The Last of Us: I Was Human

I stand here, in this dark room…but is it dark really? I don't know. I lost my sight ages ago.

I lost everything ages ago.

It's just become an endless cycle. Walk in a set pattern, flail my arms around a bit, it's amazing that I haven't bumped into any walls yet.

Come to think of it, how do I know I'm even in a room?

I just rely on sound to see and from what I can sense, everything bounces back fairly fast.

Yeah, I'm in a room. Have to be.

Not too many people or others like me down there. There used to be a whole hoard of us down here but our numbers just diminished. I've been on my own for good while now.

I hear some people passing through every once in a while, a group of three passed by not too long ago, but I don't really know how long ago it's been. Could have minutes, hours, days, hell maybe even weeks, months, years. Keeping track of time just got shoved to the bottom of the list.

Sometimes, when I'm alone in my disgruntled thoughts, I sift through my memories. They're gray and faded, and move fast but still give a lot of insight as to who I was and how I came to be.

But it never answers the questions that are always buzzing in my malfunctioning brain.

How?

Why?

I was just a normal being, just trying to get through life's ups and downs.

I was like everyone.

I had the usual nine to five job as a secretary, proud parent of three kids, a marriage with little to no issues, living in a nice home, good money coming in, all accompanied with the usual stress.

Then it all just came crashing down.

An outbreak was it? What was it called again? It had a really long name but it was fashionably shortened to…CBI. Yes that's it. Some sort of serious brain infection was it? Most likely.

We tried to leave, we did the best we could. But it just wasn't enough in the end. I lost my family and I lost myself.

Reduced to nothing but this; wandering about day in and day out, eating whatever I find, which I know for a fact isn't chicken.

Too hard, too chewy, too raw, too…bloody.

Too loud at certain times.

When there were others here, I eavesdropped on what they mumbled to themselves from time to time.

I was just a college student. I just wanted to…follow my dreams…live the happy life. How is this happy?

I'm a father! I was a father. I just couldn't help it. Instinct…

I have to follow orders…report to sector C…

Where's my mommy…I can't find my mommy…

It hurts…

Can't breathe…

Of course this came out in the form of groans, moaning, and clicking. I know there was a point where those remnants of the old self completely die off. Contrary to popular belief, it's not when we reach the first stage. No. It's when we reach the very last one.

It's a rare stage, I've only encountered one or two. I can't see them but I could tell they look like a bigger and more terrifying version of me, in the third stage. Mainly because I can distinctly hear people turning the other way once they see them.

And when they get a hold of them, by the sounds of it, the outcome isn't pretty.

I know that sickening snap isn't a footstep.

The sounds of my clicking echo all over and I haven't sensed anything in a long time. I realize I've stopped moving, I'm just standing here, hunched over and twitching. Am I waiting for something? Am I finally at arriving at that stage? The stage that everyone fears the most? I feel like something is…changing. The atmosphere is…thicker.

But then my attention is brought to incoming heavy then light footsteps and distinct whispering.

"Oh shit. Get down."

I give the impression that I know where they are but they know as well as I do that I really don't.

But doesn't mean that I won't try to.

It's a game of cat and mouse. They try to maneuver themselves around me and I try to hone in on them. There was even a point where I even lost track of them. Oh well. People come and go quite often. Thought if I were hungrier, I'd most likely be more persistent in the chase.

I was about to return to my spot when I bumped into something peculiar.

Then my vision lights up.

They were standing in front of me, one of them obviously did not watch where they were going.

"I told you to keep your damn flashlight on! They don't care about the fucking light!" One of them yelled harshly and might I add, loudly.

That didn't help their case much.

As much as I hate it, they have to pay the price for being so careless.

I screech and flail my arms around, knowing that my prey is close. He tries to fight me by punching and kicking me, but that never works.

Not even the strongest man could manage that. But I'm still waiting for the likes of Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee to show up. Maybe we could be proven wrong.

I counter his punch by slapping him and I grab onto his shoulders, pull him down…oh…her. Now there's a change of events. I pull her down a bit and…this is the part I despise the most. But I damn if I can't help it…

I reel back and bite into the place where it mattered. I dig in until I find that familiar smooth and undeniably delectable rope and I pull. Encountering my favorite flavor of licorice, I pull it well beyond its limit and it snapped.

The scream reminded me that this wasn't candy.

I was about to turn and wander away but then I sense there's another.

This time it is a man and judging by the sound of his choked sobs and heavy breathing, he's determined to end me.

I welcome it with open flailing arms.

He fires and it provokes me further. I stagger towards him on the hunt.

But today, my hunt will be without end. He hits me just in the right spot and I fall. I fall to the ground and let out a dying screech. I twitch momentarily then all movement ceases. I feel no more control, my instinct to kill is gone. My mind is almost gone.

Might as well use that time to really think.

I know some people, when they fire that precise bullet, shove that knife into our throats or burn us, it's the end of us. But to be honest we ended a long time ago, and we're just wallowing in the ocean of our past self until the final stage or death.

During those heated confrontations, this one obviously being my last, it's always perceived as man versus monster. A title well bestowed.

I carried a new title for a while. Monster.

I was many things before this. And now I get a final preview of what I once was before I go, physically and mentally. Everything flashes in my head one last time, but this time at a significantly slower pace and a bit more vividly and clearer. I see one last time of what I once was and where I came from to where it all began before it all disappeared.

In seeing those flashes one last time, I realize all those titles aren't important. They never were. Parent, spouse, secretary, none of those mattered.

No, what mattered more was that I was human.

Human.

The rest of those titles, in reality, they come and go. Even monster. But human is supposed to be forever or until you fall.

And yet…

I managed to lose that title ages ago and I just managed to fall now.

This idea just came to me literally out of nowhere. Not sure if it makes too much sense but hey it happened XD.

Since I'm on spring break (Yay! =D) I'm replaying The Last of Us again =)

Thanks for reading and leave a review =)