Happiness (Short Story)

Maria Richards lives a content life.

Every morning she wakes up at 7am. Brushes her teeth, washes up and gets dressed in her polka-dot dress.

She takes her caffeine pills at 7:30 and heads down to the kitchen to assist her mother with breakfast. After that, they all sit down to eat fried eggs and sausages. As usual, her mother talks about how stressful her job is, while her father and brother discuss the events of last night's soccer game.

At 8 a.m., she leaves for work with hair neatly tied into a braid, and smiles as she greets the Wilson family across the street. When she approaches the intersection, she always helps Mrs. Helen, the elderly woman, cross the busy street. As always, Maria asks the woman about her and listens attentively to her response with genuine interest. She always meets her friend Jackson at the cafe on the way, and they walk together, sharing stories.

She arrives at the publishing office at 8:30 a.m. and sits at the reception desk, ready to tackle her responsibilities with efficiency and a friendly smile. Her day is spent assisting others, taking phone calls, and responding to emails. She takes a lunch break at noon, walking to the nearby park to eat a sandwich, take her vitamins, and get some fresh air. She frequently meets her co-workers, Emma and Ryan, where they talk about their weekends or their families.

At 5 pm, she wraps up her work and heads home. On weekends, Maria likes to tend to her garden, growing all kinds of fruits and vegetables along with going to the mall for new clothes.

Before 10 p.m., she makes her bed, puts on her red pajamas, takes her sleeping pills, writes down everything she is grateful for in her journal, and falls asleep.

Next day, Maria wakes up at 7am again. She cleans up, brushes her teeth, and puts on a yellow-striped dress.

After taking her caffeine pills, she heads down to the kitchen and gets breakfast ready with mother, who complains about her exhausting job while Tim and her father discuss the events of last night's basketball game.

At 8 a.m., she leaves the house, greets the Wilson family across the street, as well as other familiar faces, and cheerfully heads to work. She once again, helps the elderly woman cross the street and meets up with Jackson on the way.

By 8:30 a.m., Maria is sitting at the reception desk, ready to give it her all. Then, Taking a lunch break at noon, she walks to the nearby park to eat a sandwich, remembering to take her vitamins and get some fresh air.

At the end of the day, before 10 p.m., she makes her bed, puts on her red pajamas, takes her sleeping pills, writes in her journal about everything she is thankful for, and falls asleep.

The next day, Maria gets up at 7 a.m. Brushes her teeth, washes up and gets dressed in her blue dress.

At 7:30, she opens the bottle to take her caffeine pills. But... there aren't any left.

"Did I forget to take out a new one?" She thinks to herself as she descends the stairs, the soft creaking of the steps beneath her feet echoing throughout the house. She enters the kitchen and heads straight to the cabinet where she keeps her caffeine pills.

As she opens it, her gaze sweeps across the shelves, scanning the rows of neatly organised bottles and jars. However, as she searches for the familiar white bottle, her expression begins to falter. She pushes aside other containers, her hands rustling through the cabinet's contents with increasing unease. Her brow furrows as she realises the new bottle is not there. A faint sense of panic rises within her, and her mind races with the possibility that she might have forgotten to restock. The silence of the kitchen seems to amplify her growing concern, with the only sounds being the soft hum of the refrigerator and her own increasingly rapid breathing.

She checks her watch; it's 7:40.

"I'm coming!" She yells and rushes to the dining room, as her mother may have already prepared breakfast without her.

She sits on her seat and looks at the plate in front of her. It's empty. The room is silent, as if waiting for her to speak. Maria stares at the plate, not wanting to look up. Not wanting to face the truth.

She blinks for a few seconds before picking up the cutlery.

"I see we are having boiled eggs today," she laughs and begins eating. The clanking of utensils reverberates throughout the room.

Mother remains quiet. She doesn’t talk about how stressful her job is, how her co-workers don't know how to do anything, or how she's thinking of going to the spa today. There is no discussion about any games between Father and Tim. No more analysing the scores and rating the players.

She feels a sickening feeling erupting from her chest. Maria doesn’t like this feeling or the silence. The latter of which, was the worst.

Checking the watch, it's 7:50 now. But...she can't go to work today. Not without her pills.

She rushes up to the landline and dials her workplace. Holding the receiver close to her ear, she waits.

Although she does not have to because there is no sound.

"Hi Rachel, It's Maria. I just wanted to let you know that I will not be coming in today. It is a high fever. Yeah...so could you get Daniel to cover my shift?" She waits for a response but gets none.

"Ok, thanks a lot!" She beams as she puts the receiver back.

Running up to her room, she opens her vitamin bottle. There's only two left. They won't do.

The sickening feeling returns, and the bottle falls from her trembling hands. A sense of desperation washes over her, and her mind races with the realisation that she cannot get through the day. She feels a cold sweat break out on her forehead, and her breath comes in short gasps.

She tries to calm herself down. "It's ok! It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's normal, no need to panic. Just head down to the pharmacy and buy some more."

With a surge of determination, she grabs her shoulder bag and heads downstairs. Taking a deep breath as she opens the door and steps out, her heart racing with anticipation. The bright sunlight and fresh air hit her like a slap in the face.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson!" She yells cheerfully.

But they don't answer. They're not sitting by their porch, sipping tea like usual. Their house is as hollow and empty as the very street she stands on.

Smile still plastered on her face, she walks ahead, greeting everyone she meets.

The street is empty and silent, with no sign of people anywhere. The road is unmarked, with no footprints or tire tracks to suggest that anyone has passed through recently. The buildings on either side of the street are abandoned and covered in moss, threating to collapse any minute due to the cracks. Their windows like empty eyes staring back at her. The only sound is the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze, the creaking of trees as they sway gently in the wind, and the energetic greetings of Martha as she strolls.

As she approaches the intersection, she looks out at the once bustling streets, which are now desolate and barren. The pavement is cracked and overgrown with weeds. The traffic lights now hang dark and still, their cables dangling like skeletal fingers. The sidewalks, which were once crowded with people, are now empty and littered with trash and debris. Abandoned cars with smashed windows and flat tires sit rusting in the center of the intersection. Some are overturned, their wheels in the air, like dead animals. A lone street sign stands, bearing The faded words "Main St" and "Elm Ave".

Maria's footsteps echo off the buildings as she approaches the spot where she used to meet Mrs. Helen.

"Off to the park again this morning?" She asks with a warm smile.

Her voice echoes through the air as her question is once again answered with silence.

"Do you need any help?" She asks again with a crack in her voice.

Maria stands there for a few seconds before diverting her attention to the road and walking ahead. Her grip tightening on her bag strap as she stomps ahead.

Her eyes sparkle as she spots the cafe where Jackson waits for her everyday. Today though... she can't smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. Or be greeted by her eccentric friend.

There is no cafe. Just a pile of rubble and debris.

"Jackson?" She says and looks around. Her face still full of joy and hope, in contrast to the inner turmoil.

Her eyes start to get teary as she feels something cracking inside her. But she suppresses it with a chuckle and a face palm. "Idiot! He must be at the office already."

With the pharmacy just around the corner, she passes by a rusty metal street light with a newspaper glued to it. The headline 'HAPPY PILLS BANNED: Extreme Side Effects Spark Global Outrage' stares up at her in bold, black letters. The subheading "Public Health Risks Prompt Immediate Action" adds a sense of urgency and chaos. The newspaper's date is from 10 months ago. Although, it feels like 10 years already.

Ignoring it and moving on, she finally reaches the pharmacy. The sign above the door reads 'Med-city' in green letters, and the windows are cloudy with grime. The door creaks as she pushes it open, and a bell above the entrance lets out a weak jingle.

Inside, there are shelves that seem to stretch on forever, lined with dusty bottles and containers. The air is thick with the scent of old medicine and stale air.

"It's just me, Mr. Carl." She yells and walks towards the counter. As she walks, her footsteps echo through the deserted pharmacy. She rounds the counter, her eyes scanning the area behind it. That's when she sees the cardboard box.

She pulls it out, opening it to reveal that it's filled to the brim with white bottles of Happy Pills. She begins to quickly stock them in her bag.

As she stands up, she grasps five pills in her hand. Small, round shapes, with a smily face engraved on them.

A tear rolls down her cheek and her smile finally dies, leading her to quietly sob as she looks around. No matter how many times one writes in their journal that they are happy to be alive, it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change reality.

Why didn't I disappear with everyone? Is being an outcast forever my fate?

Should I just...accept my reality and let everything go? Finally, try moving away from this place and search for any signs of people?

She stands there waiting, as if the answer would just come to her, or maybe today will be the day she magically stops being a coward.

Face puffy with tears and gasping for breath, Maria closes her eyes and in a swift motion, raises her trembling hand to her mouth and ingests the pills, swallowing them dry.

Placing a dollar next to another pile of cash, she walks towards the entrance. A sudden headache hits her, causing her to wince and close her eyes. The pain is sharp and intense, making her stop in her tracks. She takes a deep breath, and she opens her eyes.

The pharmacy is now back to its normal state. The shelves are fully stocked, the lights are bright, and the atmosphere is bustling with activity. Mr. Carl, the old pharmacist, stands behind the counter, a confused look on his face.

"Maria! Shouldn't you be at work right now? " he calls out, his voice stern.

She stands there, frozen for a few minutes before grinning. "I'm taking a day off today. See you later."

As she steps out of the pharmacy, she's surrounded by streets bustling with people, laughing and chatting as they go about their daily business. The sounds of cars honking, birds chirping, and conversations fill the air.

She checks her watch; it's 9am.

It's her embroidery time with her mother.

Her heart now filled with excitement and hope, she walks ahead, as the pharmacy's door shuts behind her.