Loss. It was what everyone felt now. Not a soul left on earth was immune to this exhausting, horrible, depleting emotion. It was as if a thousand mournful violins played out the same melancholy notes in her head at the same time. It was overwhelming. It smothered and sucked the life out of a person.

Devastation. It was what had happened to the world as humans knew it. Earth had been devastated by a disease worse than any in known human history. Nobody knew how to fix it. This was just the world they lived in now.

Survival. It was the only skill anyone needed now. People either adapted or died. Skills were reduced to shelter, food, water, and running when they were near. Computers, manufacturing, artistry, building and creating- none of it mattered anymore to anyone. Just staying alive another day so that they didn’t add to the devastating feeling of loss their loved ones were all already dealing with was all that mattered. She didn’t want to add to what her family had already lost. She wanted to survive. Some days that feeling just slipped a little.