His Last Song- "Ji'de Tas Anse"

Chapter One 1.1

3:25 pm, 2021/5/15

"–Today is going to be very sunny and beautiful! The highest temperature of the day is going to be seventy-five degrees and the lowest is going to be thirty-five. Go out and take pictures of our beautiful country, Hardane, before it gets too cold and too dark!–"

Hardane used to be beautiful. Now it's just a dangerous wasteland.

I sigh as I lean my head back on the arm rest of the couch and watch the TV recording. I look over at the recorder on the coffee table then I pick it up.

There's no one else left. No one to talk to, no one to mess with. We thought a global pandemic was bad; a meteor that turns animals into killer monsters is way worse. I don't even know where everyone went. They all just...disappeared.

I put the recorder up to my mouth:

"–Hardane—or Lyi'ardaa—used to be a big, tropical island near Africa and the natives there came from African and Asian descent. It had a truly diverse population and incredibly beautiful people. The language of Hardane was Hardanese or Lyi'arda. The cities of Hardane were like different worlds inside of one world.–"

I get up then I go over to the big window at the back of the living room in my apartment; the apartment that I used to share with my grandparents. Red-ish, orange-ish sunlight―the same color as my freckles―shines through the blind. All the death and decay of Hardane has turned the sky red.

"–When the meteor hit, my grandparents and I were out at a carnival, two months ago. Everything lit up, then it went completely dark. I guess I got knocked out from its impact, but when I woke up, I was in rubble and my grandparents were nowhere to be found. I look around for hours to find them; that's how I know that the animals come out in the evening. I had to hide in one of the carts of the Ferris wheel. It was the scariest night of my life; there were so many different sounds. The noises instantly stopped once the sun came up.–"

I look out the window and I see that the sun is still in the sky. My stomach grumbles then I groan as I rest my head against the window with a thunk.

"–My stomach is growling. I guess I can go to the store real quick and get some food. Should I bring my wheelchair? The store isn't that far away, I don't think I'll have an episode before I get back; just as long as I don't get stressed out while out there.–"

I grab my mask off of the coffee table, then I put it on as I go over to the front door to put my shoes on. I open the front door and go out then I leave it open just a bit just in case I have to quickly go inside. I walk down the quiet, light blue hallway to the elevator, then I press the button to call it up. The button lights up a few seconds later as I lean on the wall as I wait for the elevator.

I wonder why the electricity still works.

"–I've gotten so bored that I'm recording myself talking. Maybe someone will find this later if I so happen to drop it or something. If someone's listening, I'm going to just randomly say things into here, so please don't expect some well documented experience. I have the attention span of a dog.–"

The elevator opens, I go inside and press the first-floor button. The button lights up after flickering and the elevator jolts as it starts moving downwards.

The doors jerkily open on the first floor after some time and I leave and walk to the spinning main doors. I push the door as I spin around until I get to the outside.

I don't see anyone or anything.

I stretch my arms over my head and yawn, then I put one of my hands in my basketball shorts pockets as I walk to the store.