Radioactive

Chapter 2

“Whoa.”

When the light receded and we no longer saw purple, our breath caught. Even Quinn, who I’d already pegged as a chatty Cathy, was speechless at the sight before us. We had all been raised underground; we had all gotten used to the shiny metal and dim, dark caves that made up our homes and cities. We knew of no other way. So to see the outside, to see how our ancestors had lived, was a shock to us all.

Grass poked up from between slabs of concrete, through the cracks and crevices, and flowers of all sizes and colors sprinkled the ground. Vines crawled up the sides of buildings to reach the sunlight, winding themselves tightly around whatever they could grasp. Butterflies and other insects tumbled and twirled in the breeze as if taking part in some erratic ballet. The buildings themselves were crumbling, broken structures among rubble and ash, but there were still skyscrapers intact. There were certain areas where sunlight peaked through and reflected off of the street signs that were strewn across what appeared to be roads, and wires from stoplights hung from up high to make a grotesquely beautiful jungle.

I didn’t know if it was the dead hush that clung to every object and surface, or the warnings of radioactivity that had been pounded into my head since I reached preschool, but I wanted this to be over and done with. I wanted to get back to my very boring, very pitiful life back down in the caves.

Warren was the first to recover. “C’mon let’s get this over with.”

“But,” Quinn whispered, “It’s so beautiful.” She bounded out into the open and held her arms out in a twirl. “It’s amazing!”

It’s official – she’s delusional.

“He’s right,” I spoke up. “Let’s hurry up.”

“Why not just enjoy the outdoors for a bit?”

I stepped out of the elevator and onto the asphalt. “Because something about this place makes my skin crawl.”

She huffed into her speaker. “Fine.” She tapped the buttons on her right arm and walked ahead of us. “This way.”

We followed her silently with measured, cautious steps. Warren’s eyes stayed ahead of him, taking in everything at once, body poised and ready to spring into action at the slightest threat. I, on the other hand, was not as focused – my mind wandered as I took in the ruins of New York City. Going through the ghost city revealed things that the first glimpse had hidden away: birds nesting in nooks and crannies, rabid dogs fighting over scraps of meat.  

My stomach dropped as my heart lodged itself into my throat. Fear had crept into my mind undetected and made it hard to breath. Even with the protective suits and oxygen tanks, I was still afraid that it would get in and touch me…taint me….

Nope. I wasn’t going to go there.

We made our way past the ruins of old tourist shops and deli restaurants that used to bustle with busy people leading busy lives. I could almost see what the city used to look like, before it was destroyed. Before humanity grew malicious and blood-thirsty.

Quinn led us into a building that appeared to be a chapel, still partially standing. The pews were splintered beyond recognition and the glass pulpit was mere shards casting rainbows across the walls and on the ground. A cross was still intact, whether by divine intervention or sheer luck was opinionated – I was pretty sure it was the latter, though. In these times, we needed God more than ever.

“Check this out,” Quinn said, kneeling a few feet away. “I think I found something.”

I hesitated for a moment, starting towards her cautiously only when Warren nodded his encouragement – he understood my leniency a heck of a lot more than Quinn did. Glass crunched under my feet as I walked, and then under my knees as I knelt beside her. She handed me a spindly white stick, with a sparkling gem attached to it.