THE ONES WHO LIVED

The last brithday

Kai woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the date on the screen. December 31, 2023. His sixteenth birthday. He wondered if anyone would remember but who would he was mostly alone.

He got out of bed and put on his clothes. He grabbed his backpack and his rifle. He checked his supplies. He had enough water and food for a few days, but he would need to find more soon. He also had a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a knife, a map, and a radio. He hoped the radio would work someday. He hadn't heard a human voice in years.

He walked over to the corner of the room, where his best friend was sleeping. He nudged him gently with his foot. "Hey, Rex. Wake up, boy. It's time to go."

Rex was a Rottweiler, a large and loyal dog. He had been with Kai since he was a puppy, and they had been inseparable ever since. Rex was the only living thing that Kai cared about in this world. The only living thing that cared about him.

Rex opened his eyes and wagged his tail. He licked Kai's face and jumped up. He was ready for another day of survival.

Kai and Rex lived in an abandoned house in a small town. The town was once a peaceful and prosperous place, but now it was a ghost town. The buildings were crumbling, the streets were littered with debris, and the air was filled with dust and smoke. The town was one of the many casualties of the nuclear war that had devastated the world sixteen years ago.

Kai didn't know much about the war. He was only a few days old when it happened. He had been born in a hospital, but his parents had died in the blast. He had been rescued by a group of survivors, who had taken him to a bunker. They had raised him and taught him how to survive in the new world. They had also given him Rex, who had been born in the same hospital.

Kai had lived in the bunker for twelve years, until the group had decided to move to another location. They had heard rumors of a safe haven, a place where people could live in peace and harmony. A place where there was no radiation, no hunger, no violence. A place where there was hope.

Kai had wanted to go with them, but they had refused. They had said he was too young, too weak, too inexperienced. They had said he would slow them down, put them in danger, get them killed. They had said he was better off staying in the bunker, where he would be safe and secure.

They had left him behind, along with Rex. They had given him some supplies and some advice. They had told him to stay in the bunker, to avoid contact with other people, to be careful of the mutants, to never lose hope. They had told him they would come back for him someday.

They had lied.

They had never come back. Kai had waited for them for months, but they had never returned. He had tried to contact them on the radio, but he had never received a reply. He had realized that they had abandoned him, that they had forgotten about him, that they had betrayed him.

He had felt angry, hurt, and lonely. He had felt like giving up, like ending his life. But he had also felt something else. He had felt curious, adventurous, and brave. He had felt like leaving the bunker, like exploring the world, like finding the safe haven. He had felt like living.

He had packed his backpack and his rifle. He had taken Rex with him. He had left the bunker and never looked back.

That was four years ago. Since then, Kai and Rex had been wandering the wasteland, looking for the safe haven. They had faced many dangers and hardships, but they had also seen many wonders and beauties. They had met many people and creatures, but they had also avoided many conflicts and troubles. They had learned many things and skills, but they had also forgotten many memories and feelings.

They had lived.

Today was Kai's sixteenth birthday, but he didn't feel any different. He didn't feel any older, any wiser, any happier. He felt the same as he always did. He felt tired, hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, bored, scared, curious, hopeful, hopeless.

He felt alive.

He put on his backpack and his rifle. He whistled to Rex, who followed him obediently. He opened the door and stepped outside. He looked at the sky, which was gray and cloudy. He looked at the horizon, which was dark and distant. He looked at the road, which was long and empty.

He didn't know where he was going, or what he was looking for, or why he was doing it. He only knew that he had to keep going, keep looking, keep doing it. He only knew that he had to survive.

He and Rex started walking. They left the town behind. They entered the wasteland. They began another day of their journey.

They began another day of their life.