I was sleeping when the world ended. Officially By most people's standards, this was weird considering it was the day. I, however, much preferred to be awake when the rest of the world wasn't. Everything just seemed more magical at night. But just this once I wish I would have been awake to have seen the carnage. While I was sleeping I was blissfully ignorant of the horror that was befalling the world. Upon my awakening, however, was a disaster unparallel to even Hollywood's most frightening creations.
The entire human population had perished completely. And yet I hadn't. Living in the busy suburbs there was a large portion of people that should be moving outside. Yet they were not. It was just bodies. For miles and miles all, I could be dead bodies. They were strewn all over the sidewalk, lying in crashed cars. People that were just going about their normal daily routine, were dead. All of them. Dead. Not a single soul had survived. The realisation was somewhat earth-shattering to me. I was all alone.
Despite this day being the final straw, throughout the week, people had been dropping dead all over the place. Slowly just falling to sleep.
At first, I did what anyone would do if no one stopped me. I raided shops and supermarkets for my favourite things. I grabbed cash out of registers and through it into the air, letting it rain down on me. I ran nude through the streets and danced in the rain. The fun however got boring very quickly. It became very lonely to be the only person left on earth and I began to crave human presence.
In the end, humans had been their demise, which didn't surprise me. My years of solitude on this broken earth have given me much time to reflect. I am thankful for this but just once I would like to talk to someone again. Don't get me wrong being the only survivor of a race killing apocalypse is quite peaceful. Still now and then I crave a friend to converse with. To share ideas and hopes and random thoughts that pop into my head. But I guess for now the wind will be all the answer I receive for now.
I once dreamed there was someone else like me on this wholly empty planet. Someone I could start a new life with and start to heal the earth. Someone is also not affected by the lack of oxygen and an overwhelming amount of carbon dioxide. For that was what had finally wiped out humanity. The oceans and forests were overrun with pollution and failed to produce enough oxygen for mankind's destructive ways. Inevitable really, given the way they were going. This was sad however for all other living creatures affected by oxygen deprivation. Few survived. The ones who did were the product of genetics gone wrong, mutations that needed very little or no amount of oxygen to survive. Like me. I was a mutation. And from what I could tell I was the only one.
The days were slow when you had nothing to do and no one to talk to. Not only was I unrelying on oxygen I needed very little food to sustain me. Meaning a handful of berries or roots could last me months. I ate for pleasure. Or for something to do.
I hadn't always known I was like this though. I started to discover my gifts in full when the rest of the population was pushing up daisies. This helped pass the time. So far I didn't need to eat, didn't need to breathe and I wasn't affected by temperature. I hope there is more though. I would like to be able to fly, but I am not quite brave enough yet to try.
I don't remember much about when I was little, but I do remember being told by my parents thought I had died when I was born because I wasn't breathing. They were quite shocked when I was still alive. My parents gave me away because the doctors told them I was a mutation. That I was weird and they wouldn't know how to handle me. That doctor took me to a place with other unwanted children. I can't remember what it was called though.
There were a lot of us in that big place. Despite having a lot of others around me though I always felt alone. Not in a bad way but in a way where I only needed myself. But that was ok with me. The others liked to play during the day. They would run around and kick balls through makeshift goals. I however would spend the day in the shared sleeping space we all had. While they would play during the day, I would play at night because that's when the world is most beautiful. The big building we lived in was on the edge of a dense forest. During my nighttime exploring, I would walk for hours in this magical place. It was quiet besides the chittering of field mice and the rustling leaves of the willow trees, swaying in the light breeze.
The older people who worked in the house tended to leave me alone. They thought I was some demon come to take their souls. That I was a test from a god to see if they were worthy. I was just glad they left me alone. I always thought they were funny because they wore clothes on their head. I wonder if they just didn't like showing their hair.
In a way, I felt rather sad to know that I would never see them again. Well, not that sad but you know what I mean. I had everything I needed in myself. People would only ever let me down. I learned that the hard way. I didn't mind so much though. I was glad everything worked out this way. People try to pretend they know everything and that you need them, but you don't. I tried endlessly to learn with them and become one of them. It only took the human race virtually ending for me to realise that I wasn't one of them, I never would be. And in the end, all I learned was how to be strong. Alone.
