A World Without Us

"What if one day, when you woke up...Everyone disappeared?"

A World Without Us

---

"I don't think that was possible. Well, reality proved me wrong.

-Zax, 28 OCT 2011"

---

"... And publish." The young man said. "...But who would read it? Everyone is gone now."

He chuckled a little to himself as he stood up. He kept his laptop in his bag and left the room.

"Sure is cold out here..." He muttered as he put on his gloves and combat boots. "This used to be a warm city..."

The young man locked the door behind him as he made his way down the building. No sight of snow, but just the wind was freezing enough. The young man jumped on the roof of the bright yellow car as he leaped over to another car nearby.

After about an hour of leaping from car to car or just walking down the pavement, he finally reached a school. The logo had fallen off already, and there is most certainly no one in there. The young man climbed and jumped over the gate. He walked up the flight of stairs and walked into a classroom. Sitting down at his seat, he took out his textbook and stationeries and began scribbling on his notebook.

"This should be four..." He muttered to himself as he wrote down more numbers. "...That's why I hate maths. Everyone hates it."

He uses his mechanical pencil and poke it around in the air in front of him.

"Hey Hans, the answer is four, right?" He asked. "...I thought so too."

He continued scribbling down formulas and notes. Then, a ringtone could be heard.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,"The young man hummed along with it. "That saved a wretch like me..."

He took out his handphone and looked at the notice.

"10.20AM." It reads.

"Time for a break..." He said as he kept his belongings and made his way down to the canteen. "Well I wonder what will be there today..."

His expression changed as he heard a rustling noise. He walked towards the technology room quickly and quietly. Closing the heavy doors behind him, he took the long, metal pole with a sharp end in his hand. It seemed like the sharp end is made of several nails and other metals melted and sticked to the pole.

He squatted down on the table, looking out of the window from a safe distance. The rustlings turned into loud groans.

"...I once was lost but now am found," He sang softly. "Was blind, but now I see..."

The groanings got louder and louder. The young man squatted there, preparing to defend himself anytime. But soon, the groanings was fading. He sat down, the pole still tightly clenched in his hands.

"T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear..." He continued, "And Grace, my fears relived..."

Minutes felt like hours, the young man got back into his defend stance as the groanings appeared again. Nothing could be seen, except the empty room. He shook his head, the groans were gone.

The young man sighed as he made his way out of the room, he put the pole through the hole of the belt on his waist. Walking over towards the vending machine in the canteen.

He took a bottle of milk which seemed to already dropped down before he arrived from the machine.

"Expiry date...24 November..." He muttered. "2010..."

He sighed as he threw the bottle into the trash can. He turned his head towards his left and sighed.

"Oh man, Kenny, this really stinks." He said. "How could the school's vending machine has milk that has already expired?"

He continued to walk towards the gate, down a lonely pavement. No one in sight, probably just the way he likes it.

"How precious did that Grace appear," He took out a beanie from his bag and wore it on his head. "The hour I first believed..."

Arriving in a shopping mall, he made his way to the library. He took a few comic books and his sketchbook and began drawing. He sat on the low shelf and occasionally jumped down to grab a new book.

"Oh, I am sorry, sir." He muttered. "I didn't mean to land on your foot."

He took another comic book and jumped back up to the shelf.

"What a twat." He muttered.

"Amazing Grace," The ringtone rang again. "How sweet the sound..."

"Well sorry it's an alarm," He glared at the empty space below him. "I'll switch it off now."

He took the phone out, "4.20PM". The young man grabbed his belongings and walked out of the mall.

"Must get home before night...Before dark..." He muttered under his breath as he quickly make his way home.

He started to breathe faster. His footsteps getting faster.

"Through many dangers, toils and snares... I have already come..."