Lights Out

All that Cliché Apocalypse Stuff (Rachel)

When it comes to the apocalypse, there's nothing better than a good old-fashioned trek through the sewers. At least that's the way Marra saw it, she had insisted on venturing below ground as soon as the lights had flickered out. Which was "coincidentally" exactly twenty minutes after Rachel and Marra had left the hotel.

Yes you heard her right, twenty minutes, on the dot, the lights flickered out. At which point Rachel and Marra were conveniently an arms length away from an uninhabited but recently renovated tunnel that led directly to the sewers, and was adjacent to the maintenance tunnels that wove through the cities subway systems. Weird. Rachel knew, and at thou point Rachel was beginning to question her decision to go with Marra.

Now you're probably thinking, why is it just at this point that Rachel doesn't trust Marra? If that's your question, I would refer you to Rachel's previous chapter, Always Trust the Skeletons in your Closet. You also probably just noticed that I just referenced my story within my story, highlighting the fact that I, as the narrator, am aware that this is that story. That my friends, is called breaking the fourth wall.

Gosh, I hate being a narrator (<-- fourth wall breakage alert)

Anyway, Rachel had always wished for adventure, but walking through ankle deep pond-scum bombarded with rats wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind. Though, looking back now, she wasn't even sure what she'd had in mind. She just knew it wasn't this. Rachel flinched as another round of gunshots and screaming sounded above. The gunshots had been rhythmically going off since the blackout had begun, but Rachel was yet to get use to it. She didn't know what was going on up there, but she hoped that her family was okay. It was more than that, she needed her family to be okay. You never realize how much you love someone until you're stuck underground in the midst of mass hysteria and they're most likely to be dead. The thing was, Marra had promised Rachel could save them, so she had to believe Marra was telling the truth.

Marra paused, pressing cold fingers against Rachel's mouth, and listened- to seemingly nothing. Then Rachel heard it, splashing, and muffled talking, as if two people were coming her way. Clicking the flashlight off, Rachel and Marra pressed into a wall as two people appeared around the bend, guns visible in their hands.

"Are you sure we took the right turn?" the first voice was masculine, but pitchy, like a boy going through puberty.

"Yes," the second person answered in a distinctly feminine, yet low voice, she had a slight, yet noticeable, British accent. They were both clothed in all black leather, with ski masks rolled up to reveal faces, the women's hair was hidden beneath her black hat.

The first person sighed, they kept waking, the didn't seem to notice Rachel and Marra, "I can't even believe we got assigned to the underground duty, it's not like the sewers and subway station will be that crowded right now. The blackout was supposed to draw them to the surface."

The second person stopped, then stood there a second before slamming the other person into the wall, auburn curls fell loose from her hat, "it is an honor to be assigned to any station. I wouldn't expect a squire to understand"

The first person fumed, but held his tongue, he picked up the flashlight that had fallen on the floor and kept walking, "I can't disobey your command, but if we don't get back to headquarters before stage 2 starts I'm blaming you. You know this reminds me of that one time-"

Their voices faded out as they walked away. Only after their footsteps could no longer be heard in the distance and silence engulfed them did Marra click the flashlight back on.

"Here, I think they dropped this." Marra stepped out and picked up a damp paper off the sewer floor. It looked like a business card of sorts, the word KnOT was carved on it, along with a swirling insignia of circles.

"I wonder what it means," Rachel pocketed the card and turned her flashlight in the direction the group had gone, "they were talking about a 'phase two' and the blackout, do you think they're the ones responsible for all of this?"

Marra pursed her lips, "well, not them, per say, not directly anyway. More likely the organization they're working for; This, KnOT."

Rachel shook her head. Their was something about this that wasn't right. The way the people had spoken, as if murder was no big deal. And what they had said about another phase, if the blackout was phase one, what second phase could possibly top that?

"Come on, before they head back this way," grabbing her arm, Marra began leading her in the direction they had been originally traveling in.

"Hold on," Rachel pulled her hand away, Marra sighed and crossed her arms.

"This better be important."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "if those people are going that way we should follow them. They could lead us to whoever is responsible for this whole thing."

"So we follow the danger?" Marra nervously laughed, "this is the way."

"The way to what exactly?" Marra froze as Rachel raised an eyebrow, "you keep dragging me along, claiming I'm meant for something important, but you won't even tell me what it is."

"I-" Marras face pace, she kept clenching and unclenching her fists, "you have to come with me, you're going to die, you can save them all!"

"Yeah, you've used that one before." Rachel put her hands on her hips, "but as far as I'm concerned we're not saving anyone just staying here. So from now on, I'm calling the shots. You need me, and I say we're following those two."

"You don't understand!-" Marra sighed in exasperation, "fine we'll follow them, but that doesn't mean you're calling the shots, it doesn't mean you're calling anything, you need me."

Rachel smirked, it wasn't perfect, but it was better than what she had had before. At least now Rachel knew the plan, it was a step in the right direction. So, with a flashlight in one hand and Marras arm in the other, they continued walking through the sewers. Overtime, the sewer dried up and the sound of running water faded. Rachel and Marra found themselves in a standard maintenance tunnel.

"What I still don't understand is why they were so chatty down here, wouldn't their plans be of upmost secrecy?" Rachel sighed, shouldering the bag Marra had asked her to carry.

"What I don't understand is why you're so chatty." Putting the flashlight between her teeth, she ran her finger along the ridges of the ancient door that blocked their path. She sighed and held a hand out to Rachel, "crowbar."

"What?" sifting through the woven bag Rachel pulled out a rusted metal crowbar and handed it to Marra, who began prying the door open when she suddenly froze.

"This door hasn't been opened in the long time."

Rachel shrugged, "so?"

"No ones been through this passage in a long while. Weren't we following-"

"Us?" Rachel jumped and turned  slowly to face the two assassins they had been stalking. The elder, with the red hair, held up a gun. She smiled, raising her fingers in a dainty wave, "yes, I suppose you'll be talking about us."

Marra gulped, "we weren't-"

"Weren't what, following us?" The women laughed, "kinda just admitted to that one I'm afraid." She motioned to the boy behind her, "remind me again, what's the protocol for spies?"

"Uh..." The boy fumbled with a paper-back handbook, he recited from the paper, "if on any occasion a knight, or assassin, is found to be followed and/or eavesdropped on they shall first be asked of their intentions-"

"Yes, yes" the women swirled her fingers in the air, "skip to the good part."

"Oh-" the boy blushed, "they shall immediately be apprehended for questioning, use force if necessary."

An innocent smile dawned on the women's face, "see?" She seemed to be looking directly at Marra, "we're not here to hurt you, we're just following protocol I'm afraid."

And with that, she aimed the gun and fired.