𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 72

Fever Dreams

2035

Valencia

I met the stranger - Aidan - again and I also found some medicine. It all went too well. Too well, like something is bound to happen - something that will destroy everything.

And I can't avoid that feeling.

I'm back home. The red window shutters greet me from afar.

I'm here, Henry. I'm home.

My steps get bigger, the further I get to the front door.

I rush up the steps to the wooden front porch and twist the worn golden door knob.

Then, I walk inside, closing the door behind me.

The weather anomaly hasn't happened. Yet. I'm glad that it didn't hit when I was outside and Henry was all alone at home.

My mind was constantly stuck on that.

Speaking of which, I have to check up on him. My steps get more and more hesitant and quieter the closer I get to Henry's bedroom door.

What if he isn't okay? What if something bad happened?

The door creaks as I push it open.

A deep sigh escapes my lips.

Henry is still asleep, his back turned to me. I walk into his room and slightly bend over him, to study his face, to feel his temperature with my hand. He feels warmer than usual.

Henry wakes up, squinting at me. "Hey, I'm back," I whisper while I put down my backpack next to his bed to look for the medicine I picked up earlier today. My hands close around the bottle.

Thank God.

I count out two pills - the maximum for his age - and hold them out to Henry. "You have to take these, okay?" He shakes his head and sits up. "No, I don't want to."

I sigh. Other measures then. I stand up from the mattress and place the pills on his little nightstand. In the bathroom, I grab a cup to fill with water.

Then, I return to Henry's room with the cup. He scans the pills with a skeptical look.

I pick up one and hold it out to him, trying the This-is-for-mommy-and-that-for-daddy-trick. It has worked to get Henry to eat when he was younger.

"Okay, look, this one is for Mommy." Henry grimaces when he swallows the first pill with disgust.

"And that one," I say and pick up the second pill, "is for your Daddy."

My voice breaks halfway through the sentence. Somehow, every time I think of what happened to my parents - although it has been nine years - it still breaks me.

Henry doesn't notice and also swallows this one with the water.

"Great job," I say softly. Henry lies back down and I cover him with the blanket.

After tucking in his covers, I scan the pill bottle. The content isn't much, it will last for maybe the next two to three days.

Let's hope that Henry's fever is gone then.

But the shelf in the pharmacy was empty after I grabbed that bottle.

It will be okay, it just has to be - I don't know why I am so emotional right now.

I stand back up from Henry's bed and kiss him on the forehead.

Then, I leave.

I find myself back in the basement, storing the food on the stock shelf. After that, I stare into a blank space. My thoughts are a roller coaster. I talked to the stranger today, I met him. We talked. Is Henry fine? The weather anomaly is not happening yet. What is going on?