Charlie Stroh

Adrian's Key

“The tears. So many have flowed that I am now as dry as the desert landscape that once was farmland. The drought. The wildfires. The famine. The dead bodies. We all thought we had more time. Everything just happened so fast, especially after the grid failure and collapse of the internet. All the chaos- people killing each other over a can of beans- it was a war for survival. Sometimes I wish I were back in the Pandemic of 2020 when we were still able to complain about not being able to dine at our favorite restaurant and food could be delivered to our doorstep. We even paid for things with a piece of paper called dollars or a piece of plastic called a debit card. Now food and water are the most valuable currency but also a target on your back, or worse, you could find yourself a main ingredient in someone’s stew. So, you remember this the next time we scavenge. No more talking to people like you did last time. Trust no one! Do you hear me? Especially the older people because they remember the before times.”