If you haven’t read chapter one you can read it here.
Chapter 2
Misery Loves Company
I looked at her not knowing what to say. The silence felt thick, it was as if someone had stolen the words out of my mouth. But the moment was brief. Sirens from an approaching vehicle broke the silence. At first glance, the vehicles appeared to be typical emergency response vehicles, like the kind you see on the news after a hurricane or flood. This was different. I noticed that the large commercial style van did not have any identifying markings, and it was approaching quickly. They were headed for us. “We need to get out of…” I looked back at the now empty space where the girl had been slouched around the rubble. I quickly made it to my feet slipping on the loose gravel beneath my feet.
I stumbled repeatedly as I ran across the debris, trying desperately to outrun the ever approaching vehicle. I ducked into an alcove that was created by a collapsed building. I could feel the rumble of the vehicle approaching. I tucked my head between my knees and waited for it to pass. I remained in the alcove until sundown. It felt like forever. I have never experienced silence so impenetrable. There was nothing, no insects, birds, people, just nothing.
The only noise I could hear was my own breath and the occasionally displaced pebble from my shuffling to find a comfortable position, and then a break in the silence. Someone is walking around outside. I can hear the echo of falling rocks as the debris was displaced by their footsteps. As they grew closer I could feel my muscles tense. I have to think of a way to escape, but there is only one exit. I quickly felt around for something to use as a weapon. Frantically I ran my hands across the ground over the glass and small fragments of what was once an office building. My fingers hit a small blunt, smooth object, which appeared to be the deadbolt from a door. I held it in the palm of my hand and waited, listening as the sound stopped just outside the entrance to the alcove. I continued to hold my small weapon but was relieved to hear the sound had stopped. The silence had returned, and remained, until morning.
I startled awake, drenched in sweat and covered in ash. The sun was up and the summer heat was pounding down on the little alcove that I had taken refuge in. I slipped the deadbolt into my pocket and cautiously stepped outside. I found the empty pile of rubble quiet, and uneventful. Little had changed since last night.
No matter how much I wished it was all a dream here it was, horrible reality staring me down. The buildings once huge, glittering reminders of how powerful the city was now piles of unrecognizable debris. Making out landmarks was nearly impossible. My options at this point were simply, do I go left or do I go right. Carefully navigating the rubble, I headed right. This was away from the direction of the ominous vehicle from last night. As I continued the ash fell like snow and made it even more difficult to make out my surroundings. That’s when it hit me, literally. A small rock struck my shoulder.
I put my hand into my front right jean pocket and grasped the small deadbolt that I had found in my alcove. With my weapon in hand, I carefully rotated around looking high and low for any signs of movement. “Up here!” As I looked up toward the voice the sun shone into my eyes making it difficult to see, but I definitely recognized that voice. It was her. “Come on!” She shouted. “You’ve got to see this!” “It would be rather helpful if you told me just how you managed to get up there.” “There’s a fire escape around the corner.” “Just get up here!” My curiosity motivated me to climb up the mangled fire escape. The girl seemed so excited, although I can’t imagine why. Within twenty-four hours we had lost our homes, and our families. Our whole lives had changed in just a blink of an eye. How did she ever climb this ladder? I was standing in front of a rusted, and barely intact, fire escape. It’s barely attached to the side of the building. Nevertheless, my curiosity drove me forward. With every step the ladder gave off a ghostly creak. I felt as if at any moment it would break away from the wall and send me plunging down onto the rocky debris below. Every time the ladder moved my heart plunged into my stomach. When I reached what was now the top of the building, about the sixth floor up, I had to step through the broken window frame and onto what appeared to be an office floor.
Walking passed the cubicles, I found myself looking at all of the personal belongings that surrounded them, like tiny shrines. Suddenly something became eerily apparent. “Why are you standing around?” “Come on!” She shouted. “Don’t you see it?”I asked, as she looked blankly at me. ”See what?”“Bodies, where are all of the bodies?” “What do you mean?” “The entire city was wiped off of the face of the earth and I have not seen one dead body.” “I don’t know maybe they escaped?” She shrugged. “All of them?” “Maybe, look!” She ran to the east corner of the building and urged me to follow her.”See!” I did see. A validation of my choice to follow her. On the horizon, barely visible were small figures pacing about.” We have to go there!” She said gazing encouragingly at me with her big brown eyes. In fact, this was the first time I had stopped to really look at her. She looked as if she was in her early twenty’s. Her hair is an unusual pale amber color, like the color of blonde ale. She looked so faded and thin. I wondered if she might be sick. She was wearing blue jeans and a mustard colored sweater, which seemed odd in the middle of the summer. Her shoes were obviously throwbacks, probably somewhat expensive. “If you are done gawking, can we go now?” “I wasn’t gawking, and why is it we all of a sudden?!” “You ran off and now you expect me to look after you?” “I did what anyone would have done, I ran. It’s not my fault you stood there like a deer in the headlights.” I was not just standing there!” “I was evaluating the situation.”
© Copyright Angela Valencia 2016
Starry Sky Co. 