I stumbled around in the darkness, almost gagging at the stench as my eyes adjusted to the dark, although by now I was used to the horrid living conditions. My mother and my younger brother lived in a small shack, which provides very little protection, but it’s better than most. My brother, Hamilton, had fallen deathly ill, however, and now it is my goal, to take care of him. My mom’s brain deteriorated, long ago, leaving her slow-witted and not able to speak aside from incoherent mumbling.
I sigh and pick my gas mask off the peg by the door, and pull the grey rubber mask over my face. I look into the pile of blankets in the corner of the shelter, that we all sleep in, and notice my mother and brother still sleeping, my mother whining like a child. I whisper a goodbye as to not disturb them and then open the door, run out, and quickly shut it, before any fumes can enter. I walk along what was once a river, now the brown-green waste, makes the water look like sludge. It also seemed to have risen since I was outside last week and it’s moving faster too.
I run down the dusty path from our shelter to the market place. I don’t buy food there, it’s far too dangerous since it’s exposed to the toxic fumes in the air.
That’s when I noticed the guards. Two tall androgynous figures approached me, their faces covered in black gas masks, and their figures were concealed with thick black rubber suits. Guns were slung over their shoulders and through the eyepieces on the masks, I noticed their eyebrows were raised with either surprise or expectation, I didn’t know.
"What are you doing out here, child?" The gas mask muffled the speech. I wrung my bare hands together, which were covered in sores.
"Listen, I just need to get food for my fa-"
The second guard cut me off, “It’s too dangerous to be out here,”they said.
They obviously wanted me to go home, but by this point I was curious. I took off toward the direction I came from until I saw they weren’t watching me, then I got down on my hands and knees and crawled in the dirt, trying to keep myself low and using whatever I could for a cover.
I was hiding behind a wooden barrel by the time I saw it. It was about fifty feet away. It was about the size of a large dog, but it’s body was dark black and seemed to drip, leaving a sludgy trail which led from the river. I gasped, louder than I expected, and it turned quickly and two red glowing dots focused on me.
—
"What was that thing?" I asked the guards as they had found me and escorted me back to my shelter. I didn’t know if I was ever going to receive an answer to my question, and we walked in silence until we got to my door.
"They have come, what chance do we have?"
I was going to ask about the ominous response, but they turned and began walking back to their posts. I sighed and then I noticed something that made my heart leap out of my chest - the door was left wide open. When I entered the tiny room, I knew immediately my family wasn’t here. Panic welled inside me as I picked up a piece of crumpled paper that has been flung onto the makeshift bed.
"You have seen too much," was all it said.
I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down my cheeks and splattering on the piece of paper in front of me.
Although I already decided then what I needed to do.
I slept fitfully, and woke up several times in the middle of the night covered in sweat. Dreams of red glowing eyes, Hamilton and my mother covered in black sludge, but then would vanish like apparitions.
When I finally awoke, it felt as though I hadn’t slept in a week, I was exhausted, sore, and groggy. That, however was nothing compared to the realization, once I was realized I was alone. Last night hadn’t been a dream.
