Black Box 86ed

by Kjelland, Andrew

  Near dead silence, Rogers softly whimpering from his wound. H says “I’ll make sure it’s clear, you get him ready.”

  “Did it go through? Is there an exit wound?” He cries out.

  I look, the bullet went in about half an inch into his arm. “You’re good,” I tell him. I stand looking into the dumpster. Finding a half soiled t-shit I rip off a clean sleeve and wrap it around his wound.

  H returns, “He ready?”

  “One second.”

  “Then you’re gona have to play catch up. Don’t have time to waste on something that’s just a flesh wound.” He mutters to himself as he takes off back in the direction we were headed.

  Roger sits up. “Fuck that guy, save his life and he just turns and runs off.”

  “Didn’t save shit!” He yells back.

  “I… I think we’re invincible.” I say ignoring H.

  Roger laughs. “We’ve cheated death a few times that’s for sure.”

  Standing we catch back up to H as he takes a piss. “Ain’t got but a mile left.” He huffs. “Ya’ll did alright for city people.”

  “What’s going to happen when we meet up with them?” I ask.

  “Well that Landen’s got a soft heart. He’ll probably give you a piggy back ride outta the city if you ask for it.”

  “So they’ll help us get out?”

  “I don’t know nothing, just gona have to ask him yourself.”

  CHAPTER…

  She runs to me, I can instantly see the tumor behind her eyes again. It’s grown, malignant. “Don’t leave, don’t you ever leave me again!” She cries.

  “What happened?”

  “Did you hear me please, please don’t.”

  “Grace, what happened?”

  “Ran into some trouble,” a guy says.

  “Trouble?!” Grace exclaims.

  “Where’s Over?” Roger asks.

  Grace looks to her feet. “He… he didn’t make it.” Roger freezes his eyes glazing over. “We were caught in a courtyard and he was protecting me. He got shot, I tried, I tried to save him but he just lost so much blood so quickly, I tried Roger. I’m so sorry,” she cries wrapping her arms around him.

  Roger’s face a stone choking back his tears. “I know you did,” he whispers to Grace. “He… he say anything before he died?”

  Grace shakes her head, “I don’t think he could.” She tells him.

  Rogers head droops. He turns from the group, “give me a minute,” he tells us, as he saunters off.

  “I’m very sorry about your friend William.” I turn to see Landen behind me. “He was a good man, knew it the first time I laid eyes on him.” I give no reply. “Now, we are on a timeline but, I believe we do have a matter to attend to. You guys have been a great help to us. If you didn’t go with Mitch who knows if you would have made it back.” H huffs behind him. Ignoring him Landen continues. “Now, there are two roads you can take from this point. One where you join our cause, we can make sure Grace goes to a safe area for the time being.” he tells us looking to Grace. “Or, and before I mention it I have already made the requests and there will be a boat waiting for you to ferry you across the lake into Indiana. Where you will just be dropped off and left to your own devices.”

  I look to Grace, “I have to find my parents,” she tells us staring sheepishly at her shoes.

  “I wish you the best of luck I tell him, but I make Grace’s safety a priority and getting her Florida is all that is on my mind right now.”

  “Fair enough, now a house boat will be waiting for you almost exactly two miles to the north, you must tell them the president is dead in order to get on without a few more holes in your ass.” He smirks. “What do you think about him?” Landen says looking to Roger.

  “I don’t think he’s in any shape to fight a war,” I tell him.

  “You’re probably right. I bid you and your friend’s farewell and safe travels William,” he says holding out his hand. “Tell your friend there he has my deepest sympathies and will be in my prayers.”

  “Thanks you,” I tell him turning to Roger now half sunken into the building.

  Grace and I walk over to him. He for the most part ignores our existence, hyper extending his lungs with each drag off a cigarette. Putting my hand on his shoulder. “Dam it dam it dam it,” he repeats to himself.

  “It’s… I’m so sorry Roger,” I console to him. He takes a final drag off his cigarette, the ember burning deep into the filter.

  H walks over to us his little map in hand. “VP wants me to point you people in a safe direction. Now, rebels are already are on their way down the center here. Going to be a hell of a lot of fighting once the government recons it and sets things in motion. We’ll be getting most of their attention but we can’t be sure of anything.”

  He points out his best opinion of a route to us, in the shape of more or less a backwards seven.

  CHAPTER…

  The rumbling and shaking of rocks and bricks off the building near constant as we trot along the sidewalk.

  “What ah…” I carefully form my question, “what do you plan to do when we get into Indiana?”

  Roger continues huffing along, either pondering or ignoring my question. “I don’t know he exhales to us, you care if I tag along on down to Florida?”

  “Of course you can come with,” Grace tells him in her reassuring voice.

  “I figure good long car ride’ll help me figure something out.”

  “Ya man you can defiantly come with, hell I was hoping you would anyway.”

  “Probably keep me from putting Grace in the trunk from getting so sick of her.” She shoves me softly but keeps her eyes on her feet.

  “Thank you,” Roger replies.

  I glance at the map every few blocks nervous about putting my whole faith and life in the hands of Jesus “H” Christ. The sun setting piercing my eyes between houses as we walk down Union Boulevard.

  “You hear that?” Grace asks looking to me.

  “What the constant shelling and gun play?” I ask,

  “No dummy, the seagulls.”

  I listen intensely and sure enough the distant cawing of flying feather covered shit buckets floats to me over the wind.

  “We’re close,” she says her eyes wide with relief. “We’re gona make it aren’t we Will? Just like you said we would! Roger you hear them?” She asks, he just nods in reply not skipping a step.

  Jets rip overhead as the shopping mall comes into view. “Here it is!” Grace exclaims.

  “I’m sorry Roger,” she immediately apologizes.

  “It’s alright I need to get my head out of my ass anyways.”

  Going through the desolate parking lot I watch as Grace eyes get wider excitement as relief noticeably tears through her. Roger stops in front of the door. “Now did he say go around or through?”

  “He never said,” I look to the map. “He just drew a line through it so we must need to go through, probably safer from drones and stuff.”

  Roger nods “we’ll I guess we don’t need to be stealthy anymore” he says as he takes out his pistol shooting and breaking the window. We’ve only got a few blocks left I think we can unclench our asses a little. He steps through the glass followed by Grace and I.

  It’s a typical piece of crap strip mall but in a circular shop with a courtyard in the middle. We pass mannequins wearing the latest trendy yet budget friendly outfits for fall.

  “Maybe we should go shopping first.” Grace smiles

  “HA, wish we had the time to, probably only got twenty minutes left to make it to the boat.”

  “Ah fine.”

  We walk directly through the clothes department past a line of little shops on the far wall. Finally making it to the entrance.

  Walking through to the courtyard, the opposing half obviously receiving a much harsher reality of what has been happing in the city.

  “You even think we can get th
rough?” I ask, “Maybe we should just go around it?”

  “Here I’ll just run over and take a look real quick, why don’t you guys go back and grab me some non menthols out of that little shop in there.”

  “Ok I think they’re nine bucks here,”

  He smiles, “nice try.”

  “Well I think I got what I was trying to get,” I tell him as Grace and I return back into the shopping mall. Its pitch black with only rays of moon light filling pockets of areas through the skylights.

  I grab a handful after handful of different brands of non menthols. Lights, milds, full flavors, cowboy killers every kind I could fit into my pocket.

  “You really need that many?” Grace scolds.

  “Hey these could come in real handy, say we need gas or a ride somewhere people will probably be more inclined to take cigarettes than some form of money that might not be worth anything soon.”

  She bats the idea around in her head and seems to have come to the same conclusion as me holding out her purse.

  I dump pack after pack into it. Looking to her she stares, just staring deep into my eyes as they start to water.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, absolutely nothing, you were right. We made it! We made it through, the whole time I thought you were lying, just trying to get me to feel better but… but here we are!” She drops her purse wrapping her arms around me. I pull her as close as humanly possible. “I still feel terrible about Over and it has to suck so badly for Roger, but I can’t help but feel just so relieved.” I don’t say anything as we stand there waiting for her to be completely satisfied with our embrace, as she starts to let go we kiss, and start to head back out to the courtyard. We look out Roger waiting for us, he waves us to come then walks back in.

  “I’ll race you.”

  “What?” I ask.

  “I’ll race you, first one to the nice little hole in the wall wins.”

  “O you don’t want to do that.”

  “We’re just gona have to see about that.”

  “Ok,” we take our places at an imaginary starting line.

  “On your mark get set!”

  Putting out my foot I trip her causing her to buckle into the waterless water fountain as I sprint to the hole in the pet hospital wall. A barge of laugher stifled by a sting of cavorted fuck yous and cheaters follows. Laughing as I reach the opposite wall, her not forty yards away walking towards me. Suddenly a noise. We hear it both at once, not just hearing it but feeling it in our most gut wrenching parts. A bomb, a missile whatever you call it. We only had a second to digest what was happening as I try to run back to her

  “Hurry!” I scream as it hits sending me flying back into the pet hospital.

  CHAPTER…

  I land on my back dazed, in almost another world. A soft ringing fills my ears. Time seems to have stopped as I gather what has just happened. I stare. I stare at a hazy moon peeking through the shattered roof, trying as hard as I can to remember what I should be doing right now. How do you start a 401 k again? I ask myself as blood trickles from God knows where. I feel its warmth soaking my hair. 401k? Is that right? No it’s something… else. Something… important. Something I need to do right now. Sparks fly in and out of sight as they slowly swirl around me. Like fireflies, their light beaming then softly and silently burning out as they mix between the stars. I watch as one slowly floats to me. Its light growing brighter as is finally rests on the tip of my nose, what little energy it has transferred to me with just a tiny little prick. I feel my thoughts slowly falling back to me, as I begin to observe my surroundings. Where did that fire come from? Why is there a hole in the ground, and who issssss……? I stare. I stare at the sun now. My sun. My lovely yet slowly fading sun lying on the ground not a person in sight asking her how her day was, if she wants to meet up after work, or what she’s doing this weekend. Wait, wait, what the hell am I thinking. My head starts to clear. Staggering to my feet and as fast as I can I shuffle my way to her. I feel it now, Panic slowly moving throughout my entire body. Please be ok please be ok. 25 yards, my eyes fill with tears as I’m finally completely brought back to reality. twenty yards, fifteen yards, O God I see the blood. O no o no O God no! Please don’t let this happen. Please let her be ok, ten yards I trip and fall, and catch myself. I crawl to her. Sobbing looking to Grace, now just a blur in my vision. Five yards

  “GRACE, GRACE!” I scream. Making it to her, rolling her on her back. The life in her dark blue eyes near gone and fading.

  “It’s ok Grace, I have you.”

  A shallow struggling breathe her only response as I brush away her blood drench hair from her face.

  “It’s ok, everything will be ok! Help somebody please help. She needs a doctor!” I cry out but no response. Not even the god dam army. She shakes ever so softly in my arms, almost unnoticeable but I feel it, I’ll always feel it. “I love you, I’ve always loved you.” I tell her tears streaming down my cheek onto hers. “For years I’ve thought about you every day. I would wake up to you I would fall asleep to you, I dreamed of you.” Her eyes fixed on mine as I poor myself into them. Her breathing shallows, barely enough for a whisper. She’s almost gone. I can feel it. What do I do, what can I do? I pull her head to mine my lips near her ear. Holding her gently rocking back and forth, the struggles of her chest against mine. “Please don’t go Grace, please stay. Even if it’s just a minute longer please, do it for me.” Her eyes flutter for no more than a second as her breath stops completely. “No, no don’t do this. Please, please come back, grace!” “Don't go, don't leave me.”

  “William, WILLIAM!” I hear Roger screaming, he sounds as if miles away. I continue to clutch Graces slender frame hoping this could all just go away. That I could just take her back home, and lay her in her bed. She would just sleep it off. She would wake up tomorrow her makeup softly faded smiling at me. “William!” I hear Rogers’s footsteps running towards me. “We need to go now!” His hands on my shoulders shaking me. I ignore him. I can't leave now. Not when she needs me, not if this is the last time I have her, I can't just go. Another explosion, this time hitting the building we were hiding in not two minutes ago. Ash and bits of rubble cascade around us. Roger leans down wrapping his arms around my chest and starts dragging me towards the hospital. I hold on to Grace, as we are both dragged. Roger trips, we come to a stop.

  “I'm sorry, I’m so sorry Grace,” I tell her running my hands through her bangs so I can see her face, one last time. “It's all my fault I could have.... I should have saved you.” Her eyes staring distantly, lifeless, her face expressionless.

  Roger steps over straddling her in from of me. “I’m so sorry for this but we have to go right now, we will both die out here if you do not pull yourself together.” He slaps me shockingly hard.

  My eyes rise to meet his overwhelmed by fear. “Ok,” I whisper.

  “Ok,” he replies grabbing my arm he slings it over his shoulder pulling me to my feet. Grace slides off my legs onto the ground as we turn away towards the pet hospital.

  CHAPTER…

  My arm over his shoulder, huffing as he drags me into the vet clinic, the roof almost completely gone. We stop about halfway through what use to be the lobby.

  “Are you hurt?” I shake my head. “Ok then Will, I need you to walk I can’t do this, you need to snap out of this, I can’t carry you all the way to the lake.”

  Looking down, I see my shoes covered in blood and grime. I kick a dog toy, sending it squeaking as it bounces away. “Which way do we go?” I ask.

  “You just have to follow me, it’s only a couple blocks away.” Jets soar over head their engines shaking what’s left of the building. Dust from the ceiling settles on my head and shoulders. I look back to the courtyard Grace’s silhouette darkening as the fire from the explosion starts to die. Motionless, her eyes perpetually staring… Starring at the sky. She’ll see every shooting star, every sign I had pleaded for God to give me. For him
to just show me he cares, that he is listening and to show me that everything will work out in the end. The signs I’ve asked for, now forever raining over the only conceivable answer I’ve ever gotten. God’s own fucked sense of humor.

  Putting his hand on my shoulder I turn back to Roger. “Listen all you have to do is follow me. Just stay behind me, and everything will be ok.” Placing his hands on the sides of my head making me look at him. “We can still do this Will, we can still make it out of here. We have ten minutes to make it to the dock?. We have to keep moving.”

  I nod in reply.

  “Ok now stay up with me.” He turns to a gaping hole in the wall leading to the next block. The desolate streets aligned with destroyed homes and the bodies of militia taken before they were even able to fight. Sea gulls caw over the sound of distant gunfire. “We’re really close now.” Roger says as he pulls out his flashlight, the light stutters as he bangs it against his palm. “You see that bus right there?”

  Nodding I look to a burnt out school bus listing to one side.

  “We are going to run to it, then stick close to the left side of the street there’s a lot of trees down that side so the drones probably won’t see us. They know we’re here but if we even just have the littlest bit of luck we are going to make it.” He draws his gun, “on the count of three. One, two, three,” he takes off.

  I quickly fall behind but am able to stay close enough.

  He slides under the bus. “Come on!” He screams. I crouch down next to him. “I need you right next to me Will, the less they can see us the more chance we have. Now that awning right there that’s where we go next.”