When the Sky Goes Dark

by Oliver C Seneca

  Then the tears came. There was no stopping the pent-up emotion that Jon felt since he got out of the night from hell. In an instant, his eyes welled and spilled hot tears.

  Mark and Dan stood in the doorway of Jon’s room as he sat and wept on the edge of his bed. The world spun around him, making him dizzy in an overwhelming feeling of depression and hopelessness. A sad sickness.

  Chapter THIRTEEN

  Friday Night

  Little Jon sat on the floor of his room, playing PlayStation late one Friday night. His room was lit only by the hue of his TV that reflected some shooting game off of his glasses.

  Beside the TV, was a rack of DVDs and games. Darkened posters of his favorite bands and movies covered the walls. Behind him was a desk with a computer and scattered papers over the wooden surface. An unmade bed to his left. Various articles of clothing littered the carpeted floor. A dresser held different scented deodorants and body sprays on top of it. An empty hamper between it and the door. This was the room of a typical teenage boy.

  He’d spent a lot of time in his room. Too much if you asked his father, but Little Jon liked his alone time. He felt safe in his room and all the stuff he needed was there. It was his room of solitude.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Little Jon’s mother opened the door a crack and stuck her head through. The light of the hallway behind her kept her face in a shadow.

  “Don’t stay up too late tonight, okay?” she said.

  Little Jon paused the game and looked behind him at the digital clock on his desk. 10:21. Still early in his mind. Sometimes he’d play games or watch movies for hours and time would fly by without him knowing it. It’s even worse when he’d have friends stay over. They’d stay awake until the birds were chirping the following morning. He could only get away with that in the summer though. If he did that on a regular weekend, he’d be toast.

  “I know, I won’t. It’s Friday night anyway,” he replied.

  “I know but still,” she said, smiling, “if you stay up all night tonight you’ll screw up your sleeping schedule and I bet you won’t like that when it’s time to go back to school on Monday.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “Don’t worry. Before you know it, you’ll be off for Thanksgiving break and you can play all the games you want all night long.”

  “Can’t wait for that,” Little Jon said, turning back to the TV to continue his gunplay.

  “You want any light in here?” she asked.

  “No thanks, I like it dark.”

  “I don’t want you going blind.”

  “I’m alright. I never turn the light on.”

  “And you’re sitting so close to the TV.”

  “It’s a small TV! What do you want me to do?”

  “Well maybe if you’re lucky, Santa will bring you a bigger one for Christmas.”

  “I wish. Christmas seems so far away though.”

  “Hey!” she said, coming more into the room and turning on the light. Little Jon’s eyes squinted, and he held his hand up to the fanlight on the ceiling.

  “What are you doing? I said no lights!” he said.

  “Look at this room! You have clothes everywhere, Jon!” She started to pick up the socks and shirts from the floor and tossing them into the hamper by the dresser.

  “Mom, I’ll take care of it this weekend! Please turn off my light!”

  She laughed a little laugh and threw another sock into the hamper. “Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night. Don’t stay up late.” She flicked off the lights and stepped into the hall, shutting the door behind her. “Your father must be working late tonight,” she said, walking down the hall toward her room.

  Little Jon sat in his darkened room, playing his game as the night grew longer around him.

  Chapter FOURTEEN

  A Helping Hand

  It seemed like hours had passed before anyone said a word.

  Mark was the first to speak after he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, man.”

  Jon didn’t reply. His hands were covering his face. It was quiet for another minute or two.

  “Hey, they might be alright,” Dan said. “Ya never know, they could be safe somewhere just without their phones is all.”

  Jon heard what Dan said but didn’t pay it any mind. He was already convinced it was too late for his parents. The tears soaked his hands and his face was as red as a lobster.

  “If they were still alive, they would’ve picked up or called back by now,” Jon said into his hands.

  “C’mon, Jon. That’s not completely true,” Mark said. “Dan’s right. They could’ve got caught up somewhere and don’t have access to a-”

  “They’re fucking dead!” Jon cried with fresh tears coming from his eyes. “My dad always has his phone clipped on him. He would’ve called. My mom would’ve. Grandpa and Grandma. Somebody would have! Why wouldn’t any of them call this morning?”

  Mark and Dan stood, making glances over at each other. What else could they say to Jon? After all, he had a strong case. His parents might as well be dead. Neither of them had made contact with their parents either. That fact made them feel like Jon for a moment. Hopeless.

  “We can give you some time alone,” Mark said. “Dan and I will head back down and see if any of those people are alive. Gather all the stuff you need and meet us outside whenever you’re ready, alright?”

  Jon didn’t know if it was alright. He didn’t know if anything was alright or ever would be again. But in the off chance that Dan was right, that his parents may still be alive somewhere without their phones, he had to find out.

  Jon nodded, trying to compose himself.

  “Then we can stop by Dan and I’s room to get our stuff. Are you able to do that or do you want to go back to the library?” Mark asked.

  “No, I’ll come with you guys,” Jon said, wiping his nose with his wrist.

  “Ok. Take your time. We’ll be right outside checking out the bodies,” Mark said, leaving the dorm with Dan.

  Jon heard the door close. He was alone. But he didn’t feel alone like he did the night before. This time he felt it more than ever. It was as if he was the only person on campus. Maybe even in the world. Sitting on the edge of his bed with his wet and red face staring down at the carpeted floor, the waves of dread knocking him round and round.

  ***

  Mark and Dan made their way back down the dorm building steps and out to the quad of bodies. That metallic blood scent returned, but they were less sickened by it. They were almost used to the smell by now.

  The chests of the guy with the flat-brimmed hat and the girl with sweatpants still rose and fell as if they were fast asleep.

  “They’re breathin’,” Dan said. He grabbed the wrist of the girl, then the guy. “And they gotta pulse alright.”

  “How about over here?” Mark asked, stepping over lifeless bodies and toward another girl wearing pants and a bra with no shirt that appeared to be breathing. He grabbed her wrist. “Her heart’s beating. She’s alive.” Mark tried shaking her to see if she’d wake up. She didn’t respond but kept a steady breath.

  “You think they’re in a coma or somethin’?” Dan pondered, looking up at Mark and noticing a few more breathing bodies. He also tried waking up the girl and the guy with no success.

  “It sure seems like it.” Mark looked around to see the other sleeping bodies that Dan noticed. “Only some are asleep. The rest look lifeless to me. Why do you think that is?”

  “Not sure. Maybe those crazy ones only knocked some of them out. Didn’t get a chance to kill them all in one swoop.”

  Mark nodded as if that was a reasonable explanation. “You think we even want to wake them up? You think these guys are hostile? Knocked out from someone trying to defend themselves?”

  “Could be, no ways a tellin’ just yet. Either way, I think we shouldn’t bother with them. At least we know some are still breathin’. Might be better to have a professional take a look.”

 
“You mean like them?” Mark nodded over to the scene of the two dead EMTs.

  “Shit,” Dan said, forgetting that they’d passed their bodies on the way over to the dorm buildings. “Yeah, I guess there won’t be any professionals around here anytime soon huh?”

  “Ah fuck!” Mark shouted.

  “What? What is it?”

  “Look, over there. It’s another cop,” Mark said, inching over toward an officer’s body that lay underneath one of the light poles between two dead jocks. The navy uniform stood out.

  “Holy hell. They got two cops in one night?” Dan said, making his way over.

  “Shit man, I guess so.” Mark had his hands on his head. He was stressed out.

  The cop had a nice set of black hair that was now gelled with blood as he lay face down.

  “He got his gun on him?” David asked.

  “Yeah.” Mark paused then said, “You think it’s safe to pick up?”

  “I don’t see no blood on it. Go ahead.”

  “You do it.”

  “Alright then.” Dan hunched over and used his fingers to pick up the officer’s Glock 22 that lay propped up on his right shoulder. It spun as Dan eyed every inch to see if the gun was contaminated with anything that could drive him mad.

  “Is it loaded?” Mark asked.

  Click. Dan unloaded the magazine from the gun. No bullets inside. Not even one in the chamber.

  “Dammit, it’s spent,” Dan said.

  The sound of a door slamming shut made Mark and Dan stand up immediately. At first, they didn’t know which direction the sound came from until they saw Jon walk down the outside steps of Washington House with his backpack on.

  Jon looked different as he walked up to Mark and Dan. A clean, dark-grey T-shirt with HILLCREST HIGH SCHOOL written on it in white and red text replaced his bloodstained shirt. New blue jeans with his same Vans that had slight grass staining on the bottoms. His face looked washed from the splattered blood that once painted his face.

  “How are you? Are you doing ok?” Mark asked as he and Dan approached.

  “Yeah, I’m ok for now.” Jon wasn’t ok, but he composed himself for the time being. “But I think I’m gonna try to head back to my house in Springsdale. If my parents are alive then they must be there or at my grandparent’s place in Camp Valley. I might stop there on the way.” He still held the navy colored luggage bag by its handle. “I packed as much as I could. I think I should be fine getting back.”

  Mark and Dan understood as they nodded their heads in sync. They explained how there were bodies breathing among the dead but were unable to wake from their sleep. The empty Glock they found on the second officer made Jon step back for a second.

  “What about Officer Cherry’s gun?” Jon asked.

  “Man, someone took his last night. Whoever has it might be in the pile somewhere, who knows. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack,” Dan replied.

  Jon sighed. “You’re saying you couldn’t get any rise out of them? Nothing would wake them up?”

  “No, they’re in a coma or some really deep sleep. It’s strange,” Mark said.

  Jon took another glance at the bodies. His face was so sore from the stream of tears, he was almost numbed to the sight, unable to feel at the moment. “I guess there’s nothing we can do then.”

  “You think there’s an EMT manual in that ambulance?” Dan asked the guys. Neither Jon nor Mark replied to that.

  “Are you guys planning on leaving?” Jon asked.

  “Yeah. We are all probably going to be heading out at some point. Go our separate ways. You think you can stick around for a bit and help us get our stuff from our dorms though? We will have to help Kevin and Emily too. We don’t all have our car keys. But if you don’t want to stick around, we’d understand. At least you were here longer than Shawn was,” Mark said with a smile that masked his disappointment in the runaway.

  “That sonofabitch took our scissors! Didn’t even apologize,” Dan added.

  If my parents are dead, then it wouldn’t matter. If they’re alive, I don’t want to be wasting any more time. But these guys helped me. The least I could do is help them before I go.

  “Sure,” Jon replied.

  “Thanks, man. Dan and I will get our belongings and we’ll head back to the library then,” Mark said.

  “You guys should also take a quick shower too. It definitely helps,” Jon said. “Gets all the blood off.”

  “We appreciate ya, Jon!” Dan said, smiling and squinting. “This whole thing is fucked up, but we’re gonna get out of here and get you back home. We’ll all get back home to find our families!”

  The sun was shining higher in the sky.

  Chapter FIFTEEN

  Lunch

  Knock Knock Knock KNOCK KNOCK.

  Kevin used his library key to let Mark, Dan, and Jon back through the door. All three of them carried in backpacks filled with their clothing and items. Their bodies were re-clothed, faces washed.

  “How did it go, guys? Anything out there?” Kevin asked. The door shut and locked behind them. CLICK. CLANK. Then, he realized Shawn wasn’t with them. “What happened to Shawn?”

  Dan let out a breath, still upset at what happened. “That dude ran off almost as soon as you let us out! Ran out to his car and sped off. Didn’t bother going after him, we just kept goin’.”

  “Damn,” Kevin said. “You think he made it?”

  “Hell if I know!” Dan replied.

  “We got as much as we could from our dorms. Most importantly, our keys,” Mark said, putting down his backpack in front of the help desk. He stood up and jangled a key ring with a Pontiac remote before putting them back in his pocket. “We found a decent amount of people sleeping outside of the dorm buildings though.”

  “Like some of the ones in New York?” Kevin said, referencing the news footage from earlier of the emergency responders walking through the bodies in Time Square. The news played in the background.

  “Exactly. They’re alive. They have a pulse and everything, but they can’t wake up. Dan and I tried. Have you guys seen anything at all while we were out there? Heard from your families?” Mark asked.

  “Nope, nothing. We’ve just been keeping an eye on the news. The riots in LA seemed to die down. No word on how many bodies though. Did Jon get to call his parents?” Kevin said.

  Jon kept his head down as he replied. “Yeah, I couldn’t get a hold of them. I thi-”

  “We can take you and Emily to your dorms,” Mark said, interrupting Jon, stopping him from making himself upset. “It’s safe as far as we know. You can get your things if you need them. Jon said he will stick around with us to help.”

  Jon’s eyes went over to the analog clock on the wall by the bookshelves. 11:12 A.M. Wow, time’s moving quickly. I hope this doesn’t take too long. Then after that thought, I shouldn’t think this way.

  “Yeah, that would be great. We can go after we just have a little something to eat. Emily and I broke into the vending machine if you guys are hungry. We have the drink machine open too.”

  Mark, Dan, and Jon looked back beyond the help desk toward the hall where the bathrooms were. In front of it, Emily sat on the floor organizing bags of chips, candy bars, and plastic soda bottles beneath two shattered vending machines. One of the swivel desk chairs was beside it.

  The group started heading over toward Emily and the snacks. Jon reached down and unzipped his backpack and took out the box of granola bars from his dorm. It was crammed into the bag so tightly, that the box looked flattened. “I also have these if anyone wants some.”

  “Thanks,” Dan said, turning around to grab a bar. It crumbled coming out of the package, but Dan poured it into his mouth without a problem.

  “Take your pick boys,” Emily said after taking a sip from a bottle of Pepsi. She moved her hands over the piles of Doritos and Lays chips. Hershey’s chocolate products were in the mix. “We also have soda and water here. Just watch the glass, we don’t want any more
injuries.” Emily seemed more energetic than she had been earlier that morning. Perhaps it was the sugary food and soda that gave her that pep.

  Mark crouched down and picked up a bag of sour cream and onion chips and a bottle of water. “Thanks, Emily. Who broke the glass?”

  Emily took another sip of Pepsi and almost burped her response. “I did! Kevin didn’t want me too, but I was getting a headache.”

  Headache.

  Jon had a headache that felt like it wrapped around his skull. The morning had been so upsetting that he’d forgotten that he hadn’t eaten or drank in a while.

  “Jon, did you call your parents?” Emily asked.

  Of course, I called my parents! I called, and I called but no one picked up! Don’t you understand!?

  “I did but uh. . . no one answered.” Jon didn’t look her in the eyes when he said it. He kept his focus on the drinks, then got down by the shattered glass and picked up a bottle of Mountain Dew. A soda that always gave him the energy, aka sugar, to keep him going.

  “Good thinkin’ Jonny, I think I’m gonna have a Dew myself,” Dan said, picking up a bottle, uncapping it, and washing down the crumbs from the granola bar. “Ahh, that’s the stuff right there.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, my mom called me and said my dad never came back from drinking with his buddies last night,” Emily said.

  That doesn’t make me feel any better.

  “I’m sorry,” Jon said and found enough strength to look back a little at her this time. She was attractive to him right then with her blue streaked hair that matched with the blue on her tie-dye top. Even the nose ring, which Jon was never a fan of, looked cute. “Where does your family live?”

  “Up in place called East Gap. Waaaay up north. I actually came all the way here to get away from my dad.” Emily almost smiled when she said that, but the current circumstances stopped it. This was no time to bring up daddy issues. “Where do your folks live?” she asked.