Dull Silver

Chapter Four

Rosa

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            "I'm the last one left." She muttered to her dog. Given, this dog had been dead for five years. And no, it's not what you're thinking, the dog is cremated, but Rosa doesn't exactly remember that. At 123, no one is really sure how much she remembers.

To put it simply, Rosa is the last one left. Not just of her friends, or of a lot of her family, but of the Starters. There is no LOSS, but people like to believe. And it wasn't just a scientist. It was a scientist, a doctor, a politician, and 10 billion people. The year 2100 B.L.O.S.S., which stand for 'Before Life Of Stone Souls', or Before LOSS, or as it used to be called, 2100 A.D., or Common Era. That was the year the world fell apart. That was the year of the Third World War.

It went more like this; the world had survived almost 200 years without a World War, then the population grew to 10 billion and countries began to invade others. Technology had taken off, so the end of the war was quick. 67 days. Atomic bombs released so much radiation, the human race was eradicated, except three people in a concrete bunker. The scientist, the doctor, and the politician. They all had a goal, improve and lengthen human life. Little did they know, the rest of the world had been eradicated. The scientist wanted to lengthen the human life span. The doctor wanted to cure the worst diseases. The politician wanted peace. Combine the progress, research, and the radiation, and thus, people lived life dictated by a stone.

There were about 40 Starters, and in 103 years, the population has grown to 1billion around the world. Now 39 Starters have found their stones, all of Rosa's friends, and all of her children have found their stones. It seemed it would be only a matter of time until Rosa found her stone. Except it wasn't. Rosa was forgetting a vital piece of information to finding her stone. Your stone is found in your home country.

Rosa was not placed in America. With 40 Starters, each one began in a different country. Henry was placed in America, James in Canada, Megan in China, Rosa in Italy, so on, and so on. Rosa later immigrated to America, forgetting that her stone would be placed in Italy.

Ray walked in the door of his great-grandmother's apartment. His chocolate colored skin and his emerald green eyes scanned the kitchen and living room before he called, "Noni?"

"In the dining room, my boy!" Rosa called back. Rosa did not have Ray's dark skin, or even green eyes, she was more the contrast caramel skin and hazel eyes. Ray placed his workbag by the door and met his Noni in the dining room. "How was work today, Ray?" She asked.

Ray sighed, "As usual, a wreck. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it though. We just can't find any more research on the world before ours." Rosa nodded.

"You know the story I always tell. I had no parents. I had no companions. I had nothing. I was placed in this world, not born. In Italy, and it was decimated. There were three holographic-type guides for us. One scientist, one doctor, and one politician, which I guess they recorded it all before they died, because they were nowhere to be found. They told us, 'Either rebuild your country, or find another Starter. You will not die until you know death is upon you. You will feel the connection. The stone will be your death.' And that's all they ever said. So, naturally, I left my placement country of Italy. Found a car I miraculously could drive, and found a man named Harrison, who was placed in Germany. He was my husband, but one day he came home and it was over. Harrison would die in less than 24 hours. At the time, I was pregnant with your grandfather, and many of the other Starters had begun families. The world was rebuilding and the population was growing. I left Germany, and came to America, where Henry was placed. I met Henry and his growing family of four when I entered America. I was on my own in a growing population, but I survived. And 103 years later, we went from 40 people to 1 billion." Rosa smiled, of all the things she had forgotten over the years, she remembered the names and events since the beginning. Ray nodded, he had heard the story so many times, but he never interrupted.

"Noni, have you visited the market this week?" He asked. Rosa shook her head. "Let's head there. There are some good deals on fruit this week, and it looks like you need some more food. Maybe, I'll bring the kids over for dinner this week." Rosa stood from the couch and took Ray's hand as they walked to the market.

Ray and Rosa began picking things out for this week when they bumped into a familiar face. "Kane?" Ray questioned.

"Ray! Noni!" the man called Kane, with chocolate skin and tourmaline eyes answered. "How have you been?" Kane asked.

"I've been pretty good. Work's been a wreck, but fun all the same- there's just no more evidence, at the moment. How have you been?" It had been over a month since Ray had seen his brother. Kane had been out on an excavation in Egypt, which he turned into a big trip for his boyfriend, Anaximander and Anaximander's sister, Iphigenia.

"I have been just fabulous. Anaximander, Iphigenia, and I had an amazing time in Egypt, and the team and I uncovered some new stuff. We found some very old pottery, with inscriptions on it. We're transferring it to your building for the inspection." Rosa watched her great-grandson's catch up, especially about work. It was surprising the two of them had both gone into different sections of archeology, as they had grown up totally different from each other.

"Kane, why don't you bring Anaximander and Iphigenia, and Ray bring Bridget, and the kids, and we'll all have dinner at my house on Friday to catch up." Rosa suggested. Kane and Ray quickly agreed with their Noni, before continuing their shopping.

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(When originally posted, Rosa was 103, she is now 123 as I figure out more of the base story. All Starters were placed at age twenty. Thanks so much! Hope you enjoyed!)