Day 5,000 AC

"'Hello readers, it is day 4,733 AC. We have found two more cities in the states which have survivors. They will be sent to London, Ontario, once all their virus tests come back negative. Today the population is 549,396. Yesterday we had two deaths and a birth. George Wells, age 89, died from natural causes, Ethan McGill, age 47, died of a heart attack, and Maisey Vivian Phillips was born. I want to thank all of you for attending the monthly virus tests without protest. I will remind you of the measures that will take place if a virus breakout happens. All patients tested positive will be sent to New York, where they will stay and test every day. After they have completed a month of negative testings, they will go back to their respective homes in Ontario. Thank you for reading this, have a lovely day.' By Chelsea McGill.

"Another day of trash!" Johnathan snapped, "Over 12 years of nobody having COVID. Everyone thinks it's COVID that did this to us. No! it was the war, the bombs, and the conspiracy theorists, and no one can tell me I am wrong."

"Chelsea, oh, I'm sorry I had you write today's article after your dad past away." Chelsea's boss, the Mayor, cried after reading the daily update article. "Why don't you take the day off." 

Chelsea nodded politely, picked up her briefcase and left the office, but where to go. To think 14 years ago, Covid-19 was not a thought, and then she had her 15th birthday in quarantine thinking it would soon be over. Chelsea removed her mask and sat on her bike. She would go home to no one, her mother died to a bomb, her brothers in the war, and now her father was dead. Chelsea couldn't go to any store or restaurant because today was a Monday, and she was not allowed to go until Wednesday. So she biked and biked, unaware of where she was going.

"EH, EH, EH!" Chelsea heard from behind her, she stopped. "YOU DROPPED SOME PAPERS!" the stranger was running up to her with a handful of paper. "Here you go," he handed her the papers, "NOO!" He suddenly shouted, "Don't you dare think this is a cute meet you, sicko." He ran off.

Johnathan was on his way to the Market when he saw a young woman on a bicycle being shouted at by a young man then the young man ran away. "Trouble in paradise, Miss?" He asked her very politely.

"I actually have no clue who that man is." She laughed, but it was a strained laugh. It sounded battered and torn, a laugh of a dying old lady.

"A writer?" He asked, looking at the papers in her hands.

"Not really, I'm Chelsea McGill." 

"Johnathan Andersen." They nodded at each other (people were still not allowed to touch), "Oh! you write the Updates."

"Yes, it's not fun, but someone has to do it."

"Yep, I am currently working for the Mayor as well. I go around to all the shops and report how well they are doing with all the laws." Johnathan paused, "I'm going to the market now if you want to come."

"I'm an M, so I can't go until Wednesday, sorry." 

"Oh ok, well it was nice meeting you, Miss. McGill." 

"Goodbye, Mr. Andersen." The two parted ways were happy for the small conversation and were fairly-certain they would never see each other again.

Life continued for both Chelsea McGill and Johnathan Andersen, except for the fact that they couldn't stop thinking about each other. Now in the year 2033: devices no longer existed, social media disappeared, and cars were a thing of the past. If Chelsea was still 15, she could easily search Johnathan Andersen up on some social media platform or another, but that was not to be.

More time passed. It was now Wednesday, day 4,766, a magnificent moment in history, Johnathan saw it. A purple bike, with a blue basket and a white helmet outside of the Market. It was the same bike he had seen 33 days before. He looked in the large window, and sure enough, he saw the short, redheaded young woman he had seen 33 days before. Johnathan stood by the bike and waited.

"Will she remember me?" he thought, "she probably won't. Oh, but what if she does? What if she thought of me? Why would she think of me?" His thoughts ended by the short, redheaded young woman walking towards him. 

"Are you by any chance Johnathan Andersen?" she asked,

"She did remember," his thoughts screamed, his heart thundered like never before, his brain told him to say something, do something, anything. Instead, he stood there, standing still, paralyzed by a force he knew he could not overcome. While his head spun, knees shook, and heart dropped, the pretty lady in front of him continued.

"Oh, you probably don't remember me."

"BUT I DO!"

"I am Chelsea McGill. We met a few weeks ago." It was Chelsea's turn to panic. Unfortunately, when she began to panic, she wouldn't freeze. Instead, she would talk. What she said did not matter. What did matter is that while she was rambling, he stood there listening to her calming voice even though it was anxious, to him, it seemed to be calm. Eventually, poor Chelsea's ramble stopped, and they stood there silently until Johnathan started to laugh. Soon enough, this awkward pair were laughing, for no specific reason, only because it seemed the right thing to do just then at that moment. 

Time kept passing, and every day as the two met, the dull life that they lived became less dull. There were places to go, things to do and most, of all, someone to be along for the ride.

It was now day 5,000 AC, Chelsea and Johnathan were happily dating, without fear of a new outbreak of COVID, war, or bombs. They knew life would not go back to normal for a very long time, but they might be able to handle that. You know some successful love stories really can start with a cute meet and love at first sight.