Kenneth's Gift

    The child remembered his name, though it has not been spoken in years.  He remembers back before being taken to this place,      "Kenneth", his mother screams!   This was the last words spoken to him, before he felt the prick into his neck and fell into a deep sleep.  He awoke to the darkness of his new found home.  He knows that he has grown; his clothes are ragged and confined by the filth of years.  His cell smells of urine and feces, though he has been there so long he no longer notices.      Within a faded light that appeared through the cracks of the cement wall, a darkened figure would arrive.  He has become accustomed to the nutrition provided by this dark figure.  Though generally consistent with its visits, it has not returned in several days. The child's nutrition depended on the slimy, bitter unknown substance.  Through the dim light the substance appeared light green, the child preferred the taste of his murdered rats that crawled within the confinements of his cell.  The sharpened bones of a rat’s corpse lie within his hand.     This is a child forgotten, and comforted by the scratching of beasts’ among-st the damp cold walls, he cries silently into an endless void of darkness.  He waits with in the cell walls, feeling the agony of loneliness.  Time slows down as his hunger engulfs him.       He lay there, with unfamiliar sounds approaching.  He has not heard the sounds of another’s voice in years.  Though he has had the company of a nameless darken figure, it never spoke.  It simply placed the tray within arm’s reach and walked away.  He sees a bright light, with a figure approaching.  The man's hair is brown; and he has a smile on his face.  He states "Kenneth, I have been looking for you a while, damn it stinks in here!  Holy s**t, what are you wearing?"  The man pulls out keys to the cell, unlocking the door.     Kenneth looks down at his disheveled attire, he has worn this for years it feels like, the once white shirt now brown is ripped, and his jogging pants no longer even resemble pants.  The man states "Well, I'm glad I came prepared." as he hands Kenneth new clothes.  It is simply a pair of jeans, brown boots, and a white t-shirt.      Confusion hits the boy’s face, with a troubled voice he questions "Who are you, and why have you been looking for me?"  The man begins to explain to Kenneth what happened within the last couple of years.   "I am Daniel." Daniel smooths his ragged brown hair from his face. "I am sorry, my bother was deaf but he was immune to the virus that raged the earth, so he was to take care of you.  You had to be hidden from the world."  Kenneth looks down at the corpses of rats, as if Daniel understands the boy’s questions he gently states "There are not many animals left, I'm not sure what Anthony was feeding you.  I found him upstairs and he was not breathing.  I saw the grime that you have been eating and I believe that it is a combination of rare animal meat and vegetables.  You see, the day you were taken was the beginning.  It was the beginning of the end."      Wrinkles lined the man's pale face, as he spoke.  "You were were not even nine when you were taken, now you look to be ten.  Almost two years have passed since the world's perspective has changed.  There are not very many people left, but I see you are safe.”     The young boy looks up, with dirt embedded into his skin, “I would not say I have been safe.  I have lived upon the remains of rats entering my cell.  I can’t identify the grime that was served to me.  I have been in isolation since I was taken.”     A serious stern look crosses Daniel’s face.  He states “Kenneth, you do not understand what the world has become.  Though yes, you were taken with force against your mother’s wishes.  This had to be done.  She was infected, she knew that she was infected and continued to jeopardize you.  When we leave this place you will see and understand that what you left is no longer.  There are few people like you and I left.”  Daniel reaches to Kenneth’s arm, he reveals an old scar.  “You see you and your mother were attacked by those infected.  She began to show symptoms, but you showed none.  This scar, this bite mark shows that you are in fact immune.  We placed you in this cell long ago under the protection of Anthony.  I am sorry that he was deaf, but we had no choice.  He was instructed to hide you well.  Though I had an idea of where, the journey was hard.  We have to go, there is a long journey ahead of us.”  Hunger rages through Kenneth's stomach as they make their way to the top.  Blinding light scorches his eyes.  He sees metal bars surrounding the windows of the house, and then he sees an older man around 50 lying on the ground.      “Is this Anthony?”  Kenneth questions.      Daniel looks with sadness in his eye’s  “Yes, he cared for you well.”      Anger rages within Kenneth.  He has been locked in a cell for nearly 2 years without explanation.  Before he begins to speak he sees Daniel grabbing bags.  He has a sharpened knife inserted in his belt, and a fully automatic rifle.  He question’s Daniel, is all of that necessary?  Daniel looks at him and with a tired look states, “Son you were locked up for a reason.  You are important, but yes this is very necessary.  This is a last resort fetching you, since you see though Anthony was immune; I cannot say he was truly.  The virus took him without changing him.”