The Virus

Forty Five

It's been three weeks since Marley and I escaped what we now refer to as 'The Devil House', we haven't done much. We've travelled, walked mostly. That's all we ever really do. Kay continues to maintain her love for Marley and her betrayal of me. She barely pays any attention to me anymore.

After we got out, we didn't really know what to do. We stayed inside a small apartment building on the edge of town for a few days. But reality soon hit and it became apparent that we couldn't stay there forever. With no water to drink and about a mouthful of food left to eat between us, we faced reality and left.

We were much more wary than before. Of everything, but especially any sign of survivors. It was evident that something like this easily changed people into monsters, we had to assume everyone was dangerous. Although I couldn't help think that we weren't much better than anyone else. We had killed just as they had, necessity or not.

It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good. It was surviving. Marley and I talked as usual but there came a point where we both realised we weren't living at all. We were surviving. Where we are now lacks both streams and rivers as well as wildlife to hunt. We're trying to move further away. Get into a richer environment with more to live on.

It'll take time though. We only travel about fifteen miles in a day. We collect every piece of food we find now, and water. That's more to carry. I'm becoming worried about Winter, even though it's only September, it'll be getting colder and colder over the next few months. It's strange. I've been alive and living throughout the apocalypse for eighteen months now. I didn't expect to be here.

I dream a lot, of Noah mostly. But also Stella, Mark and Alex. And Jayden. I dream about life before all of this. Walking home and messing around. Being stupid and being able to walk around without the fear of death constantly on our minds. Going outside wasn't a luxury, it was a need. Now it was both. My mind was emptier now, and so it filled itself with dreams and memories as much as it could. Like a coping mechanism. 

I've taught Marley how to hunt. I tried, at first, with a bow. But she's not made for it. Her frame is too small and her hands are too shaky, so I taught her how to catch and skin a rabbit. I've started doing snares now too. It's harder when you're constantly moving but not impossible. When we set up camp I often set them up a good distance away overnight. So we have food for the next day. But they are often empty, and sometimes we go several days without food, it's difficult to know how long we'll last.

Marley is better at knife throwing than anything else. She's still trying to master doing it at moving objects. After missing Ethan that night, she's been trying really hard. Overall, I think by Christmas, she will be a professional.

Marley and I have put off talking about the future lately. I know we should talk about it, plan something or other. But, it seems pointless to me now. Nothing ever goes to plan. People die, or get lost and everything goes wrong. Marley is all I have now. And if moving daily and sleeping in the woods keeps us alive and safe then I'll keep doing it until the day I die. Although I think Marley and even Kay are growing restless of our living conditions at this point. The lack of permanence is bothering them. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Ophelia.. wake up." I feel someone shaking me awake. I moan and roll over but it persists. "Ophelia! Wake up." She moans. I sit up and look at her impatiently. 

"What? I'm tired." I say.

She smiles at me. "There's a shooting star." She replies proudly.

 "Seriously? You woke me up for that."

She nods and I lie back down. "But you have to make a wish." She says.

 "You did it for me." I say as politely as I can.

 "Hmm okay. I wish we find a camp and become safe finally." She sighs. I close my eyes and ignore the worry that grows deep in my chest, restricting my breathing.

Several hours later, after the sun has come up. We collect up our camp ready to start travelling once again. "I hope we find a camp soon, it's getting colder by the minute." Marley murmurs, with a shiver.

"Maybe we're better off without a camp." I reply hopefully.

 She stands straight and looks at me. "Are you kidding?" She exclaims. I shake my head. "People. Safety. Warmth. Food. Do none of those things sound appealing to you?" She asks incredulous.

"We have enough safety and food for now. Warmth would be okay but a bit of warmth isn't enough to have to be around people. People means trust and trust never ends well." I say.

She rolls her eyes dramatically. "You're distrust in the world around you is tiring." She says.

"The world around me is trying to kill me pretty much all the time, I think I'm allowed to distrust it." I reply quickly.

"Whatever. Here." She hands me the plastic sheets and I stuff them in my bag before leaving.

"And actually we hardly have any food. We're gonna have to hunt again soon. It's probably a good idea to get as much as you can, there'll be less and less as winter gets closer. It'll be a struggle" She warns.

"Yeah I know." I reply. For the next few hours we hunt while walking. I check all my snares and only find a small rabbit. "This'll have to do." I sigh. She gives me a disappointed look but nods. "We'll be fine." I reassure her. But I'm worried too.

Hunting proves futile. There are no birds in sight or earshot. Foxes and rabbits are staying warm underground. And anything else is hibernating or other. It's completely useless. "We need a camp." Marley says, coming up behind me.

"Maybe we do." I agree reluctantly.

She turns to me. "Ophelia. I don't know what we're gonna do." She gives me a hopeless look and I hug her. There's nothing else I can do.

 "We'll keep looking." I reply.

But the cold is coming and it seems scarier than ever. I'm beginning to doubt whether I'll survive until my twentieth birthday next year.