The Outsider

CHAPTER 1: The Father

I am afraid of Death. An eternity of darkness? Emptiness? Pain? Fire? It's one of the world's greatest mysteries, and that's exactly why I dread the day it happens. My name is Y/N, and this is the story of how I died.

I was taken away from my home at six years old. It sounds harsh, but there was no choice. If I stayed, I'd be dead before the story really starts. I'll remember that day for the rest of my life.

That morning, I woke up just like any other day. Which, now I think about it, isn't necessarily a good thing. I had been having nightmares for a while, and six-year-olds aren't very good at dealing with them.

I woke up cold and sweating with fear, tears pouring down my face. I whimpered to myself. Three months ago, the solar flares had destroyed half the planet. Grasslands were scorched, forests were burned, and cities were destroyed by the tsunamis that were created. These things would have been tough enough, but along with that, a deadly virus had been unleashed among humanity. They call it "The Flare."

The virus infects the brain and is highly contagious. I've heard it turns the victim slowly insane, day by day. I had never seen an infected person, but I was grateful for that...

I wipe my tears away with my blanket. I dreamed about home last night. My family used to live on the gorgeous coast of Scotland. We lived in a cottage right at the harbour, and you could see miles out on a clear day. The village was quite a sight too. Multi-coloured houses all along the beach, chip shops, ice cream parlours, boats... It was like a holiday that never should have ended. But it did end.

I dreamed about the Sun Flares. Back before we moved, the temperature had been rising over the last day or two, then one day it simply... burned. I was inside at the time. That's the only reason I survived. Me, my Mum and my Dad locked ourselves in the only room that didn't have a window. We sat there, full of fear, listening in silence to the news on the radio. The crackly speaker said;

"All over the world, Cities are being burned to the ground by the sun. We advise all remaining people to stay inside. I repeat - STAY INSIDE."

The radio kept repeating those two sentences. Eerily repeating over and over again. The voice still echoes in my head sometimes. It must have been about three hours later when the radio stopped. It made a beeping noise, and a new message started playing.

"Attention. Various scientists and meteorologists have reported that the Solar Flares will occur spontaneously throughout the next week. Please check in with your area's weather forecast to see when it is safe to go out for food, water and other provisions. Do be warned, these forecasts are not completely reliable. Good Luck."

At this time, I was only four. I didn't know

I skip into the room. Mum and Dad are waltzing to Edelweiss, my favourite song. I curl up on the couch, watching them have fun. One day I'll dance to that song with someone. I think to myself. I've already memorized the lyrics.

They dance to this song almost every week, I know they like it just as much as I do. Mum is smiling, her eyes sparkling as she is lifted into the air. She laughs, and it makes me feel warm inside. My mother's laugh is magical like that.

Normally, my dad is just as cheerful, grinning as he twirls my Mum around, but today... he's a little off.

His mouth is tense, he's missing the steps to the song and his eyes have a crazy yet subtle look in them. I look closer and I see that he's quivering. What's wrong with him?

The old gramophone finishes the song; Bless my homeland forever. The lyrics to that song are permanently stuck in my head now. I'll never forget this day.