EPHEMERAL [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER I - Just a normal day of the Apocalypse. Nevermind.

He never stood a chance.

I watched the boy get pushed and hit by the men. One ripped his backpack from his back while the others continued to punch and kick at him. He desperately tried to run, but they held him back until his legs gave out and he fell to the ground.

The men just laughed, looking through his backpack for supplies. The boy's helpless screams reached my ears as the men took the items he had probably spent days scavenging for.

The me from a year ago would try to find help, to even intervene myself and attempt to save him. But the me now knew there was no point in doing that. The me now knew it was everyone for themselves.

And in this messed up world, alone was better, especially when supplies ran short.

A year ago, we thought it was the end of the world. Some of us wish it had been.

One day, out of nowhere, it all started. Tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms, fires, floods, every kind of natural disaster you could think of, they all came at once.

Just like the boy, crying on the ground, humanity never stood a chance.

I could still remember the first day of the Apocalypse. There were so much panic and confusion, so much despair and death. No one knew what to do. After all, there weren't really books of "Tips and Tricks of Surviving the Apocalypse" that could prepare us for the mass destruction that came. The last news report was a year ago, right before all power shut off. Back then there were over four billion deaths, with more being reported every second.

By now, I wasn't even sure there were a billion people alive anymore.

After checking my surroundings, careful not to be found by any of the gang members, I stealthily made my way back home. It was a small, run-down building, with some walls missing and broken windows.

I smiled slightly at the sight. Despite the horrible condition it was in, it was still home. His home. The thought brought a sad frown to my eyebrows before I regained my small smile. I had sworn to find him and I still hadn't lost all hope. After all, I had all the time in the world. That is, if the world didn't decide the first apocalypse hadn't been effective enough and brought a new and improved version of it to destroy the rest of us.

I brought my attention back to the ruined front of the building. It wasn't much, but it protected me from the cold, the rain and the gangs that filled the city. After the first natural disasters, most people ran from the city, probably hoping the rest of the world was in a better shame. Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

My family tried to get away too, but they never got the chance to. Our house collapsed on top of us before we could get out. I was the only survivor. And that all thanks to him.

Thoughts of that day plague my mind daily, but I try my best to remain positive. Negativity won't solve anything, so I try not to let it get to me.

In a world as ruined as this one, goals were the only thing that kept me going. I couldn't fix the planet, but what I could do was fight to survive. As long as I was still alive, my family wasn't entirely gone either. They would be with me until my last breath, and that thought alone helped me keep going. Keep fighting. Keep surviving.

I entered the house, taking my backpack off and starting to arrange the supplies on the broken wooden table. A couple of cans, some water, five packs of chips and a first-aid kit.

I smiled happily. This would be enough for some time.

Tired from the long day of scavenging, I crashed onto the couch. The bed was too broken to use anymore, but luckily, the pillows, a blanket, and some sheets had survived. I snuggled into the warm covers, clutching my stuffed toy tightly. It was a fluffy blue whale, with a huge smile and big eyes. I had named him Bubbles. I remember my older sister making fun of me for still keeping a toy at night when I was already thirteen, which was a year ago.

What I wouldn't give to hear her teasing voice again...

I buried the bitter thought in the back of my mind. I couldn't think like that!

So, with Bubbles held tightly in my arms, I succumbed to the tiredness and slowly drifted off to sleep.

***

I woke up to the sound of fighting.

Startled, I got off the couch and listened carefully. The men didn't usually come this close to the house. If they found me, I was done for.

So, I quickly gathered my supplies in my bag - a big, grey backpack that I had found a couple of months ago while scavenging - and got out of the house, careful not to be seen. I hid behind one of the ruined walls, hoping to see what the commotion was about.

There, a couple of houses away from mine, was a tall, fierce-looking girl. I took a moment to look at her properly. She seemed to be around seventeen, maybe even eighteen. She had long, straight raven hair and dark-chocolate skin. Her onyx eyes screamed danger, as did her strong-looking figure and stance. She wore a dirty pair of ripped jeans and a red shirt, as well as combat boots, an old jacket tied around her hips.

The problem? She was surrounded.

Three men were circling her, all of them tall and muscular. I didn't know which gang they belonged to, but I also didn't want to know. After most people left the city, the ones that remained formed gangs, teaming up to get more food and supplies. Sounds reasonable enough, right? Sure, if you ignore the way they get their supplies.

They harassed, fought and even killed others over a mere can of soup. Of course, in times like these, food is one of the most important things, but murdering for it seemed a bit extreme.

"That looks like a full bag you have there." one of the men's voices reached my ears. "Mind if we take a look?"

The girl didn't respond, but her defying posture was answer enough.

"Don't be like that, darling, we won't hesitate to take it by force," another continued, his menacing grin creeping me out.

For some reason, I felt the urge to help the girl. I had never felt like this when someone was being harassed by gang members, but with her it was different. Maybe it was because she was a girl, maybe it was because she reminded me of my sister, with her strong and daring fire of a nature. Maybe it was just because loneliness was getting to me after so many months.

Whatever the reason, I couldn't deny the strong urge to help. But, before I could do anything - not that I had many ideas to begin with - the men charged.