Surviving in an unsurvivable world.

Past, Present, Future. There’s no difference. Survival is all that matters now.

Walking through a long forgotten town, where debris litters the streets and buildings a covered in the vines of the close by forest that reclaimed this area long ago. Wearing what could only be described as tattered rags and holding a rifle with a machete strapped to my back. It’s hard to think back to a time when this wasn’t my life.

5 years ago I was a school teacher, I had never picked up a weapon, I had never hunted for food, never slept outside…. Never killed someone. It’s too bad I can’t say I still haven’t done any of these things as I have done them all.

‘Everything had changed the day they attacked, we were no longer alone in the universe and I am no longer the timid high school teacher watching my students fall asleep in my class. No like the rest of the surviving world I’ve become a scavenger, a warrior, a loner, a hunter.

I was alone in my classroom grading papers late at night. My fiancé was seated in the corner playing on his phone waiting to take me home, but as I was finishing up we heard a loud crash coming from outside. Jackson went outside to see what was going on and told me to wait here but I couldn’t wait, so I went after him. As I got outside I saw him in the street, staring up at the sky.

“Jackson!” I called out but just as I did a beam of light shot from the sky at him it was so bright I had to turn away and as I did the force of something threw me back against the wall, struggling to get up I called out to Jackson but when I looked up all that was left was a demolished street.’

A tear slid down my cheek, as I recalled the events of that horrific day. Standing in the same street where my world fell apart. When I tasted the saltiness of my grief I couldn’t help but touch the small heart shaped locket that hung loosely around my neck. The picture is faded, the metal is worn but the memory is still so vivid.

As I looked around the now forest covered street I can’t help but remember how it used to look. Beautiful brick buildings with so much history behind them, they could be their own landmark. Big, luscious trees that were at every second building and kids playing hopscotch on the footpath.

As my eyes scanned the street and memories flooded my mind, everything stopped when I saw the park at the end of the road. I walked closer, each step made my heart race and my breathing increase. By the time I reached my destination I honestly thought I’d die of a heart attack.

The place was the same as the rest of the street, debris littered the once lush green grass, which had grown significantly, the playground that was front and centre now nothing but a few broken, metal poles remain and the once gorgeous duck pond, now resembled more of a swamp.

I looked over towards the back of the park to the place that drew me here. As I walked closer I couldn’t help but to run my fingers over the locket once more and remember when Jackson first gave it to me.

More tears began to flow but before they could fall I heard a noise, causing me to jump and stumble over some debris. I regained my footing and took off to find some cover, chastising myself for allowing the past to affect me.

Past, present, future. It makes no difference. Survival is all that matters now.