Santiago Rising

chapter 15

I went from the beach to the inner city. Everything was cover in ash and smoke. I couldn't breathe as the air was filled with smoke and ash. I cover my face with my hand in hoping to breathe a bit easier. No such luck. I wander around until I find a dollar store and went inside. The place was empty and I look around the place. I find a bandana and tie it around my nose and mouth. I left the store and started looking for a car or anything to use to get back to LA.

After wandering around in ashen city, I find a bike. It wasn't much but it was something. I picked it up and started pedaling towards the highway to get out of the city. I didn't know where I was exactly but I knew enough to know I was deep with the inner city of San Diego. I could tell because some of the buildings were burnt out and reduce to rubble and others were still burning bright.

I couldn't tell if the sun was setting or not because of the thick clouds of ash and smoke and it would only get worse as the sunsets. I could barely see a few feet in front of me now and at night I won't be able to see anything. I needed to move fast if I wanted outside the city before nightfall. I needed to find a light source as well for traveling at night, there was no way in hell I was going to sleep here with all this smoke in the air. I rode around on the bike until it became too dark to see. I had no choice but to find a place to stay the night, I couldn't risk staying outside in this darkness anymore. Even with the flashlight, I find I wasn't prepared for this kind of darkness.

I find a place to spend the night, it was down some alleyway. I brought my bike inside this small cramp room and until the bandana from my face. I still smell smoke from the outside. I cough a bit and took out some of the food I had with me. 'I need to get out of here I thought to myself. I need to get back to the girls. I should have never gone out but I needed to. I needed to find some way out of the city for them. If only I haven't gotten so close to that damn cruise liner I wouldn't be in fucking San Diego. I was tired. I felt my body relax and my mind go blank. I thought of nothing in my sleep. I dreamt of nothing in my sleep. I saw nothing and felt nothing. the only thing that kept me was the girls. I needed them to be safe and live. I don't know why I had the need. Every fiber of my being yelled at me to protect those girls and I will. That was the last thought I had before feeling nothing again and was sent off into a deep sleep.

I woke up a few hours later feeling like death just passed over me. My body was sore and breathing labor from all the smoke in the air. I needed to find my way out and onto the highway. I didn't care if I had to pedal my way back. I will for those girls, for my girls. I needed to get to them. It has been about three days since I've been gone and I needed to go back. I went outside and saw the gray sky. I got on my bike and started looking for the way out of this hellhole.

After a few hours, I finally find the ramp onto the highway out of here. I was tried but nothing was going to stop me from getting back to my girls. I rode through the clutter fill street. This was a highway to of hell filled with abandoned cars and burnt shells of them as well. I rode through the smoke of the city, feeling my skin burn. I saw nothing but smoke that claims the sky like a king claims his land. I continue to ride until I saw the exit signs to LA. I was so happy I wanted to shout but didn't. I was finally going back, back to my girls and my dog. I would never leave them again unless it was absolutely necessary for me to do so.

I was now on the highway, I still was in the San Diego area but I was making my way back to Los Angles. I was passing by the signs that lead me closer and closer to L.A. I've been pedaling for hours and I was tired but I wasn't going to stop. I ran into burnt-out cars leaving behind the shells and some of the dead. I took breaks after a few hours of non-stop pedaling but they were short. It's been about seven hours and I was miles away from San Diego but not any closer to L.A. If only I could find a working car I would be able to reach L. A faster but a part of me couldn't risk it. The noise from a car would bring the dead running my way and I wasn't prepared for that. So, I needed to play it safe but also rush the fuck home to my girls. I needed to be alive for that to happen, I wasn't going to let anything stop me. I continue to push myself past my limits, I know that was a dumb thing to do but I needed to keep on going until it nightfall.