A Mother's...

A Mother's Intuition

"I need to find Olivia, Nate. I can't just stay here in this glorified prison knowing that my baby is out there, alone and afraid. I have to go," Marie says to her life partner, Nate. He'd be her husband, if it weren't for the outbreak that's turned billions into mindless cannibals. Marriage no longer means anything.

"Alright, Marie. There is nothing I can do to stop you, but I'll be goddamned if I leave you alone while you do it," Nate said, already lacing his boots. Neither has very much to pack, as they only have backpacks with supplies for survival. Marie attempts to protest, but Nate gives her a look that says he'd feel better if she just let him come along. 

It's been 5 years since the outbreak, 5 years since Marie had seen her daughter, Olivia. 

5 years of nothing but pure torture. 

The rare times that Marie is able to sleep, it is short and filled with nightmares.

Olivia is the main character in most of them. 

The Ruined are prominent as well.

~~~

Day 1- Dusk

Marie and Nate shamble along the crumbling roads of what used to be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The eerie silence is their only companion, and the fear that has encapsulated every moment of Marie's life since losing her baby in that crowd. Night is falling, blanketing the city in an uneasy darkness, and they both share a look that they both know means they need to find shelter before full dark. 

The pair duck into a low building with window covers, and do a quick sweep to know that it's safe. With no Ruined in sight, or earshot, they lay out their bedrolls for another sleepless night.

~~~

Day 2- Midmorning

After tossing and turning on the cold concrete all night, sleep managed to evade Marie once again. They sit quietly, eating their rations from the other day. Dry, stale crackers and a few strips of tough beef, rehydrated soup that tastes like cardboard.

Day 2- Afternoon

Fatigue, dehydration and exposure are their biggest threats at the moment. They need to find water and shelter, but still it's an endless expanse of broken buildings and abandoned farmlands that have long since dried. Nate stops and turns to Marie, and grabs her arm. Not harshly, but it stops her in her tracks. 

"Marie, love, we have to talk about something. About this," He vaguely gestures around them. 

"There's really no easy way to say this, but I need you to think of accepting the reality that Olivia is dead, or worse that she's turned, or has holed up in a den of cannibals." A recent discovery, a few religious sects of people believe that the Ruined are the next step in evolution, and have developed a taste for human flesh. 

Marie looks away, lost in thought for a moment, and then snaps.

"You think I don't worry about those things every waking moment of my life!? Every minute, every day, every time I close my eyes, when I eat, drink water, do ANYTHING that I don't worry about Olivia being dead, turned, or being eaten by deranged psychopaths!? YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW, NATE? I'm never going to know unless I find her. I need to find her, and then I will have closure, or better yet I'll have my daughter back. YOU don't get to tell me to give up. YOU don't get to question my decisions when it comes to my daughter. YOU DON'T GET TO. End of story, end of list, period. Now, you can either come with me and help me find her, or you can tuck tail and run back to Sanctuary like a coward. What's it going to be?" She yanks her arm away from him and storms off, not caring if he decides to follow. 

When she looks back, several hours and almost 50 miles later, she's alone.