All But I

Chapter One

Life wasn't always like this. 
I read books about how life used to be, with the green grass that spread miles across hills, how snow laid softly on the top of mountains and the sweet chirps of birds calling from one to another.
I don't know what the company feels like. Never have - and at this point, probably never will. 
Empty. That's the only feeling I'm used to. 
Never known love or laughter, a child's dream... I suppose. 
I'm used to being in solitary, I've established all the basics, hunting, cooking, and building ideal huts for night time stop-overs. 
Let me just give a quick summary of what happened many years ago.
Everything was on fire: houses, buildings, trees, cars, and even the forests. It was chaos everywhere. 
I was only 10 but I remember it clearly like it was yesterday. 
The year of 2091, the year everyone dreaded.
People screamed, cried and raced for protection... Only, there was none. 
It felt like the world was crumbling all around me, people laid in pools of their blood, lifeless. 
I couldn't move, as the air had just been sucked out from my lungs, I couldn't breathe.
People shoved, pushed and climbed their way, I was confused. 
A familiar hand grabbed my arm and yanked me.
"Eve" 
I didn't notice it until I was spun around and my vision focused on my mum in front of me.
"EVE" 
My mum pulled me aside, but it was too late. 
The ring of a gunshot clouded my hearing, my mother... terror painted in her eyes as she told me to run and not look back. 
The sound of helicopters flew over my head as I ran for safety. 
I was so confused and had too many questions that were left unanswered.
I was always told mountains were the best place to be, so that's where I was headed.
Though the streets were still buzzing with terrified humans, I took shelter in a store everyone deserted. 
This was a good chance to take a big, yet lightweight black Nike bag off the shelves and filled it with water bottles, snacks, and medical supplies.
My mum raised me with knowledge of the human needs so I was prepared. 
I had almost been a day now and everything was quiet. 
No screaming, no birds, no nothing. 
Pushing the door open, I was shocked. 

I was not prepared to see what I saw.  

Bodies littered the ground, some faint cries still were heard but soon all fell silent, it was like a ghost town. Once the biggest city in the country was now a horror film.

Carefully stepping over the limbs and body parts of the souls that were once alive, my eyes teared up... who could have done something like this? A 10-year-old girl, looking into the eyes of lifeless people, they didn't deserve this. 

I left before the flies started harassing the people and headed for the snow-tipped mountain in the distance, rumor has it there's a safe haven up there, of course, its just a rumor... but now I have nothing left to lose.

Right now I was pretty sure that I was the only person in this city to be alive, maybe even in the country... Maybe I was safe for now? All I know is that I needed answers. How I'll get them?

God knows.