The road wept silently as every new gust of wind slowly eroded what had not yet crumbled. Once a busy roadway was not torn to pieces by the elements, one season away from completely disappearing. The street was a skeleton, tripped of its flesh long ago. In the darkness of pre-dawn, the street hardly looks any different than it did before it was forgotten. Streetlights that once gave the street life are now what gives its loneliness away; no longer do they guide the path to a never sleeping city. Now there lays an empty quietness, breathless air. Vein-like cracks weave across the pavement after having been taken over by an intricate labyrinth of grass. Flowers burst into new life struggling to climb upwards in the search of fresh air. Deserted cars litter the side of the road while a new blood-stained rust takes over their appearance, waiting for owners that will never come. Without the sounds of traffic, one can hear the swiftness of a murder of crows as they navigate in between the unforgiving clouds of brewing thunder. 

At the end of the road the city stands still and quiet. Dust and debris flood the roads while a sheet of darkness lays upon the abandoned buildings. Homes line the streets like broken teeth. Dry wind gusts through the maze of houses where windows have long shattered. Unpainted wooden buildings, riddled with mold, are one blow away from collapsing. At a glance, the city still holds remnants of a paradise bursting with life. Everything is left where it was as if the city was placed on pause; as if one minute people were here and the next they weren’t. Skyscrapers still litter the open air as their shattered glass still tries to kiss the grey sky above. Traffic lights blink in an attempt to still control the cars and bustle of a full city which is now non-existent. The eeriness of the still air and unmoving scenery creates the feeling of being watched, as if at any moment the city will come alive again. With less charm than a cemetery, the rotting city stands battered and defeated. 

A generation ago, the streets flowed with life as rivers of people moved from one place to another, night and day. It’s as if the town still lives but on it’s own terms. Wild animals roam the dead city streets not minding the lack of human life. No longer fearful, the animals venture to places they wouldn’t dare to before. Their shadows flicker amongst the structures as they make their way through the dark maze of menacing buildings. In the corner of one’s eye, the ghost-like silhouettes of the old inhabitants appear as if they are still there. Invisible, their lifeless bodies roam the barren ground making no sound.

The virus had spread in the blink of an eye, wiping out cities with two. It targeted the young, elderly and disabled first but not long after, everyone was saying goodbye to loved ones. Before the virus, the city was always moving. Lights lit up the city from dusk till dawn. The virus made everyone equal for a short time; equal in grief, losses, and mental disarray. The city was ghostly for the first frozen weeks, no one moved in fear of contracting the virus. After the power went out the night turned into a living nightmare. Screams of those tortured by terror could be heard from blocks away. The night held home to slithering shadows and Looting began but no amount of money, food, or nice things could save you. Cowering behind locked doors saved no one; the virus had a mind of its own. Eventually it found a way in either through the crack of a closed door or a slightly ajar window. The vaccine immune package of death eventually made its way across cities until nothing was left. No longer did the disease kill before it had time to spread, bodies still roam the streets looking for their next victim. Remains of those who fell dead from the virus litter the scenery as if placed there for decoration. Warped and discoloured, they are now unrecognizable. One body lays still, missing both lips. Perhaps it was the death-kiss from another carrier. With the jaw dislocated, the torn tongue and blood stain teeth stay on display. The air is no longer fresh as the virus takes over much more than just bodies. The city was gasping for air. 

What once was a busy city that held life, love, and joy, is now nothing but a forgotten graveyard that holds nothing but desperation, crushed hope, and withered souls.