Days of Darkness: Awakening

Chapter 3: The Night-stalkers

Daytime in Chicagoland is usually pretty quiet, and peaceful. The people didn't roam the streets too much anymore and, when they did, it was always quick trips outside and then back in. Gone were the days of children going outside to play with their friends or a family taking a day trip to the park for a picnic and fun. Times were certainly different, and the people longed for another time when they could live in peace again.

The nighttime held a different type of danger lurking in the streets. It was something far more primal, more deadly. They came to be called Night-Stalkers. These were humanoid creatures, reptilian in nature, who only came out when the sun had set. For the last two years, they would come from under the cover of the night sky to terrorize the city and all of its inhabitants making Chicago a very scary place to be at night. No one knew what they were exactly other than the fact that they came through the wormhole during The Event.

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While walking through the city, Damien and Christian took the time to get to know Jimmy a little more. At the same time, Damien stayed ever watchful, always minding his surroundings. That was something that Damien excelled in – being a protector, a guardian. After watching over and protecting Christian for the past two years, having Jimmy come in made him feel like his life had a little more meaning than just fighting to survive.

"You alright?" Christian asked.

Damien continued to look around. "You ever had the feeling you were being watched?"

"D, that is so cliché, bro," Christian said. "This ain't a horror movie."

But Damien felt extremely uneasy. "I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right. It's like I can feel something. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies and I don't like it."

Jimmy looked up at him. "You'll be OK, Damien."

They kept moving along throughout the woods, traversing through what used to be Calumet City. Without as many people around, it became a wasteland full of trees and dilapidated buildings. Eventually, after over an hour of walking, they arrived at the old River Oaks mall. The scene was quiet and quite abandoned. This was the first time in a year and a half that anyone was brave enough to travel through the area due to a high concentration of Night-Stalkers in the vicinity.

They got inside the mall by breaking the glass in the doors. As they got inside, they could see rats and raccoons racing across the floor, scrambling and searching for food.

"We're gonna walk through here?" Jimmy immediately questioned.

"See, Chris," Damien started. "Even the kid thinks this is crazy."

The stores all remained mostly intact. Everything was left just as it was two years ago during The Event except for some slight decay. But the important thing was what was left behind. Countless stores were filled with clothes, shoes, and even some electronics.

They began their search near the food court, slowly sifting through a nearby clothing store. Christian took the lead in the search, charging from one store to the next. He picked up whatever he felt could be useful. It didn't matter what it was. Jimmy stayed by Damien's side as he kept watch.

"Are you brothers?" Jimmy asked.

"Nah, kid," he answered. "Not by blood at least. You could say we became brothers over time."

Jimmy held his head low. "I lost my brother."

Damien could feel the pain in Jimmy's voice. He crouched down beside him. "You know, kid? I lost some people close to me, too. So did Christian. We all did. That's why I stick close to Chris. So, I don't lose him, too. And guess what? You won't lose us either. You'll always have a home wherever we go."