Decimated. The world had changed.

There were still races, we still felt overpopulated, we were still fighting with each other,

but now we were few. Cramped together on an island where we had found safety surrounded by water. We had all travelled here by boat when we had heard over the radio that we might be able to survive what was happening.

Everyone I had known was dead. My husband. My children. My parents. I was all that was left from the world I knew before. The world I know now is dirty, hungry, and violent. The island is safe and calm, we get along, but we are slowly starving. Eating the fish we catch and trying to grow food is hard when most of our time here has been storming through the winter season. We have food but it isn’t enough to feed us all well daily. We rashen and try to make sure we are always ready for more people or for a long time without new supplies.

The world ended in Summer, just before Christmas in Australia. The virus spread so fast, we lost most of the world's population in less than a week. We couldn't communicate and did not know what was happening. The army did their best across the world but how do you fight against what we soon coined as zombies? It was pretty obvious it was zombies.

They were people that had died, woken up, then with a violent rage started biting and eating others.

Zombies. The monsters from movies that we laugh about, mentally prepare for light heartedly. It actually happened.

I won't tell you how it went down with me. Not now. It is just too sad and maybe one day I will be able to not only share it but say it in my mind without breaking down. I have avoided acknowledging that everyone is dead, and how they died. Maybe one day I will tell you.

We went through Summer and Autumn in a heat that made all of the dead bodies rot and the smell and wild animals were awful. There were few places to hide or find food. By Winter I was close to giving up and letting one take me. It wasn't like I had anything to live for or fight for. The world was gone, I was fighting the inevitable.

I was hiding in a police station, trying to find food or a weapon that might help make it through another day when I hear the radio speaking from another room. It was coming from a police car in the garage. A man spoke of a safe place. An Island just off the east coast of Australia. He said that people were coming there by boat, bringing supplies to help if they can. That they had food and shelter. Winter was starting and they needed as much food and supplies as they could. Fuel was the best so the boats there could leave again and again, returning to get what they needed.

I was excited, hopeful. I didn't know where I would find a boat, or how I would have to drive about 500km North but the idea of having a plan or purpose was an amazing feeling after so long of hopelessness. I needed a big car, lots of fuel, and a map.

It took me two months to find my way north and over to the island, swapping cars when I ran out of fuel, walking and following roads or train tracks. I was lucky because when I found a dock west of the island there was a man just about to leave and I was able to avoid trying to drive a boat alone. The experience was surreal and many people were there to greet me. They made a feast and I ate cooked food for the first time since it started.

It took me a month to start sleeping through the night, to stop waking up to every breeze or sound. Feeling safe again would probably never happen, but feeling relaxed was happening slowly.

We found rope on the mainland and weights from gyms and we set up rafts all around the island. You just had to swim out with your fishing gear and spend the day seeing what you got. Some of us were good at deep diving and getting animals that walked around on the seafloor.

We barely made it through Winter. The storms destroyed our small constructions, flooded areas that put mud in the freshwater that we drank. The ocean around the beaches was murky and it was hard to catch anything when it wasn’t raining. Rainy days did actually make it easier to catch fish as they were more bitey, but because the ocean waves were so strong, and being cold, it was making us sick to swim out and sit in the rain to catch those fish.

Animals would try to come into the spaces we were in to take shelter but would then panic and run around, sometimes hurting some of us. A couple of times we caught one and ate it but we worried that if we did that we would eat all of the animals and have nothing left. The occasional bird was caught in traps. We ate a lot of bugs and leaves by boiling it in water and drinking it like soup. We had no way to store fresh produce so on the days we did catch a few fish we ate very well, though through winter it was bug soup most days.

There were seven houses on the island but there had been an explosion that had taken them all out, along with what looked like small shop. There were water thanks though that during winter filled up with drinking water and we had used most of the bricks and timber to try to build ourselves huts or kitchens.

We had a doctor, an engineer, a math teacher, and an old farmer amongst the group which meant we had expertise in the things that kept us alive. A few of the men volunteered to go back and forth to the mainland and find more supplies. They risked their lives every time and would get stuck at times, hiding out of running out of fuel and having to find more.

They would go as often as they could as they knew over time the fuel would stop working and once that happened we would probably never return to the mainland. We lost Hank last week. He was out with Rob and was bitten. He had time to help load the boat and Rob found him a car, put a little bit of fuel in it, and Hank said he would have some fun and run down as many

zombies before he died. Apparently, Hank also did a supply run that we had declared too dangerous and left the supplies on the dock for Rob to find. It was several boxes of wine, spirits, and soda. He had also put a few boxes of condoms and menstrual cups on top which was greatly appreciated.

We had a memorial for Hank and shared some alcohol. Some people used the condoms that night too. I lay there in my semi-private hut, on my bed made of pillowcases filled with sand and sewn closed. I had made myself a couple of dresses out of the fabric that had been left over from making shade and huts and so on. I even had a really nice fluro pink one.

We also recently had a new addition to the island. Mona gave birth to a baby boy, William. He doesn't cry much and we all love holding him. Thankfully, we had stocked up on formula because with such a restricted diet, Mona hasn't been able to produce much breast milk. We live mostly off of protein shakes, vitamins, canned food, dog food, and what the animals on the island produce. They had gone to a pet store not long after a few people arrived at the island and grabbed some baby chickens. Now there are heaps wandering around and laying eggs which is great. It was suggested to maybe bring some dogs back and eat them but most of us couldn't bring ourselves to do it.

Maybe one day.

Near the middle of the island there was a large field surrounded by trees. As if they had created space for new housing or a farm. When Spring arrived it was lush with flowers and long grass. Butterflies and bees were in the air and it smelt wonderful. It was also peaceful there. No debris from the storms or half built shelters. If any of us were there it was just for a walk and to

sit and read. We now had a pretty good library of books thanks to Maxine who raided a bookstore and got us all packs of colouring pens and pencils and colouring in books. We all enjoy sitting together and creating art. When clay or play-doh is found we always bring it back to excitement. We play charades and cards. We have monopoly and other board games. We built tables and chairs, cupboards, hammocks, and someone taught us how to cook in the ground and leave food there to slow cook and all sorts.

Today I was in the field with Sarah, Caleb, Waka, and Sinan. We were spread out, reading or colouring. Sinan had found an outdoor décor store on a trip and brought back boxes of windchimes and layback beach chairs and so many beach umbrellas. We had a few things set up in the field on the edge near where our beach setup was so that we could look out at the field or turn and face the dense tree line.

I had brought Sleeping Beauty and because the weather looked slightly grim, a large beach umbrella. I loved it when it would rain and I could comfortably sit here reading. It felt like home.

It wasn't raining yet but the sky was grey. Full clouds filled the sky. Caleb yelled over to me from the other end of us and told me he regretted not bringing an umbrella too, asking if maybe it was time to head back before the rain fell.

Before we could discuss leaving, a mist began to form all around us. At first it was like a normal mist but slowly it began to change to a deeper pink colour. It wasn't cold, or humid. It wasn't raining. I had never seen coloured fog or mist before and we all jumped up and huddled closer together. We discussed what it could be but we were all confused.

Waka turned our attention to the tree line, far away, where what looked like a person holding a normal umbrella was walking toward us.

It was a person, a person who walked closer and closer until they stood about ten or so meters away. The umbrella was covering their top half and we could not tell who they were, but we assumed it was a woman because it looked like they were wearing an old English style dress.

The umbrella was lowered, revealing a beautiful young woman with braided hair. She resembled what I imagined when I read a Jane Austen novel.

"Hello. I am Athena. I am here to make you an offer. You cannot ask any questions. You cannot leave. You must answer now. I will give you two options, the one you choose will happen when today becomes tomorrow. Do you understand?"

We nodded even though we had absorbed half of what she said.

"Option one is you wake up tomorrow, all of the zombies are gone, the dead are still dead, but you can begin to rebuild and repopulate."

We looked at each other. If she was real that was something that they could never turn down. The zombies destroyed everything we knew and with them around we were going to die out sooner or later. We had to say yes. Whatever the other choice is didn't matter.

"Option two is that tomorrow, a boat will arrive with everyone you have lost, alive and well, here to live with you on the island. Zombies will still exist but you will have your specific loved ones back. Nothing else will change."

Oh my god, my children. I would see my babies again. This is cruel, how can I say no to bringing back my children but at the same time how could I bring them back just to exist on this island, hungry, no real future, no hope.

We looked at each other, Caleb, Sarah, and Sinan had lost children as well, their eyes were watery and filled with sadness. They too would give anything to see their kids again, but not like this, not in the world that we now lived in.

We turned to the woman and unanimously said 'Option One'.

She told us when today becomes tomorrow, the world would be safe again and she turned around and walked back the way she came.

The mist lost its colour and faded away.

We went to sleep cynical but hopeful.

Was this woman our saviour?