I was only seventeen years old when I had a baby. Don't get me wrong, to this day I love my son, Brian, with all my heart, but being a teenage mother was the hardest thing I've ever done. Teen moms are the butt of many jokes. You wouldn't believe how many times I was told that I wouldn't finish high school. And college? Well, college just didn't exist if you were a teen mom, apparently. But guess what? I managed to graduate both high school AND college....but things didn't get easier after that. They just got harder. Thank God for good people like the Flower Lady. 

I had just rented my first apartment. It was a dingy little place, but it didn't matter at that point. I just wanted to get away from my family. At first, they adored Brian. He was a cute, cuddly, bundle of joy.  But then he grew into a toddler.  My parents got angry at me every time Brian began to cry in the middle of the night; they would even threaten to kick me out of the house every so often. But it wasn't until Brian (probably) gave my parents a nasty week-long stomach virus that they gave me a date I had to be out of their house. 

By that point, Brian was close to being four years old. I had an associates degree in retail management and a few thousand dollars saved up. I planned on using that money for the first months rent of the apartment and Brian's childcare bill. Other than those few thousand dollars, I had absolutely nothing. (And before you ask, no, Brian's father wasn't in the picture. He dumped me as soon as he found out I was pregnant.) 

My life became terribly hectic. I would wake up, get ready, get Brian ready, catch the bus, drop him off at daycare, go work at a local department store for ten hours, pick up Brian, go home, shower, sleep, then repeat it all the next day. It reached a point that I couldn't remember the last time I had a day to just relax. Taking off from work wasn't an option. I needed every penny in order to keep food on the table for Brian. I couldn't wait for the day Brian was old enough for kindergarten. Then, I wouldn't have to pay such a high childcare bill anymore. 

The only peaceful part of my day was the Flower Lady. She lived next door to me. From what I could tell, she lived alone. Her front deck was decorated with some of the prettiest flowers I've ever seen. Every morning, she would smile and wave to me as I rushed to the bus stop with Brian in my arms. I never even waved back. But those flowers...they just made me happy. The Flower Lady took such good care of them. Oh how I wish I had told her just how beautiful those flowers were...

It was just like any other day. I had dropped off Brian and gone to the department store. Before I could do anything, my boss called me into his office. "Listen," He said to me in a dull, tired tone. "The company is having budget cuts and I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go immediately."

I felt numb. That job was all I had. Sure, there were other jobs out there, but at that exact moment, I had two dollars in my bank account. I knew it would take at least a week to secure another job. "Please," I stuttered. "I need this job more than you know."

But my boss wouldn't budge. I left that building feeling like a complete and utter failure at life. I needed to feed Brian. Rent was overdue. I was all alone. Frantically, I pulled out my cell phone. I called my cousins, parents, old friends, and even a few churches. But none of them were willing to loan me some money. I couldn't blame them. Who would want to loan money to a teen mom like me?

I picked up Brian from daycare. I refused to let him see me cry on the bus ride home. When we got back to the apartment, he asked me what was for dinner. That's when I lost it. I bawled my eyes out in front of Brian. "I'm so sorry sweetie." I whispered. "Mommy will get you some food tomorrow morning, I promise."

But I knew I couldn't keep that promise. The area I lived in was wealthy and there wasn't any soup kitchens.  I reached the conclusion that I would have to go to the grocery store and see how many Ramen noodles I could buy for two dollars. I hated myself at that moment. I had to feed my son Ramen noodles and tap water. I was most certainly the worst mother ever.

Once I had tucked Brian in for bed, I sat down on my couch. It took two hours for me to fall asleep. My body woke itself up at seven the next morning. Before I woke Brian up, I noticed a pink envelope was sticking out from beneath my door. I picked it up and opened it. a crisp 100 dollar bill fell out and floated gently to the ground. Shocked, I read the note. 

Dear neighbor,

You may not know me, but I think I have a pretty good idea about what you're going through. You're a young, single mother struggling to get by. Believe me when I say I completely understand how you feel. I too was a single mother. And guess what? It was hard. But in the end, it all turned out okay. Looking back, I'll never forget the people who helped me when I most needed it. There's nothing wrong with needing some help, dear. Remember that.

Last night, I couldn't help but hear you crying. I felt so bad, but I wasn't sure what to do. It's my last day in this apartment building. I'm actually moving across the country to live with my daughter and her husband. I have few life savings, but it's money I'll never use since I'm living off my family from now on. (What can I say? I'm old.) So, I've used my money to pay one month of your rent. There was 100 dollars left over. 

I believe in you.

Sincerely, 

The Flower Lady

I began crying again, but this time it was tears of joy. I walked over to her apartment to thank her, but I was surprised to find that it was up for rent. I asked the landlord, and he said she had left early in the morning. "Does she have a cell phone? Email address?"

The landlord shook his head. 

It's been a year and I still haven't been able to thank the Flower Lady in person. That 100 dollars got me through two weeks of feeding Brian. The paid rent gave me time to find a stable job. I will never forget the Flower Lady's kindness. Sometimes all you need is someone who believes in you, even if it's a stranger.

THE END. 

Dear Diary, 

Well today was absolutely terrible. I'm surprised, diary, that you're still in one piece. I suppose I should inform you that the Purple Virus is now stronger than ever before. Yesterday, it was considered containable, something that you didn't have to worry about unless you lived in a contaminated area. It became an epidemic overnight...literally. Over 78 million new cases were reported this morning. Who knows how many they'll report tomorrow. Now, I'm waiting in my grandparent's vacation home, patiently awaiting my death. 

You're probably wondering, diary, how I ended up 12 hours away from home in the middle of the woods. I woke up beside Leo, as I do every morning, and nudged him until he woke up. I know I tell you this every day, but oh man is Leo attractive. All my friends say he's "like, a seven at best" but I disagree. This morning, he had dark stubble lining his tan face and his brown eyes, while tired, were as mesmerizing as the summer sun. (Which, come to think of it, I may never see again.) 

"Good morning, Dena." He whispered groggily, sitting up in bed. He must've put a shirt on sometime during the night. I, on the other hand, was simply wearing my bra. He seemed to notice this little detail before I did. As soon as I caught him staring, I grabbed the blanket and instinctively covered my chest. 

Leo laughed. I love his laugh. "Come on babe, we're engaged. I've seen your chest more times than I can count." 

"Well you won't be seeing it again until tonight...What do you want for breakfast?"

Before he could answer, a loud "BANG" came from outside our window. Leo and I exchanged nervous glances. Cautiously, I peered out the window, What I saw, diary, is what I sincerely hope is just a nightmare. (But as more and more time passes, I'm afraid it's all too real. But who knows? I could still wake up.) dozens of bodies lined the streets. My neighbor, who knows his name, was standing there with an AR-15. For a second, I thought he was absolutely insane, but then I saw why he had shot them down: they all had the Purple Virus.

"Run!" He yelled, staring straight at me. A purple virus victim, otherwise known as a "slug", seemed to pop out of nowhere from behind a bush. It was an older man, but his markings were clear. He had purple hair and matching spots all over his face. He was beyond saving, and my neighbor knew it. My neighbor didn't get the chance to shoot. Instead, the slug planted his teeth in my neighbors neck. Instantaneously, my neighbor seemed to lose his mind and act just like a slug. He looked at me and Leo and began slowly moving towards our house. 

"Basement...Basement!" Leo yelled, jumping off the bed. I quickly grabbed a sweater and ran into my tiny basement. We locked the door and leaned against it. At a complete loss for words, Leo pulled out his cell phone. "We don't live in a contaminated area, right?" Leo asked. He gasped. "Oh no...no no no no no." 

The news said that Purple Virus was virtually unstoppable; our lives were going to end whether we liked it or not. I couldn't just accept that. "We have to get to the car." I said. "As long as none of them manage to bite us, we have a chance of getting out of here."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Leo asked, eyeballing a pair of metal rakes on the other side of the basement. "Oh, I know, maybe we could stab them with those."

I knew he meant it sarcastically, but it wasn't a bad idea. I grabbed one of the rakes and let out a sigh. "No matter what happens out there...I love you."

"Even if I become a slug?"

"Yes, even if you become a slug."

It may seem odd, diary, that we were so calm during what could very well could have been our last moments on Earth. We were just...prepared, I guess. The news had been lying for over a year and everyone knew it. The Purple Virus was never even close to "contained", it just grew slowly until it exploded all at once. I had been expecting the Purple Virus to reach my town at some point. All me and Leo could do was fight and hope we survived. 

I slipped on my sweater and grabbed the doorknob of the basement door. "Well, lets get this over with." I muttered. I threw opened the door and stormed up the stairs. There was a slug standing in the kitchen. I froze where I was. I had never been so close to a slug before. To make matters worse, the slug couldn't have been older than twelve, a child. The look in their eyes was pure evil. Leo stepped in front of me, winced, and stabbed the slug in the chest before it could bite either of us. I watched in horror is the child crumpled to the floor. 

"We-We have to keep moving." Leo said solemnly. I could sense his guilt. But what else was he supposed to do? Let the child kill him? 

The stretch from the front door of our house to the car couldn't have been more than fifteen feet, but at that moment, it may as well been a million miles. Leo and I decided a mad dash to the side door was the best option. That way, we could both get in at the same time. I'm happy to say we were much too quick for the slugs and made it to the car with time to spare, thank God. 

"Where do we go now?" Leo asked once we were on the nearly empty road. "This entire place is a cesspool."

He was right. What had once been a quaint little town was a ravaged shell of it's former self. There are two types of Purple Virus: the first is instant, the second is slow. Instant happens in a matter of seconds after being bit, slow means you end up burning and destroying as many things as possible before the virus takes full effect. 

"My parents." Leo whimpered. "Do you think they're okay?" 

"The phone lines must not be working." I replied, trying in vain to call his parents. "We can check again in a few minutes." 

"I say we go to my Grandma's vacation home." I said. "It's our best bet at surviving. It's in the middle of nowhere and probably has some food." 

Neither of us suggested going to our parent's houses first. We both knew why. They were gone. Almost everyone was. Frankly, I was surprised that I wasn't gone. 

So yeah, the drive to the vacation home was nearly silent. When we finally pulled up to the house, I didn't hesitate to break a window to get it. The house was so rural that there wasn't a slug in sight. I only realized how hungry I was after finding canned food in a cupboard. Leo and I are sitting the couch. We're all that each other has left.

 As of right now, we're safe.

But who knows how long that will last.

So you want to control us.

Whatever,

It won't work.

It never has.

Humans are stubborn.

We want to be free. 

Free to make our own choices. 

Free to earn our own money.

Free to fight.

Free to love.

Free to fail. 

Free to succeed. 

Yes, we humans are odd.

But we are strong. 

We know what we want.

Or in this case, what we don't want.

Even if you have more power than us, 

Or if you don't mind eliminating us entirely.

It doesn't matter.

Humans will resist you until the end. 

We will never let you have our planet.

We will never let you influence our children.

We will never let you "Come in Peace."

Because no one ever really comes in peace.

Humans belong to no one. 

We are all different,

yet we are one. 

And we will never give in.