When the Sun Fell

Chapter 8 - The time has come

Before you read this chapter, I want you guys to know that I do have several sequels planned out, all taking place at the same time. Weird, I know, but it's actually not, since I'm writing this about 2 years after this chapter was originally posted, and I'm going through to edit everything. I don't want to spoil anything yet, but the basic plot will be revealed at the end of this book, and at least to me it's a very intriguing concept so I suggest you stick around.

Joel

My heart was slowly breaking as I watched the city around me wither in death and decay. It was getting cold, and so for the next few days, we all stayed huddled around the campfire in hopes of healing our broken bodies. Occasionally one of us would break off for a few hours to find food, but it was unsettling to walk among the overgrown weeds on the pavement and hear the crunch of frost.

 I was thankful we had run into Mason. He'd gone back to the drug mart to retrieve my jacket and backpack, which were both pretty much the only things keeping us alive. We hadn't ever thought to dress this warmly. By the time the plagues had basically burnt out and everyone was already... dead, I guess, summer had cascaded over our city and it was bright and warm again. Plus, running away from the dead and the constant threat of other human beings tended to get our blood flowing.

That blood was another problem back then. Mosquitos were common in Calgary due to the heavy rainfall in the spring and the relatively high frequency of freshwater. After all, we do have two large rivers slicing the town into neat, uneven portions. But these mosquitos posed more of a threat than just a small itchy welt. When a Shade was newly infected, the mosquitos were still drawn to their relatively fresh blood. And like Malaria and the countless other diseases spread by those pests, people got infected by mosquito bites. It was more than horrifying to find someone in a neighboring apartment locked on their balcony, covered in welts, screeching the deadly cry of the Plight and throwing their now useless bodies up against the glass.

Unfortunately, this was a common occurrence, and part of the reason I'd stayed so pale these past two years. I never dared step outside the apartment complex except to let Shiska out or gather food, and even then in the twenty-to-thirty degree weather, I would always stay decked out in my leather jacket and a pair of jeans. I just couldn't risk it.

But now it wasn't the heat that was the problem. Sitting by the fire, wrapped in a heat-reflective blanket, my fingers and toes were numb. My ears and nose, which I had frequently complained about before all this shit hit the fan, were in constant stinging pain. I wanted to be tough, to stand up to naure and basically give it a giant "Fuck You" for screwing over my whole life, but I couldn't deny that it was starting to wear on me. My body, specifically my shoulder, was in constant pain despite the high dosage of antibiotics and painkillers Lauren had perscribed me. You'd think that the cold would help numb the pain, but instead it was just replaced by a fuzzy, stinging sensation coating my skin whenever a small gust of wind from whatever-the-fuck was going on up in the sky would brush past me. Thank god Mason was just rounding the corner.

"Hey," I greeted. Lauren had fallen asleep next to Shiska beside me, so I tenderly shook her shoulder. She moved slightly, groaning quietly as Shiska began to lick her nose.

Silently, Mason placed the backpack and jacket down in front of me. I looked up at him gratefully before draping the warm leather around my shoulders again. It still kind of smelled like home.

Lauren rose slowly from her position, squinting at me and Mason in the dim firelight.

"I'm sorry," I said, rustling through the contents of my backpack, "I should have grabbed more. I only thought to grab jackets and a couple pairs of pants, so one of us will be stuck in shorts."

Mason opened his mouth to speak, but I held my hand up and continued. "They won't fit me anyway, they're too baggy and could cause a threat to my safety. You should take them. They're your size." I tossed the Roots brand sweatpants to him. "Don't worry about me. Lauren, you take the other pair. I'll be fine." She shook her head in protest but I just handed the sweats to her. She hesitated but eventually took them. Both of my companions stared back at me with pity.

"Okay, come on. Just get dressed. I'll be fine." 

They both stood, turning to face opposite directions, and changed out of their shorts to the sweatpants. I busied myself by tossing the rest of my supplies in their directions: one heat reflective blanket, two boxes of 24 matches, a crank flashlight, and a pair of mittens each, with the same ratio of each left in the bottom of my bag for myself. Then I chose the larger,  puffy orange jacket for Mason and the slightly smaller, more waterproof one for Lauren. I would be fine in my leather jacket for now.

"What now?" Lauren's frail voice spoke up from beside me. Her pale blue eyes shone up at me, reflecting the firelight.

I sighed. "I have no idea." Crushing disappointment flooded over me. Was there really any reason for us to keep trudging forwards?

"Well, we can't stay here any longer. I noticed a small hoard nearing our location. Pretty soon we're going to have to run." Mason said, readjusting the cracked frames in front of his eyes.

"Then I guess we should get a move on. But where do we go?" I asked, both me and Lauren turning to him. By now, Shiska had begun to rouse and was sniffing around the camp. Her fur shone amber in the light, and it gave me a sense of relief.

"The convention centre is nearby, they might have some first aid kits, and it's in the opposite direction of the hoard. There might even be some useful merchandise around there."

"I like it," Lauren spoke up, standing and taking her bag which by now was full of a third of our camp's meek supplies.

"Works for me," I said, shrugging. I was glad to have a goal again; something to live for. I whistled for Shiska and she came directly to my side, a can of unopened dog food in her mouth. My heart broke for her. "Not yet girl. We can't afford to waste any." She whimpered but dropped the can into my outstretched hand. I couldn't stand how sorry I felt for her, so as I reached into my bag to pack up the small can, I retrieved a small handful of beef jerky for her. She eagerly ate from my hand, whimpering again as soon as it was all gone. Tears formed in my eyes as I looked down at her. I breathed in deeply, and then looked up at Lauren and Mason, who by now had packed everything up and stomped out the fire to a small pile of smoldering ashes. "Let's go."

We headed out into the dark streets of an abandoned city, panic and paranoia tugging at the frayed ends of our sanity. I shivered in the dark, thankful the dim light would conceal it from the others. I didn't want them to feel bad. Truthfully, I wanted that pair of sweatpants and a heavy winter jacket. Deep down I knew I was a selfish person, but I was even more concerned about the way I was viewed by others than I was concerned with my own personal well-being. And I guess for the time being that would work out for me.

But I couldn't help but wonder when it would be time for me to start looking out for myself over others. When would I need to start prioritizing myself? It seemed like eventually, everyone cracked under the heavy weight of the end of the world. But I guess that's only to be expected.

It was literally a man-eat-man world out there.

Survival of the fittest.

And god dammit, no matter what it took, I was going to survive.