What the Earth will Reclaim

Part 1: The beginning of the end, Chapter 1

It started silently.

Most people would think that the mass extinction of humanity would be loud, but it wasn't, at least not at first. Not until people started fighting back.

Maia wasn't home when it happened, truly terrible timing. She was just wrapping up a coffee date with a boy from her profiling class when an announcement blared over the TV in the corner of the shop;

"BREAKING NEWS; ARMED TERRORISTS HAVE INVADED THE WHITE HOUSE. SOURCES SAY THAT THE LOCATION OF THE PRESIDENT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, BUT IT IS BELIEVED THAT SHE IS STILL ALIVE AND IS BEING MOVED TO A SAFER LOCATION. PLEASE STAY ON HIGH ALERT AT THIS TIME AND AWAIT FURTHER UPDATES."

By the time the broadcast had ended the coffee shop was deathly quiet. Everyone had their phones out, trying in vain to get more information or to get ahold of loved ones. Maia quickly collected her belongings and rushed out the door, desperate to get home, her date completely forgotten. She ran home, completely blind to her surroundings, narrowly avoiding collisions with both cars and other pedestrians.

She made it home to her second floor apartment, took the stairs two at a time, and rushed to the living room to turn on her TV. She was desperate for news but couldn't stand the crowd of terrified faces or the palpable feeling of fear and uncertainty in the air. With trembling hands she turned on her TV, and prayed a silent prayer that her family in D.C was okay.

" UPDATE ON THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON OUR NATION'S CAPITAL: THE WHITE HOUSE HAS GONE DARK, WITH NO MOVEMENT OUTSIDE AND NO RESPONSE FROM THE SUPPORT TEAMS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT WHATEVER PLOT CREATED BY THESE TERRORISTS HAS SUCCEEDED, ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEMANDS MADE WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ISOLATED EVENT".

Maia took a deep breath to try to calm herself down, and tried in vain to call her father. The line must be down in D.C, Maia thought. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon. She laid down flat on her living room floor and put her phone down next to her. She closed her eyes and tried not to worry, it was just one building, everyone else should be fine.

◈◈◈

This never should have happened, I should've done something to stop it.

I know that, and yet, I didn't believe it would've done any good.

I knew something was wrong, how could I not? Dad had changed so drastically at the end, I should've put the pieces together back then.

I am so stupid.

◈◈◈

It all started on a Friday.

Ironic, Maia thought as she tied up her sneakers.

It should've been on a Monday, it feels more appropriate.

Maia often thought about that day. It had seemed so ordinary. A blue sky, a warm breeze, and far more items on her to-do list than she could ever finish in one day.

It had been a few weeks since the beginning of the end, and now life looked like a zombie apocalypse, minus the zombies.

A lot of people killed themselves when they realized what was happening, wishing to have control over their own deaths. Businesses everywhere had stopped operating. People began fending solely for themselves. Society went to shit, basically.

So far Maia had been lucky.

Her apartment was still in good shape, even without power, and she had a bunch of supplies already when the world went under.

She's not sure how much longer she'll be lucky, though.

◈◈◈

I wanted to go there, with everyone else. Everyone trying their hardest to survive. I wanted to do something, to help. But I never had that option, they made sure of that.

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