Waking up felt like being crushed by a boulder. My head ached horribly and I couldn't stop shaking. I noticed that everybody was gone. I wondered where they went.
I spotted a cat on the couch and realized that it had not been there before. It was a tabby with silver and white stripes on its nose and around its ears. The tabby was very small. A kitten.
"Where did you come from? Adorable little thing," I said as I patted its back. I picked it up and took it to the window.
"This city will be gone soon," I say. I know that talking to a cat is stupid, but the loneliness took over me.
"It will never, ever, be the same. Never."
After what felt like hours, Dalton and Glen returned carrying fresh supplies.
A Day Without Purpose
I wake up in the morning feeling oddly refreshed. The sun shining over the still, quiet city must've had an impact.
I get up and walk to the mirror in the bathroom. My scars have started to fade, but there are still traces of gashes. I sigh and lean forward. I'm surprised to see that my eyes are back to the bright turquoise they were before the city broke down.
Glen slowly leans into the doorway and takes a deep breath.
"You know, your scars mark your bravery. It shows that you fought and won," he says. I meet his eyes in the reflection.
"I know that, but I don't like it. I wish things were back to how they were before. I can't see my own future anymore. All I see is death."
He intensifies his gaze. I can tell he is shocked by my response. He opens his mouth as to say something, but turns around and walks towards the living room.
I go back to the bedroom in hopes of getting more sleep. I'm almost back to the room when a cold shiver runs through me. I crumple to the ground and stare up at the ceiling.
Darkness envelopes me and washes me away to a world of nightmares.
I get up and walk to the mirror in the bathroom. My scars have started to fade, but there are still traces of gashes. I sigh and lean forward. I'm surprised to see that my eyes are back to the bright turquoise they were before the city broke down.
Glen slowly leans into the doorway and takes a deep breath.
"You know, your scars mark your bravery. It shows that you fought and won," he says. I meet his eyes in the reflection.
"I know that, but I don't like it. I wish things were back to how they were before. I can't see my own future anymore. All I see is death."
He intensifies his gaze. I can tell he is shocked by my response. He opens his mouth as to say something, but turns around and walks towards the living room.
I go back to the bedroom in hopes of getting more sleep. I'm almost back to the room when a cold shiver runs through me. I crumple to the ground and stare up at the ceiling.
Darkness envelopes me and washes me away to a world of nightmares.
Survivor
I walk through the door cautiously. The room is surprisingly warm. I look over at Glen. He looks relieved.
"Thank you so much." he says.
The man looks pretty young; Probably in his twenties or thirties.
"Well, I thought that I was the only survivor," he says, "Who are you two? I'm Dalton."
"I'm Glen and this is Synthia," Glen tells him, "We are so glad we're not the only ones."
"Want something to eat? Maybe something to drink?"
"Yes, please." I say. My throat is scratchy.
I sit down on the torn up sofa with Glen. He looks at me and smiles.
"Finally." is all he says. I smile back at him.
"Here ya are." Dalton says as he puts two plates down on the wooden table.
"Thank you." I say. On the plates are bagels with cream cheese on them. My mouth waters. I haven't had warm food in what feels like forever. I take a big bite. It tastes perfect.
"Mmmm." I hear Glen mutter.
"You are welcome. Stay here as long as you need. I've got a guest room over there."
"We probably won't stay long." I say.
When I'm done, I put my dishes in the sink then go to the guest room and put my backpack on the dresser. Glen was right. There are more people. The door to the room opens.
"Hey." Glen says. "What are you doing?"
"I'm tired. Going to go to sleep," I say, "You?"
"Same."
I go over to the bed and lie down. He comes and sits on the opposite end.
"Do you think the Afterlives will come and destroy this city?" I ask.
"Eventually I think they will." he says, "But not for awhile."
I pull up the covers and close my eyes. I don't fall asleep.
What happens if the Afterlives come tonight? Will they devour the city like they did to ours? Are there more survivors?
When I wake up the room is still dark. It must be very early in the morning. I turn over and see Glen. He is fast asleep.
I look around the room once my eyes have adjusted. When my eyes scan over the door, I see a white light in the hallway. It illuminates half of the room.
I only hear Glen's breathing and my own.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump.
"Ah! Er... Oh, Glen you're awake."
"Have been." he says. He sounds very tired.
"What time is it?"
"I have no freaking idea." he says. He reaches up and rubs his eyes.
I look over at him. He looks back.
"Go back to sleep." he says.
"I'll try." I say as I turn away.
"Thank you so much." he says.
The man looks pretty young; Probably in his twenties or thirties.
"Well, I thought that I was the only survivor," he says, "Who are you two? I'm Dalton."
"I'm Glen and this is Synthia," Glen tells him, "We are so glad we're not the only ones."
"Want something to eat? Maybe something to drink?"
"Yes, please." I say. My throat is scratchy.
I sit down on the torn up sofa with Glen. He looks at me and smiles.
"Finally." is all he says. I smile back at him.
"Here ya are." Dalton says as he puts two plates down on the wooden table.
"Thank you." I say. On the plates are bagels with cream cheese on them. My mouth waters. I haven't had warm food in what feels like forever. I take a big bite. It tastes perfect.
"Mmmm." I hear Glen mutter.
"You are welcome. Stay here as long as you need. I've got a guest room over there."
"We probably won't stay long." I say.
When I'm done, I put my dishes in the sink then go to the guest room and put my backpack on the dresser. Glen was right. There are more people. The door to the room opens.
"Hey." Glen says. "What are you doing?"
"I'm tired. Going to go to sleep," I say, "You?"
"Same."
I go over to the bed and lie down. He comes and sits on the opposite end.
"Do you think the Afterlives will come and destroy this city?" I ask.
"Eventually I think they will." he says, "But not for awhile."
I pull up the covers and close my eyes. I don't fall asleep.
What happens if the Afterlives come tonight? Will they devour the city like they did to ours? Are there more survivors?
When I wake up the room is still dark. It must be very early in the morning. I turn over and see Glen. He is fast asleep.
I look around the room once my eyes have adjusted. When my eyes scan over the door, I see a white light in the hallway. It illuminates half of the room.
I only hear Glen's breathing and my own.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump.
"Ah! Er... Oh, Glen you're awake."
"Have been." he says. He sounds very tired.
"What time is it?"
"I have no freaking idea." he says. He reaches up and rubs his eyes.
I look over at him. He looks back.
"Go back to sleep." he says.
"I'll try." I say as I turn away.
The City
Glen is surprisingly good at climbing; He passes me when I'm sitting at the trunk of the tree, resting. I watch as the sun sets over the trees.
The sky is dark now, and the stars are bright. In the city there are too many lights, which means you can't see any stars. So this is different for me. A new place; A new me. I can forget it all.
I climb down from the tree. I can't sit up there any more.
I turn around and see a small light. I immediately think of fireflies.
I walk closer. It's not fireflies. It is a light in the window of a building.
"glen!" I yell. he runs out of the woods to where I'm standing.
"What? Oh... Woah." he stutters.
"Come on! They could help! There are survivors!"
I run down the hill at full speed. My feet hit the pavement in less than a minute. But everything's different.
There are no lights. There are no people. There is nothing.
"Glen what's going on?" I ask him, but he just looks forward.
I look up and down. I was right. Nothing. So I turn away.
"I didn't know," I say, whispering. "I'm so sorry."
He just walks forward. No expression.
"What are you doing?" I ask him, "Glen? Glen!"
"What?" he asks, rubbing his eyes. He sounds tired; You can tell he's had no sleep.
"You were out of it."
"How? I felt awake." he says.
He stands staring at the city for a few more minutes before slowly walking toward the building that had the light on.
"Come on, Synthia. There might be people."
"What if it's an Afterlife?" I ask.
"Well, we'll find out."
I have no choice but to follow him. If I stay in the street, I could encounter an Afterlife. Maybe lots of them.
We open the door and bolt up the stairs and run through each hallway, checking for light. We get up to the fourteenth floor when we finally see a light. Glen bangs on the door.
"Hello? Help us! Please!" He yells.
The door opens a crack.
"Please come in." A voice says.
We are not alone.
The sky is dark now, and the stars are bright. In the city there are too many lights, which means you can't see any stars. So this is different for me. A new place; A new me. I can forget it all.
I climb down from the tree. I can't sit up there any more.
I turn around and see a small light. I immediately think of fireflies.
I walk closer. It's not fireflies. It is a light in the window of a building.
"glen!" I yell. he runs out of the woods to where I'm standing.
"What? Oh... Woah." he stutters.
"Come on! They could help! There are survivors!"
I run down the hill at full speed. My feet hit the pavement in less than a minute. But everything's different.
There are no lights. There are no people. There is nothing.
"Glen what's going on?" I ask him, but he just looks forward.
I look up and down. I was right. Nothing. So I turn away.
"I didn't know," I say, whispering. "I'm so sorry."
He just walks forward. No expression.
"What are you doing?" I ask him, "Glen? Glen!"
"What?" he asks, rubbing his eyes. He sounds tired; You can tell he's had no sleep.
"You were out of it."
"How? I felt awake." he says.
He stands staring at the city for a few more minutes before slowly walking toward the building that had the light on.
"Come on, Synthia. There might be people."
"What if it's an Afterlife?" I ask.
"Well, we'll find out."
I have no choice but to follow him. If I stay in the street, I could encounter an Afterlife. Maybe lots of them.
We open the door and bolt up the stairs and run through each hallway, checking for light. We get up to the fourteenth floor when we finally see a light. Glen bangs on the door.
"Hello? Help us! Please!" He yells.
The door opens a crack.
"Please come in." A voice says.
We are not alone.
Escape
"Run!" Glen says. I try to run, but I'm out of breath and the snow pushes against my feet, making me slower.
"Glen! We need to stop! We can't run like this!" I yell back at him. I don't pay any attention to where I step.
"Jump."
"What? Why?" I stutter.
He pulls my hand and jumps into a ditch. It is very wet and smells terrible. He crawls on his hands and knees into a little curve and presses his back to it. I follow.
We are silent. Again.
"Thank you." i say.
"You're welcome. We can't let go of life too quickly," he says, "you still have your gun, right?"
I had forgotten that I had it. I could have shot that Afterlife. I pull it out of the inside pocket of my jacket. The metal feels cold against my fingers.
"Thanks for reminding me."
"You better be good with that. I don't have one; You're the only thing I have right now." he says with a smile. The first one since the break-down.
"I'm counting on myself."
The Afterlife is probably gone, so we should be safe, but I don't take any chances. My luck is bad enough.
I stand up slowly as I look around. Then I turn to the tree behind us and start to climb. I think I found a way.
"Glen, follow me. Shhh." I whisper.
I grab onto the lowest branch that I can find and pull myself up. The pattern continues; Branch, pull, branch, pull.
I go until I reach a sturdy branch, and then I hang and start moving my hands along the branch, going only a few inches at a time.
Glen looks confused.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asks.
"Finding a way to travel," I say, "now follow me."
I reach the tip of the branch and slowly let go with my right hand. I see a branch of the tree next to the one we're on. I reach out and grasp it. Then I let go.
Now that I am on the other tree, I start going in toward the tree. I don't look down.
I reach the tree and look back. Glen is going slow and steady.
When he reaches me, he looks at me and nods; I start again, along the opposite branch.
We should be safer now.
"Glen! We need to stop! We can't run like this!" I yell back at him. I don't pay any attention to where I step.
"Jump."
"What? Why?" I stutter.
He pulls my hand and jumps into a ditch. It is very wet and smells terrible. He crawls on his hands and knees into a little curve and presses his back to it. I follow.
We are silent. Again.
"Thank you." i say.
"You're welcome. We can't let go of life too quickly," he says, "you still have your gun, right?"
I had forgotten that I had it. I could have shot that Afterlife. I pull it out of the inside pocket of my jacket. The metal feels cold against my fingers.
"Thanks for reminding me."
"You better be good with that. I don't have one; You're the only thing I have right now." he says with a smile. The first one since the break-down.
"I'm counting on myself."
The Afterlife is probably gone, so we should be safe, but I don't take any chances. My luck is bad enough.
I stand up slowly as I look around. Then I turn to the tree behind us and start to climb. I think I found a way.
"Glen, follow me. Shhh." I whisper.
I grab onto the lowest branch that I can find and pull myself up. The pattern continues; Branch, pull, branch, pull.
I go until I reach a sturdy branch, and then I hang and start moving my hands along the branch, going only a few inches at a time.
Glen looks confused.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asks.
"Finding a way to travel," I say, "now follow me."
I reach the tip of the branch and slowly let go with my right hand. I see a branch of the tree next to the one we're on. I reach out and grasp it. Then I let go.
Now that I am on the other tree, I start going in toward the tree. I don't look down.
I reach the tree and look back. Glen is going slow and steady.
When he reaches me, he looks at me and nods; I start again, along the opposite branch.
We should be safer now.
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