Death's Inferno

Chapter One

I've been sitting here for hours in this dark, damp, cramped room talking to myself to stay sane, my sanity is just hanging by a thread now.

One hundred and fifty-six days here by myself. Three hundred and sixty-eight days since this plague has started. Since the plague has dispersed throughout the globe. I've had to isolate myself from every human being to keep myself safe from disease.

My family has all deceased trying to help hide me. It has always been just me, mom and dad. Being by myself has been hard. My food has been decreasing rapidly and if I don't resupply within three days at the most, I will surely die of starvation.

My name is Rene Stone, and I live in a plague infested world.

I could feel it, I could feel deaths fingertips grazing my skin. Enveloping me in warmth, as if teasing me, tempting me to give in and join it. If only I could close my eyes...NO! I won't, my parents died trying to make sure that I'm still on this planet and I will not put their sacrifices to waste.

"Mom and dad, did you search for me? I've been up here so long I'm going crazy" my raspy voice whisper-sings.

It's the only song that has been stuck with me since the plague. All the others are just faint memories of the life I used to hold. The days where I would go to school with my best friend laughing at some ridiculously funny comment one said to the other. I wonder where she is now. Is she thinking about me? Or has she dropped dead?

Silently, I cry to myself. What have I done to deserve this? What caused this disease to happen? I ask the questions that I have no answer to. Desperate, I shut my eyes and stay seated in the darkness.

///

"One hundred and fifty-seven days alone." I numbly mumble.

That's it, I can't take this any longer. Slowly, I convince myself to stand. But my body aches and cracks from sitting down for so long. Gripping the wall, I timidly stand, my knees wobbling slightly.

I see nothing in this darkness. Dread is clawing at my stomach. How am I to find a door if I can't even see my own hand in front of my face?

By feel maybe? Sasha, my inner voice snickers.

She may be annoying, but she keeps me holding on. After being alone for so long my mind has made up a person to talk to me.

Inching my way forwards through the crowded abyss, I grope my surroundings in desperate search for a door, hatch, anything other than smooth cement.

I hobble around the perimeter of the room my left hand dragging across the wall, nothing but smooth cement. Suddenly, my fingers graze a crease. Dumbfounded and filled with hope my hands outline the rectangle until I feel a lever.

"One, two, three" I whisper before pulling the heavy door.

It opens with a loud ear splitting 'screech.' Blinding light erupts from outside making me hiss.

Slowly, the outside world comes to focus. My eyes search the surroundings once again, the room I have been stuck in is merely a cement box underground. There are wooden stairs leading to the surface of the ground outside.

Curious, I shove all thoughts from my mind as I stumble up the stairs, closing the trap door behind me.

The land before me consists of overgrown grass and vines. The sun is brightly shining, despite the situation of the world. The wind is whistling, making the trees and overgrown grass dance slightly.

It's as if nature enjoys the rest from humanity. I sigh slightly, not knowing where to go. Considering I am stuck in a field.

Out of nowhere, a cold, fall like breeze whips through the air making me shiver through my blue cotton blouse and white capris. I wiggle my toes, letting them peek through the hole in the front of my left sneaker. What way do I go?

To town where the food and water is stocked is a smart idea. Sasha sarcastically answers.

I knew that, but what way is town? Filled with dread, my feet start moving by themselves. Guess I'm going this way then.

I'm about half way through the field now. It's taking a long time. It looks as if it used to be an old farming field, and if it's an old farming field that means there should be a barn nearby which results in food and water!

With my quickly fading hope, I tread on. Dusk is setting in now and there's no sight of a barn, only untamed forest and brush.

Exhaustion is taking its toll. I have just reached the thicket. Through the branches and woods I see a speck of canary yellow.

I sluggishly walk through the thicket, letting the branches claw at me. Letting my legs get scratched up and bleed, and letting my thick unruly blond hair get caught up in leaves. I don't care right now.

I keep my eyes on the speck of canary yellow, the speck of hope.