Dear Stephanie,

"Mom, please get up. We have to go now." "No, I won't make It. You have to get out of here Stephanie." Things were quickly becoming dire In the small, abandoned shack they had been calling home since the outbreak began. But she knew how to survive. They had been in complete destitution since her father was taken away so many years ago, surviving was her skill set. A life that she had become accustomed to. A life that she vowed to keep her son from living, but that vow was broken the day the world started to bleed from every crevice of Its body. A bottle of water was worth more than gold in this world. Or sharing a scrap of stale molded bread was like dining at a Five- star restaurant. Now she was being forced to make a heartbreaking decision. To leave her infected and dying mother behind while she made the unforgiving journey to SanAntonio, Texas, with her young son. "I need to give you something." Linda directed her to a small box on the wooden table. "What Is this Mom?" she squinted her eyes in the darkness at the shiny object her mother retrieved from the small box. "This locket was a gift from your father on our wedding day. She caressed the locket between her frail fingers as tears fell slowly down her cheek. "He told me that It would be extremely important to us one day. I have to tell you why your father was taken away, I should've told you a long time ago. When we're in the marines, your dad knew and saw a lot of things. More than I did in fact. He started to change when we came home for leave, saying he wasn't going back. I was going back with or without him but he was dead set on not returning. He wouldn't tell me why though. So I decided to return and he went AWOL. I found out I was pregnant and I returned home. You stayed with your grandmother until I was discharged. It was hard raising a child without him, but I managed. All I had was this locket, I used to think he cared more about this thing than he did us." she chuckled. Stephanie kneeled in front of her mother and wiped away her tears. "Why is It so important mom? What are you not telling me?" The wind was picking up sending waves of cool air through the broken windows of the shack "Aaron wasn't crazy. He had his reasons for not returning. he told me why this locket was so Important and that you would need it one day. Now that day has come, and you have to get to him before It's too late Stephanie." "Tell me why! What if we don't make it, what if I get sick too and Carter ends up out there alone Mom!" "You'll make it if you leave now. It's a two-hour drive to the address he wrote on the note. Go now!" Stephanie rushed to gather what items she could and wrapped her mother in her American flag quilt, determined to get her to the SUV they had found. "Come on we're leaving you can't stay here. That sickness is saturated in the air there has to be somewhere someone left. You were in the military Mom, you have to know something please!" Taking shallow breaths, Linda pointed to the locket now encased in her daughter's palm and said weakly "Guard that locket with your life, Stephanie. You have to have it when you find him, your father will explain everything to you once you and Carter arrive. You are very special Steph, you're so brave and you've been the best daughter a mother could ask for. Your son will know how special and brave his mommy is one day because he's special too. Whatever you do, don't lose that locket it's all you need to keep you and Carter safe. I love you and tell your father I always believed him." Then silence loudly filled the air as Linda took her dying breath. "Mom! No, come on I can get us there please get up!"

The air was cold the stench was horrific. Bodies of the people who had no strength left were splashed across the ground like shrines to a long-dead world. Stephanie felt alone orphaned in fact even though her son was making the terrifying journey alongside his brave mother. The tears had long dried after leaving her mother hours ago. They had been fortunate to have a variety of vehicles at their ready, but food and water were dangerously low and nowhere to be found. She felt the fever and the aches setting in but kept going determined not to leave her young son alone to find his way. Knowing what his fate would be if she died on him was her greatest motivator. He remained quiet following his mother's every command like a young soldier as they switched vehicles for the last time. "Were almost there Carter. I'm gonna get you there ok." "Mommy are you ok?" He looked over at her with worrying eyes "Mommys ok buddy we just gotta get to your grandfather." "I dreamed about Pawpaw mommy." "You did? Well, tell me about the dream." "He told me he loves meme and you and me and he would always keep us safe." "Did he now?" "Yep. And he said I'm special." "Well, I believe every single thing he said." Even though she was apprehensive and a bit uncertain about this mission, she had to try. The locket meant something to her mother. She believed it was her mother's way of telling her long-lost father that she forgave him and that she loved him. The fever had made Linda delusional and Stephanie believed that her mother was fever dreaming of a happier time with her father. Whatever the case was she wanted to get the locket to him and eventually find shelter for her son before the deadly disease consumed them because consume them It certainly was. No one was going to survive this plague, not even the animals. It- was only a matter of how strong you were that determined how fast it killed you. She took notice of the small coughs coming from her son but continued. She had decided that they would die with her father if he were still alive when they arrived. They would say their first and last words to each other, she would give him the sacred heart- shaped locket from her mother and she would recite her favorite sacred prayer 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table for before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, Amen. "Carter, mommy needs to pull over and rest for a sec ok." "No, you can't! No get up we have to go mommy as meme said." "Ok ok ok! Just give me a minute I can't drive anymore baby." "You can you have to!" he said sternly to his fatigued mother who was barely conscious. "Stay in the car with me baby don't..."

She had no clue where she was or how long she'd been unconscious or who the strange man was that was carrying her. "Where are we wheres my son who are you!" she screamed as strong arms cradled her "Ill answer all of your questions once you've calmed down you'r very sick and trying to fight will only make things worse Stephanie." "How do you know my name!" he looked down at her and smiled, the same smile that her son possessed "I'm your father."

The sun had long set as she was carried by her father with her son right beside them. She was too weak to utter another word but she trusted this man she felt safe in his arms and she felt for the first time since the end hope. When they stopped he layed her down gently on the gravel and reached into his cargo pants pocket. "Do you have it Stephanie?" she looked at him puzzled "Have what?" "The locket?" just then Carter opened his tiny closed fist and handed the sacred possession to his grandfather. "Thank you, little grandson." "Where are we Dad?" Aaron flinched at the sound of his daughter calling him 'Dad' he fought back the tears that formed in his big brown eyes taking a deep breath he placed his hands into a praying position and recited Psalms 23: his daughters favorite most sacred prayer he placed both lockets together and lied them on the ground he held his daughter and grandsons hands as the ground beneath them began to open. With eyes as big as saucers Stephanie mustered the strength to stand beside him watching in awe with her mouth agape as the ground revealed a steel door. "Let's go," Aaron said ushering them through the door and down a stairway. The tunnel had no end as well as no light but they could somehow see. They walked for what seemed miles until a sliver of light appeared as well as the sound of voices and running water. "Where are we daddy?" she asked "Home."

1 week later

My dearest Stephanie,

If you're reading this letter that means I have passed on to the beyond. By now you as well as Carter both know what you are. I'm sorry for not being in your life as a child but now you understand why I couldn't and why Linda my dear sweet Linda covered for me. When we met I didn't know my kind could possess human emotions but somehow I and lots of others did. We blended in with the humans until they discovered our secret our way of life. Before we went into hiding I vowed to try to leave a piece of me behind and I did you and Carter. You possessed my strength and my intellect which was far greater than humans. We wanted to live amongst the humans but they didn't want us here. As you know the sickness only affected you and Carter because you have human blood in your veins but the antidote has shielded you and him from any illness anywhere in the universe. Those down here are your family now they will keep you from any harm and I expect you and Carter to return the favor. Please know that it was my people that set the virus loose. I was aware but had no power to stop it from happening. I'm sorry that I couldn't save your mother even if I tried she would not have survived here. They did it to annialate humans for their rejection of us they were so extremely ungrateful for what they had. Where we were from we would have done anything for that thing they called the ocean! In 5 more years, you and all of the others will be able to come out of hiding everything will be ready then everything will be in place for you and my grandson. Sweety it's a world you could've never dreamed of. My only regret is that my dear sweet Linda had to become a casualty of war. You will reproduce as well as Carter and in years to come there will be millions of us living the life that humans took for granted. And yeah our life expectancy is 1000 years isn't that a kicker. We feel no pain we feel no sorrow just love. the new animals are called Termicks they're friendly and we made them all resemble the animals that you and Carter remember. They're everywhere let Carter play amongst them. We took away all forms of currency, you will need to trade nothing we do not believe in that. Your food will come from our seedlings that will continue to grow for millions of years. There is no leader just your elders who are wiser so listen to them. I decided not to wipe away you and Carters memories unlike the others that were against my descion, but you will not be able to cry unless it is from happiness. Sadness has been wiped away along with anger greed envy jealousy and any other emotion that caused pain and suffering as I said we only feel love. Any wound sustained will be healed in a matter of seconds you won't feel it. So that's it, I did this for you and Carter I hope there is an afterlife I'd really like to be with Linda now but I'll just have to wait and see huh. I told you this was just an underground bunker because I knew you wouldn't believe dear old dad if I told you then what we really are. And to answer your question, my time was up I was 965 years old when I met your mother I didnt age a bit did I? Sorry, bad dad joke. I was 975 when you were born to talk about borrowed time. I was 1000 years old when I found you and yes I knew exactly where you and Carter were that day because the locket was also a tracking device. And yes, Linda knew as well but she knew it had to be me to explain things to you. We didn't want this Steph we wanted to be able to be free we would have harmed no one. If they had just given us a chance we had a cure for that disease they called cancer. We also had a cure for Allokzheimers Aids even the common cold but we tried. Well, this is it be free my daughter and I hope I did right by you and Carter be free and live your 1000 years in peace, something we were offering all along.

Always, Dad

A.A.R.O.N An Artificial Remake Of Neurons