I woke up after four weeks of hiding. I haven’t seen any signs of survivors in weeks. It was just them—the infected, everywhere. I’ve been sleeping in trees, staying off the ground, keeping an eye on things. I’m not sure if there are any survivors left, but I still hope.

It's morning, and it's time for my walk. It's a routine I have enjoyed for years. We moved to the lake house so I could have peace as I worked on my projects. Being in the city was distracting and was causing me great stress. When we found the lake house, it was an easy decision. I had never seen anything so beautiful and so Zen. And boy, did I need a little Zen in my life. At first, it was difficult.

I just remember running. They were coming from all directions and there was no way out for me. No matter how fast I ran, it wouldn’t make any difference. They’d catch me and I would be done. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath; I could hear them moving through the branches and the trees. I could hear them breathing, they felt so close. I was the only one who survived the attack. But it was only a matter of time before they got me too. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore, my body screaming for rest. “Why me? Why is this happening?”

I don't remember why I started sitting on the bench in the park. Each day with my guitar, I sat, played, and sometimes sang a gentle song. People passing by would pause, mesmerized by the melodies, and I sensed a connection forming between the music, the park, and its visitors as if the songs awakened a shared memory within them.

A poem ...Today's offering is a poem. I hope you like it! Shadows dance upon the wall I walk among them, my dance indifferent

I stand tall in a space where people like to come. A place of calm and beauty. Where they sit, sign, relax, read, and ease. They come from different areas for different reasons. And there is no judgment or requirements to be here with me. I guess they like that part. I know I do. And I love my group of companions that come.

"To boat or not to boat...that is the question." I giggled as I walked up the boat, giving my best Shakespearean voice. I had never gone fishing before, but this was a bucket list activity, so today was the day. I chose an off-the-beaten-path place with only a few boats to rent, and the space was relatively quiet. It was solitude I wanted. When I arrived, there was only one boat left. It was a row boat. Great. The man in the office was odd; he was mysterious. A little weird but not frightening. He gave me a pack of complimentary supplies and pointed at the small row boat at the end of an old dock.

It was frightening. I had got up that morning to go to work like any other day. I wasn’t looking forward to work and I remember praying for something to happen so I wouldn't have to go. Yeah. I probably shouldn’t have done that. The one time my prayers were answered. I had just got my coffee, the usual spot and my usual drink. My routine was pretty regular, anyone could figure it out. It never occurred to me that someone might be following me. But they were. I stopped at an ATM to grab some cash, stepped to the corner to cross the street and was met by a car. Two men grabbed me and dragged me in, I didn’t see their faces. They drove for bit, tying me up and blindfolding me as they drove. The car stopped after a while and they put me in the cold dark trunk. I was terrified. What was happening?

Just one more task on this project, and it will be done. But then the next one will come through. It seems all I ever do is work through one project after another. Sometimes, multiple projects at the same time. I finished the last entries on the computer and sent the team my completed notification. I was done. I released a sigh of relief and closed my laptop. Done. The thing is...I went to refresh my coffee, and by the time I returned to my desk, there was a notification on my phone. Another project. I didn’t even get 10 minutes to recover from the last project!

He was alone on the sea. It had been days since he had seen any site of land or ...anything. The rain seemed to go on forever. He had settled into the lifeboat with the few supplies he had on hand. When the rain stopped, he took inventory. Slowly organizing the food and medical supplies