Aftermath

The city was so quiet it was unnerving. The only sound Nick could hear was the concrete crumbling under his feet. It reminded him of winter snow and made him smile to himself. The last time he had heard the snow was when he was building snowmen with his children. His hand unconsciously went to the small heart shaped locket around his neck and his mind began to wander as he slowly dropped one foot in front of the other.

Mary had gotten sick and died so quickly that he hadn't completely processed her death when he received the offer to re-enlist. e knew that he didn't want to be there any longer and going to Oklahoma seemed like the perfect escape from his pain, so e signed up. The children didn't want to leave again because they wanted to be near where their mother was buried and he agreed to make other plans for them. His mother tried convincing him to stay and be with his children but agreed that they could stay with her. He packed his gear and said his goodbyes and left for the airport. The only personal item he took with him was the locket that Mary used to wear with the children's pictures in it.

Everything changed so fast after that. A new disease was discovered and Nick realized that Mary had been one of the earliest victims. The disease spread so impossibly quickly. So many people died in those first months that the world began to fail. Basic medical needs were impossible to care for because of the number of people who caught this mysterious unnamed disease. Some people never got sick but there were very few and they were having a hard time holding together what was left of civilization.

The Commanding Officer had called them together and said everyone had to be tested and they would be quarantined if they showed any symptoms. Nick remembered one of the guys saying that they had found a treatment that seemed to be working and they were trying to figure out a delivery system to treat large areas. He also remembered the fear a few weeks later when he had heard that they were talking about using aerial explosions to release large quantities into the sky in the major cities as it would reach the most people in the shortest time. Not long after, people started deserting their posts to be with their families. He was worried and he missed his children but had stayed out of a sense of duty and unwillingness to face his children and the loss of his wife.

Someone somewhere had made a mistake. The explosions were too big and instead of releasing a cure, they released shockwaves that destroyed the cities they were supposed to be saving. Fault lines that had been dormant for centuries were disturbed by some of the blasts and became active, causing earthquakes all over the world. Fires started and spread faster than the remaining healthy people could deal with them. The looting and riots that started after the bombs killed almost as many people as had already died. And still the disease was showing no signs of slowing down. The last conversation Nick had with his family was to tell his mother to get to a military base with the dependent IDs for the children and they would protect them. That was the day the phones stopped working and also the day that the remaining healthy people on the base were told that the government had fallen. and had to fend for themselves.

By then, the world had been reshaped into something that more closely resembled hell. Where once there had been a bustling and active Army base, there was almost nothing standing now but crumbling buildings and scorched earth. The group decided to split what was left of any supplies they could find and leave the base. They had packed whatever bags they could find, said their goodbyes and slowly scattered in every direction. As Nick started his journey home he couldn't help but hate himself and his decisions. The roads were so littered with broken vehicles and had been damaged so badly by the earthquakes that his only choice was to walk. It would be a while before he would be anywhere near home but he knew that he would crawl there if needed.

He stumbled which brought him back to the present. He started thinking about Kaity and Alexander again and realized he was still holding the locket. He let it fall and the questions started. Why had he ever left them in the first place? Why had he decided to re-enlist after Mary had died? Why didn't he listen to his mother when she tried to convince him his kids needed him? Why did he not run when the CO first gave him the chance? Why did he survive when so many others had died? Why… Why… Why… The question echoed in his head as he mindlessly walked on and drifted away again.

Since he started walking he had made sure to avoid really big cities. He stopped when needed, found fresh clothes and food where he could and always made sure to grab extra shoes and socks. Somewhere he had lost his weapon and he now only had a walking stick for protection. He didn't see a problem with that as he had yet to come across another living soul. Supplies and unspoiled food had become harder and harder to find in the smaller cities and towns but he still avoided the larger cities. He had gotten used to seeing the dead in small groups here and there but the possibility of larger groups frightened him for some reason. Chicago, however, had been what he considered to be his only choice. It was the shortest route home and after walking almost constantly the last few weeks he was tired and ready to be with his kids again.

The buildings here had fared much better here than the smaller cities he had passed through. Nick figured that the taller buildings, even though almost leveled, had protected the smaller buildings to some degree, even if they had been covered in a layer of dust, ash and dirt. He pulled out what was left of his map and tried to get his bearings. Between the blast damage, lack of readable street signs and because it had been so long since he had been in the city, he wasn't sure anymore. All he knew for sure was that the sun came up on his right and set on his left which meant he was headed in the right direction.

He walked over to the closest building and started clearing away the dust and ash that blocked the door. The glass had somehow survived and he could make out what appeared to be store shelves but not much more. It was getting dark and he needed a place to rest and care for his tired feet. He began to silently pray that there would be some kind of food or at least something useful as he pulled on the door handle. He held his breath and fought back tears as he realized his luck had failed him. There was almost nothing left in the building except for the shelves, a wet mass of slime that he assumed had been spoiled food in what was the refrigerators and what remains of some kind of brown alcohol in an opened bottle.

He grabbed the bottle and sat down in a corner. His tattered shoes came off easily and his blisters screamed in relief. He had not found socks for a while now and he was going to need new shoes sooner than later but he was almost home and really didn't care if he had to finish his marathon barefoot. He shrugged as he unscrewed the bottle and the burn of alcohol hit his nostrils. He took a quick drink before pouring some into his hand and rubbing it on his aching feet. He hissed at the pain as he slowly passed his hand over the blisters. He took another quick drink from the bottle and got comfortable.

Nick reached for the locket and held the small heart tight. The questions started coming again but the answers would not. Would they recognize him? Could they forgive him? How… When… What… Were they still alive?

That question shook Nick out of the haze. He let go of the necklace, took one last drink and closed his eyes.