"Come on, come on! There has to be something!" Veronica pleads with her laptop screen. The last post was dated: Friday September 16, 2025, two days before it began. On Monday September 19, 2025, there was a riot. Veronica remembers it was her birthday. A news reporter was live at the Capitol Building. Behind her bouncy hair, a bloody tragedy unfolded. Violent rioters held government officials at gun point and bludgeoned them to death with rough objects. A fire broke out, and the American flag burned to the ground. The rioters came looking for anybody else. Veronica can barely remember the events leading up to the riot. She remembers feeling trapped, unable to do anything to help her family. Unfortunately, Veronica's family was among the millions who were killed. The rioters killed so many people, in fact, that everything began to slowly descend into poverty. Then, they killed themselves. Veronica was able to escape and fend for herself among the ruins of a city she once knew. Chicago was a scary place without people surging through the streets.

                   Now, three years later, Veronica sits in the dark, her face glowing blue from the laptop. She slams it shut, her head falling into her hands, and her long, curly tresses fall limp and knotted through her fingers. Suddenly a sound comes from the device. A bell. A notification. Veronica flips open the laptop and glances at new posts. One says simply "I'm searching. Please help." She quickly types back.

               "Hi, I think I can help."

               "Really?? That's amazing! I haven't had anyone to talk to, you seem so nice!"

                 Veronica giggles despite herself. "Oh really? Well, I would hope so!"

                 "Ha-ha, right! Almost forgot you were helping me!"

                   Veronica jumps up and sprints to look out the window. The sun is just rising. Veronica smiles, shoves her laptop into her ratty, old backpack, and slides down the ladder outside of her window. She makes sure to look directly at the sun.

                 At around noon, the sun doesn't feel so lucky anymore as it bears down on Veronica's back. She can practically feel the skin peeling from the back of her neck. It's been hours since she left the abandoned building, and she's starting to reconsider her decision. She's started off on a journey, barely knowing where she's going, all because of some random post. Veronica pauses, shaking her head at the careless choice.

               "What am I doing?" She wonders aloud.

                 She stands there, remembering what life was like before everything. Veronica sheds a tear for the family she once had. Then, she resolves to keep moving. She makes it a few more paces before she notices the sun beginning to set. With a sigh, Veronica trudges to the nearest rooftop and yanks her laptop from the backpack. She scrolls to the post asking for help. She types a response.

                  "Where are you?" she asks. There is a pause before it shows the other person typing.

                  "The grass isn't really grass and there is a large tree nearby, I'm on a rooftop."

                   "My name is Veronica. I'm going to help you."

                   "Thank you, I didn't know there was anyone else here before you responded!"

                    Veronica smiles to herself. "Of course."

                    "I bet you're really pretty behind that screen."

                    Veronica's smile turns into a light, feathery laugh that seems to dance on the stars. No one had ever flirted with her before.

                   "Is that supposed to be a pick-up line, because I would have to agree with you." She types back.

                    "Oh, would you?"

                   "Oh wow, real smooth."

                    "Hey! I'm trying!"

                     Veronica hasn't laughed like this since before this whole thing began. She never thought she would ever laugh again.

                     After many nights of texting, and laughing, Veronica had begun to feel a sensation she had never felt before. What if it is love? Oh wow, wouldn't that be incredible? Every time Veronica receives a notification she walks faster, until she reaches a place to settle so that she can respond and talk with the person. She had never felt this compelled to do anything but survive her entire life. What is this emotion? She frustrates herself over this question one night, while lying on a flat rooftop with her computer.

                   Suddenly Veronica hears a sound below her. She slams her laptop shut and jumps to her feet. She clutches a dagger from the front pocket of her backpack in one fist. She sees two milky eyes peer up at her from the side of the building. The stringy, knotted hair, pale, gray face, and wide, watery eyes of the malnourished being frighten Veronica. She had no idea things like this existed. She stands still, brandishing the knife with trembling hands. After watching each other for a good long while, the beast suddenly and unexpectedly lunges at her. Veronica is knocked to the ground. She screams as the being claws at her. Her lip splits open on the sharp concrete, and a massive cut drips blood from above her left eyebrow. Then, all of a sudden, everything goes black.

                  When she wakes up, the being is gone, and so is her backpack.

                  "No!" Veronica mourns, pressing her palms to her eyes.

                    When she finally gathers herself, she kneels, removing her hands from her face. Her eyes take on a determined look, and she stands up confidently. Her eyes scan the horizon of rooftops. She suddenly sees an orange, dead tree sticking straight up through the top of a building. Her face brightens immediately, and she jumps up. She looks at the distance between rooftops and sucks in her breath.

                    "Go for it, Veronica. What's the worst that could happen?" One more deep breath, and suddenly she is in the air between two buildings.

                    She squeezes her eyes shut as tight as possible, and finally feels her shoes hit solid ground. She made it. She releases a light, breathless laugh of relief. Her shoes punch into the rooftop below her, as she makes her way across another building. Then another. Then another. She's completely out of breath as she reaches the building directly before the tree. Veronica watches as a girl's head slowly turns around to face her. Dusty red hair falls in lengthy waves over her shoulders. Light freckles powder her features. A look of surprise and hope comes over her toothy smile. Veronica blushes despite herself. Seeing this girl in person, she is much prettier than the laptop screen.

                     "I'm coming!" She yells across the building.

                      The girl smiles, and nods. Veronica takes a few deep breaths, steadies herself, takes a running leap, and makes it to the other side. She bends over, clutching her knees and breathing heavily. Before she can fully catch her breath, the girl flings her arms around her neck. Veronica is caught by surprise as the girl whispers in her ear.

                      "Thank you," It's almost too soft to notice, but Veronica does.

                       When the girl finally pulls away, Veronica asks for her name. She responds, saying her name is Alex, and she was excited to meet Veronica from the start. Their conversation had been thrilling, and she had hated how short it had become.

                     "Even though we technically just met each other, I feel like I've known you for years," Veronica says, cupping Alex's face in her hands and staring deeply into her eyes.

                     "I feel the same way," Alex says, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

                      "Then, I guess, there's finally nothing to hide from," Veronica leans in and presses her lips against Alex's.

                       In that one moment, together in each other's embrace, the girls finally had something real. Something to grasp to. Their hearts pounding in their chests, they knew if they were to die tomorrow, at least they would have this. The search was finally over. Forever.