"Today marks the third Thanksgiving since the Pandemic. And across what used to be America, there are people doing what I'm doing right now.

"They're looking at the horizon and seeing it clear of plumes of smoke. No more wildfires, no more untended power stations going up, all of that over with. And they're thankful for that.

"They're smelling air that is free of the stench of decay and death. The bodies of the stricken were dealt with with as much ceremony as we could afford. And it's done. And they're thankful for that, too.

"But what they're most thankful for…even though they'd never admit it…we never admit it to each other, much less ourselves…

"We're thankful it wasn't us. Our wives, husbands, sons, daughters, parents…all gone but us. And they're thankful we were spared over the others.

"It's not betrayal to think these thoughts…it's not Winston facing the rats…but it feels like it all the same. And even after all this time, as I look down over the empty houses and streets, it's still the worst part: surviving is what will truly kill you."