Soul Survivor

Chapter 7

Whilst I am here I might as well change out of my stiff school uniform into something I can move in. I venture back into my bedroom and pull a blue t-shirt, a pair of trousers and a jacket from various wooden draws. I get changed quickly and slip on my shoes. Glancing in the mirror I notice my face is coated in dirt and ash and all sorts of things. Blood stains my hands. At least my clothes are clean now.

In the bathroom I get cleaned up. I cup my hands under the running tap. Surprised there is still running water, the dirt starts to transfer from my face to my hands. Ice cold water washes away my tiredness. Clearly the bags and purple smudges under my eyes don't agree. With a sigh, I turn away from the mirror.

I am alone. I have no idea where my family are - if they are even still alive. The life I knew is gone. Dead. Just like Sammie. My school has been destroyed, along with my home. The entire globe is in chaos, half of the human species just... vanished. I have no where to go because all forms of transport have been obliterated. I can't contact anyone because there's no internet or phone signal. I don't even have the knowledge of who, or what, caused the total annihilation of civilization. I have nobody to blame but I want revenge.

Normally, I would sit back and let someone else handle things. Not this time. I can't sit here and wait to die scared and alone and longing to be with my family.

I rush into my bedroom and grab a large rucksack. Back and fourth, I stuff the bag with a few clothes, a large bottle of water, half a loaf of bread, a phone (in case the signal miraculously gets fixed), a purse with money, the bare toiletry essentials, a blanket and two personal belongings - my diary and a teddy bear. I slip the photograph into the diary and tie my hair back for practical reasons.

This new world will be crazy. Everyone will fight to survive. Hopping down the stairs, I take a knife from the kitchen. A small, sharp, concealable one. Its blade winks at me. I promise I won't kill with this knife. However, I might need it for protection or as a tool.

I also rummage through a cupboard for a first aid kit. I am not successful in finding one but I do find a box containing medical supplies. I throw some pills, cream and bandages into the bag. While I'm at it, I patch up my own foot from where I stepped on some glass.

Venturing though the shattered windows and into the garden, I retrieve some rope from the wobbly, creaking shed. "You never know." I say to myself. The bag is bursting at the seems and weighs a ton, but that's okay. The bag I use for school is always heavy because it is full to the brim with books.

Okay, I'm ready to go. I creep back into the house and say my final goodbyes. What if I never return? What if, in this brutal world, I don't survive? If I stay here and do nothing, I'm going to run out of food anyway. Besides, in the journey from school to here I only encountered one person. One person. They weren't looking for trouble - I found them. Everyone who is left is too worried about finding their friends and families. I'll be alright... And I will come back.

Even so, I grab an envelope from the counter in the kitchen and scribble on it. If any of my family come here, they'll know where I've gone. They will know that I love them.

Placing one foot in front of the other, I leave the envelope under a book and head out through the broken front door, swaying in the slight breeze like the branches of a fallen tree. The quiet, which was eerie at first, is now calming. Stepping outside into the chaotic world is like sitting outside on a hot summers day. I am blasted with humid air followed by a contrasting cool gust, which gently pushes me off balance. The glare of the wheezing sun blinds me with a white rush. It fades into clear vision. Flies and bees chase each other as if they are in panic too, as the towering foxgloves of my front garden house their lilac blossoms and sway to the smooth jazz of the trees.

I pad along the pavement in the sun, retracing the droplets of blood on the tarmac. I glance at my watch. The time is 1:45pm. Midday heat pounds my back. Fresh air entwined with the aromas of smoke and rubble and a hint of floral essence circulate in my lungs. I am afraid of what is to come - will I find what I'm looking for? Is it some sort of alien species? Or the government? Or some religious extremists that want to make the human species extinct, so that the world can be as it once was; free of the plague we call homosapien. On the other hand I am also excited. A real adventure! Not just another fantasy - not just fiction. Experiences, a chance to fight for something dear to me. An epic battle like no other. I could go down in history as 'the one who saved us all'. At least I could be there when it all goes down. Wait.... where exactly is 'there'? I guess I'll find out.

Muscles in my legs rhythmically power me forward. Yes, it is good to be, if anything, alive.