Chapter 2

¤¤¤

Opening my tired eyes a little while later, I stood up, shut down the TV, and walked back into the hall.

I trudged past the kitchen, my heart feeling heavy.

I opened the door, the ground had a gold shine to it as the sun set in the distance.

I strolled drunkenly into the lot and then got onto the sidewalk ahead of the fence.

Getting to Melanie's front door, I knocked a few times and stood there and waited.

She opened the door a second later, her eyes puffy and a few tears still falling from her eyes.

My eyes were welling up again, and I couldn't keep them in.

Melanie held my hand and guided me inside. She sat me down on the couch and handed me some paper towels.

She went off into her kitchen, then came back a few minutes later with two cups of water.

She set them down on the coffee table in front of me and sat down beside me.

We sat in silence for quite a while, the only sound that could be heard was when either of us blew our nose.

She looked up at me a little while later and spoke, her voice was very hoarse from all our crying.

"So, what happened?" She asked, and gave a small type of cough to clear her throat. "Are they-?"

"They are, well, pretty much gone.." I said my voice cracking a bit.

"How did it happen?" She asked, handing me the glass of water.

I took a few sips and then started speaking again, "They had already collapsed by the time I got home. From their body temperatures, I think it happened a good while before we got out of school.." I said and took another few sips of water. "Yours?"

"They were fine when I got home, but just about fifteen minutes later dad collapsed in his room, while we were checking on him, mum collapsed too.." She said, another wave of tears flowing out from her eyes. "What's happening?"

"I don't know, either. When I got home, dad was collapsed on the couch and the TV was on. I think that it's probably the same right now. Let me check.." I said and went over to her TV.

I turned it on and went to the news channel. Everything was the same as it was before, even the reporter was still in her position. I mean why wouldn't she, she was dead..

I stepped back and sat back down. Melanie just stared at the screen, not looking away.

She looked at me a couple of minutes later, her eyes brimming with tears once more.

I got back up and turned the TV back off. I went back over to her and put her glass of water in her hand.

"Drink some water, then we'll sleep. I'll stay with you, I don't think I'll be able to sleep back at my house." I mumbled and sat back next to her.

We sat the for a while as she slowly finished her glass of water. I then stood up and took the glass from her.

Picking mine as well, I went ahead and put them both on the kitchen counter.

Walking back to the lounge, I went and sat back next to her.

We sat there some time longer, and then she got up with a sigh.

"C'mon, let's get to bed." She said and pulled me to a stand.

We went upstairs to her room and layed down on the bed to sleep.

¤¤¤

I lay awake in bed for quite some time. Melanie had already fallen asleep. I could hear her snoring softly.

I lay there silently, just thinking.

Why did something like this have to happen? Why couldn't this just be some stupid nightmare?

I wonder how many children must have been orphaned. Who am I kidding, Every single child has probably been orphaned.

I took a deep breath and turned to the side. I closed my eyes and did my best to fall asleep, refusing to fall to the negative thoughts..

¤¤¤

Opening my eyes, I sat up and stretched my arms.

I saw that Melanie was already out of bed, so I got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

Walking downstairs a small while later, I walked into the kitchen and saw that Melanie had already started making breakfast.

She set a plate down in front of Diana, her younger sister, who was about nine.

Diana chomped on her toast in a moody way.

"Umm.. Did you tell her or is she-" I started speaking when Diana cut me off.

"I know what happened. I'm not that little." She said in a grumpy tone.

"Oh. I see." I mumbled as I fiddled with my fingers.

"I'm sorry, you must have felt upset when you saw them like that.." She said.

"No, it's okay, I mean I did get surprised, scared even, but I feel somewhat better now. How are you holding on?" I asked, trying my best to keep the conversation going.

"Better be good, or a healing factor, 'cause she was a mess when it happened yesterday." Melanie said, setting down a plate in front of me.

"Thanks." I said and propped a piece of toast into my mouth.

¤¤¤

We ate in silence and then Melanie went upstairs to get something.

I sat down on the couch, Diana watching TV next to me. I flipped open the notebook I had just brought over from my place and started writing in it.

Melanie came down a few minutes later. "What're you writing?" she asked, setting down a box filled with supplies.

"Just, writing I guess." I said, then looked at the box, "What's that for?"

"Nothing..'' She mumbled.

I sat there for a few seconds and stared at the ceiling.

"Hey, Mel?" I said.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Do you think we should do something?" I asked.

"What something?" She asked back, opening the box and taking out a few pages.

"Try to, you know, help. Our population could dry out if no one does anything." I said, staring at her and waiting for her answer.

"Well, what do you think I brought all this down for?" Melanie said with a timid look on her face as she took out a few maps of the city and country.

"Oh, so that's what they're for. Are you sure you aren't my long lost twin or somethin'?" I said looking up at her with a small laugh.

We thought too much alike to not even be related.

"Nope. Now let's chalk this all out so we can begin." She said and opened up a map of our city.

" 'K." I said and sat down next to her.

' Let's begin. '