Post-Pandemic: A New World

Chapter Two: A Visitor

August 18th 2025

It was another day in post apocalyptic New York. Survivors were scavenging for food in abandoned restaurants and shops. Rikers were driving around in vandalised police cars and terrorizing the streets and Phinehas was preparing breakfast with Bridge. The small group had a couple of chickens on the roof, eating up left over foods that the three survivors didn't eat and Bridge was making boiled eggs for breakfast. The two of them were at the balcony and were boiling the eggs on a pan held above a small fire. There were three eggs, one for all three of them and Bridge looked upon them with a great hunger in his stomach. As the eggs were placed onto the plates, Bridge called out "Michelle, breakfast is ready". Phinehas and Bridge went back inside and put the plates on the dinner table. There were some vegetables and bread on the table as well and Bridge carefully distributed the food in a manner he deemed fit. He placed some broccoli on each plate, one slice of bread on Phinehas's plate and two extra slices on Michelle's plate. Bridge felt that Michelle needed more as she was technically eating for two people and that it was only fair. That was when Michelle entered the small kitchen, wearing her nightgown and her huge baby bump being very noticeable. As Michelle sat down she said in a satisfied tone "Boy am I glad that those two chickens up top have finally given us some eggs". Bridge smirked and said "They might have had a little encouragement". Michelle then looked at Bridge as he began eating a slice of bread and asked "So, where do you think we should go?" Bridge thought for a moment and said "We should definitely get out of New York, that's for sure". Phinehas chewed up his broccoli and said "I was hoping we could go to Liberty Island, true it may be thriving, but the Rikers are still trying to take it. So no". Bridge agreed and said "So long as there are people like the Rikers in this new world, no where is safe". 

About three minutes later, they had all finished eating and were cleaning up the dishes. Michelle had to sit down because of her pregnancy and knew that she would inevitably give birth. Bridge was worried about Michelle and the baby for that matter. He knew it would be hard for a girl barely a decade younger than him to have a baby in this new and unfamiliar world. Bridge finished drying the water off a plate and put it back in the cupboard, he then looked at the bucket of water that was about half full and said "I wonder how much longer it will last". Phinehas looked at Bridge and said "By my calculations about a week or so". Bridge bought out his Wi-Fi-less phone that he had charged using the small solar panel up top and said "So we should run out of water on August the 25th" while checking the date on his now useless phone. Michelle looked over at Bridge's phone from the couch and asked "Why do you still have that thing". Bridge was silent for a moment, but then he said "I have a lot of good memories on this, I can't just throw it away". Phinehas chuckled and said "Yeah, before the Fall everyone had all of their memories on their phones. God I wish I had printed those photos out". 

That was when they heard a knock on the door and all froze in place. Bridge put his phone back in his pocket and said "Michelle, back to the bedroom and get the gun". Michelle obliged and hastily walked back into the bedroom as fast as she could. Bridge raced into the living room with Phinehas and grabbed his axe. Phinehas then grabbed his combat knife and the two headed to the door. As they heard Michelle shut the bedroom door with a pistol in her right hand, Bridge quietly asked in his deep British accent while readying to swing his axe "Whose there?" They heard a girl's voice say on the over side in a thick accent "My name is Anna and my Papa needs to speak with you". Bridge was baffled by her statement and asked "Why does he need to see us and how do I know you're not a Riker?" Anna said with honesty in her voice "We've been watching you three for months and he is about to pass. Besides, Papa is the only reason you're even alive". Bridge thought for a moment and said sternly "Now I am going to open this door very slowly, if you have a weapon, put it down now". As Bridge heard something fall to the ground, he flew the door open and jumped outside, startling Anna who screamed in horror at the site of the axe. Bridge saw her neat black hair and brown eyes, as well as her clean clothes  and realised she was about his age and quickly lowered his axe. He also couldn't help but notice that she was very beautiful, with freckles and her hair having pink highlights. As Bridge lowered his axe he said "Sorry, it's just hard to know who to trust. With all the Rikers running around town". Anna caught her breath and said "I understand, I once nearly shot a man while out searching for food after he startled me by mistake". 

Bridge could tell by Anna's accent that she wasn't from America and asked "Where are you from?" As Anna put her baseball bat back in her bag she said "St Petersburg". Bridge's eyes widened as he heard those words come from her mouth and asked "So you're from where this all began?" Anna nodded and said "Yes, my Mama was one of the first victims" as a tear rolled from her left eye. Bridge could tell by the tear that whatever she was about to say was going to be genuine and asked "What does your father need to tell us". Anna wiped the tear from her eye and said "Something you won't believe and he needs to tell it to all three of you".

Five minutes later, Bridge, Phinehas and even Michelle were with Anna at the entrance to her apartment in the neighbouring building across the street. As Anna brought out her keys from her pocket she said "Hopefully Papa can explain everything to you". As the door unlocked, Bridge grabbed Anna's hand and strictly said "I'm going in first to make sure you aren't lying". As Anna stepped back against the wall, Bridge slowly opened the door and made his way inside while wielding his axe. Phinehas and Michelle looked through to see that the apartment was well stocked with food, water and even medical supplies. There were also bulletin boards set up across the main hallway and they had research notes all across them. Phinehas looked at Anna and asked "Is you're dad some kind of scientist?" Anna answered Phinehas "He is a Virologist and has a PHD from Moscow University". Michelle felt her baby kicking and asked "Does he know anything about helping a woman give birth?" Anna looked down with sadness in her eyes and said "No, but he really needs a doctor". Phinehas looked Anna in the eyes and asked "Why?" Before Anna could answer, Bridge suddenly appeared from out of the apartment with the handle of his axe sticking from out of his back bag and a look of shock on his face. Michelle looked at Bridge and asked "What is it?" Bridge looked at his two friends and said "You've gotta see this". The four of them headed inside the apartment and saw food supplies stockpiled in the kitchen and medical gear inside the living room. An open door at the end of the hallway had a beeping sound coming from it and as they got closer, Phinehas realised that it was the sound of a heart monitor. As they arrived at the door, they saw a large bed with all kinds of medical equipment around it and a man resting on the bed with a bald head, pale skin and a fluffy white cat sitting on the bed. The moment Michelle laid eyes on Anna's father, memories from years earlier came flooding back to her. This was exactly what her Grandfather looked like when Michelle was eight years old, right before he died. There was no doubt, Anna's father had cancer.