smashed on the floor, and my wooden table slowly blackening amidst the destruction. I sat for minutes watching everything I had slowly disintegrate at the hands of my stupidity. The pictures of all my family, that I so sadly lost contact with and who will never know that I perished. I stared at the front door, completely surrounded by flames that were stopping me from disembarking from the nightmare. I made a burst through the flames, as an attempt to save myself but I too joined the long list of things that the fire had destroyed. The pain took over my body and I attempted to scream but to no avail. I felt my life slowly turn blank and I took my last look at life on earth. My ceiling was black as hell, and ash streamed off of it, like the sweat that poured down my face , while the heat continued to diffuse around my once perfect house. I felt like I was there for an eternity as I could see the blue sky turn into a star studded, pitch black one. Suddenly, the door slammed open and the sudden jolt of red fireman outfits filled my view. Ironically, that was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes forever. However, at least I was out of that nightmare world.

THe 1960s Essays - Counterculture Of The 1960s, Free Essays

THe 1960s Essays - Counterculture Of The 1960s, Free Essays THe 1960's Many social changes that were addressed in the 1960s are still the issues being confronted today. the '60s was a decade of social and political upheaval. in spite of all the turmoil, there were some positive results: the civil rights revolution, john f. Kennedy's bold vision of a new frontier, and the breathtaking advances in space, helped bring about progress and prosperity. however, much was negative: student and anti-war protest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excited american people and resulted in lack of respect for authority and the law. The decade began under the shadow of the cold war with the soviet union, which was aggravated by the u-2 incident, the berlin wall, and the cuban missile crisis, along with the space race with the ussr. The decade ended under the shadow of the viet nam war, which deeply divided americans and their allies and damaged the country's self-confidence and sense of purpose. Even if you weren't alive during the '60s, you know what they meant when they said, "tune in, turn on, drop out." you know why the nation celebrates Martin luther king, jr.'s birthday. all of the social issues are reflected in today's society: the civil rights movement, the student movement, space exploration, the sexual revolution, the environment, medicine and health, and fun and fashion. The Civil Rights Movement The momentum of the previous decade's civil rights gains led by rev. Martin luther king, jr. carried over into the 1960s. but for most blacks, the tangible results were minimal. only a minuscule percentage of black children actually attended integrated schools, and in the south, "jim crow" practices barred blacks from jobs and public places. New groups and goals were formed, new tactics devised, to push forward for full equality. as often as not, white resistance resulted in violence. this violence spilled across tv screens nationwide. the average, neutral american, after seeing his/her tv screen, turned into a civil rights supporter. Black unity and white support continued to grow. in 1962, with the first large-scale public protest against racial discrimination, rev. Martin luther king, jr. Gave a dramatic and inspirational speech in washington, d.c. After a long march of thousands to the capital. the possibility of riot and bloodshed was always there, but the marchers took that chance so that they could accept the responsibilities of first class citizens. "the negro," King said in this speech, "lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity and finds himself an exile in his own land." King continued stolidly: "it would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the negro. this sweltering summer of the negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality." when King came to the end of his prepared text, he swept right on into an exhibition of impromptu oratory that was catching, dramatic, and inspirational. "I have a dream," King cried out. the crowd began cheering, but king, never pausing, brought silence as he continued, "i have a dream that one day on the red hills of georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." "I have a dream," he went on, relentlessly shouting down the thunderous swell of applause, "that even the state of mississippi, a state sweltering with people's injustices, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. i have dream," cried King for the last time, "that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Everyone agreed the march was a success and they wanted action now! but, now! remained a long way off. president kennedy was never able to mobilize sufficient support to pass a civil rights bill with teeth over the opposition of segregationist southern members of congress. but after his assassination, president johnson, drawing on the kennedy legacy and on the press coverage of civil rights marches and protests, succeeded where kennedy had failed. However, by the summer of 1964, the black revolution had created its own crisis of disappointed expectations. rioting by urban blacks was to be a feature of every "long, hot, summer" of the mid-1960s. In 1965, King and other black leaders wanted to push beyond social integration, now guaranteed