When the Sun Fell

Chapter 12 - Realization and worry

Joel

"Grace! Meet up at the West entrance!" I called out to the redhead. I wish I could say that I watched the golden sun rise high above the gentle sky from behind the perfectly cleaned windows, but I can't. I watched the sludge-stained clouds push through the pale sky, my view obstructed by the spider-web shaped cracks in the glass, pieces of dried blood falling off whenever a sound echoed through the vast, lifeless building. Turning my attention to said glass, I watched the ginger try to sneak up on me from behind. She didn't notice me watching her reflection, so I lifted my hand up to push my hair back, and flipped her the bird.

"Haha, fuck you too." she said from behind me.

"It's good to have you back around." I said with a sigh.

The powerful gusts of wind swept gravel and dust across the dead land, and our footsteps echoed between the broken-down vehicles and brick walls. I saw Grace shivering in the dead light, and noticed I was doing the same. It was getting colder and colder, every day. Our crank-powered flashlights broke through the stiff darkness, which had finally set on the world, never to be lifted again, and we stumbled forwards on to meet our companions. It had only been three hours since we left our base, but the lack of light and dim glare coming from the stars made it seem like a whole day had passed. It would have been impossible to find out way without the dim light of the stars and the dead moon. As my busted-up combat boots found their way through the night eternal, my right hand twisted the leather bands that covered my left wrist, doing and undoing the rusting steel fastening. A gift I'd gotten from my favourite cousin, she'd gotten it in Seattle. Just another reminder of humanity.

Walking through the darkness, noticing no unusual noises, I began to let my mind wander back to my days as a thirteen year old kid. My dad and I had shared many evenings together watching our favourite tv show, The Strain. A few days prior, I had purchased the book trilogy at the store near our apartment, completely unaware of the vast and empty apocalyptic world held between the 900 or so pages. Bound by plagues and demons of great darkness, I watched heroes fight the vampiric sickness in the back of my mind, falling into a trance as I devoured every precious second of pure joy. As I formed my own character in their adventures, I picked up several useful combat tricks without recognition, never thinking they could help me in any way. Hiding behind my covers, the room lit dimly by the little fake fireplace I'd gotten after my parents divorced 7 years ago that day, I was unfortunately unaware of the similar, yet slower, spreading pathogen waiting outside my country's doorstep, pounding on the borders and wailing to be let in. Still, I allowed myself to take pleasure in watching these alternate realities crumble in quite a similar way, then to be saved at the last moment.

The familiar blue tarp stretched across the air above me as we entered the base and my mind awoke to its usual alert and aware self. Shaken by the realization that I had totally zoned out, my senses became corrupt with stored adrenalin and my eyes widened fiercely as I looked around. Something was terribly and unforgettably wrong. The pile of rubble I used to disguise Shiska was sprawled across the concrete. I saw no blood, no indication she'd been harmed, but the putrid smell and indents in the gravel made me suspect she was in danger. Without looking back, I began running and tracking, taking the long, hard road to find my best friend and protector again.

Mason

The room was silent once again, the faux-peace disrupted by my heavy breathing. The chair I was once confined to had been smashed, and I no longer had to be constricted about which body movements I could utilize. Two pairs of heavy footsteps emerged from the hallway and I was suddenly faced by two beefy guards. They both stared at me in disbelief, as if I had just survived some crazy life-threatening experience. Pshh, imagine that!

Suddenly I realized the danger I was in, and I felt the blood rucsing through my veins. The guard farthenst from me began to reach for the gun in his belt, and I let my instinct take over. I pinned the closest to the wall behind me, hoping this would help the one who looked just about ready to pepper me with lead. With no plan and my adrenalin running low, I ducked both of us behind a desk just as the other guard shot. I didn't get down quick enough, because part of the round grazed my back and went straight through the pinned guard's chest. We both fell to the ground and I quickly slathered myself in the corpse's blood, lying down in an uncomfortable position and pretending to be dead.

The other guard must have been something special, because he bought my half-baked plan. I felt big, hulk-like arms lift my limp body from the ground, and carry me out into the hallway.

"I think he's dead, I'll get rid of the body." I head the moronic voice call to someone out of my vision. Then I felt my body being swayed left to right as the guard took footsteps that would make Godzilla tremble in fear. I kept my eyes shut and tried not to tense at all when my head got banged against the wall, then let myself relax again once I felt a cool breeze lift over me.

Then I had to keep from yelling my ass off when he dropped me from what seemed like 10 feet ont the broken glass and rubble on the pavement.

Fantastic.