The Bryne Runaways (Updated)

Chapter 49

In my nightmare, a child runs across the building afraid and in full tears as the child runs far and hides behind furniture to only hear the maniacal laughs of the crazy people. Out of nowhere the child is found and from behind the child gets thrown into things and slapped around by two older men crazy. The child releases a horrible yell but they cover the soft mouth with a filthy rag and begin to undress the innocent human forcefully from the child's will revealing the pure clean skin they admire. All the youngster does is to attempt to get away from this but isn't strong enough to fight back. As the yells get silent and much painful to hear I realize what's occurring.

I know this wasn't real but it felt so. It haunted me. I've been scarred with such terrible image that I can't erase it from my mind. What I just witness in my nightmare is truly crazy and I couldn't believe this actually happens to someone. I wish to take back such scarring image.

I wake from my sleep but to a new day. A bright light shines through the clean handprint on the dirty windshield. Finally, sunlight I have been waiting for you. I get off my back only to notice that Roxy isn't around. I quickly rush to look for Roxy in the vehicle to see that she is not here neither is Uncle Ben. I get out of the vehicle immediately and take out my knife to go looking for Uncle Ben and Roxy. It is until I gaze at the place where I thought we would be.

I begin to feel a lump form in my throat making things remotely hazardous, I am lost of air, and my body is curious in absolute fear. My sore fingers dig into my palm so deeply and my head is a land of misfortunes.

Where are we actually? I don't remember arriving here last night.

The wind here is cold causing the trees to move side to side mysteriously. Around me is a highway filled with over dozens of abandoned old vehicles then right in front of me is a clear and very close view of the dark city, but now that I look at it, it doesn't seem much like one. It's consumed by the green. Nature took over the destroyed city, the buildings, and the streets. I never seen something like this before. I'm not even in the city yet and I can see it completely abandoned like if no one is here. Where I am, nature still reached very far, from where vines hang from the bridge's edges, to where weeds burst through the cracks on the hard concrete. I can see the water that floods half the area especially in the subways, towering over me in the sky is the skyscrapers tumbled against each other and down to the ground vehicles are collided with each other. The essence around here is extremely fresh from how clean it is. The smell is too strong where I can almost taste it in my mouth. 

"Norman?" I look back at Uncle Ben who spoke and who has Roxy with him.

"Where are we?" I say to him as calm as I possibly can.

"We're close to the city" Uncle Ben says holding me closely.

"What now?" I ask him not keeping my eye off the city.

"We need to be careful so we'll cut through the buildings, it'll be easier for us" He says and instantly in my mind I think where are we going? We have gone so far from where we originally belong. Now that I look around the world it is trashy, a lot of nature and everything destroyed. What had happened here? Is the entire world like this?

"Let's move" Uncle Ben says and I grab my belongings and so does Uncle Ben then we begin moving again. We get off the highway leaving the cars alone this time because the alarms will sound if we try opening one up. If we ever encounter that we will be tracked by whoever is around. That wouldn't be so good for us three. I accidentally step down on a broken branch on the ground followed by other garbage, and the thick large branch is snapped right out of the tree. Who is strong enough to detach a piece like this from a tree? I set it down and kept on walking.