Digging my toes in the sand, I take a quick look around as I reach into my pack for a quick bite to eat. Pulling out a bruised banana, I zip up my bag and put it back on. I quickly unpeel the banana but take my time eating it, allowing it to melt in my mouth first before swallowing. The sweetness makes my teeth ache, but my stomach is lessened by the constant strain of hunger, momentarily.
I glance up and down the beach, but still no one or nothing in sight. Content, I toss the peel and continue walking up north on the beach. I take my time when I’m walking on the sand, allowing myself to slow down and remember days of old.
“Days of old”, I chuckle to myself. “Only 33 years old and I’m saying shit like days of old.”
Shaking my head, I laugh silently until my eyes meet another’s.
Eyes wide, I reflexively reach behind my back where I have a 15-inch machete readily available. The other person catches my movements and throws back their head to let out a bloodcurdling scream. I hurriedly get my machete out as they start to double over, vomiting up blood.
I take a step back as this continues until finally, it stops, and they fall face-first into the pile of their own refuse. I linger for a second before taking off past them as fast as I can. In the distance, I start to hear other screams like the one I just heard happen. I turn to head back into the brush and off the beach, out of open sight. Crashing through the brush, I continue running, afraid to take a moment’s rest. . .
A few hours later.
Nightfall.
After staying put for hours inside an old rotted-out tree trunk, I made my way silently through the night, continuing north. I saw some fires in the distance throughout the trees, but I made sure to keep away. Nobody was to be trusted anymore.
My destination was north, because, well, I wasn’t sure exactly why. All I knew was that down south, where I came from, there was no more home, no more family, no more love. My world had ended, and the real world along with it. . .
Find out what happened to this Unfortunate’s world, next time!
