Red Ray

The infamous apocalypse that had been foreseen by the Mayans never came. Relief washed over the whole world. When they thought they were spared from the world's end and their guards were long down, a deadly virus became the new terror. The Red Ray had wiped off more than a half of the world's population, leaving less than three billion people spread across the globe, each of them focusing on their own survival. Decades had passed and in these most critical years of the world, when humanity was put at the edge of extinction, a group of scientists managed to create a drug for immunity. There was a price, of course, as nothing in this life comes for free. And the price, let's just say it was unaffordable for nearly half of the remaining survivors. Regina was one of those people who just had not the money.

The sun had set hours ago and the moon had taken over. It was past midnight. The young woman padded barefoot into the Immune Compound, where all the riches who could afford the immunity drug had agreed to lived. A normal person like Regina was forbidden to enter the area, for sure, despite the fact that the whole community was immune. Those caught trespassing, they had announced, would be put to a sentence worse than death, she didn't even bother to find out what.

Regina was carrying a brown cardboard box with the softest fabric she had stacked upon it. In the box was a beautiful baby boy. He was only one day old, having come out of his mother's belly just yesterday. She had tucked in beneath the fabric a piece of paper with a note along with his name: Valentino, which meant strength and health, both things she couldn't provide for her child. She stopped in front of a modest yet beautifully appointed house. It was not huge compared to the others in the block, but it was more than Regina could ever afford. She had found out a few days earlier, this was the perfect household to leave her son at. The couple who lived here had no child, as far as she knew, but they were one of the few Immune that was not rude and spoiled.

She kissed the boy's forehead and stood still for a moment, looking at him. Knowing this was the last time she would see her child, tears formed in the corner of her eye and she started to sob silently. Once she finally got a hold of herself, she looked around, making sure no one had been eyeing her. She tooked a deep breath and began to step on the walkway of the house. She gently placed the box in front of the oak door, her hands trembling, not wanting to let go of the child she had carried around for nine months. Valentino would be better off without her, he could grow up peacefully and live without the fear of being infected with the Ray every passing second. He would get the life he deserved.

How long she had stood there, unable to walk away, she didn't know. But she knew it was a long time, enough for the guards to realize someone had broken into the Compound. The sound of helicopters whirring in the distant brought Regina's mind back to reality. As if in reflex, her head spinned around immediately. She could see a few flashlights beaming at different directions, probably trying to spot where the intruder was. Her heart dropped, she was not going to be caught. Her eyes spotted an area of trees and bushes just a few feet from the house, its canopy was wide enough to hide her from the guards. Before running towards those trees, she whispered, "Goodbye, son."

It felt like hours what were only minutes, Regina was still behind the bushes, her legs sore for squatting too long. She knew if she stayed here just a minute longer, the number of guards would only increase -they wouldn't stop until they find who trespassed into the Immune property, and she would then have not the chance to flee. She ensured that that the helicopters were hovering in the opposite direction and counted to ten, it wasn't a chance to lose. This was it.

She started running as fast as her feet allowed her to and her legs moved faster than she had ever known they could. She was sprinting so fast that the only thing she heard was the wind brushing harshly against her skin. Her mind focused on one thing and one thing only, run as if your life depends on it. And frankly, it did. The next thing she knew was arriving at her neighborhood, which was basically a bunch of derelict land and abandoned buildings. They were at least two miles from the Immune Compound, she didn't how it was possible. She was ninety-nine percent sure she wouldn't make it. Her pace slowed down when the sight of this familiar district came to view. Taking a few turns and arriving in the back of an abandoned hospital, she came to a halt.

Her heart was thumping so hard and her chest was aching. Her heart was yet still beating rapidly and she was having a hard time catching her breath. She stood in front of a black door in the empty alleyway for a full ten minutes, trying to get her breathing back to normal, which felt almost impossible. Finally, after her brain could comprehend the next thing to do, her hand made contact with the steel handle which had long rusted. Still panting heavily, she twisted it and entered the room. As she closed the door behind her, she knew she had done the right thing.