Excerpt from Faith Awakened - Mariah All AloneOne morning in the early part of summer’s heat, the restlessness got to me a little more than usual and I decided to go for a long walk. Inquiring among the others and finding none to be similarly inclined, I set off alone for the hills beyond city limits. It was a long way, but at least up there the country was much as it had always been—it was pleasanter to be in than the town where I was always aware of its unnatural stillness. I stepped out briskly and was soon passing through an area that had once been termed industrial. The large square buildings were made for practicality and not style, so I was glad to get past them and out towards the open country. I walked at first on a broad expressway that cut through hills and bridged yawning gullies, but when this road turned away from the coast, I left it and crossed fields where long-haired sheep were still fending for themselves. One or two of them looked up placidly as I passed by, then went back to grazing. I was no danger for them.
After leaving them behind, I came across a dead sheep. Flies buzzed around the body. I wrinkled my nose and gave it a wide berth, but not before I noticed it lay in a pool of congealing blood. Can sheep get Ebola? I decided to ask Anna about it later.
I pondered many things as I walked along; when one is alone, thought processes tend to multiply. There was, after all, more than plenty of time to reflect.
Sighing, I admitted to myself that I was not happy. It was not for any kind of physical lack, that much was sure—in fact it seemed more than likely that I was now better off materially than I had ever been in my life during the Trouble. Then why could I not be content? I dug deeper and pressed myself to answer the question. Come on… there must be a reason. I moved my hand to stifle a yawn, then thought better of it. Who would see anyway? A worldwide disaster had all but ruined my own life. Manners no longer mattered at all.
Time slipped by, and the sun rose higher towards noonday as I tramped on. Eventually I came upon another once-busy highway that led up to a hilltop, where I left the road and struck through the bush on the steep slopes. Coming to a cliff’s edge, I squatted down with the sea spreading out below me. Even in the old days it had always been quiet up here—so it nearly felt normal and I could almost imagine none of the dying had ever happened. I knew the spot well from long-ago outings with family or friends, when we had travelled in cars and arrived fresh and lively to chase about and splash one another on the beach below. But now I was alone and miles away from all humanity—not that all humanity was very much these days.
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