Joined By Ironic Devotion

• Caitlin Connolly, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2009

Today. Today meant everything to Constance. For today, she had a big decision. As she sat in her overheating car, her thick clothes adding to the sweltering heat, she pondered on her decision. It would not be an easy one.
It was almost amusing to think that a mere few months ago, the earth was nowhere near as much of a cesspool as it was now, it bewildered her. But without all that; the heat wave, the deaths, and the pollution, she would never have found Stephan. Though she felt guilty for it, he made it all worth it. No one knew what had caused this mess, this ‘cloud of mass murders’, as they were calling it. You’d think that by the year 3016, they would have found a solution to everything. Constance hurried into the hospital, the last hospital that remained. She felt her family’s money wasn’t enough to compensate for the billions of lives lost. It meant going against her parents wishes before they became a statistic, but she was determined to help. As she was getting changed, she reminisced on the first time she saw him.
He was like a piece of art to her; faultless. She could have listened to his voice all day, asking the same questions about her patients. She knew that love was morally out of the question at such a time, but the temptation was too enticing. As he headed back to the science van, she spoke to him, asking to meet up to discuss the fog. Her heart skipped a beat when he agreed.
Tying her final shoelace, Constance stood up and headed toward her first patient. The fog wasn’t far away now. Everyone knew they were just bringing the ‘survivors’ here to die. There was only one solution they had found to the murderous fog; and she tried not to think of it as much as possible.
The hospital cafeteria was busy the day they met. Daydreaming, she felt a presence behind her, it was him, Stephan. They spoke for several hours about the cloud and possible cures, even the scientists were stumped. When it came time to depart, Constance’s heart sank. But he asked her to meet up outside work, she happily agreed. Soon, they spent every free moment together.
Constance felt so exceedingly happy that she had met him but one day when they met, he broke the news to her; The only solution to the fog. It had taken over the whole world except for the small area of land around Washington DC. Stephan needed to go into the fog, take a sample and report it back. But the clouds wouldn’t give in so easily. At noon the next day, he would leave, forever.
As she remembered that conversation, she checked her watch, 1:03. She breathed a silent gasp. He would have left by now. Gone and been murdered. Constance went numb. So she ran, out of the hospital and onto the street. She got in her car and turned the keys. She drove out and onto the highway, the radio turned up to tune out her thoughts. She continued driving until she reached the fog safety barriers; next to the science station. She got out of her car and ran, as fast as she could. She came to a halt, shaking. After a moments pause, she began walking again. Past the station, she had made her decision. He was dead, gone. She walked towards the seeping gas clouds; she would not stop walking until she joined him.