Sample from Immune, a Night Portals Short Story

The last hours of the day that everything was normal were just like any other day. I was happy to be out of the motel office and going home to Marie. I walked a couple of blocks to our house. There was a slight breeze, and birds chirped over my head as I walked down the tree-shaded sidewalk. For a long time, I felt mad at myself for going home. If I had known I would have asked Brent for a room at the motel. But after seeing what I have seen in the last few years, I know now that Marie’s death was inevitable. Everyone was doomed. It’s funny, but I consider the rest of humans the lucky ones. I’m the one that is doomed.
Anyway, I’m getting off track. Marie and I cuddled on the couch and watched some dumb movie that I can’t remember now. I wish I did though. I wish I remembered every second of that last day. I would relish every detail. I wish I remembered what her hair smelled like. I wish I could conjure up a vivid picture of Marie in my mind. An image to keep me warm on lonely nights when I ask myself what am I doing? Why do I stay alive? I had pictures of her on my phone but after the electricity went off, and after I got sick of opening cars with dead people inside of them, only to find the car’s battery dead. I chucked the damn thing on some road outside of Denver. Anger and frustration make you do stupid things.
I fell asleep that night oblivious to the damned world I was about to be flung into. Like I said. I don’t remember much of the last normal day on Earth, but the next few days… The days the shit hit the fan. I could give you a minute by minute dissertation.
I woke up to Marie coughing. I didn’t tell her, but she looked like shit. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the amount of snot coming out of her nose was a biblical amount. Biblical… What an odd word. I had a small but existent belief in god then, but after all the things I’ve seen I know God was just a fairy tale creature we made up. A story to make us feel better on nights that seemed just a little too dark. God was a night light for our egos.
I never put two and two together with Marie’s coughing, and the man and the boy at the hotel. I simply got up and went to work. As I was about to leave Marie looked at me with bloodshot droopy eyes

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Author: ErnieHoward

Ernie Howard was born on January 29,1977, during a Minnesota blizzard. His two storytelling parents almost didn't make it to the hospital in their beat-up blue Cadillac. Ernie is the author of The Pool, A World Without, Walter, Float, On Holiday with an S.O.B. The Night Portals series, Melody 8 series as well as other titles. All of these books are available on Kindle. Ernie lives with his wife and 3 boys in Henderson, NV, where he dreams up new stories and tries to live every day to the fullest. Have any questions? Want to say hello? Connect with me below. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErnieWritesBooks/ Website: https://erniehowardwrite.com View all posts by ErnieHoward