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Chapter Eight: Christmas Lights

The next morning as they prepared to leave Lucas found Maitlynn staring out the front door at the bodies lying in the street. The rain stopped early, before they had woken up, you could see the blisters and burns on their skin. Spots where blood started to pool under the skin and didn't break through seemed to swell the surface. "Hey." Maitlynn felt a hand on the small of her back, she blinked and looked away, focusing her eyes on Lucas. "Ready?" She nodded.

The plan to back track and travel to Albany was a long road ahead. From Inwood it would take them at least fourty-five hours to get there, Lucas traced the route on their map. Marley started to lighten up a bit, although he was still sour that Chelsey was taken and they were going in the opposite direction of her captors, he understood why they wanted to go to Albany first. It was the last known active bunker from not only Truman's notes, but some of Owens's journal entries. If people there were alive, they may help them and be knowledgeable of Trenton and if they knew the people that took Chelsey. By the time they passed by LEGOLAND it was getting cooler out and when Rockefeller State Park got near the sun started to set in the sky. Their walk had been quiet, none of them really having much to say. They passed by buildings left to rubble, cars abandoned on the roads covered in dirt and grime. The closer they got to Rockefeller State Park Lucas began to realize the destruction was getting worse. Odds were they were getting closer to a blast zone where a bomb fell. None of them seemed to be having any difficulty breathing, but Lucas didn't want them to spend the night near the blast zone. They were luck not to have to pass through the blast zone in the southern part of the city. "Let's keep on for a bit, get past the park." Lucas called over to them.

"It's getting dark, how far do you want to go?" Marley looked back at him.

Lucas pulled the map from his pocket and slowed down to get a better look at it, "There's a place called Briarcliff Manor ahead? We could stay there for the night."

Marley started to laugh a little, though he felt guilty doing so, "No, no way."

Lucas looked at him, confused, "Why?"

"I've watched American Horror Story. I'm not staying there and getting murdered." Marley shook his head, "No go. Where else?"

Lucas rolled his eyes gently and turned his attention back to the map, he trailed his finger around and stopped, "Sleepy Hollow Country Club? It's closer."

"Headless Horsemen. Nope." Marley crossed his arms.

Maitlynn looked over at him, "Aren't you supposed to be a scientist?" She smiled, teasing him.

"I am a scientist who loves film and entertainment." Marley nodded.

"How about a school?" Lucas looked over at Marley, "Any horror movies about a school."

"Yes," Marley nodded, "But I'll sleep in a school."

About twenty minutes later they approached Clearview School, it was eerily quiet with the wind blowing around. The large white building had moss growing up the base and windows were broken out of it. Handicap signs were bent over and the cars in the lot were covered in a thick layer of grime. Walking up the steps Maitlynn looked around, the playground in the side had broken swings and the slide was on the ground. The creaking of the swing chains in the wind made it all even more weird. The door was unlocked, one of them were hanging off the hinges, so as they got inside Lucas started down the first hallway. School desks were knocked over in classrooms, artwork scattered around the floor, there was the gym with a large set up that they assumed was once a safe zone, Lucas thought about what he had said yesterday, how he doubted any people survived outside of the bunker. The blankets hanging to divide spaces, air mattresses flat on the ground. There was empty cans, dry water bottles, and melted candles. The three of them walked through the make-shift homes, Maitlynn walked over to a desk that was pushed up against a filing cabinet. After brushing off some dust she picked up a drawing, it was made with crayon, the stick figures were frowning and pointing to the sky. Amongst a group of pink clouds was a triangle with fire coming out of it, she assumed this was a bomb. There was other drawings like this, she set them back down on the desk and backed out of the space. They collected some of the cushions and pillows from the gym and closed themselves into a classroom down the hall, using their own blankets to wrap around the pillow so they could rest their heads against it.