Flash Fictions by Benjamin D. Togate

A Peaceful Place

"Wait here", I hissed at her, her big eyes following my movements towards the door. She made a step towards me.

"No" I said, yelled it, almost. "It is too dangerous. You. wait. here. Ok?"

Here dark eyes widened, her whiskers twitched. She looked sad all of a sudden. At least as sad as a cat could look like. But it seemed like she understood. She stretched and then hopped onto the bench behind her, sitting down but never averting her ganze.

"Good girl" I now spoke softly before turning around, leaving the train.

This little white cat. I loved her with all my heart. She was all I had left in this world. After the world had gone to shits, destroyed by viruses, wars, disasters and greed. After my whole family had succumed to either an earthquake, a robbery gone wrong or - like my little bro - the great plague of 2048, this tiny kitten was my whole family. I wouldn't put her into danger for a food run. She would stay safe at the old train station in the abandoned trainwagon overgrown by poison ivy. Our home.

Today I was lucky. It didn't take me long to get to the city. I found a few cans from the world before, in a warehouse that was already falling apart. Almost everything edible had long been taken, but these few dented cans of corn and tofu were mine. And Lillys of course. I shared everything I had with that little rascal.

As I was walking in the middle of the road among the abandoned buildings I thought to myself how peaceful it was. Almost all of humanity was gone. The buildings were tinted in orange-red light from the setting sun. Mother nature was slowly claiming back what should always have been hers. With shrubs growing in the middle of the street, once trimmed trees overgrowing the sidewalk and tall grass springing up everywhere through the asphalt.

Well, almost peaceful. Because those remaining survivers were more dangerous than the constant threat of natural disasters or diseases.

"Get in here, I think there's food"

The voice of another human being let me shrink immidiatly. I dropped down into a patch of tall grass and crawled behind an rusting car. Then I saw them. People. Survivors.

Danger.

"No it's empty, idiot" said one of the men stepping out of the building.
"Fuck, I'm hungry" said a third one. They all looked rough. Like hungry wolves.
"Nah, fuck, they're all empty" said one of the guys, who looked like the leader. He stretched and then pointed to the railway.
"Let's check out the train sation"

My eyes widened, my heart began racing. Lilly!

But I stayed put until they were out of sight. Otherwise they would have murdered me on the spot. Then I started running. What if they found her. What if they killed her for food. What if I would loose her too like my little brother. What if...

I stayed off the main road, jumping over rubble and debris. Lilly, please hide! I prayed. And ran. And prayed.

When I stepped on the platform my heart sank. They had been here. The vending machine had been tipped over and smashed. The door to the train - our home - was wide open. Leaves of overgrown poison ivy scattered verywhere. I looked around. They were nowhere to be seen. They must have just scavanged through.

"Lilly!" I screamed, running towards the train. And then I saw her.
Lying in the setting sun, at the same spot that I had left her, peacefully sleeping.