EDEN /// CHAPTER 02 /// COFFEE

CHAPTER 01: imgflip.com/i/9801w2

And so, I walk and walk. Sun’s going down. Or is it going up? I’m not sure. All I know it’s close to night, whether it’s about to happen or already happened. Maybe i’ll find something useful on my walk. Or maybe not. No idea where I am. Probably far from here. So, no survivors like me. Because i’m sure i’m the only survivor. Ha. Alone. So… lots of supplies that nobody took. Yay. If i’m lucky, i’ll be undisturbed during my pointless yet necessary little stroll through… lemme check a street sign… “01831.” Huh. The sign looks new as well, compared to all the rusted cars, dirty walls, and bright yellow quarantine equipment that i’m used to. I’m also noticing… everything’s new. Did I take a nap and God just decided to sweep up? Whatever. I’m also noticing a severe lack of bugs, birds, and other things that just always seem there no matter the odds. Or maybe i’m going insane?

Sometimes I go so insane that I try making up scenarios in my head. Not about the apocalypse, because that’s depressing. About ordinary life. Today i’m dreaming about going to a coffee shop. I spot a building on my 3. The sign above the door is simply labeled “COFFEE”. I don’t mind, I can pretend it says something else, and that the skeleton on the counter is the cashier. I don’t have any money to give him. Guess i’m robbing the place. And then, my delusions are interrupted as I hear a crash from behind. First zombie of the night. It’s broken down the bathroom door and it makes a beeline towards me, but it has a bad case of tunnel vision and in it’s crazed sprint, trips over a table and can only claw it’s way towards me, giving me time to shoot it. I reckon it took about 2 shots for the thing to die. I take a face mask out of my bag as to not catch the infection through my mouth or nose. I don’t know why I hadn’t put it on before. I got caught red-handed, without a mask. The zombie looks good, but not actually, just compared to other ones i’ve seen. No holes in its skin, no missing limbs, aside from some of its left… no wait that it’s right… it’s right hand, which has had the skin peeled off of it, exposing the innards. It’s mostly been itched into oblivion, showing you all those bones and nerves. Yucky. I notice it has a wristband, but I don’t feel like getting close enough to examine it. The infection can spread just through proximity, let alone contact. All I can read on it is a triangle-arrowy symbol and the words “Patient”, and then the words cut off.
Something is definitely wrong here.

In the back room of the coffee shop, I find myself a stairwell leading up to an apartment. Nothing much in there, a few pills, and a battery. It’s probably already been cleaned out. I see the sun going down from beyond the horizon, although it’s partially blocked by a water tower. I knew it was going down, not up when I first saw it. No proof, just a hunch. Best to look away anyways. Last thing you need in the apocalypse is poor eyesight. That’s a terrible thought to think of. Imagine doing what I do, but everything’s all blurry, like you’re looking through goggles made of saran wrap. I look behind me, and it’s much darker. I can’t make out anything past around a mile or two. This is a mountainous region. Very mountainy. With mountains and shit. There’s also a bunch of leaves on the ground. Reminds me of my childhood… eh. I shouldn’t get all introspective about things. I should focus on not dying. Or maybe that thing in the sky. It’s a bright light, and I hear the faintest noise coming from it. Like a rocket ship. I’m pretty sure i’ve never actually been near a rocket ship, but for some reason I recognize the sound. It’s not a rocket, though. It slams straight down, and releases a parachute right before it lands. A large cloud of dust pools around it. I’ve gotta investigate this.

Kerbal Space Program dumbasses.