A Day In September - BTS Zombie au

17: Life Goes On

Mara turned to her side, her eyes falling on Jimin's shoes. She promised to take care of them with the intention of keeping them as mementos. Mara ignored the part of her that said she kept the shoes only with the hopes of returning them. With the hopes of seeing Jimin alive and well, even if the thought alone was impossible and delusional.

You're silly, Mara thought, and delusional.

They're slightly dirty, but I don't think he'll mind.

It had been five or so months at Mara's new safe place; it was a place she hoped to call home for a while. Perhaps this wooden palace wouldn't go down as terribly as the other, but as the thought crossed her mind, Mara immediately condemned it. She didn't want to speak too soon.

What could've gone wrong, has already gone wrong, Mara sighed. Frustration flooded her eyes, and her hands clutched into tight fists. Nothing could quite make that irritation subside. It was a lingering foul taste of life, one she'd gotten on her tongue several times too many.

Tomorrow is a new day, and the sky will continue to be blue, no matter what happens.

Mara had been weak for two weeks, barely able to move due to her wound. Now, months after the incident, the gash had healed nicely, leaving a thick, embossed scar across her abdomen.

Despite the bad, good things came every now and then, like a sweet kiss from luck. A couple months back, just a week after moving, Mara had made a thrilling discovery. Despite the desire to stay in bed, Mara had been prompted by the loud rumble of her stomach. It begged for an ounce of food—from anything and anywhere. The girl had yet to find a durable portion of food, something she could make last for a couple days—a week if she was lucky. The river half a mile west of her cabin was a goldmine, but one left untouched. The girl considered drinking the water straight from the river, but with that paranoid thought that sat at the back of her mind, she decided against it until she could efficiently make a fire. She wanted to boil whatever bacteria was in it; she feared  a sip of that water could be her demise.

Gathering her wits and whatever sliver of motivation left, Mara had left for the nearest town over, hands clutching the map with uncertainty. It wasn't too far, for there were plenty of scattered towns in the outskirts of the big city. The girl came across abandoned recreational vehicles, and even a small, rickety shed that bore nothing but creepy crawlers, invasive vines and unmanageable spiderwebs. There was nothing to find, nothing to take. If there was, it had been taken long ago. There were no signs of life anywhere near, and an eerie echo of her footsteps followed her out of the shed. She left with a sigh once out in the open again. The breeze gently pushed her hair from her face, and Mara was left to simply stare out into the trees.

The RVs were slightly more promising, holding a couple of non perishable items.

"Peanut butter...haven't had that in a while," Mara had whispered to herself, "And......soup."

Mara smiled, "Soup. Reminds me of mom."

The RV she had been in was also subject to time, or rather a passing of long, uneventful moments. The layers of dust caused her nose to itch. This lead to an imminent sneeze, one which she muffled with her arm. The girl sniffled, making her way out after finding another can of soup. The soups themselves seemed almost untouched, standing out from the gray and dull cupboards of the decaying kitchen.