Forsaken

Driving can really bring peace to oneself when the sky is bright with picture perfect clouds. While the breeze through the windows are comforting to the senses with the fresh and quite sounds. Life could seem extremely peace, that is minus the fact that the road is littered with abandoned cars, personal belongings from people strung about in a chaotic matter. You see life had taken a hard turn for the worst about a year ago. The fact that I am breathing in this peaceful day is mind bottling. Who new people could become such monsters.

A chemical warfare had broken out, to no surprise this occurred since the world was falling into the wrong hands. So as the battles broke and chemicals were brought into the picture the world changed dramatically in only a few days. Whatever the chemical makeup virus was it had turned people ill. Many had died, a rare few were unfazed and then there was the rest that under went metamorphoses. Like land sharks they were hungry for healthy flesh. At first the contagious person seemed to undergo a terrible flu and secrete this wretched smell before they died. Though they were not really dead rather than going through a metamorphoses that created them into a species that craved human flesh. These new creatures had an amazing sense of smell, but their vision and hearing was weakened.

Though the worst thing of all for me was being a survivor. Many would think that is a good thing, or I should be lucky to be alive but I find it to be the opposite. Sure I used to think that I need to survive because I’m not ready to die, that was until I lived through it all. I had to witness everyone I love die around me. I had lived through my worst nightmare and was now haunted by the horrid memories. Death sticks to you like a permanent video loop and you think everyday to yourself why am I alive. I couldn’t find it in myself to put down the ones I loved at first so I locked them in a secure place but as the days went I finally came to the terms that the things in front of me are no longer the ones I love rather than a dead inside version of them.

“Hey Zulanie there is a construction van up ahead to the right I think we should check out.” Harley brought me from my depressing thoughts.

“Smart idea hopefully it is loaded.” I looked towards the area she pointed out and spotted the van.

At the moment Harley and I were out getting supplies to help us keep surviving. We just got back from a local mini mart that hadn’t been touched or crawling with creatures. Although there was four that we dealt with the supplies on the most part was an awesome score. We loaded up on anything and everything to the point of stuffing the car. I like to get everything possible that is still good or usable because I’d rather be safe than sorry.

“Alright I’ll hang back while you swing the doors open incase there is a deado in there.” Harley said while grabbing her machete once I pulled next to the van in question.

I just nodded grabbing a hunters knife that I found back when everything was more chaotic and survival was on my mind before I jumped out of the car. We made our way slowly to the van just incase there was something inside that we would rather not stir up. As I neared the door I looked back waiting for Harley to nod the go ahead before I grabbed on to the vans handle. Tugging it softly I felt to see if the vehicle was unlocked and to our luck I could feel that tension right before I swung it open. Jumping back a little just out of precaution the opening door revealed a van that had no deados but a mess of equipment.

“Hey look it’s a welder.” I spotted out first as I walked over to it.

“You can finally attempt making your shield.” Harley teased me as she walked over to grab some tools.

“Hey don’t mock my shield. Watch it be amazing once I learn how to use this thing.” I laughed softly as I grabbed the welder along with some scrap metal near the van.

Once we were done grabbing some stuff we finally were making our way home. It didn’t take us to long to make it back home since we were not too far on our supply run. Pulling up to our two story wooden home in the woods the scenery was a breath of relaxation. Our best guess when we stumbled on this home was that it was just a vacation home to whoever the owner was. It had seemed to be equipped to be a home that was off grid since it had a decent supply of necessities. Once I pulled up to the garage entrance Harley got out to open the door with a rig I had thought up with so we can utilize opening the garage so that we can store our supplies rather than running in and out the front door.

Once we were done putting it all away we went on to do our own thing. Harley had gone out to the barn that was in the back where we stored the heavy equipment, our cars, and anything parts we picked up so that we can try to create weapons. Although my bet is that Harley went out there to work on her Mustang project.

When we found this place there was also a classic Mustang in the garage with parts. On one of the work benches sat an old photo of a man leaning on the same Mustang that seemed to be new in that photo. Then next to that was another photo of an old man with a middle aged man that looked similar to him and a little boy. The older two gentlemen were bent over the hood of the car in what seemed to be mid lesson. The old man was pointing something out to the other man and the middle aged man had a look of I know what I’m doing. While the child was on a stool with a look of absolute interest.

The day we spotted this house my brother, Harley, and her boyfriend stormed in with the intent to take over the place. Doing exactly what we intended to do we had stumbled around the lot after killing off all the random deados. Once we were sure this home was now ours we had then went back to the places that interested us the most during our clearing. Harley’s boyfriend decided to take up the Mustang project since he was an advocate of the classic car. He and Harley would work on it together and she has taken over the car with a fiery passion ever since his passing seven months ago when he lost his life saving hers. So I left her in her peace while I battled to find mine.

You see a few months ago I lost the last living relative I had. My brother and I were on a run for some goods for the house and in the middle of scavenging the place for goods a deado that had waltzed in and went straight for my brother. With no hesitation I shot an arrow through the deados neck, which is the only way to kill them completely dead, but it was already too late. You see if the diseased don’t eat you alive then you are at harm in becoming one of them if they latch on to you even or a mere moment. The bite is now the only way to catch the disease and in two days time you either die or become one of them.

Once that deado feel to the floor my brother had a look of deep sorrow. At first I couldn’t understand why but as I watched his face fill with tears I stepped closer to him. I guess in my brothers attempt to defend himself the deado had bit his arm. That’s when it hit me, I was now the only one left. Running over I latched on to my brother as he held me back just as tightly. As we cried in each others arms we spoke not a word and as the hours rolled he told me he loved me but he was starting to feel weaker. With a heart felt pained exchange of I’ll see you again we parted ways. Me to go try to cope with the urge to still live while he went to go take care of the disease before it over took him.

So here I am packing away our food supplies in our kitchen before I began to prepare a meal. I now had to lose myself in something in order to cope with life and cooking was a big coping mechanism for me. Life seems like a burden every time I wake up now. When I look into the mirror I question myself as to why I’m even breathing, why the fuck am I still alive. So to silence that deadly demon that wishes to fulfill my end of misery I drown myself in task. I was never one to be an artist but I try to draw every now and then. If that doesn’t work I make sure everything is clean, if not that I build weapons, and when it comes to cooking I always take on that responsibility because it seems to help me out the most. To me it’s the only thing that doesn’t remind me of whats going on outside these kitchen walls. It makes reality shatter for a moment as normalcy takes its place.

Not realizing I had lost myself in my thoughts once again I had realized that the food was ready. So I went out to get Harley and as I made my way to the barn I looked up towards the sky begging that a positive change would happen soon.