Falling Skies

Chapter One: I Watched This City Burn

"Dante! Up and at 'em, kid!" In reply, I grumbled and rolled over in the cot, facing away from the husky, Irish voice. "C'mon! Get your ass in gear, drink some coffee, and grab a gun. There's blood suckers out there waiting for you." Suddenly, the world seemed to slant, then I met the ground face first. I grumbled again, sat myself upright, and pushed the cot back up as well, shooting a glare at the imitation of a circus' runaway Muscle Man. He smirked at my agravation. "Maybe they'll wanna give you a nice, bloody smooch."

"You can go screw yourself, Nate..." I mumbled under my breath and stood. Ander sat only a few feet away, lacing his raggedy Timberlands. He seemed to have heard me because he let out a low chuckle.

 "Be careful what you say." He stood, stretched, and ruffled his dirty blonde hair. I took a moment to size him up. Ander wasn't much older than me but he was doubled my size, with a lanky structure backed up by muscular arms. I swore both he and Nate were on steroids. His arm swung and hit my back, knocking the air out of me momentarily. I don't think he knew his strength quite yet either. "See ya, Short Stuff." He took off, out of the front doors with a carbine rifle and his perpetual confidence. I rolled my eyes and turned to see Nate waking up the new kid, Adrian. We had found him a week or so ago, barely getting by in a run-down gas station along the state line. He only had a steel baseball bat and a small hand-gun, so I had to give him props. I then crouched, laced up my Timberlands, and pulled on my jacket. I strode down the white hall and pushed open the door with a men's plaque on it. I checked in on my reflection in the mirror and whiped my face with a damp paper towel as the door flew open and Adrian ran through in a flash.

 "I gotta piss!" I chuckled as I heard him struggle for the zipper on his baggy jeans. "Of all places, an elementary school? They could atleast have picked a high school for us to take refuge at...." He grumbled in annoyance about the size of the urinals and I continued to chuckle.

 "Learn to adapt." I advised him before I left the bathroom. But his words were true, they had picked the closest building to take refuge in, an elementary school, and it was a hassle with so many people in one place. Adrian seemed to have caught up with me 'cause he was trailing behind me. When we came back around to the front doors, I grabbed an M4 and handed him an M16. "Show time!"

 I strode outside into the dusty, clouded air. Remnants of cars, buildings, and bodies lie astray. The stench of blood and Hell itself lingered. I turned to Adrian, whom was still following me, and noticed his disgusted expression.

 "You'll get used to it." I glanced around and he looked up at me as if for the first time, with a bewildered expression. "Now, come on." I turned back and headed in the direction of Blue Robin's, an apartment complex.

 After searching apartment after apartment without any survivors nor blood suckers, we decided to go back to the school. The climate was warm but chills ran down my spine, then I heard the clatter of a gun fall somewhere ahead and menacing growls. I knew that sound well. We turned a corner to see a bloody being tearing at the throat of one of our refugees, showing no mercy. The man was clearly done for, but my finger still closed in on the trigger and bullets tore through the creature's skin, causing it to screech and howl. It's body fell limp ontop of the man's. No doubt that others had heard the screeches, it was only a matter of time that other blood suckers arrived. We then hauled out of the area and back to the school. Adrian looked sick and pale, and soon he was running for the bathroom again.

 "No one in Blue Robin." I checked in with Nate and he shook his head.

 Our numbers were decreasing fast.

 I stretched out my limbs and groaned, then crossed my legs at the ankle and propped my head up on crossed arms, laying on my cot. Through closed eyes and open ears, I listened to the conversation currently going on in the room. They were all speaking of childhood stories over some Jack. Ander's close call with a rabid rott, Byron's run to the E.R. after drinking some of his mother's nail polish remover, and Erik's brother swallowing a handful of nickels.