My head was killing me.

I slowly open my eyes just to shut them right back as the sunlight, streaming through the open curtains of my room, nearly blinds me like a flashlight being shinned right in your face. I groan at the pounding in my skull. I roll over in my bed, away from the window, just to snap my eyes open in bewilderment.

I was alone, but why was I naked? I slowly sit up to see that I was only wearing my briefs. I rack my splitting head, trying to remember if I had undressed myself before falling into bed, but nothing came up. I couldn't even remember the last thing I did as my head was hurting way too much.

I open my mouth just to find it dry like the desert of the Sahara. I go to check my phone on the nightstand next to me to find a glass of water with two painkillers next to it. I freeze my hand over my phone wondering how that got there. I don't think I would have done that since I wouldn't have really known that the morning after drinking heavily was going to be like a bulldozer to the brain.

But grateful that they were there, I quickly take them and then check the time. Holy crap, I slept in so late. It was past noon already. I get out of bed and head for my bathroom. When I turn the switch on for the light, nothing happens. I frown when I flip it back and forth and nada.

Was the light bulb out? I head to my bedroom light switch just to find the same problem. Frowning, I go in the living room and try all the switches, television, and see that the digital clocks weren't working. Well shit, there must have been a power outage or something.

Sighing, I head to the main bathroom since it has a window to provide light and I turn on the shower. Heading back to my room I see that the clothes I had worn last night are folded neatly on my dresser with a note on top of them.

Snatching the note, I carefully read what was written.

Brought you home, had to wash our clothes, thanks for the puke by the way. See you Monday.

-Z

I groan in dismay at reading the note. Well fuck me. Did I really throw up on him? I guess he probably deserved it, hell the asshole did deserve it. He was part of the reason I had drank myself stupid last night in the first place.

Speaking of which, what the hell happened after I walked away from the two of them? It was all sluggish and fuzzy in my brain. I grab clean clothes and head back to the bathroom. Oh well, I'm sure it will eventually come back to me later.

After a nice steamy shower, I felt a thousand times better. I went to the kitchen to grab me something to eat and plopped down on the couch. My aunt said they wouldn't be back until later tonight and I didn't have work, so all day today I had absolutely nothing to do.

The power was still out and had no idea when it's expected to be back on. So, getting up, I decide to head outside and take a walk to the nearest café to grab some coffee since I wasn't able to make any here. Checking my phone again I go to text to see if Vi and Rissa made it home okay, just to find there was no service.

"The fuck?" I frown again.

The power wouldn't have affected the phone service so why was it showing no bars? It was supposed to be colder today than it was yesterday, so I quickly change into some light blue skinny jeans, they were a bit long so I had to roll them at the bottom, and my light purple converse shoes. I slip on a long sleeve white shirt then a very soft, pale lavender sweater that was slightly a little too big on me.

But that's how I like them.

The logo on the front was just big letters of the brand that made it. Grabbing the house keys, I leave just as I grab my favorite baseball cap, that belonged to my dad, and lock the door behind me.

I stop as I stare at the door. Something felt strange. Looking up, I look to both sides of the house. It was eerily quiet. Was it because the block was out of power right now? But checking around it seems that wasn't the only issue. It was so quiet because there wasn't a single person outside. No cars driving by.

Normally you could hear cars moving or honking since we weren't that far from the main street and it wasn't like we lived in a small town. I would say it was because it was so early in the morning, but it was almost one in the afternoon now.

Walking down the little pathway to the garden gate, I open it and start walking to the corner street. I check to see if my phone had service now, but it still showed no bars.

"Like seriously, what the fuck?" I whisper in annoyance.

Slipping it back into my pocket, I go up to the main street to the café that was just across the way. But when I get there I stop and stare. Like what is happening here? There were still no cars anywhere and all the stores seem to be closed. Was the entire section out of power? Even the traffic lights were out.

Where were all the people? You would assume that at least some people would still be walking about or driving. Not knowing what else to do I decide to walk to Rissa's house since she was the closest to me. It took me only twenty minutes to get to her apartment and through all that time not a single person had been seen.

This was too damn bazaar for my liking. I open the glass sliding door that enters into a hallway. I pass the manager's office, but the lights were out, and the blinds closed, which is normal for a typical Sunday. I go to the elevator but remember that this whole section of the city was currently out of power so opt for the stairs instead.

She lived on the fourth floor of this monstrous nine floor building. It may not seem big to most major cities. But for ours? It was huge. I may not like sports, but I try to keep myself in shape at least. So, the stairs weren't too much of a hassle.

Once I hit her floor, I open the door and stop in the long hallway. It was still way to quiet. The last time I was here there was constant yelling through the neighbor doors of either a couple fighting, or a parent yelling at their bad ass kids.

But today there was nothing. I walk to her door and knock. I frown when no one answers. I knock again, but still nothing. The one thing I knew annoyed Rissa was the fact that these apartment doors didn't have any peep holes or camera setups. She begged her dad to set one up for her since most times she was left alone. Her parents were always busy.

Was she still asleep maybe? As I knock a third time I yell out, "Rissa! Open up it's me, Jinsen!"

As soon as I say that, I hear the door unlock and being swung open like crazy. Next thing I knew I was pulled in roughly, the door slamming behind me and I was immediately engulfed in a hug.

"Oh my god, Jinsen!" Rissa's voice was shaky as she clenched me tightly.

She seemed really freaked out right now. Looking around wildly, I turn to see Violet on the other side of the door holding a wooden bat loosely in her hands. She too looked scared out of her mind with relief mixed in.

"What's going on?" I ask suspiciously, not liking what I was seeing.

Rissa looks up at me but doesn't let me go. "We don't know. We woke up like normal, but the power was off. Our phones don't work."

"We thought to get breakfast at the waffle house, but we noticed that everything was closed down and we didn't see a single person about." Vi pitches in, setting the bat down near the door.

Rissa lets me go and pulls me into her large living room. "We thought that it was weird so headed back here. I didn't even realize that my parents weren't home, because well they're hardly ever home but..."

Rissa was on the verge of tears now. "But what?" I ask looking at her then to Vi, who sits back on the couch.

"Both of t-their cars are here. Their house keys are hanging up and their phones were left in the bowl on the kitchen counter, both of them dead. I checked their room, but it looks like it was never disturbed from the day before."

"And Missy. I can't find Missy anywhere." She starts to sob.

Missy was her cat that was way too old to be leaving the house. She had been in her family for nearing fifteen years now. She always laid on her bed since it was her favorite place to be.

"We checked everywhere we could think of. That cat is nowhere to be found." Vi pitched in.

"But that's not the worst part." Rissa states as she looks over to Violet now, who was hugging her legs to her.

"We thought to go to my house but there's no one there either. My mom, stepdad, and my two little brothers are nowhere to be seen. Their cars are there too, and all the rooms are spotless and untouched." Her voice wobbles as she says this.

"My house is always chaotic Jinsen. My brothers are nine and six, so they are always making a mess and a ruckus."

"I tried knocking on Mrs. Munson's door, but she didn't answer, and she always answers. So, I took her spare key she had given me, because she's like ninety-years old, but..."

"Let me guess, the same thing?" I inquire, feeling a little freaked out too. But I wasn't sure if it was because this was all a little too weird or their attitude of being freaked out was making me freak out.

"Do you think we're the only ones here?" Vi asks suddenly looking out the window now.

"Why do you ask that?" I ask.

"Because we haven't found a single person, but you, all day." She then turns to face me. "Have you seen anybody else besides us?"

No, No I haven't. She raises her eyebrows as if she already knew my answer. These girls always knew how to change the mood from worse to even worser. I huff at them and head for the door again.

"Where are you going?" Rissa quickly asks me.

"To find out what the fuck is going on and prove we can't be the only fucking people here in this god damn city." I unlock the door and head straight out.

"Wait! Wait for us! We're coming with you!" Rissa quickly puts her shoes back on as Vi grabs their coats.

I wait for them and once she shuts her door we start walking out of the building. None of us says a word as we once again hit outside. I couldn't comprehend that we could be the only beings in this city.

"We should take your car Vi."

"Yeah about that...it's dead. The battery completely drained last night, and I don't know why." She states in confusion.

"Well, what about your parents' car?" I ask Rissa instead.

She shakes her head. "Both car batteries are dead too. I'm telling you this isn't normal Jinsen."

How was this possible? What were the odds that all three cars weren't working at the same time? Guess we were going to have to walk our way around the city to find answers of what was going on.

After a few moments of walking, Rissa says, "Do you hear that?"

We stop and listen. "I don't hear anything." I tell her.

"Exactly. Absolutely nothing. No birds, no cars, no planes, no dogs barking, no squirrels scurrying up trees. Just...absolutely...nothing."

I look up into the sky as she says this, and she was right. I don't see a single bird flying from tree to tree or any squirrels playing around. The only thing I could hear was the wind as it picks up in speed, hitting the trees as their leaves and branches make those whooshing sounds. The bitter cold was seeping through my clothes, making me shiver.

"Come on, let's keep going." I mumble as we start walking again. With Rissa arm in arm with Vi.

An hour goes by with us just walking wherever we can. But every single store was closed, not a single car drove by and we have yet to find a single living thing. I was beginning to lose my shit here. There just had to be someone here with us.

What I'm not understanding is why were we the only three left behind? Why was it just us here? Was this some strange fucking nightmare that just seemed way to real to be fake? Was I dreaming right now?

I start to slow down when we finally hit a part of the city that was beginning to change. I frown as there were boarded up windows, grass overgrown everywhere, cars were caked in dust as if years had gone by without them being used. There were a few houses that were broken into with the front doors left open, windows broken through.

"W-What is all this this? Why is this street like this?" Rissa whispers in fear.

"Is this the cause of the power outage?" Vi asks next.

"I don't...think so." I answer as I keep walking down the street. "Let's just keep going." I turn to face them. "How about going to the mall?" I ask them.

"That's like...another hour of walking. It's on the other side of the freeway." Violet states, looking a bit putout.

"Oh!" My eyebrows raise in realization. "The freeway! We can just check the freeway for others. Those roads always hold different people going wherever in the state." I enthusiastically say as I begin to rush to the nearest on ramp to the freeway.

The girls quickly start following me and after another twenty minutes of finding one I feel a little less enthusiastic to hear nothing coming from that direction. I start to run up the little hill that will take us right to the three lane roads, but once we get there I completely stop in dread.

"Oh my god, what the fuck is going on here?!" Rissa was beginning to panic now.

I slowly walk out onto the road, looking in both directions to find not a single moving car anywhere. The six lanes were completely empty and abandoned. And looking at the asphalt and the sides, it has been empty, for quite some time. The grass was nearly as tall as me, the cracks from the blaring sun were present as weeds grew everywhere.

"I had just drove on this freeway yesterday! It was not like this!" Violet yells as she stomps on the road, swirling herself to check all directions.

I rub my face, trying so hard to figure out what was happening. I was desperately hoping this was a prank, but I knew it wasn't. This was real, but how it was real was beyond me.

"What are we going to do? What are we supposed to do now?" Rissa starts crying as she looks back and forth, as if she did it enough, maybe something would change.

"We can't be the only three people here. There has to be more of us, it's a big city. So, let's just keep looking." Now my voice was beginning to shake.

Rissa nods her head like her life depended on it, while Vi just stares in disbelief down the road. I gently grab her hand, making her jerk and look at me. Her eyes were wild with unshed tears. I knew she was terrified of what was happening. Hell, I was too, but I needed them to pull themselves together if we were going to figure this shit out.