Happy Anniversary

Samantha had everything she wanted at the end of the world. No more school, no more chores, and that bitch Britney from PE was dead. It was just her, and her boyfriend, Darren. Civilization may have fallen, but nothing can get in the way of their love. Ever since she laid eyes on him, Darren has been a continuing source of strength and comfort for Samantha. Through fighting off familiar monsters or just normal folk who have forgotten what normal is, Darren has not left her side. If the world hadn't ended, these two would be living together out in the suburbs with the white fence and the little dogs she always wanted.

But that’s later. If the world ever gets set straight again. Tonight, it’s their two-month anniversary.

Inside their bunker, deep below her old High School, Samantha is getting everything ready for their special night. Low-lit candles, an iPod playing Marvin Gaye, and a casserole consisting of canned spaghetti, canned tuna, potatoes, and because it’s a special occasion, cheese. She has been dreaming of this night for as long as she can remember. Samantha even raided a boutique dress store for something special.

The table is set and she could not be more excited!

Samantha brings Darren into the room.

“Okay, babe! Keep your eyes closed!”

“But you’ve already put the blindfold on me-”

“I know, I know! I just don’t want to ruin the surprise!”

Samantha sits Darren down on the table and removes his blindfold.

“TAH-DAH!”

Darren can’t believe it!

“Happy two-month anniversary, baby!”

He takes in all of Samantha’s hard work and is nearly brought to tears.

Samantha sits down across from Darren, she sets her napkin across her lap and gazes into Darren’s eyes.

“Can you believe it? Only two months! It feels like I’ve known you forever. Do you remember how we met?”

“How can I forget? It was the best thing to happen to me. To us!”

“I love you, Darren. I just can’t believe how lucky we are. Do you need a hand with your casserole?”

Samantha gets up and walks over to Darren. She grabs his fork and begins to feed him.

“My God! It’s amazing! All of that from canned food? You’re an angel!”

“Oh stop it! You inspire me to be the best I can be!”

Samantha picks up some more food with her fork, as she raises it up to Darren’s mouth, she realises it’s not all staying in there. She drops the fork back on the table and gives him the dirtiest look.

“If you didn’t like it you could’ve been honest with me.”

Samantha gets up and walks towards the edge of the bunker and begins to rifle through a pile of clothes.

“I’m sorry, angel. You know I can’t help it. I love it, really!”

Samantha finds what she is looking for and turns around. In her hand, a locket with “S+D” crudely scratched into it.

“This was for you, but you had to ruin the night! Why would you do that!”

Samantha throws the locket across the bunker, hitting Darren square in the forehead, knocking him off the table.

“Oh shit!”

Samantha rushes over to Darren and quickly scoops up his head.

“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!”

She grabs a cloth and starts wiping the food away from his mouth. The iPod dies and the sounds of Marvin Gaye stop. Her illusion is broken. Samantha sits frozen on the floor holding Darren’s rotting, severed head. She sits there in complete silence just looking into his dead eyes.

She remembers how she met Darren. Sitting on top of the bunker entrance, guts sprawled all over the floor with only a bit of life left in him. He holds his open stomach hoping it will do something to help him. When Samantha came back from looking for food, she saw him sitting there waiting for the end. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She will never forget what he said to her before he faded away. He turned to her and said:

“Are you an angel?”

Then he was gone.

Samantha brought him into the bunker and sat him against the wall. She sat across from him and just looked at him for hours. As she started to fall asleep, she started to hear a voice.

“Thank you for saving me! Gee, I really didn’t think anyone would come! You should’ve seen those guys!”

Samantha woke up to see Darren sitting across from her talking to her. She couldn’t believe it!

“And thank you for bringing me down here. A lot better than that school.”

She gets up and walks towards him.

“Can I ask for a favour?”

Darren looked down at his empty body.

“Could you remove my head? I’m sure I’ll feel a lot better once I don’t have to look at that anymore.”

Samantha is staring back into those dead eyes once more.

“I’m so sorry.”

She places his head gently on the ground and falls on to her back.

“What the hell are you doing, Samantha?”

The next morning Samantha stands in front of a fresh grave. She stares in silence at the pile of dirt and the cross at its head. The sounds of birds tweeting bring her out of her daze.

“I’m sorry for what I did. I never knew you but I feel like I’ve known you forever. Which now I realise isn’t true. I know what I did was wrong.” She wipes away the tears starting to build up. “But thank you. I don’t know if I could’ve made it these last two months without you. But after this experience… I think I can do this. You’re always going to be with me. Everything I thought you were giving me was just inside me. I guess I just needed a fucked up way to find out. I wish I could’ve known you before all of this. But maybe I’ll get to meet you someday.”

She walks up to the cross and places the locket around it.

Samantha takes one last look at the grave. Then begins to walk into the unknown.