To Write or Not to Write?

This was my very first story on Vocal. I wrote it two years ago for the Doomsday Diary challenge and even though it obviously did not place in the challenge, it remains one of my most-read stories. It was published before Vocal made comments on stories possible, so it has no comments on it as of now.

I've been told many times by friends and family it's good. I sometimes reread it myself and also think it is good, if I may say so myself. I had a plan to develop it into a dystopian novel with the elements of Russian absurdism (who needs so many matreshka dolls anyway?). I even wrote two more chapters for it and then stopped.

Mostly, because the situation around the pandemic changed, we returned to teaching in person, and life took over. I also cooled off on the topic after Putin started his genocidal war against Ukraine. But sometimes I return to the story and think, perhaps I should pick it up again.

So, this post is not so much about seeking a critique (even though I would greatly appreciate constructive criticism), but asking for encouragement. Do you think I should continue with it? Is the pandemic fatigue something that would prevent people from reading it? If you were to pick it up, which plot lines and characters would you like to see developed? Please help me, I feel lost in that dense taiga by myself.