Dark Sky

06 - Survivor

Chapter Six

Joe had made it into town. The only building that was still barely standing was the one he was in. The old supermarket.

The only two people he had seen alive was the woman laying on the floor staring at him and her attacker who now lay motionless on top of her. Fresh blood trickled from a wound on the back of the strangers head, having just received a deadly blow from the iron bar Joe had in his possession. Joe had only meant to subdue the attacker but he feared he may have killed him.

It was a worrying thought. Killing another human being made him feel sick inside. He was not a murderer, but this guy was attacking the woman and so he had reacted in the fastest way possible to end it. Joe hadn't realised quite how hard he had hit him until he saw the blood. He also saw the fear in the woman's eyes and decided instantly this man had deserved it.

He reached towards the woman with an open hand and as she took it he pulled her out from underneath her attackers body. As she stood up she brushed herself down and then without hesitation she kicked her attacker in the side of his head as if to make sure the job was done.

"Piece of shit!" She spat at the body before turning to face Joe.

She still had his hand in hers and so she began to shake it, almost as if the kicking incident had not just happened.

"Thanks......Joe - Was it?" She smiled. "Don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along."

Joe smiled back. He was kind of relieved to find out he was not the only person left alive in this nightmare, even if he had just killed one of them.

"I'm Leila." She introduced herself before picking up the ruck sack she had dropped from the floor.

After ensuring both of them had got everything they had come for they decided to leave the building. Joe hadn't liked the look of the place. Most of the building was demolished and the part they were in didn't look that sound either. He didn't really like the idea of still being in there if the rest of the structure came down. He had had his fill of being buried in rubble to last him a lifetime.

"So how did u survive this?" Joe enquired curious as so far he had not seen anyone else alive.

"Believe it or not my stairs saved me." Leila told him as they made their way back outside.

"So you were above ground when it happened?"

Leila looked at him inquisitively, "Yes, why?"

"Nothing really," he frowned, "it's just everyone else I've seen above ground was burnt beyond recognition."

"Yeah I know what you mean," Leila agreed with a nod, "don't really know how I survived either. I guess my stairs and my whole house piled on top was enough to shield me."

Joe nodded but remained silent for a moment.

"Were you underground then?" Leila asked as they stepped over the last of the obstacles into the wreck of the car park.

"Basement." He told her looking up at the dark sky above. "I'm alive purely because I decided to do my laundry at that moment."

Joe thought how small choices could dramatically affect your life. In his case that one decision to do his washing had actually been a life or death choice. It was quite frightening to think that had he have not done it at that moment he would probably be dead now. Looking around he knew others had not been so fortunate.

"I'd love to know what the hell happened though." Joe continued, "how did the terrorist attacks in America happen here too?

"Not so sure what happened here was terrorists," Leila gave her opinion as they moved away from the supermarket. "From what was going on in the news just before it happened, my guess is we were attacked by a country."