A Gasp

June 11th

10:15 PM

His fingers wrapped around her neck like a snake, desperate and starving. She stared up into his yellowing eyes peering out through his pitch-black hair matted to his forehead. The smell of death lingered on his breath and blew into her face as he leaned in closer, hissing and spitting at her.

Trying to push the air up her throat to speak, she was only able to gurgle out a single sentence. “Come… ba-ck…to us…”

June 10th

9:23 AM

The sun shone through the cracks in the black paint that covered the windows creating spiderwebs of light along the walls and floors. The once white paint had browned, a thin layer of dust collecting on every surface. Knick knacks sat on floating shelves that lined the room, snow globes, music boxes, little statues of dolphins, Buddhas’, and cherubs most of them untouched since being placed there.

“Gerry, can you pass the remote?” Geraldine sat curled up in the crook of the couch, her brunette hair streaked with grey and pulled into a messy bun. Her pale skin seemed to sink in as her large emerald eyes stared out toward her husband.

“Aren’t you sick of the news, Jiro?” She sighed, handing him the remote. Jiro leaned toward her from the opposite end of the couch, peering up at his wife.

“No. In fact, I bet something new has happened in the last 20 minutes.” He grinned, giving her a wink with his small almond shaped eyes. She began giggling like a schoolgirl, rolling her eyes as she leaned back into the couch.

Jiro turned to the television and clicked the remote in its direction, watching as static devoured the screen before transforming into a muted color picture of a single news anchor. Her blood red dress and gaudy diamond earrings hadn’t changed in the last three weeks, but somehow, they managed to keep her overprocessed hair and Barbie-like makeup looking fresh every day.

"The parasite that has ravaged every corner of the world continues to claim thousands of victims every day. We urge everyone to stay indoors and away from windows and doors."

June 11th

10:16 PM

She closed her eyes, her body trembling to take in another breath, his grip growing tighter. Instead, an image of his pale pink, bow-shaped lips formed in the darkness of her memory. She faded to a few days earlier when his gentle hands moved slowly down her curves and pulled her up against his lean, lanky body. A laugh escaped from him, vibrating against her lips, as he leaned in closer.

“Gerry. Gerry, I’m so…so sorry…”

June 10th

1:48 PM

Geraldine stared into the cabinet before moving to the pantry. “We are running low on food.” Grabbing a large can of baked beans before the pantry door shut with a soft thud behind her as she sighed, her whole body slumping forward. “How much longer is this going to go on?”

Jiro eyed over his shoulder from the couch and shrugged. “Don’t be dramatic. I will go grab some chicken from the freezer.” Using his hands to lift himself up from the cushions, Jiro walked toward the door leading to the garage.

Seemingly sliding across the kitchen floor, Gerry placing her body between her husband and the door. “Scratch that. We are running low on variety. We have some hot dogs left in the fridge.”

“Come on, hon. I will make your favorite, teriyaki chicken and some friend rice, hm?” Jiro wiggled his eyebrows and licked his lips playfully as he reached past Geraldine and grabbed the doorknob, but she refused to move. “Gerry, it’s just the garage.”

Sweat pooled along her eyebrows, her breathing becoming uneven as her chest rose and fell rapidly. “I told you…I-I don’t remember closing the garage door before… before all of this happened. What if there are people squatting in there? Or if the air in there is… is infected?”

“No one is living in there, Ger.” Pushing gently past her and turning the doorknob, Jiro flashed a perfect smile, highlighted by the sunlight as the door flung open.

June 11th

10:18 PM

There was a sudden gasp echoing in the dense air, Geraldine immediately grabbed for her chest, expecting to feel relief in her narrowing lungs, but it didn’t come from her. She felt his hand release her neck, her body unable to support itself anymore causing her to collapse, desperately sucking in air.

Using her hands to support herself, she looked up to see her husband’s hands cupped in front of his chest, a golden chain dangling from between his fingers, his eyes glued to what he was holding. Geraldine reached up to her chest, realizing the locket was gone.

Her eyes traced the outline of his hands, moving upward to see his face, twisted with disgust, drowning in tears. “Miki…” He looked up from his hands to meet Geraldine’s gaze.

Geraldine stayed put for a moment, nodding slowly as she stood up from the long since vacuumed living room carpet. She backed away slowly, looking up over her right shoulder toward a floating shelf beside the television. It was the only one that had been dusted and cared for regularly. Only two items sat in its center. “You can’t leave Miki, can you?” Geraldine lifted her arm awkwardly to place her hand on the shelf behind her, still trying to catch her breath completely. The urn was matte black with a sea of blue along the bottom, hand painted pink lotuses scattered all over its small, round body. “Miki and I need you here.”

His yellow eyes looked up toward the urn before traveling to the frame that sat beside it. A little girl, with almond shaped eyes like her father, with the emerald, green color like her mother. Long black hair that hung past her shoulder, a yellow hairband holding it back and out of her face. Her button nose sat in the center of her face, hovering above her thin pink lips that curled into a perfect smile. “My Miki…”

His eyes looked back down toward his cupped hands, the heart shaped locket opened to reveal a photo with the same little girl, a grin that crushed her cheeks between her lips and her ears. On one side was Geraldine, looking at Miki, and caressing her cheek with a single finger. On the other, he saw himself, hugging his wife and child within his long arms.

Another gasp echoed throughout the room, Jiro falling to his knees, tears still streaming down his cheeks and falling into his hands. Geraldine walked toward him, kneeling beside him, and placing her hand on his. The pair looked up toward each other, their faces only inches from one another. She watched as Jiro’s eyes faded from their yellow color; their deep brown shade reflected in the tears that welled in them. “My family.”