OUTBREAK

Observatory #5

Hugo followed Timmy northward. They left the hill and walked along the interstate 5 towards Griffith Park. At the park, there would be a path that led straight to the Hollywood Sign. The interstate was packed with cars, broken down, old and new, so the two followed it from afar. They had no weapons or supplies. Timmy walked dazedly and Hugo would sometimes mistake him for a wanderer.

They were walking through a patch of leafy trees, when Hugo whispered, "Timmy." No response. "Timmy!" Hugo said with extra power. Timmy stopped and rotated to Hugo.

"What?" he said, numbly.

"Slow down, you're walking too loud." Hugo turned to see a wanderer just outside the trees who's eyeline was blocked by a drooping branch.

Timmy's eye's started blankly at Hugo, his mouth lazily moved. "Sorry." He rotated forward and continued walking.

They continued up the interstate, eventually veering left when they found a sign that pointed them to Griffith Park. Leaving the interstate, avoiding the occasional wanderer and crossing empty roads, they came across a posted map of the area. Several zig-zagging trails webbed across the park.

"Which one do we take?" said Hugo, anxiously.

Timmy shrugged and continued up a trail.

"Wait!" Hugo walked after him as the trail began to rise higher into the hills.

When Timmy could see above the trees, he looked across the ruins of LA. He sighed, "I used to bring my kids here."

Hugo looked out with him and took a breath, "My sister would love this place."

"Dead got her?"

"No... I havent found her body."

"Oh, they ate her whole."

"No," said Hugo, matter-of-factly. "She was taken by a blue car."

"Don't matter. If she wasn't dead then, she's dead now."

"You don't know that," said Hugo, his heart sunk a little.

Timmy looked at him with cold eyes.

The two of them continued walking along the trail, reaching the peak of the first hill. There were only bushes around them, Hugo could see his old home from here.

"I don't like this. I think we should go lower," said Hugo.

Timmy kept walking along the peak.

"Timmy?"

"I don't care, just go."

"People can see us from here!"

"Is that a problem?" said Timmy, looking back at Hugo.

Hugo's eyes darted between Timmy and the city. He didn't know what to say. Timmy kept walking, leaving Hugo behind.

Hugo walked back under the tree line, where he couldn't see the city anymore. The sunlight peaked through the treetops, the city was just a little quieter and it was just a little emptier, but Hugo still felt something in his gut. He started walking along a trail that was hidden behind the trees. Timmy would sometimes kick a rock that happened to roll down and startle Hugo.

A shiver went up Hugo's back. He looked over his shoulder every few steps as the day began to dim. Through the trees he spotted Timmy on the hill, approaching Griffith Observatory.

"Stand down!" said a man calling out to Timmy. Hugo heard the mumblings of several more men ahead. As he got closer, he saw the Observatory through the trees. There were at least a dozen soldiers and two helicopters in the grassy field.

"Not another step!" said another man. Their rifles were pointed at Timmy, but he kept walking.

BAM

The shot echoed throughout the hills, and flock of birds flew out of the trees around Hugo.

"Who's there?" said a man.

Hugo squatted behind a rock just as the soldiers turned to him. He stayed quiet, covering his mouth. With his back to the rock, he saw a wanderer not far behind him with their eyes locked on him.

BAM

A bullet whizzed over Hugo's head and penetrated the wanderer's chest. It stepped back but continued pushing forward.

BAM

Another bullet whizzed over Hugo and the wanderer's head exploded. The body fell forward, revealing two more wanderer's trailing behind.

"Don't bother," said one of the men. "Come on! Load up! We're gone!" A murmur among the men arose, and the helicopters began to take flight. Hugo got up from behind the rock, watching the copters rise. One soldier saw him from the heli. In the brief second of eye contact, the soldier stayed quiet then looked away.

"Gruuuh..." said the wanderer behind Hugo. It lunged at him, but Hugo moved aside. A small crowd had gathered, all interested in the boy. He quickly climbed the fence to the lawn of the observatory, where he saw a single wanderer in the middle of the field. It was Timmy. He had a bloody hole in the middle of his Dodgers shirt. Looking up to the sky, they watched the helicopters disappear to the North.

Cling! Cling!

The crowd of wanderers were grabbing onto the fence behind Hugo. Timmy turned to the noise, seeing Hugo, he began to walk to him.

"Sorry Timmy." Hugo walked aside into the parking lot of the Observatory and saw the Hollywood sign in the distance. "What's the point?" Hugo sighed.

"Groan..." said Timmy. Hugo walked in a circle and then noticed the observatory.

"I'll show you Timmy," said Hugo. He walked into the open doors of the observatory, shutting the doors behind him. Timmy banged on the doors as Hugo took a loose wire from the floor and tied it around the handles.

The inside of the observatory looked like as if it was inspired slightly by roman architecture, with pillars and white walls. The military had left some empty boxes and supplies scattered around the halls.

Hugo made his way up a staircase to the roof where the large telescope was. After trying to nudge it to no success, he looked over the edge of the building. Timmy was aimlessly wandering outside the front door. The sun was still dying and Hugo could barely make out details of the city. Seeing the barely visible Hollywood sign, Hugo had no choice but to wait for morning.

He went back downstairs looking for a place to rest but when he passed the front doors, they were wide open. The wire he had tied around the handles was snapped in half, and seemingly damp.

"Gruh!" said Timmy from around a corner. Hugo turned to the interior of the Observatory. From down the hall, Timmy's arm peaked from behind a corner and fell to the ground. It was slowly dragged behind the corner. Horrified, Hugo left the building. He ran into the open field.

"Rah!" said the wanderers behind the fence. The metal links clattered as they were shaken back and forth. Hugo tiredly ran to the other end of the field, where a staircase led downward to a café under the observatory. He ran inside and found the restrooms, locking himself in a stall.

The door to the café creaked, and the sound of boots stepped across the floor.

"We're getting smart now, are we?"