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"Hey Mommy, who's that?" I ask pulling on my mom's hand as I point towards the person partway down the block.
She looks down at me before following where I'm pointing to the person standing there looking into the mirror. "Hmm, I don't really know Sweetheart. Why don't we go over and ask him? It's not everyday we see a new person in town." She replies with a hint of a smile in her tone.
I beem up at her before tugging her down the block, unaware of what all life would have in store for me.
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Looking at myself in the mirror I sigh. I'm wearing my black long coat, decent boots, and my wide brimmed hat. Reaching up I tug at my beard gently, "shoulda fucking shaved. Go figure, always forget something."
"Hey lady, what's your name? And what's that on your face?"
I jump and turn towards the voice, seeing a little blonde girl in a flowery dress and a business type brunette holding her hand. I watch as she flashes a look of disdain down towards the girl before looking back to me, a look of Hunger and success in her eyes.
"Please forgive my daughter, Annabelle is rather blunt, but means well." Turning towards her daughter she tells her quietly, "now sweetie, be nice. Mommy's gotta make a call real quick, I forgot something at work and am going to have someone bring it home for me." She then pulls a phone out of her pocket and turn and walks a few steps away before placing a call.
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Turning towards the girl and squatting down to her level I tell her, "we'll shorty, my names Cairn. And this stuff on my face is called a beard."
She smiles up to me with a big toothy smile, one of her front teeth missing. "My names Annabelle, and that's my mommy, she works at the ins-ins-institute."
"Well Little Annabelle," I say whIle pulling out a small package from inside my coat, "I need to be on my way, I still have a bit of shopping I need to get done." Giving her the package I get up and turn away and rush, though slowly, back towards my home.
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"Yes, yes that's correct. I need a full team dispatched immidiately. Yes, visual confirmation. Hurry! He's escaping!"
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17 years later
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I gaze out my window, the fireworks on the horizon lighting up the clear night sky. Subconsciously I tug at my packs straps, the weight familiar, horrifyingly so. Looking down at my watch I sigh, nine hundred years ago this world flipped. And I've had to suffer through all of it. From a medical standpoint I'm practically immortal. I can't get sick, don't age, and heal rediculously quickly. It's torture. The disease that cropped up literally overnight affected the entirety of human population. Women had it easy, mild stomach cramping and low fevers. Men on the other hand, they died. Rapidly. It was deemed total body failure, fevers of over 110, kidney and liver failure, and, over the course of roughly 10 hours, complete neural shutdown.
Reaching down and pulling a small leatherbound book off my desk I head to the door, looking back over this year's home, a simple cabin, open floorplan, dirt floors. Sliding my book into my bag I head out, the light of a lamp behind me, the light of civilization before. Time to go pay a visit to a dear little friend.
Time to go see Annabelle