Living in a world full of a deadly, spreading disease wasn’t on your agenda. Walking the streets with a mask on just to prevent yourself from getting sick was hard enough. You hadn’t heard from your family in years, assumed to be dead so you thought. Passing by the dead being thrown out on the streets and in the water, it was brutal. But you had John, your best friend since the military. You guys enrolled together and grew since. He did his best to keep you safe, and you did your best to have his back though you knew you couldn’t compare.

overtime you noticed John becoming slower and sleeping more. He pointed out how he hadn’t eaten in a while and that it would help him, so you both set out to find something to eat, even if it was one of the deadliest times. It was the worst time for a building to collapse, trapping you and John in the basement of the store. A day had past before you noticed a crack in your mask, the perfect spot for the air to get in. John crouched next to you, removing your mask and covering your mouth and nose with his gloved hand. You attempted to protest, you knew you were done for, that he would get sick. That was until you saw him remove his mask, his skin pale and his eyes bloodshot. The key signs of the sickness. He changed the filter of the mask before putting it on you, you cried out. ”you can’t do this! You can get better, it’s so early!” he hushed you, looking into your eyes. ”Darling I’ve been sick for days, I’m a lost cause.” His voice was raspy, something you thought was from the mask turned out to be from it worsening. He was right, he didn’t have long at all. There wasn’t even a cure yet.