REBIRTH

My brows furrowed as I looked down at the plates, both of them contained crumbs, as though two people were just done eating.

My gaze moved around the room and that was when I noticed that something else had changed. There was a second backpack, a smaller one, at the side of the wall.

And it wasn’t Ethan's.

My heart sank, I stood up and immediately called out, “Who’s there?” `

Ethan stopped drinking.

My hand instinctively moved toward the knife tucked inside my waistband.

“If you don’t come out now,” I started to shout, “I am going to start shooting. I am not bluffing, I have a gun.” I lied through gritted teeth.

The moment those words left my lips, the bathroom door opened and Sarah – my best friend — walked out.

My blood went cold, and it wasn’t because of her presence. No, it was because she was holding the hand of a young boy.

Years ago, Sarah had gotten pregnant, and she had refused to ever tell me who the father was. I had not bothered to focus on it ever since then, not until this very moment.

My eyes immediately grew wide as I realized the resemblance.

Ethan was the father.

Sarah smiled the moment she saw the look of realization on my face. She was staring at me without any trace of shame in her eyes.

"Kara," she whispered with a tone filled with disdain and pride, “It’s so nice to see you,”

I turned back to stare at Ethan, and he didn’t look surprised. Instead, he just looked annoyed.

"You brought her here?" I hissed, my tone filled with pain.

"Keep your voice down." he barked,

I burst out laughing, “How long have you been cheating on me with her?” I hissed, pointing right at the woman who, up until this very moment, I thought had been dead since the day the world ended.

"She's staying here," he answered, his tone matter-of-factly, as though my question was not worthy of an answer.

I had been risking my life outside for over a week while he hid Sarah and her son inside our shelter.

I began to walk towards him, while my fingers tightened around the knife, "You sent me outside, towards almost certain death,” I spoke through gritted teeth, “While you kept your mistress hidden away?”

Ethan looked up in my eyes without a semblance of shame in his gaze, “Yes, and I would do it again.” he answered, “She has a child, you are expendable, she is not.”

I just stared at him in surprise, but apparently, Ethan was not done.

“Besides, she is pregnant,” he said, “You don’t expect me to send the woman who is carrying my child out into the world now, would you?”

Everything went silent, and I froze in place.

“How long has all this been going on?” I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks,

"Oh!” Ethan barked, “Tears now? Why are you always this dramatic?”

The moment he said that, Ethan did something that sent chills running down my spine, he stood up and stretched his hand towards me.

“Well," he whispered with a shrug, “I guess you have exhausted all your usees.”

I blinked, staring at his outstretched hands.

“What are you doing?” I gasped, “What do-”

I could not finish my thoughts, because something happened that sent everything I knew about reality crashing to the ground, flames began to spew out of his hands.

And when they reached me, I began to scream.

Fire swallowed my clothes and heat ripped right across my skin. I began to desperately roll around the floor, trying to beat down the flames.

But that did absolutely nothing; I was dying.

But Ethan wasn’t finished, he stretched out his hand again, and the next fire that bloomed out of his hands was the very last thing I ever saw.

***

I woke up gasping, my hands began to fly over my body as I began to search myself for blood, burns or a bite.

I kept on hyperventilating, even scrambling backwards. I only stopped when my back hit the headboard.

That was when I realized that I wasn’t actually in pain. My breath came in short, rough bursts.

I was confused. But I opened my eyes and began to look around.

Everything was so familiar, from the room, to the curtains, to even the wardrobe and my phone on the nightstand.

I knew this room, it was mine.

What the hell was happening? With a frown on my face, I reached out for my phone, and my fingers began to shake the moment I unlocked it.

The very first thing I saw was the date.

07/07/2027

It was seven days before the apocalypse. Seven days before the world ended, seven days before the world rose.

Right now, the only thing I knew was that, somehow, I was back.

I WAS BACK.