This is the End

[Laeta]

It happened, it actually happened. The apocalypse came. The things that everyone said would come true, came true. Not everyone knows how it happened, only that it did happen. One day everyone was living their normal lives, watching the old neighbor water the garden, getting frustrated at the slow driver who is making you late for work, smiling at the small boy with the ice cream in his hand as he waves at you.


That boy is dead now, his corpse attracting flies as his pale blue, lifeless eyes stare back at you. The neighbor is dead too, what was her name? Gloria, she was nice, now she was dead. The driver is in his car, his head propped on top of the wheel, a beam impaled him him, the blood soaked the seat, making the whole car reek of death.


The buildings that once stood so high are now nothing but ruins. The human empire has fallen, no longer were they thriving. Now they scavenged for fod, some even took up cannibalism to survive. Humans reverted back to their animalistic ways, no longer did they stand as one, now it was every man for himself. And it was that choice to let go of your fellow man, that doomed us all to this hell.


Reserved for

https://www.rpnation.com/profile/21618-rising/@Rising

https://www.rpnation.com/profile/21618-rising/

 

[Laeta]

Cassy walked past the ruins of buildings. She was on the search for more supplies. Ever since the end came it had been quite hard to come by. She took a drink from her canteen and wiped the sweat from her brow. The sun was setting, she had to find shelter soon.


Luckily there was no storm like there was for the past five days, it made the ground hard to walk in, it would suck in her shoes making it to where she had take careful steps or else she would lose said shoe. She sat down on the concrete to rest. One of the buildings would do as shelter for the night. Most of them had fallen as much as they ever would. It was still dangerous though, any disturbance and they could come tumbling down.


She decided to turn the corner. That was a mistake. Bodies were everywhere. They littered the streets and filled her nose with the rotten stench that only death could give off. She fought back the urge to be sick and backed away from the corpses.

 

[Rising]

Duke was taking heaving, deep breaths as he leaned on the of one of the ruined buildings in this place. His sword still in his hand. It had been a very loyal companion, helping him and getting him out of some tough situations. He looked around scanning the area around him with a disappointed expression. Why did he imagine he'll find any damn supplies within this pile of rubble. But what he has left would barely last him a day, two at the most.


The good thing is, this place was deserted, he hadn't seen anyone around. So he can probably let his guard now for a while and hell, maybe even catch an hour or two of sleep. He collected himself a decided to start heading deeper into the ruins, all the while thinking 'how did it come to this?' After walking a few blocks he froze suddenly stopped and froze as his eyes took in the scene in front of him. There were corpses all over the place, it was a sickening sight. He then noticed something moving in the distance, away from them. "What the hell?" He whispered as he drew his sword and started to slowly walk towards the movement. But without noticing he stepped on an empty can that made a loud noise. "Damn."

 

[Laeta]

Cassy froze when she heard the noise. If she knew anything, it was that dead men couldn't move, let alone make noise. She slowly turned towards the place she had heard the noise come from. Was that another survivor? She hadn't seen anybody alive for weeks now. She took a step forward and then another. She was both ecstatic and scared. She tried to get a bit closer, just to where she could get a semi detailed picture of what he looked like.


"Where did you come from? I thought everyone here was dead?" then she noticed the sword. That made her shy away a bit. He was armed and, most likely, dangerous. Still he was the only other survivor she didn't want to just run away, she didn't when she would next see another living person.

 

[Rising]

Mixed emotions rushed through him as he realized that it was a woman. He didn't know what to do. But she started to slowly walk towards him and when she got close enough for him to see her clearly he raised the tip of his sword. "That's far enough." It had been so long since he had met another survivor but usually, letting them close to you is the last mistake you ever make, that Duke knew too well. What if she had other people with her, waiting for him to lower his guard.


"I could ask you the same thing." He then pointed with his sword towards the dead bodies. "What the hell is that? What happened to those people?" He then looked around him, trying to detect any movement but there was nothing. But what if she really is just a normal survivor... like him? "My name is Duke. I'm assuming you have one too." He said as his blue eyes watched her every move.

 

[Laeta]

She watched his sword for a minute, making sure he wasn't planning on lodging it into her chest. He said that she had come close enoigh, she wanted to go closer purely out of defiance, but she chose not to. It was better not to provoke him.


She glanced at the bodies that he had gestured to. Another wave of sickness washed over her. She combed her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes while shaking her head. "I don't know if it was the initial disaster that killed them or an after shock. They have been dead for awhile by the look and smell. Names Cassandra, call me Cassy though."

 

[Rising]

"It's a massacre." He said in a sad tone as he looked at the bodies. "It all happened too fast, nobody saw it coming." His attention then turned back to her. "So where are you friends, Cassy? You can't be surviving on your own."


He wiped his forehead with his hand. "I... I'm all that's left. Everyone I knew is pretty much gone. Been traveling alone for a long while. Are you surviving here? Is there a safe place?"

 

[Laeta]

"I'm by myself. I wasn't always by myself, but I am now." She said as she took anothet look around her. She still had nightmares about the day it happened. The blood , the madness. She remembered the running most of all. A few screams. That was the day her life came to an end.


"I am more of a wanderer. I don't really stay in one place. Ever since my group passed along I have been looking for others. Haven't found crap yet. Actually I found alot of crap, but none from something I wanted to meet. I wouldn't know about any safe places, if there are I want to see them"

 

[Rising]

"I guess we're both just trying to move on and make it through. Doesn't bother you? I've... Lost everything, nothing to live for." He looked around at all the ruins and destruction. "No future to hope for. Yet... I still want to survive, to go on."


"I keep thinking that there has to be a safe place out there. I guess when there is no real hope I just create a false one." He lowered his sword slowly. "I was with group when it first started. But they all went crazy with thier greed and everyone just start killing each other. I left and been on my own ever since."

 

[Laeta]

"it is only human. If course you want to survive, that is human instinct. We all want to survive, for awhile at least." she debated taking another step closer, but she quickly decided against it. They were still strangers after all, if she made him too uncomfortable then she may end up alone again.


"My group died. I was off, trying to find some food for us to eat. When I came back there were bodies." she sighed and shifted her weight to one foot. "haven't seen another survivor until now"

 

[Rising]

Duke looked at her expressions as she explained what happened to her group and doubted that she was lying. She looked devastated. He nodded "So I guess there is nothing but death and ruin in this place. I'm well stocked on water but not much in the food department. I found a river to the south a few days ago, still had clean water."


He put down his backpack and took out a water skin. He offered it to her to drink. Even though his mind was telling him not to, and that he needed that water to survive and he should only look out for himself. But he refused this mentality, he wanted to keep that part if him alive, the part that cared."

 

[Laeta]

"I just got here. Been looking for supplies all day, ain't found anything yet. Just corpse after corpse." she eyed the drink that was being held out to her warily. The fact that he was just handing it to her after he seemed so untrusting of all humans have her pause.


Against all logic she took the skin from his hand and drank. He was right, the water was clean. "Thanks. I had just ran out myself. Hey, you hungry? I have some food left in my bag" she was about to kneel and look through the bag on her back, but after getting another glimpse of the ground she decided against it.


"I suppose that can wait until after we get out of here"

 

[Rising]

"It all happened so fast I still don't understand any of it." He said as he gazed into the distance. "But yeah you're right. Getting out of here is a good idea. I came from the north and there is nothing there so we can rule that out." He said as he looked at the other directions. "What do you think? all the directions seem the same, just hopeless wasteland." He then looked at the bodies. "We pity them, even though they probably are the lucky ones."

 

[Laeta]

Fingers dragged through her dark hair, making it look even more disheveled than it already was. Her lips parted, and a pink tongue poked out to lick her dry lips. "I keep on going. I keep on going 'cause if I stop, if I give up, then that is the end. No more second chances. I still pity 'em. I pity 'em 'cause the last thing they saw was their world crumbling before them. While we live, the last thing we see might be that world being rebuilt. Call me an unreasonable optimist, but that is what I believe."


Another scan of the horizon. There was nothing new, only the usual things that she saw every other night. Her eyes had moved away from the stranger. She didn't know how he would react to her little speech. "I have been looking for a stream or something to find water. I am thinking of settling down there when I find it."