Second Chance

Chapter 52

I wander through the broken streets of my old town, feeling despair creep over me. I wanted to leave here so badly, but now seeing what it has become, I feel sorry for it. If I knew it would become something like this, would I have stayed? If everything was different, and I lived a good life, would I have tried to save the town somehow? Maybe, if I wasn't alone.

The main question I have is what happened? What destroyed this town, and brought everything to ruin? Was it a gang? War? A sickness? What could have caused such mass destruction? I have so many questions, but there doesn't seem to be anyone for miles to ask.

I make it to a familiar neighbourhood, one which had large beautiful houses, but now are crumbling to dust. I recognize the house Riley and I went to for that party I got really drunk at. I walk towards the gate that looks like it has been burned, since it is charred in some spots. I push through it and walk into the backyard. It still has a pool, but the water is completely drained from it. The bar to the right is just a pile of wood and glass now, but the back door to the house is still somewhat intact.

Against my better judgement, I walk over to the door, and slip inside the house. I'm instantly hit in the face by a terrible odour, which smells of rotting food and garbage. I'm guessing there's still stuff in the fridge, but I don't open it. I realize there isn't much point in me just standing around in here and being slowly suffocated by rotting vegetables, so I quickly leave the house and make it back onto the street.

I wander around aimlessly for a while, even though I know exactly where my legs are leading me. The last thing I want is to see my house again, but I am vaguely curious to see what has become of it. Although, I'm not expecting it to be overly interesting, since it already looked like it was falling apart even before the apocalypse, so my guess is that it's just going to be a pile of wood.

I finally make it to my own neighbourhood, and my heart starts to pick up speed, even though I have no idea why. I round the bend, and come in sight of my old house. There's not much left, which I expected, but it still resembles the basic shape of a house, which surprises me.

I slowly make my way up the front porch, which creaks under my weight. The door is broken down, so I can step right through, but once I enter I realize the roof has caved in, so it's impossible to get into the basement or kitchen, but luckily it looks like I can still access my room.

I step lightly on the floor, worried I'm going to fall right through and break my neck. I manage to get all the way to my door though, and when I open it, I see a giant gaping hole in the middle of the floor, but everything else seems to be relatively intact. Although, it seems different. None of my stuff is here anymore, but I have no idea how long I've been gone for, or what even happened here.

I step back and close the door, suddenly starting to feel a little claustrophobic. I take one last look around the house, then walk back outside. I'm thinking about heading back to the motel, to see if Maria is there, and if she can answer any of my questions, but someone else comes to mind, and I figure she might be a better person to ask.

I need to find my cousin.

—-

I stand in front of Morgan's giant house, still feeling a little jealous of how good of a life she got. That doesn't matter now though, since everything has gone to shit, and we'll all be living the same miserable lives.

I decide it's probably a better idea to get inside the house from the back entrance, especially if Morgan's entire family is still living here. When I get to the back door, I realize it's unlocked, so I slip inside silently and creep through the living room. Everything here is so quiet, which makes me wonder if anyone is here at all. If I can't find Morgan, then maybe I can't find Maria either. Maybe I'm completely alone, and I'll never see anyone ever again!

I force myself out of my spiralling mindset as I climb the staircase that leads to Morgan's room. I need to stay focused and somewhat positive if I want to make it through this. I need to find her, it's not an option if I can't. I'm not going to give up until I find everyone I'm looking for.

I open the door to Morgan's room, and it looks similar to the last time I saw it. Although, it is quite a bit more dusty and messy. Some of the picture frames on her walls and tables are broken, and even the large glass window by her bed is shattered. Her sheets and blankets have holes in them, and the wind whistles through the tattered curtains in an eerie way, as if ghosts are singing a haunting song.

It seems as though no one is here, and my hopes start to sink. I'm about to leave her room, but a creaking noise from behind me catches my attention. Before I can react or even turn around, something grabs onto my shoulder from behind me, and less than a second later, a knife is poised at my throat, the blade so close to piercing my skin.

I feel something near my ear, then I hear someone whisper. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"