The Love That Is (wlw) 18+

Part 1-1

***This one was in response to a writing challenge a while back. But I loved it. And I feel maybe one day I'll explore these characters more. But it was during covid. And if anyone has lost someone and felt alone; that was the place I was writing from. I hope you all enjoy 😉. It's a lil shorty short tease.**

 
 
 
    Death leaves a stain on our spirits that no amount of water can wash away. It clings to our hearts. It takes away the brightness in our eyes. It makes of us the walking dead. I sighed at the thought. I wasn't even good company for myself these days. No wonder most of the others stayed away from me.

    Taking a long drag from the cigar I routinely borrowed from Kintz, I looked around our local bar. Most everyone came out because our population was a mere 53. We all worked together, because there weren't more folks in about 60 miles or so. We also tried to steer clear of the city. You were only asking for trouble if you were a townie going into the city. Which is why everyone thought I was crazy. I was the supplier. If someone needed something we didn't have here in our settlement they'd ask me.

    What they didn't know was how I got things without money. And I wasn't about to offer the details. So it was, what it was. Our settlement wasn't one of the lucky ones after the virus crisis of 2031. We didn't get the fancy gated community and security forces. Sure we all got checks for 2000. But with most of us being forced to leave our homes, our jobs and losing people it was far from enough. So we all pitched in to help each other. If one person had it; we all did. We weren't perfect but we made it work. Most of us lost our whole families. If not to one of the viruses, to people who simply lost their minds.
   
    Literally madness spread like a disease. Whether it was a side effect of a virus or that people just snapped; we don't know. Perhaps a combination of all things. There were now a merry band of murderers roaming around. Killing, stealing just because they could. Like they were empty inside.
 
    Some part of me felt as if that was all the death we all seen. Like the collective force of all that sadness, pain and trauma. There was less than 50 million people still alive in the Us, so our government tells us. If that's true I haven't a clue. Since the Virus Crisis I haven't ventured out far. Nor do I really want too.
 
    Getting lost in the thought, I didn't recognize Cody standing behind me. He cleared his throat causing me to cough on the cigar and curse under my breath. His blue eyes went round at my colorful speech. "I'm sorry Ma'am. Aunt Lauria, I mean Ms. Porter."

    I gave him a side eye, but waved it off. "No problem kid. What do you need?" At 19, Cody was hardly a  little kid anymore. Still we all had a hand in raising him since he was ten. So he was a child to me. I was the one who had found him outside the city. The boy had buried his own family. He had a strength to him that couldn't be swayed. Case in point, now I knew what he was about to ask because he'd been asking it since I found him. So before he could even get it out, I answered him. "No Cody." When he started to protest, I walked away. Everyone watched, knowing what Cody was asking.
 
    "I'm a grown man Ms. Porter. I can handle the city. I can handle myself."
 
    Anger poured into me at his words. So  before he knew what was happening I turned back and kicked his legs from underneath his feet. He fell hard, back hitting the ground. His breath coming out in a wheeze.
 
    Graham, the barkeep cussed and rush over helping Cody up. When Cody refused, Graham put his hands on his sides giving me a glare. He was the eldest in our group at 63. Cody and Misha, who was 16 were the youngest. "Lauria you didn't have to harm the boy."
   
    I scoffed, "I didn't harm him. But if he wants to go into the city that's what will happen. He'll get hurt or worse and you'll all blame me." I could feel my heart pounding beneath my breast. The cold of my mother's locket reminding me to be level headed. She'd given it to me on her death bed. It was before the Virus Crisis and I had been 14 at the time. I remember how frail she looked. But her dark brown eyes were full of strength as she held out the locket to me. Inside it was a picture of me and her when I was a baby.