Two

Day 654 I typed into my computer. Nothing’s changed. I’m still the only one. I jabbed at the period key and sighed. This was pointless. Nobody was going to find my virtual journal entries. I looked over at Snuggles, his golden fur glinting in the morning sun. “What happened to them all?” I whispered. Two years ago I had moved home after finishing my Bachelor’s degree at Berkeley. Two weeks after that people started to go missing. There was no explanation and in two months everyone was gone. I was left behind. “Maybe it has something to do with the number two,” I whispered to Snuggles.” It’ll be two years exactly in two days. Maybe everyone will show up again.” Snuggles’ response was a snore. I sighed again and turned off the computer. Everything was still the same, besides the fact that nobody was here. The electricity still worked, there was still plenty of food, the sun came up everyday and went down every night. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had changed. It felt like the time in 2020 when we were all quarantined to our houses. “Except worse. At least then I could talk to my roommates. At least then I could call home and hear mom’s voice. At least then John and I-” I sighed once again, my roommates were gone, mom was gone, and John was gone. “IT’S BEEN THREE YEARS JOHN! THREE! WHY CAN’T I GET OVER YOU?!” I screamed in the empty house. Snuggles jerked awake and gave me a questioning stare. I rolled my eyes at him and stood up to make myself breakfast.

I made my way through the cluttered house to the fridge. “I’ll make myself some eggs and then shower, and then I’ll clean the house.”  I opened the fridge as Snuggles brushed up against my leg. “Oh and maybe give you a bath.” I looked in the fridge and wanted to cry, this was not the future I had planned. I grabbed the egg carton and was surprised at its weight. It was surprisingly light. I opened the carton and found one, cracked, rotten egg. “Really?!” I shouted, slamming the mostly empty carton and its contents into the overflowing garbage can. I stomped up to my room, jammed my feet into the closest shoes I could find and made my way to the store. The crisp, morning air felt good on my bare arms and face. I breathed in the sweet scent of blooming cherry blossoms. “Today will get better” I thought “It has to get better” I let my mind wander, and ten minutes later I stood in front of the small grocery store. The automatic doors opening and the superficial lights flickering on. The shelves were still, mostly stocked. My frequent trips here had cleared out the chip and bread aisle. The milk was mostly gone and there were only a few cartons of eggs left. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed two egg cartons, and a gallon of milk. On my way to the counter I grabbed a pack of powdered donuts. 

It always felt weird for me to just leave the store without paying for anything, so I always left a few dollar bills on the counter, just to be safe. When Joe, the owner, returned he couldn’t accuse me of stealing. Not like Joe would ever do that. But as I came to the counter the small mountain of bills and coins that had built up over the past two years was gone. I looked around the small store, panic filling my chest. Nothing was out of place, besides the missing money. Tears welled in my eyes, now money was disappearing too? 

“Take a deep breath” Dad’s voice entered my mind. I followed the instructions, closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths until the squeeze of panic left my chest. I had to think rationally “The money disappeared, but that’s not living. Nothing living has disappeared. That means something had to take the money.” I started to put my items in a grocery bag, “Or...someone.” Could it be? Was someone really still on this earth without me knowing? The thought was too exciting, too frightening, too real.

 I finished putting my items in the bag and made my way back out in the sunshine. I stopped in my tracks. I had seen a dark hoodie dart behind the post office.The sleeve just barely left in the sun. I blinked a few times, swallowing hard. I stared at the sleeve so long my head started to hurt. “It’s probably nothing,” I reassured myself. I sped down the block, making my way home as fast as I could. I could hear footsteps behind me. Wait no, it was only the sound of my heartbeat in my ears. I took a deep breath and returned to a normal walking pace. And that’s when I heard it. A sharp inhale of breath, and a twig snap. I whirled around and came face to face with - “John?” 

. . .

I stepped away from the girl standing in front of me. “Allison?” I gaped. Her blond hair shone in the morning sun, her blue eyes showing the surprise I felt. “What- How? - Where?-” I spluttered. 

Her gaze turned icy, “What do you want John?”

I was baffled, “What do I want? I thought I was the last person left on this planet and then you show up-”

“I didn’t just show up. I’ve been here since everyone disappeared” She said, turning to go.

“Wait Allison. Where are you going?” 

She turned over her shoulder, “I’m going home John.” 

“Can I come with-”

“Absolutely not.” Allison said walking down the street.

I had been walking side by side with her, but suddenly stopped, “Why not?” Allison spun around her hair flying out behind her. Her eyes full of fury.

“Why not? Because John, you broke my heart, and I do not let heart-breakers into my home.” She turned back around and continued walking.

I couldn’t help laughing. It wasn’t that I had broken her heart. To be honest I had had a hard time moving on. No, not that. It was the fact that we were the last people on Earth and she refused to get near me. 

Allison turned back around, the anger still in her voice, “What John? What is so funny?” 

I took a step towards her, “Allison, we are the last people on earth. There’s nobody left. And you refuse to let me in your house.”

“There are plenty of other, empty houses you can take.” Allison had started walking again, her grocery bag banging against her leg. 

I ran to catch up with her. “You don’t find this situation even remotely funny?” I asked.

“Which situation do you mean the one where the only two people left on earth are ex-lovers? Or the one where everyone disappeared?” Allison stated more than asked. “Because quite frankly I do not find either very funny.” 

I sighed and ran a hand through my dark hair. “I’m sorry Allison. I really didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that-”

“There’s another girl, isn't there?” Allison cut me off.

“What no?” That hadn’t even crossed my mind. “Before all of this happened” I said waving my hand in the air, “I was planning to go to Europe to study for a year. I didn’t want to work out a long distance relationship. Because we both know those never work.”

Suddenly Allison was laughing. A deep hearty laugh. Tears squeezing out of her eyes. I stopped, my heart breaking a little. And now it was my turn to ask, “What’s so funny?”

Allison gasped for breath, holding her stomach. “The past three years” more laughter, “I thought you left because...Because I wasn’t good enough.” Her laughter didn’t match her words. “Oh my goodness” She was still laughing, “But that’s not the case. You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Oh, I have an idea,” I muttered under my breath.

Allison’s laughter died down, and suddenly she became serious.We walked in silence for a little while.  “You know John, I’ve never gotten over my feelings for you. I was in love with you, and to be honest, I think I still am.”

My heart soared. I wrapped her in a hug and whispered, “Me too.” We stayed wrapped in each other's arms for hours. It almost felt like things returned to normal. That the world wasn’t falling apart. If we had each other we could get through anything.