"𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥."
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In the year of 2734, no one suspected that the dead would rule the world.
With millions infected after the first...
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Thundering sounds of stairs our shoes created as we were moving echoed throughout. This stairway was long, but narrow. Jake was leading the way, as I followed right behind. My eyes looked around. There wasn't much to look at though. The only entity that I noticed was the wall structure around us. It was built of solid rock, white shimmering crystals embedded; much different than any other wall in Ground Zero. I wondered why.
I was unsure till what floor these staircases were leading to, nor why Jake would want to train someplace else.
We didn't talk as we moved, and the silence was somehow uncomfortable. He always talked. Even if the thing he was talking about didn't make sense. Now, he was concentrated, looking straight ahead, unbothered if I was even following him.
I debated whether I should start a conversation. But what was there to say anyways? What was there to talk about? The Infected? People dying? How he ended up here? Is his family even alive?
Those conversations were what surrounded us. They were what everyone spoke about. You couldn't talk about anything else because there wasn't anything else to talk about. Not anymore. I hated the idea of being left with only that. Infected. Sickness. Death. Grief. So I didn't bother talking about it at all.
"We're here." His voice broke the silence, briskly fading away.
He forced the door open, grinding metallic whistle welcoming us. My feet froze and I felt like I was being pushed down. It was like I was in a quicksand and the more I tried to bring myself back to reality the deeper I went down.
I scrambled up the last two stairs, moving to the edge of the building. I felt like I couldn't breathe. My heart was beating against my ribcage, mercilessly punching, punching, punching. I gripped the railing, steading myself. I breathed in the fresh air, and the realization still didn't seem real.
Fresh air.
Summer breeze.
Rays of sunlight hitting my skin.
Outside. We were outside.
There was no possible way. I haven't been outside since my family and I arrived at the Miracles on June 14th. For 32 days I haven't stepped foot in the real world.
Even though I was aware I was going to go soon with the trainers, it still felt unreal. I wasn't prepared for this. This would be the last place I thought Jake would bring me to.
I turned around, as Jake straightened himself from leaning against the closed door. He had a radiant smile on his face, that was glowing under the sun.
"I knew you would like it."
His body was next to me, looking at the two valleys. We gazed at the sun as it set, closing down behind them. I wanted to reach out to it. To bring my hand towards it and pull it as close to me as possible. To never let it go.
