The Sun Awaits [Short Story]

Chapter 11: The Sun Awaits

            I wake up and stretch, a steel floor isn't really that comfortable. I find my bag, and munch on some stale "Cheerio's" and a couple bites of granola bar; for a start to the day. I offer some jerky to Scratch, and he gladly downs the piece in a bite.

A few minutes later, after some settling up, we head for the North Wall again, which, which is only a few rooftops away. With no dangers or interruptions, we could get to the roof hatch by the blackout. That would be just before the sun fades away.

"Scratch, c'mon!" I say, sprinting across the first rooftop, almost falling into the void below a few times more than I should have. Scratch is getting big. He is around the size of a black bear, which I recall as being one of the smallest ones. He acts like a normal wolf, and looks a lot like one, but since he is a werewolf, he is like around 2x stronger, and jumps from rooftop to rooftop with ease.

~

It's been hours of walking and jumping and we've finally reached the North Wall. The ledge is around a meter wide, and runs around this wall only. I see the ladder and a small ring of light shining from the area where the hatch is separated from the roof. It seems weird, it's not blue like the floodlights, and it's not green either; it's a whiteish color and has a whiteish glow to it. I take a deep breath and start climbing the ladder. I stop though, and start to climb back down.

There has been one thing I've been trying to forget. I remember that the creatures that come from the box... stay in the box; since there is no sunlight in here that is exposed to them. And if they are exposed to the sun, they fade away for eternity.

I don't want to let Scratch go, but if it happens to mean giving up on my dream, and un-fulfilling my sister's to see our parents once more; I think I need to leave him behind. It's where he belongs, and I surely don't belong here anyways.

"Hey Scratch, I'm going to miss ya; but I've reached my destination. I know you want to come with me, and I want you to too, but you'll never survive outside the box. You've been a pretty great friend, and a great source of company. Thanks for that." I say, handing him all the bags of jerky I have left, "Good luck, I'll miss you." I finish, before climbing to the top of the ladder.

I look down on him, his blue eyes glowing in the darkness, while the floodlights shine faintly overhead. I slowly turn away and open the hatch above, pushing it upwards.

I'm met by a blinding light, the world above me surrounded in a sheet of white. I squint, and finally open my eyes after what felt like hours. I look straight and I am met with a yellow-orange ball of light; it's glow projecting across the sky. The sky is shades of colors I've never seen before, only in stores or in the odd apartment or two. The colors are pinks, purples, oranges and blues; it's called a sunset or something.

I watch the ball of light for what seems like forever, until it disappears beneath the ground. The sky is now a blackish blue and it's dotted with thousands of white specs, twinkling in the darkness. I breathe. "I just saw the sun..."

I stand up, after spotting the rocket. I run over to it, standing in front of a keypad. "Locked with the password: SCRATCH; an Aeon path-set rocket will wait on the roof." I remember my sister reading the blueprint notes. I tap the screen and it lights up, a keypad appears. I type in the passcode and a computer-automated voice speaks,

"Access granted." The rocket door slowly falls downward in slow motion, landing on the ground softly. I walk to the opened door, and then step inside. A few moments later I'm strapped up, and not in a space-suit; either because I couldn't find it, or I didn't realize.

It's a push-button launch, and I'm ready to go. I press the button and the voice starts the countdown,

"10... 9... 8..."

I'm nervous, that I'll finally have the chance to maybe see my family, let alone see another human for the first time in years. I lost track of time long ago. I snap back into what's happening when I hear the words,

"4... 3... 2..."

Aeon, here I come.

"1..."

The Sun Waited.