The Road...

Jerry awoke that morning to the sound of the water dripping. He rose to a seated position and took a moment to take in the new day. The room was small with not much in it. There was a window that looked out onto the empty street. Directly to the right was an old relatively bare roll top desk. On the opposite side of the room was a tiny closet full of clothes. Jerry stood and he threw on a white tee shirt and a pair of jeans. He crossed the room. Opening the window he peered out and looked around as if looking for somebody. It was cold outside. The fog had settled down making it impossible to see across the street. Shutting the window Jerry sat at the desk and pulled out a small leather bound book. Opening it he began to read.

"We weren't forced to leave. It was a personal choice, but that doesn't mean it was the right one. What were we to do? Dad had pasted, Mom was on her way. She was slipping and slipping fast. No longer responding to us, she was muttering gibberish. This was exactly how Dad's case had progressed. Next she would begin to get irritated by light, and then sound. After that she would stop eating. The final step was death."

Jerry looked up. Staring out the window he closed the book. With the sound of dripping water in the background, a tear dripped down his cheek. Leaving the room he walked into the small kitchen area that consisted of a small micro wave, hot plate, a mini refrigerator and a few cabinets. He opened the fridge and reached in to find it was empty except for a bottle of water. After pausing for a second he grabbed the water and returned to the bedroom desk. He set down the water and reached for the book.

"As we followed the road the fog started to settle in around us. It engulfed us in its cold mist. We continued on in silence. I knew he was dying to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to talk. I don't know if he will ever forgive me for making him abandon mom, but i am all he has now. We followed the power lines hoping to find shelter in which we could stay. The fog wasn't letting up. Off in the distance he saw a shape through mist and at that moment we was gone. He ran as fast as he could towards it. I yelled after him but he didn't slow. I took off at a sprint to chase him down and the next thing i know I see a tree. The trunk was slightly slanted to the right and the leaves formed a cloud like shape. There he was sitting under the tree leaning against the trunk."

The fog outside the window was getting thicker. Jerry buried his face in his hands. He took a minute and then he rose. Dragging the chair behind him he crossed to the window. With the book in hand he sat and stared out the window into the white abyss.

"We were separated. He's lost. He needs me. I don't know what to do. I found a city in which I am living, but it is completely deserted. How could this had happened. We were following the power lines, and the fog had thickened. Thats when we heard it. The faint sound of foot steps from behind. We ran and the next thing I knew he was gone. I've been getting horrible head aches lately, coherent thoughts have been getting scarce, and I think I'm starting to get a fever."

Jerry closed the book and placed it on his lap. Tears rolled down his cheeks. With his hand on the cover he raised his head and muttered to himself, "My dear sister. I'm sorry."