Chapter 3

The Ruined City

Brian and Justin walked through the dead streets of the city. Buildings and skyscrapers were fallen around them. This looked strikingly similar to the ruined Pittsburgh. Who was to say this wasn't Pittsburgh? Maybe this was another fragment of Pittsburgh. This island seemed to be bigger then Downtown Island had been. Brian and Justin soon discovered that this was indeed Pittsburgh. They soon enough found Michael's apartment and hope rushed that maybe he was there. Brian managed to bust through the door, but the place seemed entirely deserted. When they checked Michael's bedroom a sad sight met them. The corpse was decaying and the place stank, but there was no denying it was Ben. The glasses were still fixed on his nose.

"I get it," Brian whispered. "Ben died because he didn't have his HIV medicine."

Justin gasped and placed a hand over his mouth. The sight was more horrid then either of them could imagine. There was a notebook lying next to Ben, which Brian recognized as Michael's diary. He snatched it up and began to flip through the pages.

The Apocalypse has just happened. Ben, Hunter, and I are the last ones left. Ben is failing fast without his meds. It pains me to watch him die more and more everyday. Hunter is in worse health, but he's still young. He's fine for the most part. I don't know what I'd do without my son. Day after day Ben is taken from me, until finally his life is snatched away. My marriage is over. My first real family is broken. I continue to wear the ring so I'll remember. Hunter and I are going away. We don't know where we're going. I want to find Brian. I need to find Brian. I still love Brian.

Brian put the notebook back down. Michael had been here, but now he and Hunter were gone. Brian and Justin quickly left the apartment that was filled with the stench of a rotting corpse. Brian was partly tempted to go back and read more of Michael's diary, but he didn't know if he could handle it. Brian and Justin went and searched the other places. Liberty Avenue and a good portion of Pittsburgh was missing. They managed to find Ted's old place, but nothing was there except an empty house. Brian remembered that they had all been going to Babylon that night. Brian and Justin went back to where the raft was and cast off once more. They didn't know what they'd find in this new world. Brian was glad to have Justin by his side.

"Farewell, Professor," Brian said quietly.

He joined hands with Justin and they held hands for a long time as the raft drifted onward.

TBC...