Kirsten and August walked mostly in silence. A deer crossed the road ahead and paused to look at them before it vanished into the trees. The beauty of this world where almost everyone was gone. If hell is other people, what is a world with almost no people in it? Perhaps soon humanity would simply flicker out, but Kirsten found this thought more peaceful than sad. So many species had appeared and later vanished from this earth; what was one more? How many people were even left now? {148}
Kirsten and August walked together, experiencing a serene silence as they journeyed through a world that was marked by the absence of most people. Their path was interrupted by a deer that briefly observed them before disappearing into the forest, highlighting the beauty of their desolate surroundings. This moment raises a philosophical question about human existence in an almost deserted world, suggesting a sense of peace in the notion of eventual extinction.
As they reflected on their environment, Kirsten felt a strange comfort in the idea that humanity might soon cease to exist, viewing this potential outcome as less tragic and more akin to nature's cycle of life and extinction. The passage conveys a deep contemplation on the fleeting nature of existence and the diminishing number of survivors, evoking a sense of resignation mixed with acceptance regarding humanity's fate.
