To My Cousin,
Hey [Cousin’s Name],
I hope this letter finds you out there, wherever you may be. I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but I needed to put my thoughts down on paper, just in case. Things have changed so much since all of this started. I can hardly remember how it felt to just be a kid, hanging out and playing video games without a care in the world.
It’s hard to explain everything we’ve gone through, but I want you to know that even though I’m in a really dark place right now, I still try to hold on to the good memories we shared. Remember those summers when we’d ride our bikes around the neighborhood, pretending we were on some grand adventure? I want to remember that kid—the one who didn’t know fear, who laughed at everything, even when things got tough.
If you’re reading this, it means I’m… well, I’m probably not doing too well. I ended up getting bitten. I can hardly believe it; I never thought it would happen to me. I was always the one telling everyone to keep their guard up, to stay safe. But in the moment, everything happened so fast. One minute I was fighting to protect my family, and the next—everything changed.
I’ve tried to be brave, to stay strong for everyone, but sometimes it’s hard to fight what’s inside you. I hope you find a way to stay strong, too. No matter what happens, keep fighting. Remember that life, even now, is precious. Take care of your family. Fight for them, just like I fought for mine.
And please, don’t forget about me. Tell stories about our adventures. Keep the memory of that kid who used to ride his bike around without a care alive. I want to be remembered as more than just a casualty of this world.
Stay safe out there. I wish I could be there with you, but I’m hoping wherever I end up, I’ll be watching over you.
Take care,
Carl