In your mind

quatre

   The smell of nature was tingling the corners of my nostrils. As clear and fresh in their smell as my grandma's sweet , warm , saliva-stimulating Pies.
For some reason, her place always reminded me of an antique store. Woody .. homey and welcoming.
It hadn't crossed my mind then if she survived. If there were immune people like me , we are family by blood , sharing genes after all.

I had begun to grow concerned for her in the years prior to the great fall of human brains. she was too old to carry anymore weight or pressure the world could throw at her.
She was a beautiful person , sweet , bubbly .. wise just like her son.

As much as i hated using the past tense on her , it didn't make sense not to.

even if anyone managed to return from the assumed heavenly coma , i strongly doubt they'd be the same.

And I didn't know why i randomly started thinking of everyone i knew and met when all i could see was the forest's muddy floor as i walked on the rich particles. Perhaps it was the feeling of peace that comes when you decide to give up , when your soul is mere inches from either flying up through the clouds or travelling down blocking a rabbit's hole. it was the surreality of it all , the sparkles scattered across the healthy grass , the sound of boots , the smooth movement of tendons ..

But as i focused on my surroundings, i realised we've been walking for a really long time, the cause of the ache on my body from the heavy weight of my bag. Long enough to realise that i witnessed the sun rise again despite my inner protests.

But there was a strange beauty to it , to the trees and leaves and grass when they change colour as they're being kissed by the sun rays. As if blushing under it's touch and happy to be revived once again.

And me too , i was reviving every person and soul that i had come in contact with. Friends and foes.
trying to make my life seem less pointless.

He had tried to make a conversation, and ask zillion questions about my survival these past years but i couldn't reply. Not when i'd been deep in the darkest of my seas.

But he stopped after he realised i wouldn't reply to any new questions. Likely, secretly he Blamed it on my long-termed solitude.

Still, that didn't stop me from paying attention to his every breath.

While his light green eyes were filled with fight and resistance against the dirty slope we were now climbing, staring at the woody path through which he'll probably have fulfilled his mission, my own blue ponds were focused on his back. Wondering where the hell he came from.

he did look like a guard, all fit and fast. But his words still echoed.

I wasn't alone.

but he wasn't clear enough. i was the only "naturally" immune person.

What did that even mean ?

I was starting to lose it. To lose my grip and control over my own sails. Not when i was all strong and composed on my boat through the high tides and storms, now i find myself lost and scared of the darkness , barely calm as i'm being surrounded by my dark waves.

i couldn't take the curiousness anymore.

" how do you think i'm going to die this time ? " i said playfully.

The handsome guard turned to look at my lagging form, with the familiar metallic shine of surprise.

" you're not going to die " he coldly replied.

I had died before, and he probably didn't take the depth of my question. that death wasn't a hurricane swallowing sacs of blood and bones or flames coiling mere human dna into particles of ash.