Bloodshed (Book One in the Apocalypse Trilogy)

Chapter 14: Disappointment

Location: Desert/Darwin

Johnny

Some mountains blocked their view of Darwin, which they had almost reached. Life was good for once, considering what life was these days. They had food, beer, and they were almost at a safe place, all luxuries they had taken for granted long ago.

“Well, it’s been one hell of a trip,” Johnny said. They had just reached the base of the mountains.

“That it has,” Cal agreed, as they began their ascent.

”Why did you guys decide to go to Darwin, of all places?” Jake asked.

“Well, just before we left, we compiled our knowledge of what places were still intact. The only places we thought were still in one piece were Darwin and Perth. So we picked Darwin, because it was a shorter trip,” Williams said. They were halfway up the mountains.

“It wasn’t without its losses, though,” Cal said. They all looked at him for an answer.

“Do you know how much I paid for that Jeep?”

They all laughed. “No seriously, it was the latest model! I practically lived in that thing for a month. The apocalypse was almost a relief, because I could live wherever I wanted. The Tower was Johnny’s and Sharon’s choice, I wanted the Crown Casino.”

“I wonder why,” Johnny sarcastically muttered. Cal was about to reply, then stopped. They had reached the top of the mountain. Where they had expected to see the towering skyscrapers of Darwin, and the blue ocean to its north, there was a huge plain of ash. Burnt shells of buildings poked out here and there, giving the illusion of a graveyard. The sea was a greyish sludge, with half-melted ships floating in it.

Cal kicked a rock. It rolled forward a few metres before falling off a cliff, smashing onto the ground. “FUCK!” he screamed.

Their hope of safety was destroyed. Darwin was a Deadzone.