A Constable's Stalker

Chapter 2: A Bad Dream

Arthur slowly awoke from his slumber, cracking his eyes open, letting in the dim rays of light. He groaned then sat up in a slouched position, not really wanting to get up. But he had to, urgent matters to take care of. He finally found the strength to push himself off the bed. Taking a familiar gander at the musty, blood-stained bunker he calls home. At least that what it was for now.

Could be worse. I to god it doesn't.

Stepping over a corpse that was sprawled on the hallway floor, he grabbed his cricket bat, and climbed up the ladder.

-Arthur's POV-

The Parade, home sweet home. At least it was before the war.

After all that fuss with simply trying to get here and getting my transit ticket, this is my last obstacle before I can see Percy again. But the exit is all the way on the other side of town. As long as I keep out of trouble, I shouldn't have much to worry about. Besides the slight feeling of too many eyes on me. I glance around the area, quite a lot of bobbies walking around, but it's probably just me.

I made my through the busy streets in search of the Broadcasting Tower. I head down some familiar roads lined with bright grey buildings, decommissioned buses and Joy Booths. After a while, the Document Control Checkpoint comes into view. I almost stop in my tracks when I see a Headmistress in the middle of the road. Not wanting to draw any attention from it, I get off the street and onto a sidewalk. Just out of it's range. I make it to the building's entrance only to find it shut down with the sign "AREA UNDER RENOVATION" posted on it. An obvious lie to keep people out of a possibly plague infested area. This means I'll have to find another way around it.

After some searching I find a way into the building. Avoiding downer detectors, sabotaging a the the controls to the bobby tubes and, I manage to open the shutters and make my way through. As I walk past a lady bickering to some Doctor about a pie shop, I hear that the area I need to get into is in quarantine.

Just my luck.

So there I head to the Scientific Research Department, I managed to kill several workers and blast open some bloke's office. In a strange twist, I was rewarded with a fremnistat that I just so happen to need. I finally get to the Health Institute, only to get turned around by the bobby stationed there. I sigh and walk away.

After some walking around, I take a seat on a bench and stare at the purple sky. It's almost night.

Had no idea I'd been wandering for that long. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

The streets are starting to look empty, meaning it was going to be past curfew soon. I got up and try to hurry back to a bunker. If I remember correctly, there should be one by my old workplace. I break into a sprint but stop to hide in a Joy Booth when I notice the band of bobbies nearby. Though they seem to be preoccupied in conversation, getting around them may be tricky. Not two, not three, not even four, but five bobbies are standing in the path! I groan silently and sneak my way closer to the group. I take out a bottle of scotch and toss it into the furthest area away from the road.

"Huh? What was that?"

"I think it's in there."

"Search the place!"

The five bobbies all head to where the bottle shattered. Leaving the pathway open for me. I hurry through the street, only to see another street filled with even more bobbies. I throw another bottle, and the blokes run to it. I sneak to the next passage and repeat this process. There seem to be bobbies crowded around every corner I go to.

I wonder what's the occasion. It's not like them to all be in one place, even at night.

After having to distract three or four more groups of bobbies, I head down a narrow alley that I'm certain should be the last one before I reach the Department Of Archives And Printing. Luckily there's only one bobby at the other end of the alley. I crouch behind a few trashcans, eyeing the the lone bobby. I notice how strange this bobby is acting. He looks like he's staring down at something in his hand.