short story practice

In Our Favorite Place

Clive helped Kara sit on their favorite spot on the bench, just in front of a beach. The waves crashing and the birds squawking in the distance put both of them in a relaxed state. Once he was sure Kara was comfortable, he sat down beside her. They sat like that for a bit, just listening to the waves and birds, forgetting the world and chaos around them.

"Have you ever thought about why and how we were created?" Clive asked, Kara looking up from his shoulder in curiosity. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, what was the purpose? Surely we should be playing a role in nature, as all species and living things should. But," an explosion from a far could be heard, "it seems like all we do is destroy everything that can be destroyed. Study and disturb things we should not have disturbed," Clive explained, Kara nestling more into his shoulder, linking her arm with his. He made a motion towards the sea.

"The sea is a big body of water. The ocean is a bigger one. What's in it? We don't have an answer to that. There's so many undiscovered things on Earth that are bigger than us. There are more undiscovered things beyond Earth and out there in the universe that are bigger than us, bigger than the entire human race. So what was the point?" 

Kara sighed. "I don't know, Chive. I guess we were just supposed to live however we want to."

"We're insignificant, Kara. We aren't even dust in this universe. If humanity were to be wiped out, the universe would continue to do whatever it's supposed to do. We don't even know where we come from," Clive said, turning to face Kara. 

Kara winced in pain. Clive carefully removed his arm from hers, and removed the bandage to inspect the wound that continued to bleed. The bite was becoming decayed. "Huh," Kara said, forcing a small smile. "Maybe you're right, Clive. Maybe humanity's sole purpose was to destroy." Clive stayed silent as Kara returned to nuzzle in his shoulder. 

They stayed there, in comfortable silence as they both worried for whatever that was going to happen next. Clive spoke suddenly, another thought going through his mind. "Do you think there's a God behind all of this?"

"Maybe," Kara said weakly. She was bleeding out. 

"Maybe there's something behind everything, an all powerful being wanted this to happen." Clive stayed silent. 

"Hey," Kara said, nudging into him a bit. Clive, with tears in his eyes, looked at her. She was beginning to pale, her eyes starting to cloud. "Whatever happens, it will all be insignificant compared to the sea and the wonders beneath it." 

Clive smiled, and they both faced the sea again. They remained like that, even as Clive felt that Kara stopped moving, stopped breathing. He started to ask her another question, when she suddenly tackled him, both of them falling of the bench. Clive looked at Kara, her eyes bloodshot and her whole body cold and pale. 

"My love," he started, as she began to bite into his neck. Clive stared at the bench, at the sea, and asked, "If there really is a God behind all of this, why has he forsaken us?" 

Kara answered with a groan, as she bit his neck off.