Days of Love and Blood

so far I was willing to go while leaving Ronan alone in the camper.
    I had only just begun to train in weaponry before the virus hit but I was already accomplished in hand-to-hand combat. I had taken eight years of mixed martial arts training. After losing Ritchie, I picked up swords from the house of our nearby neighbor, Mr. Sho. I knew he collected expensive Japanese swords since he had been my de facto weaponry master for a mere six months before the world went to hell. He was gone when I entered his house and I knew the sickness had taken him. I could smell it everywhere.
    Mr. Sho’s two identical Katana swords mounted above the entrance to his home dojo became my weapons of choice. Each had hardwood handles, black leather wraps, and a slight curve to the blade. On one sword the Japanese symbols for mercy were etched into the blade, on the other - revenge . These were the swords I always had strapped to my back whenever I left the camper. I piled the rest of his collection, about twenty other swords from various makers, into a duffel bag. Before I left his house, I turned at the front door and bowed deeply in gratitude.
    Guns were out of the question. I didn’t have the time to learn how to use them and no one was around to teach me. Besides, the homicidals never used them. Nevertheless, I collected a number of guns and ammunition as I came across them, from every house I ventured within.
    I raid ed houses whenever an opportunity presented itself. Since I had to stay away from grocery stores, I raided residential neighborhoods instead. I was only looking for the basics: canned goods, toilet paper, bottled water and whatever else looked good at the moment. My parent’s house would have everything else we need.
    Whenever I raid ed, I wore my gear. Leather pants, Kevlar vest, leather jacket, gloves and a black motorcycle helmet. The gear wasn’t just to protect my body from blows, but to shield me from the diseased droplets of bodily fluids that will eventually cover me. I made sure every ounce of flesh was covered. You never know when or where a virus will mutate. Someday we might not be immune. When I protected myself, I protected my son.
    An hour went by faster than I had anticipated and my adrenaline was fading. I needed to rest. The rain had ceased and I could finally see the bares t of my surroundings. There were nothing but fields to my right and left. This would be the safest spot to pull over.
    After cleaning the mess I left earlier, I slid into bed next to Ronan. He rolled over and allowed me to cradle him against my body.
    “This will all be over soon,” I whispered.
    It has to be.

Between Friends and Foes
    Ritchie suddenly appeared in my thoughts as soon as the alarm drove away my dreams. I rolled over and hit the snooze button, perfectly content to stay in bed and dream. It had been two weeks since our first date and we had seen each other three more times since then. Only two weeks - and I couldn’t get that boy out of my head.
    I closed my eyes and felt his hand take hold of mine. I remembered the way he grazed his lips across my cheek after our farewell embrace the night before. I swear I could still smell his cologne on my neck. I dreamt of his hazel eyes and the way he would stare straight at me when I spoke, never looking away. He focused on me with an intensity that drove me crazy. It made me catch my breath on more than one occasion.
    My phone issued a text message beep and I bounced out of bed to retrieve it from the dresser. My heart thumped when I saw his name.
    “Woke up thinking about you. Haven’t stopped since.”
    “Does this mean we absolutely must have another date?” I replied.
    “Lunch. Today. I’m not sure if I can even wait that long.”
    “I think you’ll manage. Lunch sounds good.”
    It was hard to keep acting coy but I was afraid to flirt as much as he did. I was afraid of pushing him away. I realized how much I wanted to keep Ritchie around and began to get nervous and flustered. I wasn’t sure if I should I show Ritchie how much I really like him.
    I had been tempted to skip classes so I could lie in bed and dream some more. But Ritchie’s lunch invitation had me running around my dorm floor, preparing for another rendezvous. I was acting like a young teenager bitten by the love bug and it felt good - too good, like a warm drug. I was actually looking forward to being with someone. I was looking forward to my future with a little bit of hope. Maybe I