Jennifer Diemer

The Trap

Nothing. Nothing was all Henry could see down the dismal road ahead of him. Well, nothing that mattered anymore at least. There were chunks of buildings scattered upon what would graciously be called a road, arranged haphazardly within what was once a bustling metropolis of commerce and avarice. His mind wandered back to before this nightmare started, "There was a world here once..." he mused internally to no one in particular. "Coffee houses and supermarkets, billboards about car insurance, and terrible fast food". Didn't seem so terrible now though. Henry presumed he would probably kill for a greasy burger right about now, not he'd seen anyone alive in over a month. The concerns of yesteryear repeated in his mind. "Eat a healthy diet so you can live a long life they said... Yeah, great advice", he muttered. The words purpose echoed hollow in his thoughts. Henry dropped his head, already tired of today and exhausted from hunger. "I'm talking to myself again aren't..." he trailed off in silence. Henry kept walking along the road until he saw a sign in his path, the name of the business long worn off he could still make out the classic image of a hamburger it once sold. His thoughts flicked back to his daughter from before the world ended. He smiled fondly thinking of their weekend trips to the greasy dive on 2nd street. He sighed and let the bittersweet memory play out in his mind, taking Jessica off to get her favorite meal on her birthday. She had just turned 12 that year. Henry closed his eyes as his thoughts drifted towards remembering what a burger tasted like. He could almost smell it again if he focused on it.