Bearer of Truth

Chapter 1: The beginning

Zorana stared at her wall, locked in her room which claimed her as a prisoner. At 17 there was only a flash of light causing the world to go into turmoil. That was only the beginning. Soon after war broke out between "it". Soldiers came, and our general freedoms disappeared. The world became silent. Only the sounds of gunshots and explosions echoed in the distance. Everyone else cowered in their homes waiting for the end to come. Zorana could only sit in her room and listened to the news drone on. Since this started her mother didn't want her to be the one to get hurt if anything happened. In her mind her daughter was best in her room for her own safety.

Sighing, Zorana sat up looking around her room. It was the second biggest bedroom in the house, the first obliviously belonging to her parents. Located on the second floor she had only the lonely view to keep her company in this confinement. Walls were draped with a deep purple, causing the whole room to have a calming environment. Her bed only had plain white sheets. She wasn't the type of girl to get overly fancy. Opposite of her bed was her dresser with only the attached mirror on top. Sighing again she got up and crept to the door. She hated the idea of being locked like a caged animal, but she knew it for her own safety in her mother's eyes. After all, her mother had only one child left. She couldn't lose her. Shaking her head to push out those memories, Zorana placed her head against the door. She needed to know what was going on.

From her parent's room down the hall, she only heard bits and pieces of the TV. Unworldly. Hundreds dead. War. Army invading the city. Losing battle. End of the world. Panic. No victory. Every state. The machine. Those last two words stuck onto her like a bur to an animal. Moving slowly away from the door, she headed straight to her dresser. Opening it carefully, wary not to make noise, she pulled out a tattered and aged long sleeve shirt. Sliding it on elegantly, almost without a care, she got ready to leave. Slipping on her shoes, she glanced at the mirror. Her jet-black hair seemed to be consumed in the darkness of her room hiding most of her body as it flowed down passed her waist. The only feature that stuck out was her crimson eyes which seemed to glow more in the mirror. She is one of the first few born like this. It made her an outcast, as she was viewed as evil and a daughter of the devil. Closing her eyes, she turned away from her mirror and slipped out of the gaping window.

Making her way down her makeshift ladder, she headed to her car parked on the empty street. Chilled wind nipped at her, reminding her that winter was still lingering near. It was colder than normal for late January in Las Vegas. But she didn't mind in the slightest. She longed for the cold. Climbing into her car, she slowly drove away from her home she viewed as her haven. As she drove down the dark and lonely street, her only thought that lingered in her mind was seeing the machine. But lingering in her mind, she wished to go back home. Her house stood tall and brilliant against all the others in the neighborhood. At one point it held her two brothers and her younger sister. Now the house stood still and empty like a graveyard filled with only silence. She closed her eyes and erased that painful memory. Lonely tears fell down her pale cheeks. It was a forbidden tale only those in the past could whisper about. Shaking her head, she thought about the one place she could go to get a good look on everything. The Stratosphere was only 30 minutes from her house, but the drive seemed to drone on with disturbing silence except the usual gunshots which seemed to be getting closer by the second. Suddenly, she stopped, her tires crying out with protest. Up ahead, it stood like the Sphinx guarding the entrance into the city. Hovering above every building, the silver gleam reflecting from her headlights gave only the sensation of fear more prominent than ever. Hind legs, or what seemed as hind legs, gave it a slant in its back. As though it knew her fear, it slowly turned around. Eyes sharp as ice with what seemed like teeth which seemed to gleam in the light. There was only thought in her mind. This was the machine. Putting the car in reverse, she attempted to get away but was stopped by it once again. Her only way out was to run or stay and hope she could get away. But neither of those happened. One foot stepped over the car. Before she knew it, her car rolled into the ditch as the foot crashed down, causing the ground below to shake. Looking up, she saw the glaring blue eyes and its teeth grow closer. Then it went black

Shaking her head, Zorana sat up. That was the past. There was no need to dwell on the past. Sitting in her makeshift home, she looked out the window before feeling her chest. Two years ago, that thing gave her a scar from her shoulder to her hip. She shouldn't have survived, but she did. Many, however, didn't stand a chance. The city now laid in shambles. Very few wanted to stay in the city, however very few wanted to leave. But there was no place to go. Only hell lived in this world. Climbing off her window, she headed downstairs. A while back, her friend stayed here. But now they were gone, lost to the machine just like her parents. Peeking her head out the door, she listened for any movement. That's when she heard it. A phone ringing in the distance. Shaking her head, she tried to dismiss it as her imagination. That was impossible. No phones worked in the city anymore. Curious got the best of her as she stepped out into the war-torn streets. She needed to know why it was ringing.

Entering the mold invested building, the ringing seemed to engulf her. Creeping slowly towards the sound, she listened for other people, hoping she wouldn't be walking into a trap. Picking up the phone, she only held it up to listen. A disgruntled voice seemed to only growl two words.

"Mob museum"

The line then went dead. She knew the place, but her mind whirled with thoughts of distrust. Besides, she didn't know who was on the phone. However, she needed to know why they called. Not only that, but how they called. The mob museum wasn't far. She would get there before night. Carefully leaving, she headed towards where the mob museum was, listened for the machine that still lingered around the city. She only prayed she wouldn't fall victim to it again.

As she got closer to the building, she studied it intently. The top half was gone, leaving only a mess of concrete and glass which strayed around the building. Looking for a way in, she cautiously walked closer before sneaking in a tiny hole which seemed to be meant for her. Sliding in without any trouble, she wandered the broken building. Not more than a couple of feet in, a silhouette stood tall, but she couldn't see their face. Breaking glass soon echoed the room, causing the silence to disappear. She messed up and got careless. The figure whipped around, causing her heart to stop.

"Dad?"