I wipe a few beads of sweat from my forehead, sighing deeply. The golden-yellow glow of the sunset...it's beautiful. Which is ironic, since down here it's anything but. Bandits, psychopaths infected by the disease, psychopaths who don't have that excuse...Yeah. It's almost like the earth is wearing the sunset as a mask. Or a taunt. Maybe we deserve this. People. It's not like we've really shown ourselves to be worthy of a bright, beautiful world. Maybe the disease was just karma. Who knows.

I pull the photograph from the breast pocket of my jacket. There she is. Long brown hair, slightly curly, with beautiful hazel eyes. And a smile that could light up the world. I wonder if she's still alive. Oh, if anyone could take care of herself, it would be her. Christa Lahar. One of my two best friends, who I haven't seen since the shit hit the fan. She was on the other side of the United States when the virus hit. With the lock-down, I couldn't even try to get to her for the first 2 or 3 years. We lost contact. 

But now here I am. Traveling from the east coast to the west coast. It's been 17 years. 17 long years since the Scourge hit. I still don't know if Christa is alive. Or Vincent, a good buddy I worked with. If they're alive I'll find them. I have to. They are all I have left. Even my cat, Audrey, is long dead. She bit it 5 years ago. Group of raiders ambushed me and the group I was with, survivors from Old Town Alexandria. Oh we holed up for a good while, but...that was the beginning of the end. Lost our best people that day, including my cat. She was a damn good cat too. Burried her furry little body in Old Town.

I put the photo back in my pocket, and hoist the strap of my Colt AR-15 a little higher on my shoulder. I also have a desert eagle strapped to my hip, an SOG SEAL tactical combat knife. I got lucky and found this a few years ago on the body of a dead soldier. It was on an army guy though, which is what I don't understand. I'm sure there is a story behind it, but I'll never know what it is.

I'm carying a backpack with a few provisions. Some MRE's I looted from an abandoned car. A gallon jug of water. A blanket, and some extra ammunition. And Audrey's collar. I also wear a necklace, a jade pendant that Christa gave me before she headed cross country to see her family for a few months.

The old run down interstate is at my feet, rusted beat up cars and trucks lining the road. I have many long miles ahead of me. Best keep going until dark.