Humanity's Hope: Book 1 in the Saving Humanity Series

CHAPTER 2

Caleb sat on his couch, staring at the TV but not really seeing what was on it. He second-guessed his decision to go out for pizza. Had he said something stupid? Did everyone think he was an idiot and would now avoid him like the plague? He ran the evening through his mind. He hadn't said much. Would that mean everyone thought he was a jerk?

What does it matter? The fewer people you are attached to, the better.

Caleb sighed. He couldn't control what anyone else thought about him. He made an effort to be social. He'd taken a step. His thoughts drifted back to Jan and her smiling face, and a grin touched his lips. It wasn't all bad going out. At one time, that was a completely normal thing to do. People hung out all the time, congregated socially and made friends with strangers. But then the zombies changed all of that.

The notion of Stranger Danger reached extreme proportions after the rising. The fear of who could be infected was more paralyzing than the fear of the zombies. People shut themselves off, shunned their fellow humans. It contributed to the downfall of society, nearly led to the annihilation of the human race. That was the real reason the blood tests were started, to give people peace of mind, to get them to interact with one another again. It began with employers and businesses to lure the living back to the workplace and get commerce working again, but anyone could request the results. Many landlords did to give tenants a sense of security. Whenever a new one came into the building, a notice was sent out so no one panicked about the new person. Caleb constantly received notifications about tenants in his building, but he didn't pay too much attention. People came and went, moved in and out. It was part of life.

A knock sounded at the door, and Caleb turned off the TV. He caught a glimpse of himself in the darkened screen and scrutinized his reflection. How had Samuel described him earlier in the day? Something about being in good shape. Was he missing something? He tried to keep himself in shape, working out for several hours after work, but it wasn't because of vanity. No. It was more of a way to distract himself from the loneliness and darkness. All he saw was a shell, a husk of what he used to be. There didn't seem to be any life in his eyes, just a dull sense of existence. His cheekbones were prominent, more lines than should have been present for his age etched his brow. The passion and thrill of life had been replaced with duty and survival.

He turned away, standing from the couch. Most of the time he didn't recognize what he had become and the memory of who he was faded every day. Surely, he wasn't the only one who saw what he had become, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe others viewed him differently, like he wasn't broken. What would he give to see himself like that again? Hell, what would he give to feel like that again? Sighing, he turned and headed toward the door.

He opened it and looked at his neighbor Rachel. Short, thin, and dark skinned, a smile came easily to her gentle face. Her black hair was pulled into a bun, she wore green scrubs. They looked clean and wrinkle free; she must have been heading to work.

"Sorry to disturb you." She spoke softly, the hints of her Spanish accent colored her words. "I'm heading to work, but I wanted you to know my brother is visiting. He looks pretty much like me with short hair. He'll be coming and going quite a bit; you might not see him at all, but if you do, I wanted you to know he's been tested and cleared. You should have received a notice, but I wanted to tell you personally."

Caleb smiled. "Thanks, Rachel. Hope you have a great night."

"Thanks. You too." She turned and headed down the hall.

Caleb waited until she was a few steps away before closing the door. A touch of confusion coursed through him as to why Rachel would feel the need to tell him personally about her brother. He would get a notice. Perhaps she was considerate. He didn't know her well, only spoke to her briefly as they were coming and going. Still, the gesture was sweet. Maybe he would attempt to get to know his neighbor better. He turned from the door and headed for his room.