Praying!

Pip put on her saftey gear and headed out in to the empty streets of Vancouver. She was alone, there was barely anyone left in the city she was born and raised in. The 2020 pandemic took everyone she had ever known. There were people around, but mainly people she had to protect herself from. Everyone was an enemy and she knew, she had to keep herself safe, until it was her time to leave this earth. She got on her bike and rode to the local grocery store to see what was available. The people left around her part of town, were pretty good, they didn't take everything on the shelves. They left some for each other. She was now prone to eating pasta and sauce and making her own bread. Seemed the best way to fill herself up and keep herself nourished was to eat simple. She was able to continue a nice little deck garden at the place she was living in. She chose an apartment, less seekers came to the apartment buildings. She knew how to keep herself safe atleast for now. She stayed clear of others and kept herself busy, planning out protection plans if ever attacked.

The pandemic came fast and took the living in a short time. She was on her own as it was, but she knew her people were gone early on in the pandemic, she was notified of their passing. She thought her time would come too, but it didn't and she was left to take care of herself, best she could. There was one friend she never heard from and was not sure if he was alive or not. She knew where he was residing before the pandemic, she did a drive by, but no such luck in seeing him. Her childhood friend, she couldn't imagine he never made it. He had to have made it, he was like her and they had both always known it. Like her meaning special, survivors. Yet she wasn't always sure, she wanted to be a survivor. Especially now, with all the others gone. She rode her motor bike to all the areas they would have gone together, but never seeing him or anyone for that matter, usually if she did see someone she hid and made sure she was not able to be followed.

Every day, Pip went in search for Lance, but she never had any luck almost a year since she had been looking. Pip gathered he was gone too, but she never stopped looking. The others she was sure about, she was notified, but not of Lance. So she was always hopeful. There were times she would walk up to total strangers, thinking it was him and once she got close enough she realized it wasn't him. Today she decided to go in to a starbucks and whip herself up a drink, with whatever was left in the shop. This one didn't have a lot of stock left, she could tell others came to the shop hoping to bring back the tastes of Starbucks when it was in full swing. Bustling with people and barista's. It wasn't the same, being behind the counter now, no one there. Everyone gone and no electricity to make a real great drink. She almost let herself sink in to sadness, but instead she lifted her head. Thought of the great memories of a great cup of hot coffee, gathered some supplies and decided to make a good old starbucks coffee in her apartment, heating everything up on her bbq. Her mood changed and she couldn't wait to get back to her place to have a little dinner and a coffee. Even though life was different now, she wasnt lacking in food. She was thankful she learned to make bread and love it.

The next morning she woke earlier than usual. The sun shining in on her apartment. She whipped up a cup of coffee and had a piece of bread. She headed downstairs and opened up the front door to get some fresh air. Realizing she was in her pajamas a hoodie and some her comfy Ugg boots. She stretched and yawned. Praying to God for a miracle some kind of change. Some magical time travel in to another life, where people were. The people that loved her and she remembered loving them. She prayed with all her might. Just when she was about to turn and head in to her lonely apartment. She saw a figure a tall lanky unfed man, that was smiling at her. It was Lance smiling at her, right there on the street in front of her.

Pip ran in to his arms and almost knocked him down, but they both just laughed and tried to speak at the same time. All she kept saying was "I knew you couldn't have been dead, though I thought you might be". He shook his head, "No, cause I knew you and your stubborn self would not let the Covid get you," he laughed. "I knew someone had to be here on this empty planet to keep you company," he laughed as he wiped her tears for her and his own. As for Pip she couldn't speak. The tears just ran down her face. She finally took his hand and led him upstairs, realizing this boy needed some food and strength. They had a lot of catching up to do and a lot of planning to do. Would they stay or go travel to another place? Would they give up and leave this Earth together?

Her lonely heart finally woke up and realized that it was and she was lonely, until now. Now that her friend returned to her. As she watched him eat his plate of spaghetti, she went out to the balcony and thanked God for sending this one friend back to her.

They seemed to be right back to the place they left off. Joking and laughing, crying at the ones they had lost. Catching up on where Lance had been and all the places they had looked for each other. "How did you remember this place?" she asked. "You showed me this apartment a thousand times, just one of your favorite buildings". "You said you thought you lived here in another life time", he smiled as he remembered her words. "I knew you may come take over one of the places you loved". She nodded, "Yes that is right". In her head she thanked God again for bringing her a true soulmate friend, that always treated her with kindness and listened to her when she spoke. She remembered the first time they met in grade 4, he was nice to her then and remained nice to her thier entire relationship. She always remembered thinking he must have had the nicest parents in the world, for he treated her like a boy was supposed to treat a girl, with kindness and love, with no other attachments. And she treated him the same, with love and a freeness of not expecting anything unrational from him. Like to love her in a uncomfortable way. They were like brother and sister loyal to the end.

The End