Setting
INK
Mia threw the shovel from her grimy, bloodied hands, after digging for over two hours. She was weak and no matter how hard she tried, digging the hole was impossibly hard. Her knees gave way and she fell beside the grave, closing her eyes, more tears leaking. She had long since realised that no-one was alive in her street. She had knocked on several doors, even opened a few to find cold dead bodies everywhere she went. Making the decision to bury Harry was a hard one, but one she had to make. Leaving him there was simply out of the question. How could she leave his body to rot in the flat? However, she couldn't help everyone on the street. And she most definitely couldn't remain living there, not with so many dead and her partner buried in the back garden. Where would she go? She didn't know. But she couldn't be the only one alive in the whole world. She would find others if she could. And if she couldn't? Well then she had been cursed, though deep down she knew that there were still people out there alive. There just had to be. Getting up, she cast one more glance at the home-made grave, before turning and walking quickly back into the building. She needed to pack. Once inside the flat she grabbed a large rucksack that they'd used for camping once.
"Harry, no don't!" Mia laughed, as he picked her up around the waist. He swung her round, as she giggled like a little girl. "Stop, I'm going to be sick." He laughed, spinning her faster, before his eyes found the pool of water. "No! Don't do it! You're going in with me if you do!"
"Oh yeah?" He asked, walking along the planks, before dumping his load into the clear lake water. Mia screamed before she hit the water with a huge splash. A hearty laugh left Harry's lips, as he shook his head. Out of nowhere, Mia surfaced, grabbing his ankles and pulling him in. Coughing, he surfaced, looking surprised. She grinned, planting a kiss on his lips.
Shaking off the memory, Mia threw some clothes into the bag, more essentials and food. She packed it to the brim with everything that she would need. And just to make sure, she tied a small tent to the front. Rummaging through some more drawers, her hand hovered over Harry's own drawer. She never went in here simply because it was his drawer and she had no right to. But what did that matter now? It didn't...Cautiously; she pulled, opening the door. There was barely anything in there. A few cards and postcards sent from various family members and herself. Documents and papers that didn't seem very important anymore. But two things caught her eye as soon as she opened the drawer. Resting in the far back corner was a small blue, velvet box. A gasp caught in her throat as she reached for it. Her hands were shaking as she opened the lid. More tears fell, when her eyes caught sight of the ring nestled in the silky fabric. It was a simple ring, with one diamond set in platinum. Mia couldn't help it; she took the ring and slipped it on her finger. A perfect fit. And it looked brilliant.
Clearing her throat, she put the ring box in her pocket and picked up the envelope next to it. It had her name on the front. She pocketed that as well, unable to take much more emotion at that moment. Grabbing a few more things, which included photos of her and Harry and her parents as well, she took a last look at the flat, shouldering the backpack as she did, before closing and locking the door. And so her adventure was just starting. But could she really call this an adventure? She wasn't looking forwards to aimlessly wandering the streets to look for strangers that she had no idea existed. Until four days ago, she had an almost perfect life and now it was gone, with no hope of return. Now she was alone. She knew somewhere deep down that her parents were dead, but she couldn't bring herself to visit them. She couldn't deal with that pain. Something deep down told her that they were gone; it was as though she just knew they were no longer there. There was no more danger for them because they weren't there anymore.
Setting off down the street, her eyes were clouded and unfocused. This was not how she imagined her life to be. She had wanted a family and a loving husband and all she got was this. It didn't seem fair. Was this punishment for all the things she did when she was younger? If it was then it seemed slightly extreme. Then her mind returned to the news report. Korea had released this disease to cull their population. Maybe that had gone worldwide. But, what did it matter? No-one would care who released it, just that there were still people alive and searching for others. But right then Mia didn't want to find anyone else. That meant questions and then that meant more pain for her in answering those questions. And she didn't think that was something she could handle right then. But eventually she'd have to accept everything that had happened to her and get on with life. Because that was the only way anyone was going to survive in this new found world.
"Harry, no don't!" Mia laughed, as he picked her up around the waist. He swung her round, as she giggled like a little girl. "Stop, I'm going to be sick." He laughed, spinning her faster, before his eyes found the pool of water. "No! Don't do it! You're going in with me if you do!"
"Oh yeah?" He asked, walking along the planks, before dumping his load into the clear lake water. Mia screamed before she hit the water with a huge splash. A hearty laugh left Harry's lips, as he shook his head. Out of nowhere, Mia surfaced, grabbing his ankles and pulling him in. Coughing, he surfaced, looking surprised. She grinned, planting a kiss on his lips.
Shaking off the memory, Mia threw some clothes into the bag, more essentials and food. She packed it to the brim with everything that she would need. And just to make sure, she tied a small tent to the front. Rummaging through some more drawers, her hand hovered over Harry's own drawer. She never went in here simply because it was his drawer and she had no right to. But what did that matter now? It didn't...Cautiously; she pulled, opening the door. There was barely anything in there. A few cards and postcards sent from various family members and herself. Documents and papers that didn't seem very important anymore. But two things caught her eye as soon as she opened the drawer. Resting in the far back corner was a small blue, velvet box. A gasp caught in her throat as she reached for it. Her hands were shaking as she opened the lid. More tears fell, when her eyes caught sight of the ring nestled in the silky fabric. It was a simple ring, with one diamond set in platinum. Mia couldn't help it; she took the ring and slipped it on her finger. A perfect fit. And it looked brilliant.
Clearing her throat, she put the ring box in her pocket and picked up the envelope next to it. It had her name on the front. She pocketed that as well, unable to take much more emotion at that moment. Grabbing a few more things, which included photos of her and Harry and her parents as well, she took a last look at the flat, shouldering the backpack as she did, before closing and locking the door. And so her adventure was just starting. But could she really call this an adventure? She wasn't looking forwards to aimlessly wandering the streets to look for strangers that she had no idea existed. Until four days ago, she had an almost perfect life and now it was gone, with no hope of return. Now she was alone. She knew somewhere deep down that her parents were dead, but she couldn't bring herself to visit them. She couldn't deal with that pain. Something deep down told her that they were gone; it was as though she just knew they were no longer there. There was no more danger for them because they weren't there anymore.
Setting off down the street, her eyes were clouded and unfocused. This was not how she imagined her life to be. She had wanted a family and a loving husband and all she got was this. It didn't seem fair. Was this punishment for all the things she did when she was younger? If it was then it seemed slightly extreme. Then her mind returned to the news report. Korea had released this disease to cull their population. Maybe that had gone worldwide. But, what did it matter? No-one would care who released it, just that there were still people alive and searching for others. But right then Mia didn't want to find anyone else. That meant questions and then that meant more pain for her in answering those questions. And she didn't think that was something she could handle right then. But eventually she'd have to accept everything that had happened to her and get on with life. Because that was the only way anyone was going to survive in this new found world.