The last lover's on earth

5 years.

It had been approximately 5 years, 8 months, 6 weeks, and so on and so on, I had stopped listening when she had stated the amount of weeks too. It didn't feel like 5 years at all, it felt like more. It felt like it was my whole life, as if I were born into this inescapable hell that is isolation. Like I was just born, the last person on earth. But that wasn't really the case. The case was it felt like I had knew Her, since birth. I wish that were the case. I knew that was what made it feel like the world had ended as soon as I was born. I met her at world's end.

I wish I had met her sooner though. So we could actually experience what it would be like, as young, innocent adults, in love.

But no, I met her July 15th, 2020. On a Wednesday night. 12:51 am. It was a few days after the government had admitted the intense impact the virus had. That's when the world completely shut down, and Chaos erupted. It was guaranteed that the virus would wipe out everyone. But that's where they were wrong. Nothing could be the cause of the extinction of mankind, other than man itself.

If the virus didn't kill you, everyone else would.

Almost everyone had lost it. Purging and Rioting. As if everyday life didn't matter anymore. This virus was set to be the world's finish. And it was.

Eventually, it got to the point where there was no one. Streets were deserted, and all you could hear was TV static. Now I don't know if they're all dead, or the government came up with some elaborate plan to scoop everyone off the streets and force common sense into their heads, but they certainly weren't here. Or anywhere in the entire Northwest region of America.

The world was quiet now.

Now, I would consider myself lucky, for being able to survive for so long. Hiding could go along ways in some scenarios. Being alone all my life, taught me how to survive in a world that didn't want me to begin with. Running from orphanages, and sleeping in alleyways. I was skilled in pickpocketing, and finding places to sleep.

But, when the world fell quiet, and I actually was alone, the universe sent me her.

Annaliese Attwood.

17 years old. 5 foot 5 inches. 101 pounds. Brunette, with a paled tone, and freckled skin. Round and soft head, with a tiny bit of chub added to her figure. Small waist but swung hips, and a bit of bust. Definitely an intimidating figure in high school. Good grades, perfect life and friends, maybe even a boyfriend. But her life was suffocating, something that always comes with a life that has already been planned out for you since the beginning. Meet your husband in high school to fulfill the high school sweetheart stereotype. Your parents love the boy, and you think you do too, but deep down you know it's either not enough, or too much. Become a lawyer, because father wants you to follow in his footsteps. Have three kids, that's how many grandkids your mother wants. Buy a house a few neighborhoods over from your childhood home because you're never leaving that small town ever. Never escaping. Never living.

One could say they'd be relieved that the world had ended before their "life" had started, but then they'd be considered kind of... a narcissist maybe. But she was far from that.

During our first encounter, she cried.

Like full blown, mental breakdown cry.

I've never been in a situation like that before, and I never want to ever again. All I could do was just stand their and keep my head down, trying to avoid any form of contact. Maybe if I looked uninterested she'd go away.

She didn't.

She then started begging. Hardcore begging. Dropping down on her knees, and holding her hands in a pleading manner. "Please! I've... I've been walking for days. You're the first person I've seen for months..." The best I could do was tune her out till she was finished, for the sake of the both of us.

I agreed just to get her to be quiet.

And though we were complete strangers, it'd seemed that we needed each other way more than we had anticipated.

She had food, I was running out. I had shelter, she had no where else to go. It'd be dumb to just turn her away. And so we shared.

I tried my best to avoid her, in the small bunker like sanctuary we shared. It was easier if we just stayed out of each others way. And that's when I learned we were complete opposites, she didn't like silence, or being alone, not as much as I did. She forced me, with whatever power she had over me, to sit and talk, and to sit and listen.

Her story was she had lost her parents in a riot a few weeks ago, and hadn't seen them since. We both knew she probably would never see them again too. She let tears slips, and I just sat and watched. She had been on the road for a few weeks, hiding and seeking shelter in abandoned and scary warehouses, until she found me.

She said she wasn't sure if I was real or not, and she wouldn't be surprised if I was just a figment of her imagination, and she was just hysterical. That made me laugh a little.

And she said my laugh and smile was beautiful.

For a moment, I wasn't sure if anything was real to be honest.

Maybe it was just one of those long multiple part dreams that you forget as soon as you wake up.

I didn't know if I wanted to wake up or not.

We grew accustomed to each other as time went on. Even giving each other nicknames, I call her Liese. She calls me babe. (and sometimes Gen). She sometimes wears my clothes because she loves the smell, and how she doesn't have to wear pants either. We've grown... comfortable with each other, to wear we can shed our clothes and not feel anxious, or somewhat insecure. "it's okay, we've got the same parts, and we're basically the only ones seeing each other anyways" she likes to say. I find it sometimes funny the way she can joke about us being the last ones on earth. As if it's some inside joke that we share.

I would consider Liese a paradox, if I hadn't realized it's just because I never necessarily payed any attention to anyone else.

I question how she's so comfortable with me. She's so open with me, that it scares me at times. How much she relies on me, and how much I rely on her. I've never had to rely on anyone really, but now I know her.

It's gotten to the point where we share a bed now. Whenever she cries, I hold her, and whenever I ask, she holds me. We wake up, snuggled close together. And we can't keep our hands off each other either.

"Let's make the most out of the end of the world"

She'd drag me out at night, talking about some open field she found when she was out on her own. She'd force me to lay down next to her and star gaze. Something I thought only movie characters were allowed to do. But I guess with her and I, there is an exception.

We'd talk about what we'd be doing if things were back to normal, and she'd say "probably homework, or hanging out with Kieth".

(The all American football player, who is in everyway an outdated cliche). Then i'd say "probably pickpocketing some wall street loser, or eating".

We rarely talk about the differences between our lives. Her privilege, and my misfortune. "Our lives contradict, because of our backgrounds. But no one can understand me more than you do".

Then she'd tuck one of my loose dirty blonde strands, behind my ear, and lean forward.

Considering the fact that i've never been around long enough to form a relationship, or bond with anyone else (or anything, I had a dog for a good few weeks, she was a runaway though, and the owner eventually showed up, payed me 500, then left with her). But i've never felt like this, towards someone, like I do towards her.

All needy and vulnerable. All of sudden craving her affection, as if i haven't gone my whole life without it.

Her touch was now an essential to my life.

And then she leaned in.

5 years.

5 years, 8 months, 6 weeks, 4 days, and 9 hours. Since the world ended. Since we first met.

She had food. I had shelter. She didn't want to be alone. I didn't say no.

5 years, 8 months, 6 weeks, 4 days, and 9 hours...

Since we fell in love.