Avery
Day 10

I think my mom was kidnapped by the men that came the other day. I don't want to think that she died from the virus. I can't think like that. My eyes wandered around my dark living space. The possibility of getting out seemed non existent. I sent out a text with my last three percent of battery life. My only hope is I had enough signal and that the person I messaged wasn't dead.

My time on this earth seemed to be ticking away with each passing hour I was stuck up here. The window was too small for me to squeeze out of and the door was built like Fort Knox apparently. I looked over to where mom's room would be. Deciding that until I either died or someone broke me out. I would repeat the knocks on the floorboards. Like I had since the world seemed to go silent.

All my joints ached with each movement. The slow crawl to the space above her room was excruciatingly painful. I had to stop a few times just to catch my breath. Three taps to the ground, my ear pressed to the floor in slight hopefulness.

Nothing. I groaned, collapsing to the floor.

"Mom... please..." I cried.

The anguish and utter betrayal I felt at the thought that she had left me alone to die was unbearable. Anger ran through me like hot lava. I punched the floor until my knuckles bled and then cried harder.

Why? Why me?

I crawled back to my sleeping bag to escape the smell of my feces and urine that sat in the bucket. When mom stopped answering I had to relieve myself somehow. Don't even ask how I wiped. You don't want to know that.

Pulling out my pack, I sifted through the empty packages to see what I had left to eat. If anything...

Oh... I have a Twinkie. I could eat one now and save the other just in case. The spongy cake with its sweet cream in the middle has my stomach turning only 30 minutes after I had eaten it.

I fucking love twinkies... so why the sudden case of the...

Never mind, it's probably a side effect. I scurried over to my bucket. Cold sweat breaking across my brow as the cramps clenched my bowels in the worst way.

After the Twinkie wreaked havoc on me, I crawled back to my sleeping bag exhausted.

Someone help me... I thought as my heavy eyes closed to a terrifying dream.

The whole world was up in flames. No signs of life, not even an animal showed through the disaster. I was still in the attic, no one had saved me. I'm sure by then I looked like the creature called Gollum in the Lord of the Rings series. The picture changed, I was in a forest, Lucas was beside me laughing about something the girl beside him had said. I didn't understand what was so funny, which made me angry. Why is that? Who is the girl? Why are we here?

"Do you hear that?" She asked me. I shook my head at her with a deep scowl on my face.

"AVERY?!"

Lucas was yelling at me. Just screaming my name, a worried look plastered on his goofy looking face.

"Why are you yelling?" I was confused. His face distorted while he continued to yell at me. But instead of getting louder he sounded more distant.

Bang!

Bang!

"Did you get it?"

They both got quiet. The girl winked at Lucas then held up a gun, pointed it at me.

I woke with a start.

Oh thank goodness that was only a dream.

Bang!

I froze. A gunshot echoed throughout the once quiet space. Then the sound of muffled voices. I didn't want to move or breathe. What if it's the guys from before? I swallowed hard, trying to stay super still.

"You think he's still alive?" A girl's voice asked followed by a loud screeching noise from the door as they pulled it down. The steady groan of the ladder alerted me that they were coming up. I tensed, looking frantically around for something to protect myself with.

"Avery?" A familiar voice called from the door, just as Lucas head peeked over the ledge. Relief swept through me, he was neither the man nor some looter coming to steal shit. But who was with him?

"Lucas?"

A huge smile stretched across Lucas' face.

"Agh! It's so good to hear your voice man!" He said relief clearly in his tone.

"Who's with you? Tilly?" I asked, which seemed to strike a nerve. His eyes glistened in the dull light coming from below.

"No..."

He looked down at whoever was with him. Then back at me.

"The virus took my family..."

My face fell.

"Bruh, it smells like straight ass up here!" Lucas complained, holding his nose in disgust. I rolled my eyes, dragging my pack with me towards him.

"Did you see my mom?" Again Lucas looked down at the girl who was with him.

"Lucas? What is she your support dog or something?"

Lucas frowned at me.

"She's dead... looks like it's been a few days."

"Oh.." I choked out, raw emotions crushing me. My worst fear realized. She was gone, no hope of ever returning.

"I'm sorry, Avery." He murmured, taking my pack and handing it down to the girl. She was a strange looking one, now that I could actually see her. She had a headband on with odd animals on either side, like ears. A shirt that had a vest with Army on it. She had a soft complexion and a look of sympathy and disgust on her face.

"Why's she looking at me like that?"

Lucas looked down at the girl, then back at me.

"Ya look like shit and your smell is no better."

I frowned, "You try being locked in an attic for several days with no way to relieve yourself but a bucket. No way to wash either."

The girl looked down at her converse. Lucas looked apologetically at me, before he climbed back down the ladder.

They both stood awkwardly waiting for me to make my descent.

"Who are you?" I asked bluntly, stretching out my legs and arms. She smiled at me happily, extending a small hand to me. I raised my eyebrow at her. She rolled her head back sighing in frustration.

"Does no one shake hands anymore?!"

I shrugged at the same time Lucas did.

"I'm Y/N."

"How'd you two meet?"

"She knocked on my door looking for help."

Y/N nodded, then tilted her head sideways at me. Her hair falling in front of her eyes. Which she blew at.

"I see..."

Slowly, I walked away from the two of them. Making my way towards the kitchen. I was starving, there had to be something other than sweets in this house. I could hear their feet shuffling behind me, stopping just short of the kitchen doorway.

"Avery?" Lucas questioned.

"I've been in the attic for days... I need food."

"Avery..." he said again, cautiously. I looked back at him confused.

"What?"

"There's a letter"

"What?" Lucas held his hand out with a small folded piece of paper. With shaky hands I took it from him, my mouth going dry from the fear I felt.

When I opened the letter the first thing I noticed was the small splatters of dried blood. I sighed heavily as my chest tightened.

Avery,

My sweet boy... I don't have much time left. I think the virus has gotten to me. You take care of yourself. Know I will always be with you. Stay strong, sweetie. You are one of two survivors of the vaccine. You could be the answer. The cure.

I wish I had more time.

I love you,

Mom

I had to steady myself on the table. My chest hurt so bad, it was hard to breathe.

"Mom..." I sobbed, two pairs of arms wrapped around me. Engulfing me in a warm hug. It wasn't like my mom's. But it was comforting.