Elisabeth and Jack

A blonde female who looks to be in her twenties wearing a white dress with a straw hat looks towards the destroyed and wrecked buildings filled with vines and overgrown trees. The place was mostly filled with greenery thanks to the trees and vines that grew. ‘’ No matter how many times I look at it, it always surprises me.’’ The blonde girl looked in surprise as she wandered with her white heels in tow, slowly admiring the spectacular view of the ruined civilizations and pure greenery that accompanied her and her pure blonde eyes that followed as she kept on walking. slowly a tall man with straight red hair wearing a blue and red jacket and pants that are blue and sports shoes coloured white.

The man speaks in a calm voice with his blue eyes looking straight at her. ‘’ I’ve searched the place up; it doesn’t seem like there are many supplies. As sad as it is, I will just have to move to another town to search for supplies’’. The blonde woman replies, ‘’ I see, that’s too bad. Hey Jack, I found a little something straight there.’’ pointing at a straight line towards a building that’s mostly covered in vines and greenery. Jack looks straight to it, and after thinking, ‘’ Sure, let's check it out while we still have time. We may find a treasure; it might be nothing. We can only pray and hope it's not worthless, Eli.’’ They both walked slowly, trying to avoid falling into a huge hole just next to them, and after walking for a bit, they found a ruined building covered in moss and vines. Slowly, they walked inside. Jack takes out a flashlight, pointing it out to make out the place. Elisabeth grabs hold of Jack's hand tightly and shakes. Jack grabs it tighter and moves forward, assuring her, and they both look around together.’ Hey Jack, this place sure is creepy, huh? Everywhere I look, there's nothing but darkness around. You know, maybe we should just head back?

What do you say? I didn’t think it’d be this creepy. Hey Jack, do you hear me? Jack? Jack? Jack?’’ suddenly the hand that was grabbing her tightly wasn’t there anymore. shocked and scared of the darkness, she looks around and screams. ‘’ JACK, PLEASE WHERE ARE YOU? I’M SCARED JACKKKKK’’ heavily shaking and screaming, Elisabeth calls out to Jack in desperation to hear his calm and assuring voice, and after a while. ‘’ Eli? Where are you? Sorry, I left you alone. My flashlight died. I’m coming to get you. Wait and stay still. I’m coming now’’ Elisabeth cries tears of joy and breathes a sigh of relief. Jack arrives, takes her, and runs out of here. ‘’ Run Eli, this place is breaking down’’ And without hesitation, they both ran at full speed out of the ruined building, and after running far away, they both made it out alive. Elisabeth is breathing heavily after all that running alongside Jack. He hugs her tightly, assuring him that she’s alive. Her warmth surrounds him, and he breathes a sigh of relief. ‘’ I’m so glad I didn’t lose you when I heard you screaming. I was so scared I thought I’d lose you in the rubble. Eli, I’m sorry. I let go. I promise I won’t let you be scared like this again. I’m sorry’’ Hearing all that, Elisabeth cries and hugs him tightly. ‘’ Me too, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you about this. We should have just gone somewhere else. I’m sorry’’ Jack replies in response, ‘’ It's ok, Eli. At least we’re alive for now. Let's be more careful next time.’’

hugging each other for a while. Jack whispers to her. ‘’ Losing you is something I’ll never forgive myself for; no matter what happens, I want to be with you. After all, I absolutely love you, so from now on, let's be together. We can’t lose ourselves; we must be strong. However, if you want to cry or are scared, you can always lean on me, and I’ll lean on you whenever I’m feeling weak, ok?’’

Hearing all that, Elisabeth wipes her tears and, with an angelic smile, says, Jack, I also absolutely love you. I want to be with you and not anyone else, only you. I want to be strong and weak too, the only one I want to be best at and be strong. That’s why I want to help you and take half of your burden from you forever. I want you and only you’’. And with this, they both stood up, taking each other's hands, and moving forward. ‘’ So, Jack, did you find a better place to get supplies or spend the night in?’’ Elisabeth asked Jack out his response: Yup, sure, it's a little walk away from here, but it's worth it for now. they move towards the place Jack mentioned. The sun is surrounded by clouds, and many black clouds appear. Elisabeth looks concerned. ‘’ looks like there’ll be heavy rain. We best find that spot quickly unless we get showered by them’’ voicing her concern to him. ‘’ Yeah, I agree, we’re almost here. Let's take shelter for the whole day, and just rest up. We got plenty of food to help us for a few days, so we’re fine for now’’.

Hearing all that, Elisabeth smiled in relief, and after walking for a while, they found the building and went inside. The building is almost three stories tall, with three rooms; they went to the third one. It starts to rain silently, watching it rain. ‘’ Hey Jack, in those split seconds when I felt your warmth through your hand, I felt like I became one with you. I felt like time stopped and only we remained there. At least that’s what I think’’ Sitting together, holding each other's hands together, and lying on each other's shoulders, he falls onto her lap, surprising Elisabeth. Her face is red with embarrassment. She strokes his hair, and Jack, with a smile on his face, closes his eyes and falls asleep. Elisabeth brings her lips closer to his cheeks and kisses his cheeks, whispering, Jack, I may be unreliable at times, but I hope to help you. I want to be your strength just like you are to me. Goodnight.’’

Elisabeth dreams of the past. ‘’ Mommy, daddy, where are you? I want to be with you; I hate it here all alone’’ a kid searching for her long-gone parents. It’s Elisabeth frantically searching for her parents, unknown to her that they’re long dead, waking up from the nightmare. Jack holds her tightly and hugs her. ‘’ Eli, you alright? You looked like you had a nightmare. Did you remember something bad?’’ Concerned Elisabeth calms down and hugs him back. ‘’ Thank you, I’m fine. I just remembered something unpleasant. I’m fine now’’.

Jack looks at her and smiles. ‘’ Well, if you say so, then I’m glad you're doing well. It stopped raining a while ago and breakfast was ready. Even though it's the usual ratio, the beaming sunlight was so bright, almost as if telling us congratulations for surviving another day to live to get closer to the end of the world. At least that’s what it felt like to me.

After resting for a while, we decided to move out and explore the rest of this ruined city, and though both of us were mostly silent throughout, with some small talks in between, it was Jack who initiated the small talks most of the time.

‘’ Hey Eli, you think these ruins used to be parts of human civilization? I bet they probably built too many of them, hence initiating wars and stuff to either rid this world of its dangers and people throughout, at least that’s what I think’’ suddenly being asked, Elisabeth had no clue how to follow up after thinking for a while.

‘’ Well, you see, Jack, I think it's the other way around. I believe they wanted to seize it all for themselves, the money, civilization itself, and the overwhelming power that can come from within. I think they just wanted to be safe from war and loss of these types of things, but then again, many years have passed by and barely 50% of humanity is alive manways’ guess it's better than nothing’’.

and thus, they both took a bite of the rations and drank some water, looking at the beaming sunlight towards them and the horizon. Hearing all that, Jack wonders,

"Why did war cause all of this destruction anyway?" Why couldn’t people just see halfway, come to an understanding, and make peace? It’s not like they’re going to lose much anyway; at the very least, knowing most of humanity is dead is great since we don’t have to deal with them at all and we have most of this world for us all alone.

I get to be with you forever without anyone or anything taking you away’’.

blushing Elisabeth replies.

‘’ Well, you see, I do think the same thing, obviously. I’m glad I’m with you, Jack; it's much better than being with other people, that’s for sure. Hey jack,

I wanted to say that war never happened and that we lived in a peaceful environment. Do you think we could have met? Do you think we could have fallen in love and explored caves and old buildings just like this? Just the thought of being separated from you scares me’’ Hearing all of this, Jack wonders the same thing.

‘’ Eli, I believe that no matter where we are, I’m sure we will meet up some way or another. I don’t know how, but I’m sure if we just continue doing the usual, no matter what age it is, I’m sure we will meet up, assuming we don’t fall for someone else’’ and without hesitation.

‘’ Eli instantly replies to him. ‘’ Jack, no matter what timeline we ended up at, I’ll always fall in love with you. I can’t imagine a better man for me than you. I want it to be you’’ Jack blushed after hearing Elisabeth’s declaration of love for him.

‘’ Eli me too, I also love you, and I’d rather fall in love with you than anyone else in this world. Hey Eli, promise me one thing: let's be together forever, ok? Let's die together and let's live together’’ Jack stops in his tracks and moves toward Elisabeth.

‘’ I want you and only you. I hate being alone and left behind, but I’m sure if it's you, we will always be together.

I’ll work even harder for you; I’ll explore any scary or ruined building for you’’

blushing from his words, he continues,

‘’ Back when you screamed my name from the dark, I really, really, really was scared to death. When you kissed my cheek and bid me goodnight, I was so assured that I thought, I was really dreaming, that I really lost you there, and I just couldn’t take it. I don’t want anyone to take you away’’.

Hearing his worries and fears, Elisabeth breaks into tears.

‘’ Hey Jack, I really was scared there, but you know what made me even more scared was the fact that I could have lost you too.

I hated being alone more than anything, but I also hated losing the very person I dearly love with all my heart.

Losing my parents really made me aware of how traumatic it is to lose something or someone extremely important to you. That’s why I want to hold your hand and follow you wherever you go, so that we’re always together.

Jack and Elisabeth hug each other tightly, feeling warmth from each other.

‘’ Hey Eli’’

‘’ What is it, Jack?’’

‘’ I love you, and I always will be’’.

‘’ Me to Jack, I also love you. We may not have much time left, but these feelings will never go away for sure’’.

Elisabeth smiles with tears in her face and whispers to him,

‘’ Yes, Jack, together forever, no matter what happens’’.

And thus, they both took off together to form new civilizations. After exploring for a whole day, Jack, and Elisabeth rest inside a ruined building for the night. And yet again they move forward.

‘’ Hey Jack, we’ve sure been walking for a while, and so far, there haven’t been many ruined buildings as of late. Huh, I wonder just how much was truly lost in the war all those years ago and just how much remains’’.

Jack thinks whilst walking, and after thinking for a while, he comes up with an answer:

‘’ I can’t say for sure how much was lost, but probably a lot to compensate for this miserable world. Though many were lost, I do believe that beauty certainly still lingers.’’

Hearing his reply, Elisabeth nods with an angelic smile on her pretty and small face. Jack and Elisabeth rest in the wild for the night, eating the usual rations and drinking warm water, laughing, and talking with each other for the whole night, and then they both fall asleep. Jack wakes up, and seeing the sleeping beauty that is Elisabeth in front of him, he strokes her hair. With an innocent smile on his face and his blue eyes innocently looking at his beloved lover, he whispers to her,

‘’ Eli, I love you’’

and thus he starts the day off by washing his face off with the remaining warm water, stretching for a while, jogging in the wild, inspecting for potential ruined buildings,

As he keeps on walking toward the hills, he finds a nice view of the forest, a truly beautiful view. ‘’ Best I wake up Eli right now for her to see this beautiful view’’ Jack heads down the hill, the wind caressing him and the leaves falling. He looks up.

‘’ This world is beautiful, yet at the same time it's also depressing. Yet somehow, we’re still living and searching for treasure and perhaps freedom itself. Maybe we weren’t born in the best time and place, yet we’re free and not chained down by this world by the fear that one day we will all die and this planet itself will stop functioning. I, after a short silence, started this journey, and I won’t back down ever. I’ll keep walking until one day fate itself stops me from walking alongside Eli forever.

He finally comes back to his little camp and Eli is still sleeping, perhaps in a deep sleep. He goes closer to her and gets closer to her face, his lips almost touching hers, his eyes focusing on hers, yet somehow his eyes exude a sense of innocence and beauty that can’t be found somewhere else. Elisabeth moves to the other side, leaving Jack surprised and smiling an innocent smile. He cleans up the place and gently wakes Elisabeth.

. ‘’ Wake up, sleeping beauty. I found something nice for you, you’ll love it, so just wake up already or you’ll miss it.

(End of chapter)