Chapter Text
I was never the type of person you’d find at a tech expo. I felt a bit awkward surrounded by smart civilians instead of brutal soldiers like I usually was. The only reason I was there was because my husband recommended me for the job since they needed a high-ranking military member. Normally I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this willingly but now I was surrounded by America’s best, the smartest people there were. I wasn’t sure what the meeting was going to be about but I was mostly here to be a guard anyway, plus I doubted I would understand anything those scientists would say. I wonder what would’ve happened that day if I never accepted the job. If I wasn’t there with him when it all went down.
I stood there talking casually to Xeno, I asked what the meeting was about, unable to help my curiosity. I know he liked it when I would ask him about things he was interested in, he would talk for ages about the things he was passionate about. He pulled out a stone swallow, I recognised it as one of those statues that have been found everywhere, I’ve seen them on the street and the news but I wondered why the smartest people in the country were gathered for it. Another man tried to stop Xeno, saying it was confidential but he ignored him and began to go on about the swallows and brainwaves, I asked him what he was getting at and that’s when he dropped the bomb on everyone.
The swallow was awake.
Everyone stared at him. Some were hesitant to believe him, and some were shocked, I trusted his deduction and knew he was right, I felt uneasy at this revelation, I couldn’t help but wonder, what it was like for the swallow. Could it see? Hear? Feel? Or was it all darkness… back then, I never could’ve guessed that I would be in the exact same situation as that damn bird for thousands of years.
I felt a change in the air, my senses felt like they were on high alert. I was the first one to notice it, a threatening green light, slowly infecting and taking over the sky just beyond the horizon, anybody it touched being turned to stone. I immediately grabbed Xeno and went to push him to the ground while I barked out orders to stay awake and take cover. I knew it would probably be impossible to avoid it, but I knew I had to try to protect him if I could. I felt the light hit my back, and my skin hardened up and turning into stone. Xeno is the last thing I saw before my vision went dark, my eyes turning to stone.
I felt nothing, I saw nothing, I heard nothing. It wasn’t even black, it was just the absence of anything. It’s difficult to put into words and explain my experience in the stone.
I wondered what was happening in the outside world, was Xeno okay? Did this happen to all of humanity? I stayed awake, I knew I had to. I couldn’t let myself slip into the cold embrace of death. I had survived wars, I had survived injuries most would’ve died from. I wasn’t about to let myself die from some stone. I was going to wake up, I had to. I had a whole life to live, I had a loving husband and a fulfilling career, no matter how much chaos went on in my life, I loved it and I would get it back. I couldn't abandon Xeno, my best friend, my lover, the other half of my soul. We would be together again, one day. I knew it. No matter how long I would have to wait, I would not die.
I lost track of time a long time ago. I wondered exactly how long it had been, decades, centuries, millennia. There was no way for me to tell. My military training was probably the only reason I was still alive and awake despite being a literal statue. I doubt most normal people could mentally handle being awake for as long as I had, they would’ve gone crazy years ago. I knew that Xeno would still be awake, that man was something else, he was probably refusing to give in just like me. Memories resurfaced, happy times with my husband, and sad times. It wasn't long before my last deployment we argued that I was barely at home and there for him anymore, now I wished I spent more time with him. I could picture his face perfectly, no matter how long it had been. I remembered our shared jokes, his hugs in bed, and I even missed his smile.
This extreme level of sensory deprivation for such a long period could probably be considered a devastating torture method. At times I thought about letting myself sleep but I always quickly pushed those thoughts out of my head.
Suddenly, my day finally came. I felt something. The cold, hard stone covering my body began cracking, starting at my back. I felt a warm breeze hit my back as more and more of my body freed itself. I heard birds singing, followed by a bright light that I hadn’t seen in oh so long, the sun. It gave me some temporary blindness as I adjusted to the outside.
Well good morning, world.
I blinked a few times to focus my eyes, I stood up from my kneeling position, doing a few stretches to get used to movement again. Most people in my situation would’ve been excited, freaking out and over the moon but I knew if I wanted to survive, I had to keep calm and not go about this without thinking.
I began to observe my surroundings and assess for injuries, I was in a forest, it must’ve been ages since the petrification of nature had retaken everything, the air quality seemed different and the vegetation was new and unfamiliar to me. stone statues were everywhere… I spotted a specific statue just by my feet, he looked to be in the same position that he was all those years back after I had pushed him to the ground for protection. Moss and vines covered him, his statue looked a bit weathered but it luckily seemed mostly intact.
Xeno.
I immediately got on my knees, my chest felt heavy. Why was I revived when my beloved wasn’t? I brushed some leaves off his face with slightly trembling hands, revealing those beautiful eyes I’d seen so many times before, his expression was frozen in a state of fear and confusion. I gently caress his cold, stone cheek with my hand. It was an action I had done hundreds of times in the past, normally he would’ve leaned into my touch, but there was always a feeling of warmth to those shared moments. Now there was an underlying sense of anguish. He was stuck in the stone just like I was not long ago, it looked to have been thousands of years, I was alone, and the only person I truly loved hadn’t woken up. What if he didn’t wake up like I did?
No. I couldn’t think like that. If I wanted to make it through this and bring Xeno back, I would be forced to stay hopeful. Time was too precious to be spent and wasted on wallowing. I would survive and I would bring my husband back. We would be okay, we had to.
I started by covering myself with some nearby vines and leaves. I sighed, this was going to be hard. The first order of business was shelter, I had no idea how the world had changed while I was encased in rock, the weather could’ve been affected by climate change and I didn’t know this area of America well in the first place, which certainly didn’t help. Extreme weather could kill so I needed to find somewhere safe.
I was hesitant to leave Xeno, even if it was just for a while, I stared down at his statue, I could bring it with me but it would slow me down and I had no idea how heavy he was in stone form. I grunted as I picked him up, wanting to test the weight. He was heavier than he would usually be in this state so I determined that it would be better to scout the area nearby to look for some sort of shelter, I didn’t want to go too far so if it came to it, I would have to build some shelter.
I reluctantly stood up, the ground was wet and muddy, and judging by the water on the leaves and grass, it seemed to have been raining lately. This would make it harder to find dry shelter and possibly create a fire. Judging by the position of the sun, I had around half a day to find somewhere before nightfall.
I sighed and began my trek, giving Xeno one last solemn look before turning and stepping further into the woods. I eventually found a cave nearby, the entrance was covered by vines. This could be perfect! I entered the opening but immediately saw a problem, bats. I knew that in this world if I was bitten by a rabies-infected bat, I’d be dead. It was already a fatal disease but with no healthcare or vaccines, there would be zero chance of survival. I sighed and left the cave, it wasn't worth the risk, maybe it could be the last resort.
I continued, inspecting various possible refuges but determining each to not fit my standards for a safe shelter. After about an hour I spotted a large tree with a hollowed-out area by the roots, this could be promising.
It was big enough to fit myself and probably Xeno's statue as well. I checked the tree to make sure it was in good condition, luckily for me, there was no sign of rotting, it seemed to have a sturdy base and the inside was dry, despite the dampness everywhere else, meaning it could protect from the elements. Looked like I had a solid temporary shelter.
I trudged through the forest, carrying Xeno’s stone body. I walked past the statues of my colleagues, and people I met before the world ended. I kept my eyes in front of me so I wouldn't have to look at the horrified faces. I just had to get Xeno to the safe shelter.
I arrived at the hollowed-out tree, I dragged Xeno into the opening, laying him onto one of two piles of leaves I set up earlier for us.
I wanted to take a break, I was exhausted and had been on my feet for hours, but time was precious. I made some mental plans for my next moves. I had to find water within the next few days or I would die of starvation, a fire would also be needed to stop hypothermia. After that, I would need to figure out the best way to get food, I’d have about 3 weeks before starvation got me.
God, I was dying for a smoke.
I managed to find some dry sticks and logs and pile them up. I figured out that the best way to go about this was the hand drill method. With some effort, I managed to ignite a small fire, I added more fuel to grow it bigger. I felt it getting colder as night drew nearer but the fire helped.
I sighed as I sat down, just staring into the fire. It was getting darker, and I felt terrible. I knew how to survive in the wilderness due to my experience as a soldier, but I had no idea how or why I was revived and how to replicate it with Xeno.
What caused this petrification anyway? It was a hard question.
I decided that it was time to go to sleep, I hadn't slept in who knows how many years and maybe it would help me think.
Day one was over.
I lay down on the other pile of leaves, staring at Xeno as I close my eyes, deciding in my mind to work on breaking him out of the stone as soon as I had my basic survival needs sorted, no matter what or how long it would take, I would risk my life to bring him back to me if I needed to
This wasn't going to be easy.