Three Days Since

It's been three days…

Three days since the Internet shut down.

Two days since everyone's disappeared.

One day since the world ended.

Well, maybe I shouldn't say "ended". I read an apocalypse novel once that pointed out that the planet's always fine. Whatever. Not important.

What is important is the food I'm rationing myself. That's something heros with big guns do in action movies. It's not mine, technically, but I don't know when everyone will show up again, and I don't want to be arrested for gorging myself on all the pizza and chocolate. That sounds disgusting, actually. Whatever. Not important.

Beef jerky, trail mix, unfrosted pop tarts. I always hated them, but they should be better than the regular kind. I chose these because they seemed to be the best apocalypse food. Can't trust the fridges to last, even though so far they are still working. So is the general electricity, which is weird. You couldn't tell anything was wrong.

Except for, well.

The lack of people.

Except me, I think. I don't know why the universe or whoever thought to spare me. Or maybe this is my punishment.

It sure feels like the latter.

Maybe I should back up. After all, you don't even know me at this point.

So, Hello. My name is Daniel Mars. I'm about six foot two, brunette, green eyes. I like to think I'm at least a six on the attractiveness scale. I was working full-time as a cashier for a local grocery store before my boss and all my coworkers disappeared. I live in a nice, if small, apartment. Rent is pretty cheap. That happens when you don't have a landlord. I wonder if my landlord will demand my rent when everyone reappears. Yesterday was the first of the month after all. Whatever. Not important.

I nibbled at my meal of jerky. I'm not very hungry, but I should eat. Even if I have an entire grocery store of food stores, it would be rude to eat everything before everyone comes back. No, wait. That's a reason not to eat. I need to eat. Eating is essential to staying alive.

I compromise with myself by nibbling away at half of the ration.

Then, mostly because I'm bored, I eat the rest.

Remember when I said the Internet shut down? Yeah, that caused chaos. Only for a day. Chaos needs chaotic people after all. Whatever. Not important.

I decide to take a walk down the streets. You should know that I have to be desperately bored in order to make this decision. Thankfully, maybe, I am.

I walk down the stairs of the empty apartments. Some doors hang open from when their owners disappeared mid-exit. I resist the urge to snoop. That's the entering part of breaking and entering, which is illegal.

If someone breaks a law, and nobody's anywhere to arrest them, did they still break the law?

Apparently.

I step outside. The sun shines on my face. It's warm, but not too warm. I wonder how long that'll last.

I start to walk along the sidewalk, ignoring the crashed cars that went directionless when there's owners disappeared. I walk alone. Not even the birds chirp. I haven't seen birds, or any animals really, since the world ended.

It starts to gnaw at my stomach. I try to ignore it. This is why I need desperate boredom to leave my apartment.

It sinks my stomach and tightens my throat. I resist the urge to desperately search all the buildings. I have already anyway, I tell the urge, It's useless.

It doesn't care. It threatens, tears and swirls in my mind like a deranged black hole, searching for something, anything to ease it.

Before everyone disappeared, I was very social. I had made friends with most of my coworkers. I had maintained contact with my high school friends. I was friends with my siblings and cousins. I called my parents every other day.

After everyone disappeared, I panicked. It was not my proudest moment, but I can't say I would have acted any other way. I ended up screaming until my voice gave out. I cried until I had no tears left. I biked (I don't own a car) for miles looking for someone, anyone, to still exist. I thought it was a bad dream until this morning. After sleeping and waking to the same dreaded reality, I went on autopilot. I went to my grocery and grabbed the jerky, trail mix, and pop tarts. I didn't even need them. It was something to do that nursed my half-hope of missing someone. The next couple hours I sorted and re-sorted all the non-refridgable food. Then the boredom set in.

And now I'm fighting it. The dread, sickly, weary feeling of loneliness.

Loneliness. What a depressing word.

The sun could not cheer my mood, even with it's friendly shine. Perhaps I didn't let it. Whatever. Not important.

I had only gone to the corner of the block. The traffic lights, I noted dimly, still worked.

Green light. White man.

Yellow light. Flashing hand.

Red light. Red hand.

Green light. White man.

Yellow light. Flashing hand.

Red light. Red hand.

Green light. White man.

Yellow light. Flashing hand.

Red light. Red hand.

Green-

I wiped my face. Tears and sweat had started to form. Time to head back.

Well, I solved one problem, kinda. I'm not bored.

I lay back down in my bed in my apartment. I beg for merciful sleep to take me away. She does. Eventually.