The Rain

Chapter 5 - Sunshine

Ember

October 26th, 2019

It's a normal day. I go through my usual routine. It's all the same. I can't remember the last time I strayed from this routine. It keeps me human. It keeps me numb and occupied. After my ration, I sit down at the table as always, silently letting my mind wander a little. I glance over at the fireplace.

All that remains is a pile of ash where the warm glow of a fire used to be. It reminds me that I don't have long left. I'm sure people think that's a depressing thought. Not me, I embrace it.

 I don't have much to do with my time these days. Not that there's a lot to do out here, especially with the rain. I can't remember the last time I ventured outside. It must have been a month ago. Maybe two? I've lost track. I haven't been able to bring myself to step out of the solemn embrace of this cabin unless it was pertinent. I just can't bear the memory of Reed in front of the steps. I've tried to bring myself to go outside many times, all to no avail.

Not that I don't wish to. It would be nice to see the sun one last time before I go.

Maybe I'll go outside today during the dry time and take one last look at the world. Not that there's much left to see. I sit here in battle with my mind. 

Should I go for a walk?

No! What's the point?

It wouldn't hurt. I'm going to die anyway.

After going back and forth for the millionth time, something unnatural persuades my body to move upward. 

Before I know it my shoes are on, and I'm waiting by the window for the last drop to fall, signaling the end for a while. The poison seems to keep pouring from the sky. I countdown softly, 60  59  58  57. As I chant the mantra the rain starts to let up, getting slower and slower. 3, 2, 1. Silence. I swear I saw the last drop fall but I know it was only my imagination.  

My trembling hand grasps the cold brass of the doorknob, turning it slowly. The door creaks open as light streams in, painting the walls brighter. I squint my eyes as I step out onto the porch. Was the sun always this bright? I instinctively look down to the ground. As I begin down the steps, my eyes are drawn to discoloration in the ground directly in front of me. My breathing becomes irregular and I can't keep up with each breath as it leaves my mouth. 

I force my eyes away as I cross my arms over my chest, attempting to calm myself. I quickly tear my body away from that spot. I practically sprint toward the path directly to the left of my cabin.  Distance is what I need. Distance from the memory of that day that haunts me. The further I get, the calmer my breathing. Finally. Wait how far did I run? Where am I?

I look around and it all looks the same. Black ash litters the ground where there once were trees. I stop, my eyes scanning the expanse of destruction until I see something red in the distance. I walk closer to this red mystery. 

A loud twittering stops me in my tracks. Was that a bird? I slowly move closer, not wanting to scare it away.  Lo and behold, it is a bird.  A red cardinal, meandering around. It's completely unfazed by the disaster around it. I quietly watch the bird in awe. How I wish I could be a bird at this moment.

 I step forward with a crack. The startled bird flies away.

"Wait!" I yell, chasing after the bird. I chase the bird around piles of branches and ash, until it rests on the roof of a poorly built structure.  It had four makeshift walls and a tin roof. It looked homemade. Could someone have made this? Then I notice a rope tied off from a piece of wood on the side leading down the path. 

There must be more people trapped out here. A fleeting thought that I never imagined a possibility. I'm not alone. 

The bird on the roof starts tweeting incessantly. This isn't the usual song of a bird, it sounded more like a siren. The bird flies off once more.

 A rumbling clears all my thoughts and I race to the little structure. 

The rain is back and I'm trapped until tomorrow.

"Great!" I mumble to myself.

I have at least twenty three hours until the rain lets up again, might as well get comfortable. I sit down in the corner of the small space. Time passes slowly.

I'm not sure how long I've been sitting here pondering. There isn't much to do while death pours down outside.

I lay down on the cold ground for some time lost in my thoughts again. This time I only think of the red bird and this structure. How is the bird surviving and what was with that odd sound it made? A warning for the rain? Are there more people out there besides me?

Little did I know a seed of hope planted itself in my mind that day, as the sound of destruction lulled me to sleep.

**********************************************

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey!!!"

My eyes shoot open and I jerk away from the sound.

It takes a minute for my eyes to focus. Then I see him. Another person, a man, staring back at me.

"Good morning, sunshine," He greets me with a deep booming voice. "I almost thought you were dead."

Sunshine? Who did this guy think he was?

"Who are you to call me sunshine?" I snap before I can reel the words back in. Why is this the first thing I say after no human contact in over a year? I'm severely lacking people skills lately.

"Will Dramen," he says, peering in at me, looking amused by my reply. "Who are you?"

To be continued....

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