VIOLA

[May 11, 2024]

[5:00 am]

Huff~ Huff ~ Huff~

I kept pounding the treadmill, my breathing matching the steady thud of my steps. The thought resonated deep in my head as droplets of sweat rolled down my face.

 "Why am I the only one who survived the phenomena that happened to Earth?" 

The empty gym mimicked the devastation outside, heightening the isolation I felt. I finally got off the treadmill with a huff. I took a long, relaxing sip from my water bottle, the cool liquid temporarily relieving the burden of unresolved questions. I collapsed onto a bench and let my body rest, the silence of the gym increasing the weight of the secrets in the air.

I remembered the joyous celebration of my mother's birthday, the joy and warmth that enveloped our home.

I awoke exhausted in my bed of yesterday night's revelry lingered in the form of heavy shoulder discomfort and numbness in my legs. The joyous yet physically draining celebrations for my mother's birthday had left a lasting mark on me. 

"Yesterday was exhausting as hell! But it was also fun."

As I groggily stretched and tried to shake off the fatigue, memories of laughter, music, and family warmth returned, making the physical misery worthwhile.

I rose and went about my morning ritual, the dull aching in my shoulders and the numbness in my legs gradually dissipating. I splashed my face with water in the bathroom, the coolness a nice wake-up call. The aroma of breakfast floated through the air, luring me to the kitchen, where the lingering effects of the celebration lingered. The events of my mother's birthday celebration repeated in my thoughts as I sat down to dine, adding a touch of warmth to the start of the day.

Then I noticed that the home was almost silent. I searched from room to room for my mother and father, but they were nowhere to be seen. Concerned, I called aloud, 

"Ma! Pa! Are you home?"

The echo of my voice added to the uncanny silence that filled the house. Knowing that both of my parents were retired, it seemed implausible that they would depart so abruptly. The unanswered calls created my anxiety and fear, and I couldn't escape the impression that something was wrong in our typically lively and comfortable surroundings.

My body and mind were shivering with the range of possible outcomes my mind could conjure. An urgent sense of dread compelled me to rush outside, hoping to find my parents in the familiar surroundings of our neighborhood. However, to my astonishment, what greeted me was an abandoned street, filled with scattered vehicles and an unsettling silence that hung in the air.

"W-What... Just happened here!?" 

I stammered in a shattered tone, my face contorted in shock. Paralyzed by the inexplicable scene before me, my body refused to move as the weight of the unknown settled in, leaving me grappling with the profound mystery.

Gradually, I regained consciousness in the present, a tear lingering in my left eye, the weight of the unknown hanging on my mind. 

"Life is full of unexpected events, but that doesn't mean that I should stop surviving in a world of cruelty," 

I told myself in a surprisingly upbeat tone, summoning a morale boost to help me navigate this post-apocalyptic reality. The tenacity in my tone became an affirmation, a reminder that even in the face of the unthinkable, I had the strength to continue and forge ahead into the unknown of this world.

I gathered my belongings and went outdoors after doing a few more exercises. I quickly searched for my next destination, a temporary shelter in this transformed world, surveying the vacuous surroundings. The familiar outline of the tower in the distance drew my attention. Without hesitation, I fixed my sights on that looming structure. With renewed determination, I embarked on the journey toward the skyscraper, hoping to survive and uncover more secrets in this post-apocalyptic world.

"Woah! It's beautiful." 

I exclaimed in amazement. I wasn't prepared to encounter such a magnificent skyscraper, especially considering the desolation that had blanketed the world for the past two months. Intrigued, I stepped inside, eager to explore the ground floor. To my surprise, all that greeted me were scattered money and valuable statues strewn across the floor.

"Hmm."

I pondered, scanning the area. My gaze fell upon an elevator, and a glimmer of hope sparked within me. However, when I pressed the button to ascend to an upper floor, the lack of response made perfect sense. Abandoned for two months and with half of the city's electricity wiped out

Each floor became an adventure, with huffs and gasps echoing through the empty corridors as I rose to the 49th floor. Disappointment rushed over me as I discovered nothing of note.

"Why did I even come here? All I could find are just useless money and luxurious rooms!"

I groaned to myself. I decided to give it one more go and ascended to the 50th floor. To my amazement, I entered a specific chamber beautifully prepared with weaponry and incredibly pricey arms.

"WTF is this?"

In amazement, I mumbled. Turning my gaze, I noticed even more armament, each more powerful than the last.

"Woah! I've never seen guns like this in gun stores! What if there's more in the upper floors?" 

A surge of curiosity propelled me to continue, wondering if the floors above held even more unexpected treasures and secrets waiting to be discovered.

So, I quickly ascended to the 51st floor, methodically opening each room in search of more valuable items. As I approached my second-to-last room, the doorknob felt stubbornly unyielding, and to my surprise, the door was locked, unlike the rest I had entered.

"Hmm... This is weird,"

I mumbled to myself. Swiftly retrieving my lock pick, I worked with urgency, determined to unveil the mysteries behind the locked door. After a couple of minutes, the door finally yielded.

"Finally, let's see if there's valuable loot here, especially since it's locked."

My anticipation heightened as I entered the room, only to be greeted by a pair of shoes and a jacket hanging on the coat hanger.

"This is weird; this is the only room where I found clothes and shoes,"

I thought, my instincts on high alert. Slowly, I began to explore the room, a cautious unease settling in as if someone might be inside.

As I entered the bedroom slowly and quietly, to my great shock, my eyes beheld something I hadn't expected throughout my two months of solitary exploration – a living person. They lay soundly asleep in the bed, a sudden and unexpected presence in the abandoned skyscraper that had become my refuge. The sight left me speechless, my mind grappling with the realization that I wasn't alone in this post-apocalyptic world after all.