All in the Past

Just keep running, don't stop, you can't stop, keep going.....
******
Next thing I knew I was awake, lying on a pile of rubble with empty space stretching out in front of me. I knew something had happened, but couldn’t for the life of me remember what (amnesia the doctors are calling it, but I know there’s something they’re not telling me). I tried calling out for help but either no-one heard me or there was no-one to hear. When I realised that wasn’t working I tried to get up. As soon as I did I wished I hadn’t. Something must have fallen on my leg and as I now looked at it I saw that it was bent in a way which can only be described as wrong. It was then that I decided to take a look at my surroundings. Everything that I knew should be around me wasn’t. Huge piles of rubble everywhere I looked, destruction wherever I turned. I must’ve blinked a hundred-and-one times, trying to make myself wake up from what I thought was a bad dream. When that didn’t work I pinched myself, then banged my head against god knows what for good measure, but to no avail. Finally I had to accept that this was real.
******
I'm in the hospital at the moment. Everyone rushes but time goes so slowly. I still can't talk, something to do with shock apparently, but I'm still no closer to finding out what happened. Sometimes a group of doctors stand at the end of my bed and start whispering and I wish I knew what they were saying (my hearings not so hot either). When I say a group of doctors, I mean three. I'm in a make-shift ward with four other people, plus those three doctors. I don't know what to make of it. We can't be the only people here, it’s not possible. Either that or it’s some sort of weird purgatory or someone’s sick joke of hell. Though deep down I know, I know that I'm still alive.
******
I came to in what appeared to be some sort of trench with someone sitting either side of me. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t (that’s when I worked out why no-one heard me shouting). Then a man came up to me and I could see his mouth moving but couldn’t hear him. Then slowly I started to make out what he was saying, “We are going to take you to the doctors, they will look after you. Everything’s going to be fine.”
******
Back to how bad my life is now. After that trench thing they brought me here. I’ve been here for four days now. One of the doctors feeds me at what I assume are meals times, but I always fall asleep straight after, so I'm trying not to eat. The doctors are at the foot of my bed now and I'm pretending to be asleep... No, they can't be serious!? The only survivors?! Of what? Uh-oh, increase in heartbeat, the machine is making a noise. One of them is by my bed now, Dr. Maison. He’s telling me to “quit panicking” and “try to calm down”. How can I calm down when I just heard him saying that we, the seven of us are the only people left in the whole of London?! Wait no, no more needles....
******
My bed seems to have moved. I can't see anyone else. Am I in isolation? Hold on a second, I'm at home. How? It was destroyed, they told me so. I can hear the big clock downstairs chiming once, twice, three times. It must be the afternoon because I think I can hear people
Ellie Moran

outside, but it’s dark... That’s the doorbell ringing. I sit myself up and get out of... OWW! Suddenly everything is dark. I'm in some sort of hole and there is a ledge which I must’ve been sleeping on and have now fallen off. Bloody hell. My leg hurts, the pain is almost unbearable. Have to think of good things, like sunshine, big green tree, home, food. Oh God food, now I'm hungry. There’s a sort of scratching noise coming from somewhere. I look around but it’s too dark to be able to see very far. Then “Hold on, we’re coming!” I see a face coming towards me, a man’s face. He asks me if there are any others with me as he tries to help me to my feet. I shake my head and try to signal to him not to let me go, but he doesn’t understand. He must think I mean there’s no-one else around here. I nod my head vigorously. He seems confused.
“Are you alone?”
I make a face that says sort of.
“Is there anyone else here?”
I shake my head.
“Where did you come from? Can you take us there?”
I shrug my shoulders and shake my head. Eventually he realises this way of communication isn’t working.
“Come with me, we will look after you.”
I’ve heard that one before; I jerk my arm away from him to let him know that.
“Take it easy big guy, I won't hurt you. I give you my word.”
I look into his face, and he seems to be telling the truth. Also, I have a choice; I can stay here in this hole and wait for the doctors to remember that I'm here, or I can go with these people I don't really know but seem nice enough, and they did rescue me. I give the man my arm and nod.
“Alright then, here we go. Alan, come and give us a hand.”
Another face appears out of the gloom and together they half drag, half carry me through some sort of hole in the wall which I assume they made. I try to stay awake and remember all the turns they make through the tunnel, but my head hurts and my leg hurts and I'm tired and eventually I pass out and know no more.
******
“I think we found this one just in time Mag’s, he’s weak.”
“Do you think he could’ve caught the virus? That’s why they leave them in the holes, in hope that there is still a bit of the virus left.”
“What virus?”
I can't believe it. Did those words just come out of my own mouth?! Thank God for that.
“Don't worry about it lovey,” says Mags. “It’s all in the past.”

But it’s not, I know that now. The world as I know it may be in the past, but the future is a whole different story. Everything happens for a reason, maybe one day I’ll find out what happened, and why it happened. But for today, I'm happy knowing that I'm alive, and someone cares.