Cold weather and darkness; that was all I remembered on that day. Ashes fell down like a heavy snowstorm, and covered the ground in a grey coat. The wind howled harshly; debris flew everywhere. Down below me were the remains of Rome. Once a beautiful city inhabiting many religious believers for centuries, it seemed to have been the perfect way for her to die.

Thunder and lightning roared in the sky above me as they competed for dominance. Hmm, it seemed us humans picked up a part of our aggressiveness from Mother Nature, whether we agreed or not. After raping her lands and abusing her resources for so long, it karma had finally caught up with us.

Rome was not the only city who fell: Venice, the big apple, and hell even the city of love; they all fell. Their supreme buildings collapsed onto the streets as the people below screamed in horror. Hah, fear: the ultimate weapon that we were weary of yet used many times to get ahead in the game. Throughout our short existence, humanity has always managed to overcome situations which enabled us to evolve technologically. With humans becoming the number one species on Earth, we evolved into an arrogant race as we believed nothing could stop us. Well, it looked like we certainly got our asses kicked. Now, humanity was on the bridge of extinction.

A flash of lightning pierced a few meters beside me, but I did not move. Instead, I walked slowly down the hill, and made my way towards the now dead heart of the city. As I walked, I scanned my surroundings and was drawn into my subconscious.

~

The sun is shining brightly and everyone is in a happy mood. Children are innocently playing while the adults are talking amongst themselves. I see myself walking towards a park, pleasantly humming a tune. I reach my destination and lean against a bar, admiring the beautiful scenery. A pleasant breeze arrives, blowing my long, brown hair. Not long after a pair of strong arms wrap my waist from behind and I feel a face pressed against my hair. A slight sniffling is heard before a contented sigh arrives. I lean back and close my eyes.

"You've been busy," says the husky voice.

"My studies have been taking a lot of time," I reply.

"Even from me?" he mocks being hurt.

I turn around and face him. "Even from you, unfortunately." I caress his delicate cheeks.

"I've missed you," he says as he brings me closer.

"It's been far too long, my love," I reply, running my fingers through his golden hair.

He brings his face closer. His lips brush mine. "I've missed your lips, and everything about you." His eyes flicker at me.

I smile. "My lips and everything that is mine belongs to you." I wrap my arms around his neck.

He slightly smirks. "They better be, otherwise I would hunt down anyone who took you away from me and kill them."

I raise an eyebrow. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?"

He goes silent, and then looks down. I'm slightly worried. "Love, what is it?"

A few moments of silence pass before he takes a breath and looks at me. I stare back, trying to unlock his thoughts. His ocean eyes bore deep into mine, as if he was peering into my soul. He spoke. "I still can't get rid of the thought that I almost lost you. The mercenaries attacked, and you defended that small school. When I got the call saying that you were in the hospital in life threatening conditions, my blood went cold. I swore my heart stopped when I saw you on the bed, covered in blood and not responding. Eventually you recovered, but those bastards who did that to you got away. Just the thought of you gone; I would not be able to live without you. I just…. I love you, and I can't lose you." He looks down, almost as if he was embarrassed.

My facial expression goes soft as my hands lift his face up. I kiss him gently then press my forehead against his. Our eyes meet and we stare at each other, losing ourselves to the other. His composure relaxes, and he sighs apologetically. I speak. "No matter what happens, you will never lose me. I promise."

He smiles gently. "I know."

I smile in return and embrace him. I remember wanting that moment to last forever.

Suddenly, my lover is pulled from my arms, and I see him lying lifeless on the ground in front of me. His blue eyes stare at the sky blankly, no longer carrying the glow they used to have. His blond hair is deranged and blood pours out of his body.

Tears stream out of my eyes as I scream in loss and agony. Fire slowly creeps its way towards me. I look up blankly, not bothering to run away. In the background, screams are heard as the fire claims more victims to its ever growing list. I look around at the dying world, not caring about the oncoming danger. I continue to stare at the fire, watching it get closer. I close my eyes, and prepared to accept my fate, knowing I would reunite with my lover for good.

Amazingly, the fire spread around me, enveloping me in a hot embrace. Then, everything went dark.

~

A boom of thunder brought me out of my thoughts and I shook my head. I looked around; still a world covered in ash and wreckage. I cursed in my breath, and moved along. Those were painful memories that I wanted to forget; of a time that would never come back, of a man that I would never hold in my arms again.

I shook my head again and focused on the road ahead. As I approached what was left of downtown Rome, a weird feeling developed in my gut. At first it felt like nothing, yet with each passing minute, the feeling got stronger. I narrowed my eyes as I didn't like it at all. As I reached an old intersection, I debated on what path to take.

Out of nowhere, a faint cry carried through the wind. I turned in the direction, and wondered what it was. Curiosity got the best of me, so I proceeded towards the source of the noise. I arrived at a collapsed diner with its insides spewed out along the street. I cautiously entered through a broken window, and moved in.

With each step I took, the sound of breaking glass disrupted the dominant silence. I took out a flash light and switched it on, the sole tool I had to guide me through the eerie darkness. It was unbearably silent, and I wondered whether I had imagined the noise. As if on cue, the cry erupted, that time much closer. I reached for my dagger, and proceeded towards the source. It led me to the back part of the diner which I assumed used to be the kitchen. I scanned my surroundings, and slowly proceeded forward until I heard the cry from the left. I shone my flash light in that direction and came across a pile of blankets and rags. My eyes narrowed as I walked towards it and got on one knee. I heard the cry again, slightly muffled, as if it came from underneath the pile. Cautiously, I slowly uncovered the pile, and then widened my eyes.

Oh shit. That was the first thought that came to mind. My head spun around in all directions as I looked for anything that could have helped me out. I cursed when nothing was found, and then looked back down. I stared as if an alien was in front of me; a baby boy lay naked as he thrashed his tiny body while he cried. I stared blankly as I did not know what to do. Abruptly, the crying stopped and I found myself staring at a pair of beautiful blue eyes. I found myself drawn to them, and for a few minutes, we just stared at each other. There was something so familiar about them; as if I had a habit of staring at these eyes once upon another life time. Almost as if I was staring at…..

I blinked rapidly to push back the oncoming tears, and then shook my head. I glared at the ground until I heard a…giggle? I glanced back at the baby and indeed, saw him smiling at me. I blinked. He started to coo, and spit formed at his mouth. He then spread his arms out in front, as if he wanted me to pick him up. Slowly, I took him in my arms and awkwardly pressed him against my chest. Immediately, his little mouth tried to suckle on me. I looked down confused, and then a thought of realization hit me: he was hungry. Again, the baby pressed his mouth over the cloth that covered my breasts. Eventually he stopped. I sighed in relief, but cursed myself at my luck. The baby started to cry once more.

I looked around desperately as I tried to find something that would sooth him. Suddenly, a memory of my mother teaching me about motherhood flashed in my mind. Carefully, I placed one arm beneath him, while the other wrapped his back more firmly. I gently shook him in an attempt to calm him down. I also began to softly sing a traditional Italian song. Slowly, but surely, the baby calmed down until he stopped crying all together. Slightly concerned about the silence, I looked down and noticed that he was sleeping. I once again sighed: thank goodness I paid attention to my mother's life lessons.

I slowly bent down and grabbed a warm looking blanket. Once I covered the baby with it, I turned around, and walked towards the exit. As I stepped back outside, I wondered what I would do with the baby. I couldn't just leave it alone; it was a miracle that he survived by himself for who knew how long? Hmm. Despite my hesitance about wanting children, I guessed that I should keep the baby and try to raise it as my own. I sighed. Yeah; me as a mother? That would so work out. I would probably increase the infant's chances of death by being with me, then if it were on its own. Well, my decision was made. I would keep him.

I adjusted my arms around the infant. I looked down once more to make sure he was alright, and then made my way down the dead streets. I had no idea how this child survived, but at that moment, he was my responsibility. I hummed a tune, and then a thought came into my mind; the boy needed a name. I stopped in my tracks as I reflected hard on a good name. The infant turned his head, and then went back to sleep. He cooed a bit as well. An unfamiliar emotion swelled deep in my heart. Instantly, the perfect name came in mind. I looked down at my new baby, and smiled gently. I rubbed his back affectionately, completely amazed that such a creature can have had a powerful effect on me. I never thought that I would have been able to love again, especially after all that has happened.

"I don't know how you survived, or why, but now I will consider you as my son. I promise that I will give you all the love I can offer and protect you with my life. Welcome home Enrique." I smiled softly, and continued my walk.

Somehow, somewhere, I felt that there was someone watching over me; it was giving me encouragement and protection from whatever difficulties I would have ahead of me. I didn't know what I have gotten myself into by adopting the child, but at that moment I didn't care. He was mine, as I was his. And hey, I could have viewed this as practice if I have children of my own one day. I snorted; yeah right. As far as I knew, Enrique and I were the only survivors in the whole world. Not like I was gonna get pregnant anytime soon. I shook my head and chuckled a bit. At least I still had my humor, and I have a companion. As I walked down the empty streets, I reflected on what the outcome would be. As a new mother, I had more responsibilities. I shrugged halfheartedly, and then walked on. Symbolically, a few rays of sunlight managed to penetrate the dark nuclear clouds, and I found myself walking towards the same park. And so my journey began.

2: Chapter 2: Reason to Live

It has been five years since that remarkable day. The day that my frozen heart was melted, and the wonderful feeling of love occupied it once more. I got my heart back, plus I gained a son. Speaking of, where was my little bundle of joy? He was so full of energy, I swear, he was a crackpot.

As if on cue, I heard a stifled giggle behind me. I lightly smirked, and turned around only to see nothing. I placed my weight on one hip, and crossed my arms. "Come on out Enrique, you can't hide from me."

Again, a stifled giggle was heard, only that time much closer. As I looked ahead, I could make out a shoe as it shyly peeked from behind a collapsed wall. I lightly smirked, and made my way over. "Oh dear, I wonder where my little Enrique could be?" I mocked being worried.

The shoe twitched momentarily before it regained composure. I was the one who had to calm myself down. Over the years as I raised Enrique, I quickly learned his physical moments and knew what they meant. At that moment, he knew I was on to him and was trying hard not to give away his position. Silly boy, after spending six years fighting for survival, you tend to pick up on some skills. I lightly chuckled. As I got closer, I was able to hear Enrique's soft, but fast breathing. Oh man, he was so cute when he got nervous.

I stopped walking, the silence was made obvious. I quickly silenced my breathing. I heard a shuffle before I noticed that Enrique's shoe began to expose his ankle, knee, and eventually the entire left part of his leg. Cautiously, he turned the rest of his body from behind the brick wall. Once his whole body was exposed: Bam! I tackled him on the ground, and tickled him without mercy. He shrieked upon impact, and then began to laugh uncontrollably as I attacked with my fingers. I too began to laugh as I enjoyed the rare moment where we both forgot the cruel reality. I eventually gave him a chance to catch his breath, but afterwards, I lifted his shirt and buzzed on his stomach. He laughed loudly, before he rolled on his side. I lay down beside him, and the both of us began to calm down.

I looked at him and sighed contently. This boy changed my life dramatically. If I hadn't found him, I didn't know what I would have done. I probably would have killed myself. Who would have wanted to be alone in a dead world where everyone you loved was gone?

I shook my head, and focused on the child's face. His blond hair grew up to his flushed cheeks, and slightly curled at the ends. His adorable button nose was perfectly straight. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue; they reminded me of sapphires, yet they were far more precious than any gems. My bundle of joy turned towards me and gave me his signature smile. I swore, my heart just skipped a beat. He had the most adorable smile I ever saw, with his cute dimples, and the way his eyes seemed to glow. If they were girls around, he'd have been a hit.

I laughed softly which prompted Enrique to laugh in response. I got up, and brought Enrique up as well. I brushed the dust from his clothes, and then guided him towards what we called home.

After I found Enrique, I wondered around the Mediterranean to look for a safe place, as well as survivors, if there were any. Eventually, we arrived at a small island off the coast of Greece, not as badly affected like other parts. We survived by stacking whatever we could; breaking into homes and business shops, finding whatever resources we could have used. It wasn't much, nor what I had in mind spending my mid-twenties, but we were still alive.

Slowly, but steadily, the sun began to go down behind the horizon. We arrived at our home just as the sun completely disappeared from view. After I made sure that the door was locked, I proceeded towards the kitchen where Enrique was seated at the table as he waited for supper. I moved back and forth the tiny room as I took various ingredients and placed them on the narrow counter. The meal for the night: sausages with some canned vegetables. Thank goodness Enrique was not picky with his food; otherwise I would have had a hell of a time feeding him.

As I prepared the splendid dish, I noticed Enrique looking at my work out of the corner of my eye. He normally did that; any other kid would have spent their evenings watching cartoons, but not my baby. He was different than a regular child; he was unique. Well, even if he wasn't, there was no other source of entertainment around to please him.

After thirty minutes of preparing the meal while answering curious questions from the little blond, I sat down and laid out the food. We had a moment of silence to thank whatever God lived up there, and then began to eat. I must admit the food was not that bad. It was a whole lot better than what I was used to. After scavenging through abandoned buildings, you tend to eat anything that you could find, not caring about the taste. Believe me, I was no miracle worker, but I did a damn fine job of making food you can actually put in your belly.

I glanced over at Enrique; he was practically inhaling his food. Hmm, maybe he really liked my cooking? Either that or he ate what he got, knowing that there was not a lot of variety. It didn't matter. What was important was that he was eating. A growing boy like him needed more food even than I did.

After we finished, I picked up the plates and washed them in the sink. I left them on top of a counter as I was too tired to dry them manually. I moved into the hallway, and made my way into what was Enrique's room. Inside, he was already changed and in bed as he waited for me to tuck him in. I smile at the sight as he looked adorable with his fire truck pajamas.

I made my way over, and sat on the side of his bed.

"Mommy, tell me a story!" he said ecstatically.

I smiled. "Of course sweetie. Let's see." I press a finger to my lip, deep in thought. An idea came up and I looked back at him. "I'm going to rehearse a poem. It is beautiful and deep, expressing an everlasting love two lovers had for each other."

"Ooh!" Enrique quieted down and looked at me intently.

I looked back and began to recite.

"Inscribed upon my heart
a tattoo of your name
embedded amidst satin desires,
hopes, plans and dreams.

Winged creatures dance
and flutter, deep within my core,
to the melodic phrase of your voice,
sweet orchestration of my soul.

Bringer of the consuming torch
silent keeper of the flame,
elicit contradiction of fiery
provocative needs.

Eternal fires light moonless nights.
While love flickers in the shadows.
Embraced by guarded secrecy.
From ashes of surrender

Awake the night as we dance
slow among the embers.
Torch the heart with sensual
resignation"

I paused as I waited for Enrique's reaction.

"Mommy, did you ever fall in love?"

"Yes I did baby." I replied, and smiled softly.

"Where is he then?" Enrique looked at me expectantly.

My heart felt heavy as I remembered the man I loved. Never would I have forgotten his body lying still on the ash covered ground, nor would I have forgotten the light leave his eyes as his blood slowly flowed out.

I shook my head, and breathed slowly to calm me down. "Well, he is up with the rest of the people. Wherever he is, I'm sure that he is looking out for us, making sure that we are safe."

"Do you miss him mommy?" Enrique asked softly.

I glanced at Enrique sadly as I remembered all the good times I had spent with my lover. "Yes I do sweetie. I miss him terribly."

I must have appeared like I was about to cry because Enrique flung his arms around me and hugged me tightly. I was surprised at first, but quickly got over it and hugged him back, just as tight.

We remained in that position for a few moments before I let go and gently pushed Enrique back onto his bed. "Alright love, it's time for you to sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us." It was true, since we had to leave the deserted island for a more habitable area.

"Ok mommy," Enrique replied. He then shifted his position to lie on his side.

I kissed his cheek and was about to reach the door, when I heard Enrique quietly mumble to himself. "You'll never be alone mommy, not when I'm here."

My eyes softened as he probably didn't even realize he said that out loud. I was fortunate to have a son like him. I loved him with all my heart, and would have died before giving him up for anyone or anything.

I smiled to myself, and quietly shut the door behind me. I made my way into the "living room" and sat down on a chair. I then reflected on the past few years; there were a lot of difficulties that arose, and I was sure there will be more to come, but with Enrique, I knew that we would make it.

~The poem in the story is not mine; I don't remember who wrote it, so I apologize.~

3: Chapter 3: Dawn of Tomorrow

"Oh shit!" That was the only warning I had time to make before all of my cargo fell onto the wet ground. Oh great. Those were the last of the pieces of metal still usable. I grumbled under my breath as I bent down and picked up the debris. As if Mother Nature wanted to piss me off even more, a chilly breeze swept a portion of the pieces down the hill. I glared at the sky above before I walked heavily towards my prize. With exaggerated steps, I bent down again and quickly shoved the remaining pieces in my coat. I sighed dramatically before I made my way towards my intended destination.

I arrived at a run downed garage. I carefully closed the rotten door and made sure the locks were done correctly. It wasn't like there was anyone around to break into this poor excuse of a lair, but it was good to keep up a habit. It was what kept you sane in a world depleted of life. I leaned against a wall and sighed. I didn't even know how I was alive or even why, but I owed it all to one person; my mother. She was the most amazing woman I have ever met, given she was the only woman that I have ever seen. Mother used to tell me stories about life before the Great Event; children would run around playing round their mothers, as the adult females would shop around and men would converse with each other. That sure seemed like quite the life. As I looked around me, all I saw was a cold world where only the strongest survived. Mother Nature was our worst enemy here. It has been this way since I was growing up. And even after 17 years, nothing has changed.

I always wondered what it would have been like; growing up with other kids and actually having two parents. My father died during the initial stage of the disaster. Every time I tried to talk to mother about him, she would just shut up and wondered off in her own mental world. Eventually, I just gave up asking her as I knew it would have been no use. Every once in a while without even my questions, I would see her just lying still, her chocolate eyes would host such sadness. Even though I never knew my father, I figured he must have been a great man for mother to miss him so much. I felt it for her; she went through so much yet she still remained a strong woman. Even though I'd never admit it, I really admired her. Hell, if she managed to keep us alive for all this time, we could have accomplished anything. Still, not everything lasted forever.

I snapped myself out of dreamland, and resumed my focus on my tasks. I arranged the metals neatly on a cold table, and organized them into sections. I took the good parts and threw away the broken ones. I walked towards an object covered with a drape. I slid it off, which revealed my most prized possession: an electric blue BMW S1000RR with customized wheels and a fuel pump corporator that squeezed the fuel in to make this baby go way faster. I spent months looking around for extra parts to add to my fine looking piece of metal. You could say it was the equivalent of being my girlfriend, as there are no other females around to score with. I snorted: yeah buddy, not getting laid is the least of your worries now.

Truth be told, sex didn't really come to my mind, as it usually would have for other males. According to mother, a lot of males saw women as baby machines or just tools to use for when they need to take care of their "needs". If the woman got pregnant, those sick bastards would have just left them, which rendered the soon to be mothers vulnerable and helpless. The thought of those men make me sick. You couldn't just seduce a woman to make her fall in love with you, and then take away her innocence only to abandon her once bored! If I ever saw that happen, I would have punched the man. Women deserve more respect than that. And the way people did it back then, like barbarians. Making love is a special moment for a man and a woman to become one, and eventually create new life. People shouldn't have taken it for granted.

I shook my head. Great, I sounded like a grumpy elderly. Well, I couldn't have helped it if I was raised by a woman who held those beliefs. They tend to stick to you too. Mother said that if people were still around, I would have had girls running after me. I just rolled my eyes and chuckled a bit. It seemed girls back then were crazy for guys with blond hair and blue eyes. Truth be told, I wished I had brown hair; that way, I would have look more like mother. And besides, blond hair made me feel too feminine, as weird as it sounded. I envied brunettes: they looked so badass and mysterious, while I looked like some guy just asking to be put in a tutu. When I asked mother about her preference of men, I was surprised to hear her say blond with blue eyes. After asking why and explaining my reasons, she just laughed and said: "Because they are calm men, in general. Imagine having to deal with another me." I seconded that phrase, and then shut my mouth.

As I was fixing my bike, I heard the door open which brought in some of the cold air, before it was shut. As there were only 2 known survivors, I didn't need to look up to know who it was. As I was focused on my work, I only heard something be put down, before footsteps made their way towards me. From the corner of my eye, I could see worn out heavy boots that were dirty from the slush outside. I quickly finished what I was doing before I got up and brushed off dust. As expected, mother was standing there with her arms crossed, a look of amusement was present on her face. Her brown eyes twinkled in the dim light. There were so beautiful…

Her angelic voice freed me from my trance. "You certainly are obsessed with that bike. By the way, you have some grease on your cheek."

She walked over, took out an old but clean rag, and wiped the black substance off. I blinked, and then looked away as I blushed madly. God, I felt like a child. I heard her giggle, and looked back. Her eyes were really beaming with joy and… love.

She reached up and ran her delicate fingers through my wild hair. "It feels just like yesterday when you were still a baby and I twirled you around in the air. You were really adorable back then, and now you grew up into a handsome young man." Her expression saddened a bit. "I just wished we had a girl for you."

I smirked. "Mom, we both know you are the only woman for me."

She laughed. "Now now, don't make this an Oedipus tragedy."

I slightly paled in remembrance of the Greek play. I made a disgusted face, but that only made mother laugh harder. My cheeks were bright red, and I slightly glared at the ground before a small smile formed on my face. "Guess I get my looks from dad, eh?"

Mother stopped laughing abruptly, and I felt my heart stop for a second. Shit, I kept forgetting that anything to do with my father was taboo. I look around, perspiration began to form around my temples. My heart started to race and I stuck with playing around with my fingers as I tried to calm my nerves. Great, talk about awkward.

I felt a small tug at my sleeve. I glance up and saw mother's hand on it, her head pointed downwards. I got worried. Barely able to hear, I saw her lips mumble something about needing to talk to me. Oh great, I was gonna get a lecture. I sighed internally, but nonetheless allowed mother to guide me towards the old couch.

I sat down across from her and she leaned forward, her face pressed against her hands. I heard her take a deep breath before she looked up at me with an unrecognizable expression. I subconsciously swallowed and tried to control my fast breathing. She began. "Sweetie, I know I've had strange behavior over the years every time your father was mentioned." She then sighed and looked at me with an incomprehensible expression. "Well the truth is, he wasn't your father."

I blinked. "Uh, what?" I replied stupidly.

Mother seemed nervous; her hands trembled and she bit her lips. "Yes, and I am not your biological mother."

Now that felt like a slap in the face. At first, I didn't comprehend what she said, but of course my brain put the parts together and I was left there staring at her in shock. I felt the blood rush to my temples, and my head pounded. My vision went blurry as I felt like throwing up. She continued. "I found you inside a destroyed restaurant. I have no idea how you ended up there, or how you even survived, but I took you in, and raised you as my own son." She took my head and forced me to look at her. Her eyes held desperation. "Enrique, despite you not being my birth child, I still consider you as my son and love you so. Nothing will ever change that. I hope that your feelings haven't changed either." Her voice seemed rather unsure by the end.

I was still in shock, thus I couldn't answer. This woman, the only human being around that I have learned to call my mother, was actually just a stranger? I couldn't believe; I refused to!

Suddenly, I felt anger boil within me, something I wasn't used to. My blood felt like hot lava flowing through my veins. I just wanted to punch something!

Moth…this stranger looked at me worriedly. She put her hand on my knee, but I snapped it away. Hurt flashed across her face. Good; after all the lying she did, I wanted to hurt her so badly.

I finally looked up and gave her the nastiest look I could. The hurt turned to pain as tears formed in her eyes. A feeling of satisfaction overwhelmed me.

"Enrique…"

"Stop it." I snapped at her.

She closed her mouth obediently. My fists shook as I struggled to calm myself. Gradually, I managed to calm my breathing before I composed my face. I looked up at the woman blankly. "I can't' believe you lied to me. Why bother telling me all this now?"

She seemed to be at a loss of words. "Because I felt like you had the right to know."

Yeah, the hell I did. A little too late woman.

I glared at her before I continued. "This changes everything you realize that? I can't trust you anymore, hell; you're like a stranger to me. For the sake of our survival, I'll still help you out, however, don't you dare call me your son. Only a bastard would be the offspring of your lying ways."

I automatically felt guilty after I saw tears stream down her face, softly at first, but then they rushed down like a waterfall. I couldn't take in the sight of her, so I abruptly got up and made my way towards the door, and slammed it behind me.

Immediately, the cold air hit my exposed face, and I quickly covered it with the sorry excuse of a scarf. I ran blindly as I tried to find some cover from the harsh winds. Accidentally, I slipped on some ice, and fell into a ditch. I swore and cried out in anger. It was way too much too to have taken in all at once!

As I was catching my breath, I heard a growl come from the opposite side. A four-legged creature entered the blizzard and stopped. I narrowed my eyes to see better, but the blasted wind kept on attacking them with small pieces of razor ice. I rubbed them before another growl filled the silence. One by one, more figures arrived, each howled in the loud wind. My eyes widened in realization: it was a wolf pack!

I stood up and went into a defensive position. I took out a blade that I carried around for cutting material. I never used it to kill anything before, but I was sure it would shed some blood.

The wolves slowly made their way towards me, the pack leader was right in the middle. My grip around the knife tightened as I prepared myself to fight. The wolves snapped their jaws at me, and exposed their lethal teeth. I began to growl myself in an attempt to intimate them. Of course, my attempt at acting aggressive completely failed and I was still at risk of being lunch for these dangerous creatures.

The pack leader growled at me before it launched itself at me. I dove to the side, and quickly recovered from the move. Once focused, I realized that the other wolves were watching from the sides while their leader circled around me. Great; it was the fight for who was tough dog.

I wiped the sweat from my head, and twirled the knife in my palm. Again, the wolf jumped towards me. I sliced my knife through the air, and managed to scratch its stomach. The alpha wolf licked at its wound before it growled at its members. The others began circling around me and growled simultaneously, clearly with the intent to kill me.

One by one, the minor wolves began attacking me. I managed to draw blood from some, but that only seemed to anger them more, rather than injure them. Before I knew it, I got knocked from behind, which caused me to fall face first into the cold snow. My only weapon fell a few feet in front of me. I tried to get up only to have several bodies pressing in my back. I heard them howl as they finally won their prey. I closed my eyes, as I prepared to accept my fate. A sudden thought of… that woman popped into my mind. I never meant what I said earlier, and I deeply wished that I could have taken it all back.

Suddenly, the excess weight was pulled off of me and I heard someone grunting as the wolves focused their attention on the new arrival. I was so out of it that I was hardly able to comprehend what happened. I slowly got on my knees and lifted my head up. Amazingly, I saw her standing in a defensive position with a large combat stick firmly kept in both hands. She glanced at me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, completely stupefied. Even after everything I had said, she still came back and was risking her life for me. Said woman nodded in relief. She focused her attention back on the wolves. "Enrique, get out of here. I'll hold them off. Whatever you do, don't stop running, no matter what."

I was shocked. "The hell that I'm gonna let you fight them all by yourself!" This was ridiculous!

Her teeth gritted together. "I didn't ask you to do this. Like it or not, I'm still your mother and I'm the damn only one you've got. Now listen to me and get your ass out of here!"

Reluctantly, I got up and gestured to run, when I turned around. Her eyes locked with mine; they held a determined look. "Go!" With that, the wolves began to attack again. For a moment, I was frozen as I saw her fight those creatures so swiftly and with no fear shown. One of them managed to claw at her arm. Her scream woke me from my trance and the sight of her blood oozing onto the ground developed an anger deep within.

I jumped into the scene and began to attack the wolves as well. She looked back at me. "What are you doing? Get out of here!"

I glared as the wolves kept attacking. "As if I'll let you here by yourself. You're too old for that." I slightly smirked at my comment.

She, however, found it shocking before she computed that I would have stayed no matter what. We stood with our backs against each other, and watched intently as the carnivores stalked towards us. One after another, the furry creatures leaped at us, and one after another we managed to push them away, with the occasional injury caused.

After what seemed like an eternity, we came out as the victors, the bodies of the predators lying still on the white snow. I sat down and breathed heavily. Phew. That was way too close. If it weren't for mother… I mentally flinched before I looked at said woman. Our conversation from earlier came into mind and the guilt engulfed me in giant waves. I opened my mouth but quickly shut now as I did not know what to say. I acted like a jackass earlier; I wouldn't have blamed her if she didn't want to talk to me.

Once I gathered courage, I walked up towards her before she whipped around frantically. "Look out!" She cried.

I looked up and saw the dark outline of one of the wolves launch at me. Before I knew it, another figure jumped in front of me, and pushed me back. I heard a whine before thud noises, and then everything went quiet. For a moment, I dared to not move, but then I forced myself up and looked around. Surely enough, it was the alpha wolf, only that time it was truly dead.

Son of a bitch, I thought.

I realized that mother wasn't around and I frantically looked around me. On the other side of the narrow way, I saw a figure lying still head down. My blood went cold and I immediately ran to it. I turned her over and felt like a knife stabbed my heart by what I saw. The once beautiful and flawless woman was bruised and covered in scabs. Blood ran down her face and from a deep wound on her neck. She tried to talk, only to have blood foam in her mouth. The emotional knife within me twisted which made my insides recoil in pain. I felt hot, stinging tears form in my eyes. I wiped the clutches of hair that stuck to her face. She began to cough violently, and blood dripped from the corner of her lips. I held the back of her head tightly. "Lie still. I need to stop the bleeding, but all the materials are back at the garage. I can still save you!" Truth be told, I didn't really know if I could, but I felt that it was best convincing myself that I could.

She smiled weakly at me before another violent outbreak of coughing erupted. More blood washed up, and I felt her breathing got weaker by the minute. My heart raced faster and I began to panic. "Please, stay still. I can still save you." I allowed the tears to wash down my face as I didn't care anymore. Mother managed to lift one bloody hand to wipe the salty water away. I took a hold of her hand and held it, my eyes shut tightly. No, that wasn't how it was supposed to end! I should have been in that position, not her! Especially after everything I had said… It was unfair!

Her lips moved, but I couldn't hear what she said. Bringing my ears closer, I managed to hear.

"Even after everything, you're still my son. I love you…" I felt her hand slide down slowly before it went limp. I looked at her face and saw that it was tilted to the side, her eyes were blank and stared into nothing.

I felt as if my heart had stopped. For a few minutes, I just laid still. Abruptly, I grabbed her head by both sides and brought her close to me. "Mom. MOM! Wake up! God damn it, you can't die! Don't leave me all alone! I love you." I hugged her body tightly, my own shook violently as I cried uncontrollably. For a while, I just sat there as I held her corpse close to me. I cried until eventually the tears dried out. Even when another snow storm began to blow through, I still sat in the same position.

I felt so numb and empty. I had lost the only thing that kept me alive. Without her, I couldn't live. I didn't want to. What I would have given to be with her again.

Speaking of, I had an idea. Not one that I would have ever considered before, but at that moment, it seemed like the only thing I could do.

I reached into mother's side pocket and picked out a tool blade. I flipped it open and stared at the blade .It was short, but fairly sharp. It would do the job. I looked back at mother, and caressed her face tenderly before I placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you soon mom."

With that, I sliced both of my wrists. I slightly winced at the sharp pain, but then I felt at peace as my life fluid slowly drained out of me. I felt my conscious slip, the tempting blackness overwhelmed me. As I laid down dying, my spirit seemed at rest as a smile formed on my face. For the first time in my life, I felt alive…