They say hope is the last thing to lose. If you lose hope, you lose everything. Anyone who loses their faith, their reason, also loses their soul.
This is the story of how Nadine clung to her only hope: to find her family safe and sound. A strange a...
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Paris, France. February 2035.
In one of the many universities in Paris was a tiny green room, home of two young students, exhausted from so much studying. Their small corner was filled with pots with plants of various species and scents. It was a way for both to remember their home, where nature was abundant, where they didn't have to stay up until the early hours of the morning studying for exams. Both were happy with their university careers, but in them they were forced to go through certain subjects that were a real headache. However, they were grateful every day for their lives, the opportunities they had, and the simplicity of their days.
Everything was fine.
It was barely five in the morning when Antonia, Nadine's Spanish roommate, took her by the shoulders in an attempt to wake her up.
"Whatever, they're calling you on your phone. How is it possible that you're still sleeping with that horrendous music as your ringtone?" said Antonia.
"Let it ring," Nadine replied, annoyed at not having slept enough.
"Okay, but it's your mom calling. Don't come complaining later that I didn't warn you..."
"You should have started with that! Pass it, pass it. Before the call gets cut... You can be annoying when you want to be."
Antonia, teasingly, stuck her tongue out at her friend while handing her the phone. Even at that early hour of the morning, she was full of energy. She was a tall, slender girl with long, curly blonde hair. Her cheeks were always rosy (a little gift from her rosacea). She felt insecure about her nose, however, Nadine always loved it. She always told her that she will never get tired of her beauty and that every time she looked at her, it reminded her of Greek sculptures.
"Hi, Mom." Nadine whispered sweetly as she slipped on her bunny slippers while heading to the sink to wash her face, trying to wake up a bit more.
Antonia watched her go, and began to prepare a lavender tea. She knew perfectly well that her friend would need it when she returned. Nadine spoke with her family on the phone every Sunday, but since the wave of violence had begun, each call was laden with some bad news. Neighbors, relatives, being attacked or being attackers. Too many things were speculated: some said the countryside was driving them mad, others believed there was a slowly spreading disease. Concern grew when new cases were reported on other continents, all in rural areas. Most were men, which didn't surprise anyone as they had always topped the list of suicides. Nadine suffered a lot, not only from missing her family but also because she was afraid for them. Although the farms were not very close to each other, the attackers seemed to be targeting them with the intention of causing harm to others, only to end their own lives afterward. Just thinking about it made the spanish's skin crawl; she cared deeply for Nadine and hated to see her distressed.
