Later that evening Doug logged out of Conquest and returned to Real Life (RL). Immediately he regretted the decision. His stomach was grumbling, and he quickly remembered that all he had to eat was canned kidney beans.

I’ve got to get my hands on that stash!

Earlier he had stumbled across a large stash of canned goods that would likely last him at least several months without the need to surface. But the stash was inside a park restroom guarded by a homeless encampment.

So when he had returned to his bunker earlier after another successful foray into town, Doug wasted little time unloading his loot. Despite his dismay after discovering the contents, he didn't bother checking the expiration date on the cans—he'd eat them anyway.

After choking down some beans to temporarily satiate his hunger, he tried unsuccessfully to get some sleep. His mind raced with thoughts of the stash, and he tossed and turned in bed unable to relax. Finally, after hours of tossing and turning, he gave up trying to fall asleep. With a sigh, he rose from his bunk and headed for the bathroom.

His body ached from carrying the backpack around, and his legs burned from the strenuous hike earlier. As soon as he reached the sink, he splashed water on his face and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked tired, haggard, and worn thin. And it wasn't just physical fatigue either; his spirit felt drained.

When did things become so hard? When will it end? What am I supposed to be doing anymore?!

"You're going to make it," Doug muttered under his breath.

He thought back to the the day when everything changed forever. That horrible morning weeks ago when millions of people disappeared without warning. They simply ceased to exist overnight. No one knows exactly what happened, although many religious fanatics insist it was ‘the Rapture’.

But Doug wasn’t convinced.

Whatever the cause, it left everyone wondering if they would ever see their lost loved ones ever again. For those who weren't raptured away, the future was uncertain and frightening. Many believed that they might be next, and others feared that the world itself was coming to an end.

For the first time since the Rapture-like event, Doug allowed himself to feel afraid. Not of death necessarily, but rather of losing the precious things in life that meant the most: family, love, friendship, happiness…

They were gone now, taken by the Rapture. So were countless other important things such as jobs, money, possessions, and even memories. All of these things that once mattered to Doug had been stripped away by fate, leaving nothing but a hollow shell behind.

Nowadays, Doug rarely visited his old haunts. Instead, he focused his efforts on survival. Every day, he went out scavenging for food and weapons, staying well clear of the cities and towns where other survivors congregated. He never stayed anywhere for very long, always moving on quickly when trouble threatened to arise.

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Sometimes he wondered what became of his parents, his brothers, and sisters, and even his closest childhood friends. Did they suffer during the Rapture? Were any of them spared, or were they among the billions who vanished overnight?

More importantly though, he worried about finding something else to live for besides mere survival. Even with all of this weighing heavily upon him, Doug remained hopeful.

One day, he vowed to return home. One day, he promised himself, he would exact retribution on whoever or whatever had ruined his life. Until then, however, he had to continue surviving. Survival required planning ahead, thinking three steps further than the next move. It meant keeping your wits about you at all times, making sure you were prepared for every possible scenario.

Doug sat down at the kitchen table and stared at the map spread across its surface. A single dot marked each city and town within miles of his current location, and dozens more dotted the countryside beyond. Some dots he had marked in blue, meaning he had identified friendly fellow survivors who had plenty of supplies, while others he had marked in red indicating hostile groups nearby.

A wave of dizziness washed over Doug as he peered intently at the map. This was his entire world now. These were all the locations he had explored thus far, and they represented a handful of potential sources for food, shelter, and companionship. He picked up a yellow marker and placed a dot on the park where he had run into the homeless encampment. He didn’t consider them to be particularly hostile, considering their clear lack of ammunition - but they weren’t exactly friendly either.

Except for senile Jim that is.

He replaced the marker on the table and rubbed his temples with his fingers. Everything was starting to hurt lately. More headaches, less appetite, more pain…

Maybe I'm getting sick...

If he caught a cold or flu virus, then he wouldn't be able to leave the safety of his bunker for several days. If he did catch something, he'd have to rely entirely on his stockpile of emergency rations and medicine. That's assuming he didn't die first.

No matter what happened, he needed to stay safe. To do that, he had to remain vigilant. Always aware of his surroundings, ready for danger at every turn... and that meant avoiding contact with anyone.

Even talking to someone could put him at risk. People are unpredictable, and sometimes they can lash out unexpectedly. Sometimes they'll try to rob you, kidnap you, kill you outright. There really isn't any telling what they might do. You need to avoid them at all costs.

It wasn't easy. Most of the other survivors were wary of strangers, and rightly so given how many crazies there must've been roaming around after the Rapture. Still, Doug managed to meet a few nice folks along the way. He met a middle-aged woman named Lisa who lived near him in a secluded part of town, and she invited him inside her house one night to share dinner and drinks. She told him stories of growing up in rural America, working hard on her farm to support herself and her family. Eventually, she married and moved to the big city to seek work and adventure.

She eventually divorced her husband, but not before giving birth to two beautiful daughters whom she raised all by herself. After years of struggling to make ends meet, Lisa finally saved up enough money to open up a diner on the outskirts of Chicago. Now, nearly thirty years later, the business was thriving thanks to loyal customers like Doug. At least, until the Rapture anyway.

Lisa was warm, friendly, intelligent, and surprisingly funny. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and kindness whenever she spoke, and he enjoyed listening to her tell stories about growing up poor in rural Illinois.

Despite his initial misgivings, Doug found he had genuinely enjoyed his visit with her. Of course, he couldn't let her know that, which is probably why he kept his distance afterwards.

Just in case.

The truth is, he was terrified. Terrified of letting someone close because he didn't want to lose them again.

Time has taught me one thing: don’t trust anybody. Ever. They’ll always let you down.

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