The sound of the rustling leaves woke me up. I looked at the clock at the stairs, pointing at 10:02. “Damn it. I’ll never drink that shit again” I muttered to myself as I groggily walk my way down to the first floor of our house.
The doors and windows were barricaded, for protection as I’ve heard from the last time I turned on my satellite radio that thugs are everywhere. Luckily this house was built by my grandfather, who considers apocalyptic things as he plotted down the plans. Steel door barricades, bulletproof and soundproof glass, which has a second closable steel window, bomb proof walls and foundations, all of these just for the security of our family. I guess gramps would be surprised that this house stood as the war passed…
“----Oh crap. Not this again” I held my head in agony as it throbbed. Memories flash as I screamed in pain. And I fell, seeing only white until…
“March 16, 2031” I heard someone shouted that date near me. I revolved my head as I saw my girlfriend Maxine, dressed in an white evening gown. Gosh, I could die right now from happiness as I stare at her wonderful and complex beauty. “It’s March 16 already. I hope you didn’t forget, my dear boyfriend?” shouted Maxine as I run to her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, I ran over someone a while ago, deary” I kissed her soft cheek and hugged her from the back.
“Happy Anniversary, Maxine. I love you so damn much.” I whispered in her ear and blew it, ‘cause I know she loves it when I do that.
“Hey, don’t get too mushy. It’s nearly morning, it’ll be such a scandal if they see us like this.” She shrugged me off, but her blushy cheeks tell that she isn’t mad.
“Okay, fine deary. Have it your way.” I walked to away heading to a black vintage coupe parked near the driveway. I forgot, my gift for her was there.
“Where do you think you’re going, DEARY” I could feel the stressed intonation she put at the last word of her sentence. I turned back. Bad move, I shouldn’t have turned to the car without saying.
“Is something wrong Maxine?” I stammered. I caught a glimpse of her eye glittering with beads of tears. I rushed to her front to comfort her.
“Please tell me you’re not leaving me for another girl. Please” She pleads, as those beads of tears were now streaming down her face.
“Of co—Why would I, deary? Look. I’d never leave you. After all these years, Maxine, you’d still think I’d leave you?” I showed her our engagement ring “After all these years? We’re getting married in two years for Pete’s sake!” I stared at her eyes, but she just looked away.
“Then what about the recording of your phone call with Denise over here?” She threw me a memory card. Shucks. Who the hell gave her this? Thinking back, the last phone call I had with Denise was us planning to go out, but on the end, it was all for Maxine, to surprise her.
“Who in the hell gave you this?” I grabbed the memory card and placed it in my pocket.
“It doesn’t matter. I can’t stand this. You, after all this years. I thought you don’t have any feelings left for Denise?” She shouted. I glanced at the building in front of us as I noticed a window turned bright. The owner was probably woken up by our misunderstanding.
“Look here Maxine.” I grabbed her shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. “The phone call’s context was for—“
We were both shocked as something zoomed in the sky and after a few seconds, a large explosion happened a couple of miles from us. The buildings were now filled with lights as everybody went out to check what was happening. But to my surprise, everyone was now coughing. Including… Maxine!
I carried her to the car, hoping that she was okay but she suddenly stopped coughing. I looked at her and checked wheter she’s okay or not but…
“This is not happening. Please tell me that this is not happening” I murmured and continued the phrase like a chant, until I was shouting. And another bright white light flashed before my eyes.
I woke up facing the floor. With my head throbbing like a heart, I struggled to get up, but I came to my full senses when I heard someone at the door.
“Ey mate? Are you okay there?” He shouted with a slight Aussie accent. I rushed silently to the peep hole to see if this is another one of those thugs. To my surprise, he wasn’t. His uniform is undeniably from the Red Faction, which is one of the movements who once were communists but teamed up with the government to fight in the previous war. Bearing the crest of a red hammer in his right chest and carrying a red striped Russian AK-47, he really is one of the Red faction.
I hesitated to respond, but I have no idea why I pulled the lock on the door. “I’m kinda okay. I see you’re from the Faction, come in.” I stepped aside to let him pass and locked the front door.
“You seem to live here on your own. If I recall, this place is one of the first places that were bombed by the virus, am I correct?” He asked as he sat down in the couch as we reached the living room.
“Yes, it did. Somehow, it’s suprising that I have survived that bombing. Nearly 95% here died. My parents were lucky since they were at the capital that day.” I stared at the window, reminiscing the horrors of that dawn had brought.
“I’m… sorry to hear that, mate.” He fiddled with his empty gun until something rang. The guy reached for an old fashioned pager and immediately turned to me after reading whatever messaged he received. “I know this is asking too much, but can you provide shelter for my team for the rest of the night?”
I stared at him, judging his body movements to see if he’s lying or formulating something. But all I can see is his fatigue and desperateness. I guess the thugs in these areas really tire them. So I nodded and he hugged me. “Thank you so much. Sorry for being rude, my name’s Dean. Was the Recon for the 22nd division of Red Faction and now, it’s all split up since a lot of us died. “ He sat again. “Because of that virus, AE16, we have been forced into hiding. Luckily, it had ended. But some creatures have been mutated by the effects of that virus. Horrors you can’t even imagine. The remaining groups were now assigned to eliminate these threats, since they carry the disease but with all these scavenging, thieving thugs, it’s getting more and more harder than it ever was before. We’re slowly dying…” he faded off and sobbed.
Dean’s pager rang again and he stood up. “They’re near. We better get a better view of them before they arrive.” I rushed to the pantry along with him, and grabbed an AWM sniper rifle in case things go wrong in the distance, and two .45 magnum revolvers, modified with tranquilizer bullets instead of metal bullets. “Damn, what a fine collection of arms you got here.” He sneaked a peek into the pantry. “Most of it was from my dad though.”
We ran upstairs and into the veranda, but as I got near the door, we heard gunshots filling the air. The pager rang again, and Dean solemnly said “They’re ambushed. Load that shit and get ready to blast these damn thugs.”
