A Life Sentence

May 26th, 2026

May 26th, 2026

Well, today was the day that Elena and I said our goodbyes. She told me yesterday that she was going with Rod and his sister to this cabin out in the middle of nowhere. She begged me to go with her, but I refused. No matter what she said I knew in my heart that it wasn't right. Part of me thinks she didn't either because Rod appeared in his POS truck to pick her up just a few minutes later. She suddenly seemed to have doubts. I think she was afraid that I would be able to talk her out of it. I wish I knew what Rod was saying to her. Part of me thinks it is more than just how things are.

Part of me doesn't blame her for leaving, not really. The army has stopped bringing in supplies now. Perhaps they're all dead, or maybe there is nothing left.

I tried not to be too much of an asshole about it. I gave her some supplies that we had saved as well as a handgun and a shotgun. Rod wouldn't even come into the house; he just sat in the car, the coward. I tried to go out and confront him, but Elena stopped me. She asked it to be one last favor to her. I complied.

I said my goodbyes and made sure to turn my back and be back in the house before she had everything loaded. I was gonna be damned if I would let Rod see me as I watched him drive away with her. I did watch them drive away through a window where I thought they couldn't see me. I doubt Rod saw me, maybe Elena did. I saw her look back one last time before they rounded the corner at the end of the street.

What the hell am I doing? Why the hell am I letting her go? I love this girl more than anyone. Why would I just let her leave? Am I that convinced that it is a bad idea to leave now, or am I just a coward? Did I hate Rod so much that I was blind to the true reality of things? Maybe it is worse than that, maybe I have gone into complete survival mode and I am just thinking about myself. If I am, then I have truly let her down and she is better off without me.

Every part of my being was screaming that if she goes, she's dead, but what was I supposed to do, kidnap her? I guess I could have gone with them, but I truly think that if I did either Rod oe me would be dead shortly after. 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about chasing them down and shooting Rod in the face and bring Elena back, but I refrained. I was tired of death. Anyone still left alive had seen more death than anyone should ever have to face, ever.

For a long time after she left I sat in the house in total silence. The only things I heard was an occasional breeze against the wind chimes outside and the faint ringing in my ears from too much loud music in my teens. It's a weird combination.

I honestly don't know how long I sat there. It was after dark before I really moved again, and that was only because Lucas appeared at my door. When I saw his tall skinny frame in the window of the door I almost cried. He had been like a brother to me since we were kids, even more than my real brother. Thank god he remained healthy.

He could tell something was wrong as he opened the door. He had to use a flashlight because I had not bothered to turn on any lights. Not that it mattered much. These days the power was out more than it was on. Thank god it wasn't the middle of summer or the dead of winter.

After I told Lucas what happened he did what he always does. Wave a hand, say I was better off and to get over it and suggest we go beat his ass. One of those suggestions I took seriously. I was actually kind of jealous of him. He had never gotten so attached to someone before. I think it was because he was afraid to after his parents divorced, but who is to say?

The news he brought shook me out of sadness and stupor. His neighbor had been killed by someone and her house was ransacked. She was just an old lady that Lucas and I looked after. We tried to get her to move in with one of us, but she was set in her ways and wanted to stay in her own home. I have to admit I understand that, probably now more than ever.

I was sorry she died, but she really annoyed the hell out of me sometimes. She always thought she was the world's greatest authority on everything. Once she made her mind up that she was right, well that's all there was to it. It drove me insane.

Lucas also said the last supply drop spot had been closed since no had come in the last few days. Those few of us that were left were on our own. I couldn't help but laugh. That was the point at which I decided that it was time to leave town. Elena just beaten me by just a few hours. Then I cried again because I lost Elena by just a few hours. Maybe I could go find her after.

It's just as well I suppose, Lucas and Elena never really got along and neither one of us liked Rod. At least I wouldn't have to play referee. It's the small blessings.

Of course me and Lucas agreed it was time to leave, but we were smart enough not to just run off into the night. We would take a few more days to go through what supplies we had and weed out the shit we knew we didn't need. We had both kind of become hoarders and kept a lot of crap that we just didn't need. Once that was done we would head to my parents' house. It was far enough away to be safe from large groups of people, but not out in the middle of nowhere. They also had land we could use to survive on.

Once Lucas left I tried the light switch and to my astonishment it actually worked. I sorted through what supplies I could before I got too tired as well as too paranoid about having a light on. So many homes were abandoned now it was weird actually to see someone in a house. I might as well paint a big bullseye on the front door.

When I went to bed I didn't sleep at all. All I could think about was Elena, I mean love her and I let her go. I still wondered what the hell was wrong with me. She begged me to go, but I couldn't I just couldn't. Everytime I closed my eyes last night all I saw was her face as she got further away in Rod's truck.

Obviously I feel like total shit, and I am exhausted, but I have work to do and barely enough time to do it. Already I have decided to board up my windows and spray paint a biohazard sign on the wood. The past couple of days I spotted a small group of guys roaming up and down the street looking the houses over, hopefully they wouldn't notice that one house was suddenly boarded up.

Well, back to work. Elena made her choice and I made mine. I just wonder which one of us was wrong.

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