Bari, South Italy. 29 September 2014
"Mom, I'm home!" I called into the silent house. I could hear the kitchen tap dripping and my small black dog sat at my feet wagging her tail slightly. "Mom!" I called again dropping my school bag on the couch. My mom's bedroom door was closed and when I peeked inside she was asleep on her bed. The train was late again, public transport being unreliable, again. I fried some burger patties and made hamburgers for myself and my mom. I left hers in the microwave, she'll find it when she's hungry. I sat down with my burger and munched while I opened up 9gag for my daily dose of internet stupidity.

In three pages there were six posts about some meteor that hit India. The death toll was pretty high as it hit one of the poverty stricken areas. It was about 6 meters wide and the effects were huge. There were warnings of acid rain, tsunami's and a whole lot of other things over the next couple of weeks.

15 December 2014
It's been two and a half months since the asteroid hit. Scientists being scientists jumped on the opportunity to be the first to discover something about the asteroid. When they cracked the rock a poisonous gas escaped and the first few that touched the rock were diagnosed with a disease that caused internal rotting. For the first few weeks the disease was contained and not contagious. The scientists could not be kept in isolation permanently and the hospitals were forced to release them without understanding what they were diagnosed with. A week later 25 people were diagnosed with the disease. The next week 2000 people were suffering. Currently the total diagnosed is 10 000. It appears to be spread by touch and India and neighboring countries were in a panic. Refugee's from India flocked to the surrounding countries putting pressure on their economies.

The disease's official name is K9O-Schwertwegar. Schwertwegar after the name of the first person to touch the meteor, who died a month after being diagnosed. The media has nicknamed it Goldilocks, ironic considering everyone infected turns blue from lack of oxygen.

7 March 2015
The death toll is 54 million. The disease has become airborne. India's economy has collapsed completely, as well as China's and Pakistan's. The fear is global and conspiracy theorists have submitted theories that the illuminati created the disease and controls who is diagnosed. Of course it's completely ridiculous.

Face masks and sterile gloves are being distributed everywhere: schools, malls, public bathrooms, and even postboxes. The economy is a mess, there are riots and prices are escalating. It's not safe to be out anymore between 4pm and 8am.

19 July 2015
1.5 Billion dead. and thousands passing on everyday. I don't even know why we still go to school. My class of 30 has come down 7. The grade above mine has gone from 200 to 12 students. They are all either being held at home or have passed on.
My dad passed on last week, he was was detained in Uganda and wasn't allowed to come home to say goodbye. I'm surprised my mum hasn't caught it yet... you'd think with her weak immune system she'd be among the first to go.

It's eerie how quiet the city is. Yesterday I took my horse out for a ride, we went to the top of the nearby hill. Normally when up there you can hear the hoots of cars and smell fumes. But it was quiet. Cemeteries are over flowing and so to compensate the council has taken to burning bodies. Across the city there is three large bonfires. Apparently in the larger cities like New York, London, and Cairo there are more than 10 large bonfires, even 17 sometimes going to get rid of the bodies. The economy is trashed, with a lack of miners and a large labour force there is little to no electricity most times. All of the shops have been looted clean.

7 October 2015
4 Billion dead. Farmers are flocking into the city to distribute food to the people and more and more of those still alive are flocking to the country. The concept of money has vanished, people do things for exchange of necessities: food, water, fuel.

You don't realise how many people had pets until they can longer be cared for, I joined a group of 30 that have taken to going to all the houses and flats and breaking in to get everything that has been abandoned and can be used. The radio stations no longer play music and a group of people made it their job to communicate via radio. Clever of them, except when you have no power. Survivors are congregating, understandably. My mother got Goldilocks 4 weeks ago, she is due to die this week.

It breaks my soul. I've wished many times that my mom dies, but now that it's happening... I've spent the past 4 years caring for my mom. And soon I will be relieved of my duty.
Last night I got no sleep because all I could hear was her choking and wheezing and her shallow quick breaths. She is this horid putrid colour, like a rotting fruit. She has always been weak, couldn't open a tub of yogurt. And now she cant even lift food to her mouth.

Today with the group we smashed open this double story house and 3 rottweilers tumbled out. The female had puppies a while back and they have been cannibalising on themselves and owners who obviously decided to die peacefully at home. A family. Two children mother, another mother and a grandparent. Well from what we can tell, the dogs left their heads intact. Any pets found are being boxed up and sent out to the farmlands that can take them or let loose. Those that cannot be cared for are killed. Like the rottweilers. A bullet between the eyes and they are gone.

I never let my pets out of sight, my dogs: Lyka and Dessie, and my horse: Black Beauty. The other horses I left on the farm to graze, a couple of people agreed to create light carts and put them to use as cart horses.

The leader of our group smashed his axe into the small door of this little blue flat. Inside we found enough stored canned and non-perishable foods to feed us all for a week, and an entire room filled with water bottles. I found the woman behind the counter, her rifle still clutched to her chest, she was merely rotting flesh and bone. And stank like hell.

All my friends are dead. Everyone I knew is dead. I am alone. With these strangers.

1 December 2015
700 000 left here in the surrounding countries from what I know.
A year. It's been over a year. I don't know why I am still in the city. A couple of days ago there was a broadcast over the radio which I power on stolen batteries. Everyone in the area who is still alive or healthy is to meet in the city hall to discuss what is our plan of action. A small plane flew overhead as well with a banner with the date and place. Where anybody got the fuel Lord only knows.

I still live in the house my mother and I used to live in. I have my own vegetable garden dominating the entire garden with a small space left where I buried a shoebox of the ashe's from my mom's fire, and another to symbolize my dad. I have planted daisies over the "graves" although those died weeks ago and I have deserted them.

I looked at myself in my bathroom mirror. I have gotten tanned . My green eyes are robed in deep dark bags and my skin is pulled tight with stress wrinkles on my forehead. Before leaving I brushed my brittle hair that hasn't been conditioned in 3 months into a pony tail. Another matted knot had formed which I cut out, leaving a small lock of hair, approx 5cm long hanging behind my ear.

I pulled on my favourite dark green sweater with white polka-dots and brown broad cowbay hat that had faded over the past year, my black horse riding jodhpurs and boots and left the house. No body locked after themselves anymore, no point. There is nobody to steal anything.

I kept Black Beauty in my neighbor's garden so he had some place to relax. I pulled on his bridle and buckled his saddle and left. Dessie and Lyka following. My three pets had become muscular over the past year. Black Beauty had leg muscles of steel and Dessie and Lyka have become lean and fit.

The hall was surprisingly full. A couple of other horses were grazing and there were a few scattered cars and a Jeep.

The noise of quiet talk echoed out the open doors. I left Beauty by the other horses who were grazing from a large pile of lucerne. There was a post to which I tied his reins as well so he doesn't wander off. I walked into the hall with the two at my heels. A few other dogs were in the hall, sticking close to their owners. The hall had about 20 people in it. Is this it. Is this everyone in this city. People watched me walk in and I struggled to keep my chin up. I am a survivor. I am a survivor. I made it. I am alive. I am a survivor. Fuck, shit, balls I mentally repeated to comfort my beating heart. Unsure of where to stand I decided to lean against the wall a little outside the main congregation and hid my face in the shadow of my hat. Listening to the conversation.

29th September 2014
“Hey Kyle, did see that thing on the news? Everyone’s talking about it” Ryan asked as I pulled up a chair for the lecture. I got there approximately a minute before it was due to start which, for me, was actually fairly good timing.

“What thing?” I asked as I whacked out my notepad and pen, “The student protest thing in China? Or the thing about the Ukrainians and the Russians?”

Ryan looked absolutely blank as he heard my words. It obviously wasn’t the news he was talking about… nor the news he found even a little bit interesting. I gave a little shrug to indicate that I had no idea what he was talking about and he then started to tell me some story about a meteor. I only managed to get a brief explanation before my teacher begun the lecture on investigating scenes of suspected arson.

15th December 2014
I heard on the news today that Goldilocks disease had begun spreading like wildfire. It was worrying, but not nearly half as worrying as my coursework deadlines. From what I had heard, the whole thing sounded like it could have been averted through better procedures. Given the recent Ebola crisis, I imagined that they would have developed some strategies that they would quickly start to implement. At the end of the day there’s nothing I can do about it and it probably won’t even affect me; I need to focus on my studies and on getting in better shape.

7th March 2015
Shit’s gotten real. When the army drove up our streets handing out masks and other protective equipment I knew there was something seriously wrong. They could have just been playing it safe, acting in advance, making sure that it never became a problem in this country. That wasn’t the case though. People I knew were suddenly flooding social media with ‘RIP’s and talks of conspiracy. There had been a few riots close by too.

Of the four of us who lived in the house there was only two left, me and Matt. Rob had gone home weeks ago and Will had passed away in his room. We didn’t want to be in the same house as Will when we found out he was ill, and the best compromise we could think of was to simply keep him under room arrest. We never checked on him out of fear of being infected ourselves and we only knew he had passed because of the smell. Neither of us could stand to stay in the house after that and we both wanted to reunite with our families back home.

10th April 2015
It was my twenty-first birthday a few days ago. Matt managed to find us a cake to celebrate. He just acted like everything was fine and normal, like the end-of-days wasn’t upon us. He wasn’t being strong, he was just in denial. We had made our way to his hometown… and there were no survivors, he had lost everything. But he wasn’t the only one. We managed to tune into a radio transmission which warned of no-go zones, my home town being one of them. I wanted to tell Matt that I knew how he felt, that we were going through the same thing but we weren’t. Our situations may have been exactly the same, but people deal with things differently and I had no idea what thoughts or emotions he was going through.

3rd August 2015 – Southern France
FUCK! WHATS THE FUCKING POINT?!

Another empty fucking base. No survivors. The radio lied again. Me and Matt have travelled across the channel and all over France chasing these wild stories about safe heavens and survivor camps but they’re just all bullshit. We’re hungry, we’re lost and we’ve got no idea what we’re doing.

20th September 2015 – Near Rome
We found people today. They tried to kill us. We ran. I lost Matt.

I’m not sad though… I’m angry. I don’t know whether I should move on, whether I should try to find him, or if I should try to kill the group that attacked us. Right now the last option seems the most appealing.

30th November 2015 – Just outside Bari
Today was a quiet day… like most days. I didn’t see a single living thing, no people, no pets, not even a bird. Sometimes on days like this I wonder whether or not I’m simply dreaming, how can this be real? The days all seem to merge together now, the sky never seems to change and the road just goes on and on. But I know I’m not dreaming – because I’m lonely, and the pain is very real.

1st December 2015 – Bari
After camping just outside the town the previous day, I made my way into Bali as the radio had instructed. For the first time in days I could actually hear signs of life and, rather scarily actually, I could hear more than a few voices echoing through the streets. I like to look for the best in people and like to think I have faith in humanity, and yet I couldn’t help but keep my spear firmly in my grasp as I crept along. I wasn’t sure where I was going nor what I was about to come across so I made my way to the top of the tallest building I could find. It only took me a few moments to spot the hall, just because of the movement; there were cars and horses surrounding it and it just felt impossible.

After having a quick bite and finding somewhere hidden to store as much as I could, I made my way there. The prospect of seeing other people again was, regardless of the risks, something that made me feel excited and hopeful. For the first time in many many months I started to worry about my looks and attitude, wanting to make sure that if there was any girls about that I wouldn’t come across as some crazy nomadic spear-wielding freak. There was nothing I could do about my clothing really; my jeans, white long sleeved shirt and red/black varsity hoody were all dirty but at least they were in one piece. I stopped by a window and did my best to wipe the dust from my face, and luckily my hair was so short that it just looked neat regardless. ‘Well that’s as good as I’m going to get’ I smirked to myself before continuing on.

1st October 2014
I get to go to Italy to further my education this is so big I don't speak Italian but I'm eager to learn and it gives me a chance to pickup another language. I got of the plane and got all my stuff an took a taxi to the campus. My dorm is okay and my roommate is pretty cool I guess but it's not like home, I'm sure I'll get learn to live with in time. Anyway it does have something I'm impressed with is I have a decent kitchenette and we're just down the street from a market so I get to cook things that I never could at home.

29th September
I've been in class for about a month and things are going amazingly. I was in class today when it happened something about a meteor hiring India I'm not sure how many people died but it must have been pretty big because there calling for acid rain and tsunamis. I call home about once a week and it helps keeping in touch with people back home if it weren't for that I'm pretty sure I would be failing right now. I'm so lucky no one looks at my notes they would probably look at me like I'm crazy but hey what the hell I know what every thing means and I'm in every class so I'm doing pretty good.

My roommate loves my cooking and I've been experimenting with a lot of food. A lot of my cooking is german based with my own personal touches. I haven't picked up the language very well lucky most people around here speak multiple languages and English is common.

15th December 2014
There is a disease that has come from the astroyd it's absolutely horrifying what it does to those who contract it, it slowly rots you from the inside out. And one of the last things to be affected is the brain so it's even more disturbing be caused you feel almost every as it happens. It's a slow and very unpleasant death
29th November 2015
it's been months scene the outbreak and everyone I've ever cared about is gone my roommate died about a week ago and I've lost everything the worst thing is all I have is my books, I haven't been able to stay in one place for long so I move around the city this started the night my roommate died I couldn't sleep. I move aimlessly around the city looking for supplies and usually staying where I find them
1st December 2015
After another restless night I grabbed my hunting knife and book off the table. Put the knife in it's sheath an left where I was staying that night. I started walking down the street when the roaring of an engine caught my attention, I immediately looked up to be met with the sight of a plane and behind a message for all survivors, a summons to town hall.
"I should probably go to that" I would say to myself
I would walk to town hall and quietly walk in being sure not to make eye contact with anyone. I found a place in the room I though one would pay much attention to me or bother me as I read.

I heard the news over the emergency alert system at a little airstrip in Italy's country side. At the time, I was just annoyed she was going to have to delay the takeoff for my practice flight. Two months later and all air traffic was restricted to commercial and military use only. I was only supposed to be overseas for a few days, but days turned to weeks and weeks into months. I was staying with my flight instructor and his family, who owned a small slice of land about ten miles from the nearest city, Bari. My instructor, his wife and two twin boys stayed out of the city for the most part. The wife was one of those crazy germaphobes, and from the day after the meteor hit she had been insisting we all wear masks. I humored her and always wore it around the house, but whenever I would go out with the twins, we all took them off. Who went fishing with a surgical mask?

Things got real that spring, when it was announced the disease had become airborne. The boys kept their masks on and were no longer allowed out of the house. The wife had declared I was a "bad influence and a threat to their family", and I was asked to move into the barn. I camped out with the family's old mare Sugar and a littler of German Shepherd puppies, who all seemed to enjoy the company. I missed my brothers constantly and worried about what might be happening at home.

Jake, the older of the twins, was the first to get sick. By the end of September he was gone, with his brother Jeremiah following soon after. Their father was next, and by mid November I was left alone with the wife. I was allowed to move back into the house to keep her company, but it was a lost cause. The woman had lost all she loved. She sat in her rocker on the back porch day and night, staring across the empty cornfields with a listless expression. I knew she was hurting, and felt helpless because there was nothing I would ever be able to do to fill the gap in her soul. About a week later, the woman became hysterical, screaming about how it all was a conspiracy, that someone had done this to us intentionally.

I always thought I was tough. I was mature, forced to grow up before I was ready. I always had something to protect, and so I always had to be strong. My self-confidence shattered when the gunshot woke me. I knew immediately the poor woman had just taken her life. I rolled out of the bed and onto the old wood floor, reaching under the bed to grab my combat boots. My hands shook as I got dressed and shoved some things into a backpack. My body moved on its own, grabbing things I might need - a change of clothes, my wallet, lots of clean socks, a handheld radio, batteries, a flashlight.... I pulled on my favorite pair of black skinny jeans and sat down on the bed to lace up my boots. I grabbed my pocket knife from the bedside drawer and stuck it into my right boot. I paused for a moment before I stood up again, wondering what it was I planned to do. I checked my watch, as if it had the answers. It was November 27th, 4:49 am. I stood up, tugged on a fresh tee shirt and shouldered my backpack before heading out the front door. I skirted around to the barn, careful not to look at the scene on the back porch.

The pups were waiting for me, and they jumped out of a pile of hay to great me. Two of them had died of distemper some time the beginning of the fall, leaving just the two males. I had named them Akira and Roscoe, after two of my dogs from back home. I ruffled their ears in turn before I moved over to Sugar's stall. "Hey, old girl." I croaked. My voice sounded weak, tired. The horse snorted and butted my chest with her nose, making the corners of my mouth turn up in the slightest smile. I was planning on going to the city, but there was no way I could ride old Sugar the whole ten miles. The poor girl was having trouble even coming out of her stale to graze in the morning. As bad as I felt about it, I knew she wasn't long for the world, and I decided to leave her behind. I let her out to graze, propping the barn door open with some sandbags so she could come and go as she pleased.

With a great sigh, I looked over my shoulder at the house. I knew I should go check the wife, that I should lay her to rest with her boys, but I couldn't do it. I had no deep attachment to the woman, but the thought of burying her brought to many dark thoughts about what might be happening back home, to my brothers. No, I refused to think about that.

I took off down the dirt road toward Bari, the two young German Shepherds falling in at my heal.

--

I arrived in Bari on December 1st. A radio call had gone out a few hours after I arrived, requesting all survivors head to the city hall 'to discus their plan of action'. I was reluctant at first, but I didn't know what else to do. Roscoe whined and pawed at my leg, bringing me out of my trance. "Okay, let's go, boys."

I had no idea where city hall was. So, I wandered about for around an hour before I spotted another person. After seeing him, I was reminded of what a sight I probably was - my hair was in a messy braid down my back, twigs twisted into the braid. My jeans were dirty and torn at the knee. Lucky, I actually still had a pretty decent shirt, just a plain drab green tee. I was afraid to confront the guy, so I stayed a respective distance and just followed him, hoping he was going to city hall. He was.

There weren't a whole lot of people, probably around 25, but just enough to make me a little edgy. Akira and Roscoe stuck close, their usual energy gone and a wary look in their eyes instead. Although I was nervous, I kept my head high as I wandered into the building, boldly meeting the eyes of anyone who happened to look up at me. For the most part, people seemed to be keeping to themselves, which was just as well in my opinion. I found a spot towards the center of the room against the wall where I could stay out of the crowd, but close enough to hear what they were talking about. I sat down, leaning against the wall. My eyes darted between the different faces, and I realized I was scowling. I didn't really want to give the impression I wasn't friendly, so I quickly fixed my glare and tried to look a little more sociable as I waited for something to happen.

South East London, 29 September 2014
I unlocked the door of my house after going to the gym. My mother an father were out together, and I would have the house to myself until midnight. It was 6pm, and already beginning to get dark. I went inside, and turned on my PC. The TV was still on, set to BBC One. I went onto Reddit, and there were posts about an asteroid that had landed in India. BBC One confirmed this. It had hit a poor area, and there were a high number of deaths. There were warnings of very severe weather.

27 March 2015
My whole family is dead. So are my friends. I'm alone. I've joined a group of bandits my age, maybe we can live together. I found a bow and a quiver, with at least 20 arrows, in one of the forests near to where I live. I've used it once or twice, and i'm quite good with it.

5 November 2015
We found someone today, a boy, our age. We wanted him to give us everything that he had, but he refused. The leader of the bandits, he - he gave me the task - of punishing him for not giving us anything. He made me - kill him. He gave my a knife, and I - I stabbed him. I stabbed him , in the stomach, and... I did it... I did it slowly, and... I don't know, but it... it felt slightly good. I don't know why it felt good, I'm supposed to be a Catholic, I'm not supposed to kill. I think I've got to get away from these guys for my own good.

7 November 2015
I've left the bandits. I took my bow and quiver, food and... a knife. I had to kill one of them to make my escape. It was just the two of us, so I sneaked behind him, covered his mouth to stop him from screaming, and use the knife to stab him in the stomach. I hope God forgives me. I ran away, and realised that i'm on the way to Biggin Hill Airport. I shouldn't be too far now.

9 November 2015
I've gotten to the airport. There's nobody here, but there are a couple of planes. Looks like people made off, but decided to go another way. Tomorrow, I'll fly somewhere. I found a radio, and it seems like there's a base in Geneva. There's so many people raving about it I can hear talks about it up here. I'll check the fuel in the Cessna, and then leave tomorrow.

10 November 2015
I'm over Europe right now - southern Switzerland, or northern Italy. It only took about 3 or 4 hours to get to Geneva. I did a flyby, but there was no base. No safe haven. I fact, there were some people trying to jump up from building roofs to grab onto my plane. I kept flying straight, hopefully there's another place for me to go, hopefully they have an old airport of airstrip, or at least a motorway for me to land.

11 November 2015
I found somewhere with people. Bari, in southern Italy. I landed at their disused airport, and am now trying to integrate with them.

1 December 2015
I'm in the town hall, waiting for a meeting to begin. We're just waiting on the last couple of people. I've picked up a few Italian words, but thankfully my English and GCSE French has gotten me far enough so far.

Sept. 29th, 2014 - Texas.

I remember that day, still. The videos on YouTube of the asteroid, not that different from the footage of the one that hit Russia. Imgur did their thing and made Dragon Ball references and things, it became a trending hashtag on Facebook and Twitter, but apart from that I didn't really care. All I cared about was the drought. The National Weather Service said there was a 30% chance of rain that day. It's strange how that number is stuck in my head now, for all of time. I couldn't tell you what videos were playing in my YouTube subscriptions list, but I can still tell the chance of rain for that day.

It never did rain.

Dec. 2014

That was when it officially became K9O-Schwertwegar. An alien virus released from the asteroid by the scientists who were all but falling over each other for a chance to get a sample. As some of the smartest people on the planet, that was pretty dumb. No regard for quarantine? They didn't entertain even the possibility that something could go wrong? There are documented extremophiles on Earth and the fools didn't think for a moment that a virus could survive in vacuum. I remember thinking that maybe they'd take things a little more seriously. Sure there was a death toll, but people were blowing it out of proportion, just like Ebola. All they had to do was use some common sense and we'd be fine.

March 2015

54 million. Fifty-four million. Killed by Goldilocks. This wasn't Ebola, this was spread through touch alone, and now it was airborne. India was crippled and dying, so was China. Hardly surprising considering the dense population, with everybody breathing each others air. The first thing I remember doing when I started hearing about the death toll was delete the Plague Inc. app from my tablet. It suddenly seemed in poor taste. I'd never actually gotten television where I lived, all of my news came from the Internet, so I wasn't getting as much of the radical spin on things, but people were plenty panicked.
Like most Texans following the Gun Legislation rumors in 2013 & 2014, I'd already been stocking up on ammunition, namely .22, .222 and 9mm, as well as everything I'd need to pack my own shells, but that could only last so long. I made the drive into town and went to the nearest Academy. Most of the ammo was long gone, but I was lucky enough to buy a crossbow and a whole lot of bolts. There was no way I was teaching myself how to use a compound bow and too many people were defaulting to guns without any thought of what to do when the bullets ran out. I started stocking up and heading home, waiting.

Oct. 2015

The death was around 4 billion now and I was getting ready to leave. It was too risky to stay. Farmers were traveling into cities to provide food and aid, but it was a death wish. Gathering so many people in one area was just increasing the chance of infection. New York City had become a Ghost Town within a fortnight when the trucks stopped running. There wasn't much farmable land in the Concrete Jungle.
I was also having trouble with border jumpers. They'd call out to me as the made their way to Mexico, asking for food and water. It was the first time I'd run into someone trying to illegally leave the States. I turned them all down. I'd played this game for too long. Three come up to the house, one maybe a woman. The rest would hide behind trees and wait for you to let the others in and then BAM! You're tied up and your food and guns are gone. No thanks. They thought they were being sneaky, but the Mexicans had done it long before them and they'd done it better. The dogs kept them out of my yard and my guns kept them from baiting the dogs.

It wasn't long until I loaded my horse, Chopper into a trailer to move. I made sure either I or Chopper could carry everything I loaded into the truck, loaded the dogs and gas cans and left. I'd spent the previous two day with my dogs, looking over my shoulder while I knocked down fences with the dozer and opened fences to the highway and neighboring properties. I wasn't going to leave my cows to starve. I turned on the water pump to make sure the tanks never ran dry and left.
The well would dry eventually, who knew when. A freeze would probably hit and break a pipeline, limiting water flow, but there'd be water on the property at least. For the cows and anyone fleeing. I didn't think the hunters would be coming around this season. They were either dead of thinking of something beside bagging a deer.

I remember being sad. Incredibly sad. I'd put a lot of work into that ranch and those cows. It had been a while since I'd heard from anyone I knew and, as I drove away, it made me realise that everything I knew was dead or dying. I was even losing my home. But I had to leave, there was no way I could survive on my own out there. I needed to get somewhere with some people, but not too many. So if anything happened, there would be medical aid or someone to keep the crazies in check. I remember that I actually cried as I left.

Nov. 2015 - Bari.

Italy. Of all the places I never thought I would end, I'd never considered Italy. The place was beautiful, a costal region which was smart. There was rain from the ocean and fishing to supplement livestock. I'd driven to Portland with little incident, but still... There were plenty of people reverting to banditry and less savory practices. I'd helped a few people along the way and avoided others. Portland didn't really surprise me. A borderline hippy commune looking to restart under the tenants of peace and equality through fire juggling? Portland in a nutshell. Hawaii was overrun before I even considered it, everybody had had the same idea, so I went the other way. One of the Portlander's I helped mentioned Bari, but I'd been skeptical at that point. The midnight raid on the commune had changed my mind. A lot of people died, mostly because they were unwilling or didn't know how to fight. I released at that moment that I had to at least try for something better.

There had been a boat offering passage to Bari, for a price. The vessel was decent and seemed sea worthy and a case of whiskey and all the cigarettes and drugs I'd scavenged from those killed in the raid bought me and the dogs a place. A steady trigger finger helped me keep my guns and negotiate Chopper and some hay on board. The trip was quite peaceful. Most pirates were saving gas and staying on the mainland, and it took a little less than a week to arrive.

Now.

A meeting had been called at the Town Hall, a short ride from my new home. After I arrived and got sorted they gave me the house of one of the former residents who'd either died or fled. It was near the outskirts and they'd placed me in charge of some of the livestock. A few cows and things, since I had no experience with pigs or goats. There were a few chickens in a decent chicken coop, but that was about it. From what people were saying, there were maybe 700,000 people left on the planet. We were now officially outnumbered by cattle. And pigs. Chickens alone outnumbered humanity around 27,000-to-1.
I'd started thinking back to Prairie Dogs. Occasionally Prairie Dog towns would pop up on the ranch and their population would grown and grow and grow until they were hit by plague. Then the town would die out and they'd start over again. It felt like that's what was happening to humanity, our town had gotten so big that when the virus hit there was almost no way it couldn't spread.

I saddler Chopper and made my way to Town Hall, handgun holstered and crossbow slung. The people in Bari seemed good, just folks trying to survive a bad situation, but I'd always carried when I went out into the pastures. It was a hard habit to lose, especially after Portland. The dogs were quick to follow, running ahead until I'd call them back before arriving at the Hall and tying Chopper next to some of the other horses near water.
As I made my way to the door, I instinctively pulled a brush from the pocket of my cargo pants and tidied my hair before tying it into a ponytail and putting a hat on. It had gotten longer in the year since the asteroid hit and my beard had started to make me look like a young member of ZZ Top. It was getting annoying. Unzipping my Carhartt jacket, I entered the Hall out of the Italian winter, the dogs following close behind.

"Val! Kainde! Alanis! Down!" I snapped as the dogs began to jump up on people excitedly. Val was a little female Schnauzer and wasn't so bad with Alanis, my German Sherpard/Whippet cross not being too heavy with her greyhound-like physique, yet always avoiding any male that wasn't me, but Kainde was a heavy set, barrel-chested Beagle/Airedale Terrier cross and he look like a black, white and tan Snoopy with thick claws that scratched through light clothing. They were adorable idiots, but their claws could still hurt.

"What have I said? It's fine with me, but that's it!" I looked over the gathered group, "Sorry."

Calling the dogs over, I made my way to a nearby wall and sat down against it, Val immediately jumping in my lap, Kainde plopping down at my side looking at everybody with intense fascination while Alanis sat on her haunches, looking at me before lifting a paw and placing it on my shoulder.

"Fine, come here." I said, letting her nuzzle under my other arm as I petted Kainde and Val, waiting for the meeting to start.

Florence, Italy. 29 September 2014
I had finally settled into my new apartment for the next seven months. I got into NYU Firenze and was going to live in Italy away from my family in the states. Not that they cared. My girlfriend Addison came with me, since we both had gotten accepted (by some stroke of luck). As the Italian news blurts some random garbage too quick for me to fully understand with my limited knowledge of the language, I walked up behind my adorable little redhead and wrapped my arms around her waist.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asks me, turning her head slightly.
I look out at the the gorgeous city in front of me, a mix of the old and the new all around in that distinctly european way. The sun setting over the low clay roofed homes and apartments and painting the sky a vibrant orange...
"Yes it is. We get to create our own life here. Away from our families. Away from the stress of our old lives. We finally get to start over... This is our new beginning."
She takes a sip of her coffee, and there is a moment of silence... I rest my chin on her shoulder and we watch the sun slowly lower itself out of the sky...
Then she turns her head and kisses my cheek. "I love you Miyka."
I smile at her and turn her around, bringing her in for another kiss. "I love you too."

15 December 2014
Addie's worried about some disease overseas called "Red-Riding-Hood" or something like that, I'm still getting used to Italian and she insists on speaking it all the time. I don't mind though... her voice is lovely speaking its beautiful tones and rolling r's. I hope this new life of ours never ends...

7 March 2015
Something's happening. This disease has apparently been uncontainable to the point that the entire world is at risk. Me and Addie were given masks at the school, and there is now a strict curfew. Riots led to the legislature putting martial law into effect, and the military here guns down anyone on the streets after 8pm. I won't wear the mask. Everyone is being ridiculous. This is exactly the kind of nonsense I left the states to avoid. I've shared my views with Addie. She's going to wear the mask just in case, but she agrees with me.

19 July 2015
Me and Addie are among fourteen people still attending our courses at NYU Firenze... there are only three professors. I still wont wear a mask. I figure I've had good luck so far. But Addie is deathly afraid for me. She wants us to stop going to school. With the number of people dead, it's hard to argue with her. At least the stores still sell food.
Addie had a weird experience today. A man walked out of an alleyway in front of her wearing A hooded robe fashioned out of a bedsheet. Anyways I guess this crazy homeless dude smacked her in the face and ran... Freaking weirdo...

7 October 2015
Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. It should have been me. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. I never wore the masks, I should have died and she should have lived. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead.

I'm hungry but I cant eat. Thirsty but water burns my throat. Tired and yet I can never sleep. I want to die. I want to die. My Addie. My Addie...
Addison is dead. Addison is dead. Addison is dead.

ADDIE IS DEAD.

1 December 2015
Nearly fourteen months since that day i tempted fate into giving me a new beginning. After Addie died I couldnt live in Florence anymore. The military was gone and the people were in anarchy. Firenze had fallen, fires burning out the city. Ever since I left I have been travelling in a masked hoodie. I found some leather gloves and put those on... I wear these black and silver swimming goggles now. Thick jeans. Combat boots that I've modified a little to let me free-run. My swords are all strapped to my back. My 100lb. draw weight PVC crossbow on my right thigh. My Pencil bolts in a small leather hip quiver on my left side. I don't talk much to people now. I never had time to learn the language and my Rosetta stone software is useless now without power... Everyone speaks Italian. Fucking bullshit.

There was a plane. It had a message saying to head to the town hall of whatever damned city I'm in now. I figure if everyone's headed there, maybe I'll find some people who speak a lick of English.

I get there... There's people, but not alot... I don't know yet how to find anyone who speaks English. Hopefully whoever organized this little sideshow will get us talking soon... and hopefully he'll speak slow enough that I can understand...

It was holiday for me when this all started. I went for two weeks in Bali with my family, I packed my clothes and even brought my hockey stick incase I got bored but we never went back to England. My family are all dead but I try not to think about it. I had my apocalypse plan all figured out but the only thing that has gone right so far is my weapon is my hockey stick. I thought I could protect my family but that didn't happen, yet I'm still here. In an instant there was an engine over head and I looked up to see a plane with a banner calling for a gathering at the town hall. Odd... fuel would be gone by now, eiher way better not keep them waiting.

I arrived at the town hall with my weapon loosely held and my backpack slung over my shoulder, wearing my blue hoodie, shirt and jeans. Not the warmest wear granted but clothes isn't and have never been my priority. I decided to find a spot where someone could talk to me if needed but otherwise I could keep to my self. There were a few people in the hall, some conversing and some not but either way I was sure I would have some sort of dwaling with most of them. I eagerly awaited someone to explain why the congression was taking place.

Teri, Dessie and Lyka
I watched the small group as people filed in, drip by drip. First that I noticed was a girl with a green T-shirt the same green as mine, just lighter. Two german shepherds trailed her. I tried to shush Lyka as she began to growl, but she would not listen. "God you're antisocial, you take after your mother" I whispered angrily to her.
Next was a muscular teenager, then a man with three dogs. He sat opposite the hall from me and Lyka would have none of it, the hair on her hackles began to rise and she started making this annoying high pitched yap. I scolded her and this did nothing to calm her down. Annoyed I chased her out of the hall and dug through Beauty's saddlebag to find their leads which I clipped onto Beauty's lead.

When I walked into the hall someone new had arrived and a head of floppy un-cared for black hair popped up from behind a counter at the end of the hall. At first I stared at the face, I recognised it for some reason. Then he turned at looked towards the entrance of the hall. As soon as I saw his light blue eyes I knew who he was, "Jed!" I called before waving and running towards him, "Teri!" He came towards me and I engulfed him in a huge bear-hug. "I haven't seen you for months, where have you been?" "I have been here, you know, surviving and stuff." Jed and I had a fling in high school and were dating a month before the meteor.

"That's you, you're a survivor" he let me go and I asked him "So you're the one that broadcasted the message?" "Yep, I hacked the system" "seriously?" "No, I went to the broadcasting station. Walked in and talked into the mic. Anyway. I've got a meeting to run. You'll see what I mean just now, if you can please ask everyone to leave their weapons in a pile on the table." "Suuure.. ok"

He grabbed a radio thing from behind the counter and went outside, through the door I noticed the jeep was his. While he scratched in the jeep I went to the nearest person: a boy with a, hockey stick?
"Hey, could you please leave your.. err... stick and weapons on the table and ask everyone else to do the same"
I went around to everyone in the hall, including the girl with the two shepherds and the guy with three small dogs.

As the activity in the hall began to pick up, my nerves started to fray. I didn't like being in closed quarters, and although the building was a reasonable size, there were far to many strangers around, all who were probably just as nervous and edgy as I was. The dogs picked up on my emotions and stuck close, despite the temptations of the other canines in the town hall. Akira sniffed my cheek sympathetically, while Roscoe sat with his fluffy tail curled around his forefeet, eyes darting about with nervous excitement.

The building was starting to fill with a mixture of people. Some were around my age, while others seemed to be in their twenties. Some had dogs with them, and I noticed some even had horses tied out in the grassy area next to the hall. I felt a pang of guilt at the sight of them, remembering poor old Sugar. I shouldn't have left her behind, but I was scared and thought I wouldn't be able to take care of her.

A girl approached me. She looked about my age, though her face looked like she had gone through a lot. Although she looked tired, and her hair and face was a mess, she still had a certain look to her that I respected. I wasn't sure what it was, but most of the people in the building seemed to have it, save a few. It was something in the eyes, a glint of defiance that told people they weren't willing to go down without a fight.

I stood up as she came closer and stuck my hands in my back pockets in a non-threatening way. Roscoe stood up and wagged his tail, woofing a soft greeting while Akira sat calmly at my side. The girl asked me to put any weapons I had on the table. I looked around and spotted the table, which was slowly gathering a pretty pathetic collection of make-shift weapons.

"Okay, sure." I said, though I wasn't crazy about the thought of disarming. I took the machete I had hanging from my belt and walked over to place it on the table. I made a mental note of which one was mine, because there were already two other machetes on the pile. I hesitated for a moment, then decided not to reveal the knife in my boot. I walked back over to my spot by the wall, keeping my eyes peeled for any suspicious figures.

A couple more people began walking in, and everyone was visibly nervous, even some people's dogs. A girl, not too much older than me, walked up to me, and asked for my weapons to be placed onto the table. She was clearly talking about my 100 lbs draw weight compound bow. I walked up to the table, and placed it, and my quiver of arrows, onto the table. I put his hand on the knife hidden in the waistband of my tracksuit bottoms, and paused. Should I put it down on the table, I thought, or keep it, just in case? I pulled it out, and placed it on the table, it's what God would want, and I've already sinned enough. I walked back to my seat, and sat down. I had my messenger bag on his lap. The contents of this bag, the bow, quiver, the clothes he was wearing, and knife were my only belongings. I discreetly connected his earphones to his phone, and strung one though a sleeve of his hoody. I started playing some music, quiet enough so that other people didn't notice it. Thankfully, the bag that I had picked up when I ran out of my house had my solar charger. I was surprised that I had kept it going this long. I hoped that this meeting could get started quickly, I wanted to get back to hunting food.

People slowly trickled in while I read, some one came up to me and asked to take my weapon and pointed at my knife and I looked up at her and she said "please put it on the table" and I looked at her and bent the corner of the page stood up and walked over to the table and put my knife on the table and went back to the corner and surveyed the room, then I went back to my book. I looked up from the book on occasion to see what was going on. I looked up at the crowd if you could call it a crowd and looked them over they all seemed capable which is no surprise seeing as they're all still alive. I saw a couple of cute girls among the group. I decided to stop reading and go try and get conversation started with someone I would walk up to some one with a panda necklace and would say "hi"

I watched as people slowly trickled up to the table, placing down an array of weapons. I tried to tell myself it should put me at ease, but then I would think about the knife in my boot. Just how many others still had weapons tucked into clever hiding places? The whole disarming thing was obviously meant to signal peace, but how can there be peace if nobody trusted the person standing next to them? Everyone's survival instincts were in play; and if you want to survive, that usually means you don't trust a group of complete strangers.

Of course, I made sure my expression revealed none of my unease. Instead, I leaned against the wall, twisting the end of my braid in my fingers. Akira sat patiently by my feet, but Roscoe was starting to become restless. He wagged his tail and barked playfully at the other dogs, then would quickly pull his ears against his head and look over his shoulder at me, waiting to be scolded. I let him be for the most part, so long as he wasn't running about and acting like an idiot.

He woofed excitedly and nudged my leg, wagging his tail as some guy walked towards us. I had noticed him reading on the other side of the room, and had briefly wondered how he could be so laid back about the whole situation, but hadn't given it any more thought then that. The guy was maybe just a little older then me, and around five or six inches taller, but that didn't bother me much. Besides, he looked relatively friendly. Maybe it was the glasses.

"Hi." The guy said simply, and I smiled. It seemed so weird, talking to people. I mean, the world was ending, probably over half of the people in the world were dead. Such a simple, friendly greeting just seemed so out of place it was almost funny.

"Hi there. Nice weather we're having, huh?" She said with a hint of friendly sarcasm.

There was a dog barking excitedly next to a blonde girl, but my hands were quick to catch my dogs' collars. Alanis wanted to examine every animal, Val would act like she was being murdered if something so much as startled her and Kainde could sound vicious when he wanted to. The last thing this place needed was a dog fight and I was suddenly kicking myself for forgetting their leads. The blonde girl had apparently remembered hers though, and ushered her dogs outside before things got worse, or at least louder.

"Sorry." I apologised as she returned, "Keep forgetting their leashes. And dipshit here," I said, nodding at Kainde while patting his head playfully, "Keeps chewing through Alanis' collar."

If there was one thing I was still getting used to, it was the age difference of the Bari refugees. Most of the survivors who'd made their way to Bari were in their late teens at best, some in their early twenties. There was a guy making the rounds, asking everyone to put their weapons on the table. He looked like he'd barely graduated High School before Goldilocks hit, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt despite his age. I'd too much K.A Applegate growing up to be in a position to criticise, unless he gave me reason to. Disarming, though? That made me uncomfortable.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, man, I ain't too comfortable with that. Enough people catch on that we disarm at every town meeting, it's gonna give 'em a pretty obvious target. I've seen it happen too many times before, and that was before Goldilocks." I said. There was no challenge in my voice, just my usual stating of facts. Or at least what I took to be facts, anyway. "You have a room where everyone's carryin' and you're a lot less likely to have some idiot thinkin' they can get away with shootin' the place up."

She smiled and sarcastically said "Hi there, nice weather we're having, huh?" I chuckled a bit and smile held out my right hand and said "oh just wonderful, My name's Andrew." I started to think she thinks I'm crazy or something but there's no harm in being friendly and honestly she wouldn't be the first to think so and she probably won't be the last. Anyway it's good to do this to show people that even though a majority of the population has been wiped out there are good things, and to cool peoples nerves.

They were taking the weapons. THE WEAPONS.
My need to survive is far greater than my need for companionship. Whats more... these swords are apart of me now. To remove them from my body would be the same as severing my limbs... No. I need to leave now. Luckily my presence has inspired little more than a few glances. However, if they are trying to kill us all then there may be guards at the door to stop anyone with the interest of keeping their weapons from leaving. Feigning an interest in the restroom to deter any wandering eyes I slip into the womens restroom, thankfully vacant. The mens would not open into the alley way that would most benefit me. Quickly I slip through the window into the shadow of the two buildings beside me.

I begin to slink away from the Town Hall, but I then realize that my instinct may place me in a particularly strong position of exploitation. If I could listen into the conversation without giving up my weapons, then I would be uniquely suited to aid any individuals put in a position of danger. Furthermore, knowing the goings on of this city may enable me to survive here longer than in the other cities I've traveled through.

Pondering this a moment I make my decision and circle the building for a drainpipe. Finding one, I shimmy my way up it and back around to the alley-side of the town-hall.Finding a window that opens into the lobby where everyone is gathered. I drop myself down to the window, gripping the top frame and standing on the sill. The darkness of the alley behind me should prevent me from being noticed through the window. Crouching on the sill I draw my Tanto and slice away one of the rubber seals on the miniature panes of glass. Then, sheathing the weapon, I blow into the rubber seal, sending the glass out through the path of least resistance, and into my waiting hand. I then place the sheet of glass into my backpack.

Finally I hammock myself between the walls right under the window. now I should be able to listen in relative safety.

I waited for a while and noticed that people began to place their array of weapons on the table. A woman came up to me and asked that I do the same and I was skeptical at first but in the end I complied if it was to hurry the meeting to a close. Meetings bore me and in my opinion actions speak louder than words. I slwoly wondered to the table and dropped my hockey stick on to the pile of weapons, there was some nice stuff here. I went back to my spot and waited again, anything to draw my attention right now would be great as well as starting this meeting.

I was listening to my music, and saw someone walk into the women's loo. This was weird, as it was a man, not too much older than myself, who went in. I would have followed, but both of my weapons were on the table.

Teri
Everyone put their weapons on the table, except for a tall blonde that disappeared. I stood next to the table and waited awkwardly for Jed. He sauntered back into the hall with a long sickle, a rake and a spade over one shoulder. He was holding his chin up and walked with confidence. Which made everyones eye's follow him. He walked up to the table and threw his items ontop, trying to make as much noise as possible. Head still down, staring at the pile of weapons he began to speak:

"700 000. 700 000 people left in the world. Seven hundred thousand." He sounded out each syllable. The room was eerily silent and all eyes were on him. He turned around to face everyone:
"The world population has gone from 7 Billion to a fraction of a percent of what it used to be. And by some stroke of luck, there's quite a few of us here in our little old Bari. I heard in New York, there's only one person."
What are you doing Jed?
Then he rose his voice:
"But I must admit I'm disappointed! It's been over a year and nobody in this room tried to help anyone else survive. No! You all sit here by yourselves, I have seen a total of five people talk to each other. We can't do this by ourselves people. It will destroy us all.
I made the mistake of thinking I could do it alone. I thought I could save my family. I did everything: I cleaned, cooked, and cared for all eight people in my family. And all that happened is they got worse. I managed to make their going easier, but as they got worse my job got harder. The night they died, is the night I collapsed. The night I was too exhausted to continue.
While I was out on the floor my friend Jake helped them. Thanks to him my family went without pain. He did what I could not.

Jake died two weeks ago, when there was not a doctor to help him bind his broken legs. Lack of blood, a severed artery is what killed my dear Jake.
And you know what he said!"

Jed had tears in his eyes

"He said, 'help them survive.' Help them survive Jed! Those were the last words my best friend gave me! When the world was burning, everything was lost, our homes, our family, our hope. Jake was there for me with his big goofy grin"

Jed began to sob.

"And I intend to do the same."

Everyone watched him as he took a moment to compose himself.

"So I propose a group. A group that survives together. We have all survived this far. So let's survive to the end.

I intend to bring food, shelter, safety and my love to this group. I want to restore the hope in the world. I also plan to find those that have been lost and help them. Who know's how many people, children. Are out there, scared. And alone.

It has been a hard year, for everyone here. No point in denying that. But hope is not lost, you all being here is proof of that. You all came, hopeful for something.

I would hold it dearly if you joined me. Tomorrow I intend to go out to a abandoned farm on the outskirts of Bari, there I am going to build a fortress for myself and everyone who come past. There will be fresh food, water and shelter all day everyday. Then when I find a successor for my fortress, I am going to travel the world and find everyone. And I'll bring them to my haven. But I cannot do this alone. So I ask you"
he made eye contact with everyone in the room, his large dark eyes stirring something in everyone's soul.
Will you join me, my friends?"

I gawped at Jed, my heart thumped in my throat.

"I'll help you" at some point during his speech I sat down. Jed looked genuinely grateful and tears came to his eyes again as they made contact with mine. "Thank you" he croaked out a blocked throat.
What are you up to? I thought. Why are you doing this, it's not your responsibility

It took me a moment to decide. I have always had a good eye for people... Jed seemed genuine... but... definitely daunted by the task before him. I could see in his eyes that he knew the difficulty of what he proposed. Searching the world for survivors... It would be dangerous... and it would take a lifetime. And a farm? There was much to discuss. And alot of trust would have to be gained... But I was willing to follow this person.
Opening the window I sat down on the sill ten feet above everyone and shouted, "I'm with you."