The Lonely Hermit

June 21, 2020

I think I am the only person left alive. Maybe just in my city, it could also be that I am the last person alive in the world. I have decided that I am going to make a record of what happened. How the world came to an end. Maybe this is just so I don’t go crazy from loneliness, perhaps it is for other people that might still be alive and will find these journals someday. My name is Olivia Reid. I worked at home as a website designer. I never would have thought that being a hermit would have helped save my life.

The end of the world came quickly. It seemed like everyone must have already been sick by the time the first person died. Within a few short days the hospitals and any place set up as an emergency center was overwhelmed. The virus moved fast. First the person would only feel a slight cold, within 12 hours the infected would slip into a coma and then after 24 hours they were dead. It was only a week after the first casualty when the power went out, cutting us off from the rest of the world. Living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere could be the death of me. Or the reason I survive this, who knows.

It is so hard to believe this all happened less than a month ago. I am not 100% sure of the time line honestly. Like I said I worked from home so I didn’t really know that there was a calamity happening until the power went out. It was the morning after that the notices were tacked on everyone’s front door.

Do not exit your homes.

Do not interact with other humans.

Survive.

I was lucky, I suppose, I didn’t have any family to worry about. No friends either. It was always just me. I followed the notice’s rules for as long as I could. I thought for sure that help would be coming soon. It couldn’t be too long until someone with authority showed up. I had about two weeks’ worth of food in my house. I was also fortunate to have well water so finding water wasn’t a concern. Then the help I expected didn’t come and my food ran out. I had been terrified to leave my house. What would I find? The lack of food left me with little choice. I left my house. It has now been two weeks since then and I have yet to encounter another living person. There has been plenty of bodies. The smell is indescribable. The first time I went into a place to try and scavenge some food, the stench smashed me in the face so hard I threw up the little I had in my stomach.

I am not sure what else to do other than attempt to survive. Although, if I am the last person alive…..what is the point?

Olivia

June 24^th 2020.

Still no sign of any other living person. I have to go out to scavenge every few days and other than the smell of the dead, it seems I am totally alone. How can this be? How could I be the only person to survive the end of the world? What horrible thing did I do to deserve this?

Olivia

July 1^st 2020

It has occurred to me today that I need a plan to survive the winter. Food, heating, all of that will become harder in a few short months. Then again…Do I really want to survive? I really am having an issue finding a point to survive this. A life totally alone? Is that really a life worth living?

Well, all that aside I am going to check out a few of the older houses in town. One of them is bound to have a fireplace. At the very least, I will need one of those to make it through the winter.

Olivia

July 3^rd 2020

I found a house that has a fireplace as well as a good supply of firewood. I don’t know enough about fires to say how long that will last, but hey, it’s a start. I am going to start moving my stuff over there in the morning. I really should have paid closer attention when my dad dragged me out camping or hunting. I might actually have a clue of how to really survive this if I had.

Olivia

July 4^th 2020

Fireworks. If the end of the world hadn’t happened, I would be watching fireworks at the fair right now. And the food, oh the food! Funnel cake, gyros, and all the other delicious foods! The bands would be playing and there would be shrieks of joy coming from children. I miss the sounds of other people. Isn’t that just a kicker? Me, the queen of hermits, missing other beings.

Olivia

July 6^th 2020

Oh man, oh man, oh man. This freaking hurts! I was trying to move one of the last loads of my crap to my ‘winter cottage’, I was about half way there when I heard a massive crack. Before I could even react, I was knocked to the ground by something. It took a few moments for me to regain my brain and take stock of what in the world had just happened. One of the trees that lined the road had apparently died and without humans to take it down safely, it had taken its own self down. I just happened to be in the way when it did.

The main trunk landed on my leg. I can thank whatever lucky stars I have that the tree was not bigger then it was, it would have killed me straight out if it was just a little larger. As it is I was barely able to maneuver it off my leg.  I limped my way back to my house but now the shock is wearing off. I think my leg is broken. Maybe this was Mother Nature’s way of killing the last pest that was still living within her.  I don’t know anything about first aid. I wish I had paid closer attention when they taught it in school. I bandaged some of the wounds but that is the extent of what I know to do. Maybe it is time for me to just die.

Olivia.

July 7^th 2020

Maybe I am just too stubborn to die. Last night, I remembered that my neighbor was a nurse. Maybe he would have some medical supplies. Or maybe just some books on ‘What to do when a tree tries to kill you.’ I am going to attempt to hobble on over there and see if there is anything useful that I can use.

July 7^th 2020- Part 2.

Dear old Charlie had about what I expected for a single man living alone, one that worked long hours and was barely home. Zip Zero Zilch. No medical supplies or food or anything. But the movement made me remember that I should put a splint on my leg. Doctors would do that in the medical shows that an old Ex of mine had used to make me watch. Charlie did have rope at least. I broke some legs of his chairs and used the rope to tie the wood tight around my leg. Maybe this will help with the pain.

Olivia

July 9^th 2020

The pain has finally started to fade. Thank goodness.

July 11^th 2020

My leg is hot to the touch and my head feels full of cotton. I think I have an infection. What the hell do I do? It could be that it is just time to give up.

July 11^th 2020- part 2

It is official, I am just too stubborn to die. That tree should have landed on my head and put me out of my misery.

I need antibiotics. I sure as hell don’t have any and I already checked Charlies place for them before. So, I need to get to the hospital or a pharmacy. I still don’t know how people are infected with this virus, so the pharmacy will be my best bet.  The hospital could be very dangerous

And the lunatic plan I have came up with? My other neighbor’s little girl had had a scooter. I have tied myself to the scooter and will do a….scoot and hop to the nearest drug store. Wish me luck.

July….something.

Pain. That is all I feel right now. My leg feels like it is on fire. I can only be half way to the drug store. Why did I have to live so far away from everyone and everything? I don’t think I can do this.

Day 1-

I have lost track of the days and I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore. By the grace of someone’s Gods, I made it to the drug store. I took pain pills until I could function again. The pharmacy is locked and I have no idea how to get into it. This just might be the end of me.

Day whatever.

Purple! Leg made of fire. No silver. Hungry. Tired. FOX! Green goo. Ouch. Vrooooom. Lonely. Why ice? Rich ducks? Look at the daisies!

Day- I still have no bloody clue.

So much has happened since my last entry. If you couldn’t tell, I had had a really high fever and I think I was hallucinating.  I would have probably would have died if it wasn’t for Richard and Daisy. Yes! Other people! When I woke up and saw them, I would have fallen down if not for the fact I was already flat on my back.

They came to the drug store to gather supplies for their little community. I am not alone anymore! They say that a lot of people died but it seems that a small percent of people had a natural immunity to the virus. I must be one of those…lucky….few.

My saviors had been shocked to find me in the drug store. But they got over that shock quickly and managed to break into the pharmacy to get me some antibiotics and powerful pain relievers. It has been a few days but I am now well enough to be moved.

We are headed for their home base. Rich had a car, thank goodness, I just might cry if I had to try to scoot and hop there. Daisy says that they have a doctor. She is a gynecologist but its better than nothing!  My leg will most likely never be the same again (there goes my dream of being a ballet dancer). But I should be able to walk without pain and that’s all I really need. I know life in this new world will not be easy. But at least I have a reason to live now.  I have other people and in the end what else do you really need?

Olivia Reid- signing off.