by Ryan, Matt
“I hate this planet.” Poly had her back turned to them.
“You can’t blame them.” Julie pointed to room 932. “This world, this reality, was delivered to them from Isaac, Marcus, and MM. They did that to these people.”
Harris rubbed his chin and nodded. “Julie’s right, but we have a saying on Vanar. ‘You are truly judged when the world stops looking.’ This man thought the world had stopped looking. He felt free to break the rules that kept this world civilized. Beware of men like this.”
“‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ – Martin Luther King,” she replied.
“Smart man,” Harris said.
“I have a saying.” Lucas used his British accent and adjusted his top hat. “He who loiters on a floor of dead cannibals, shall be named stupid.”
Joey chuckled. “Agreed.”
He climbed to the next floor. The door was open and the hallway beyond looked similar with beds and chairs filling the halls, but Joey didn’t want to enter any more rooms.
Floor after floor the same thing, burning, rotting, and mildew smells mixed with human waste. Joey swallowed, trying not to think about it. They hadn’t seen any sign of zombies though.
After what seemed like a million stairs later, his legs screamed at him to stop. Hank breathed hard, helping Julie walk up the stairs. Joey stopped at the floor thirty-one landing, glad for the closed door.
“This hotel blows,” Lucas said. His shoulders sunk and sweat dripped down his face.
“How many more floors are there?” Julie asked.
“I think we’re near the top,” Harris said.
“Let’s just keep pushing then,” Joey suggested and started up again. He stopped, gazing at the end of the stairs and a door marked Floor 32. This door looked different from the rest, wood inlayed into the steel door, a digital keypad next to the door handle. Hammer marks pocked the door around it.
It had a ten-key pad, with a small digital screen above. With the buttons worn, none of the markings remained. The once square buttons were worn smooth, rounded on the edges. He imagined the people here trying for months if not years to get past this door. So much so, they had warn each button to a nub trying to guess the combo. Had that little girl’s fingers touched these keys, hoping for some kind of chocolate factory behind it? He pressed a few buttons, but nothing responded.
“Let me see if I can get it open. My Panavice can possibly charge it,” Harris said.
Julie suddenly looked pain-free as she again tried to study the device in his hand. “That thing can power other stuff?”
“If you can get within range.” He held the Panavice close to the lock and slid his fingers across the screen. The keypad next to the door beeped and a green light blinked. Then they heard a satisfying click. Harris motioned for Joey to open it. He felt wrong opening it. As if it wasn’t his right to access it with such ease, but the feeling fleeted and he grasped the handle.
NO FLOWING RIVERS OF CHOCOLATE but a large room with intricate furniture, hanging lights, stone floors, TVs on the walls, and windows around the whole floor.
Lucas pushed him into the room.
“Whoa, it’s freaking MTV cribs in here,” Lucas said and jumped onto the couch.
Poly rushed to the windows.
The room appeared untouched. The granite counters were clean and the windows unbroken. Joey looked at the door holding back the foul smells and took deep breaths of the clean, stale air. His stomach rumbled at the sight of the kitchen.
“Guys, look at this,” Poly said. She opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony.
He followed her outside. The hot breeze hit his face, but the pure air felt amazing. Poly stood at the edge of the glass railing. Standing next to her, he looked out at the city of sin. Thirty-two stories up, they could see the whole city. It almost seemed normal from some angles.
Down the strip, about half the hotels had burned to the ground and he saw the piles of cars lining the streets. Cars clogged the freeway. Residential districts lay in ruin, partially burnt.
“You see it?” Poly said, pointing down the strip.
He shook his head.
“On top of the . . . the one with all the fountains,” Poly said.
Joey had seen enough shows about Vegas on TV to know what she meant. “The Bellagio?”
“I see it. How’s it possible?” Julie said.
Then he saw it as well. The roof of the Bellagio had green plants all across it. There must have been acres of them. He squinted and thought he saw broken-out windows with green growing out of them. Then he saw the sign, painted black in contrast to the white hotel. Sanctuary spelled out in huge letters on the side of the building.
“There are people in there?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s one of those hold-outs I was talking about,” Harris said.
“Think they could help us?” Julie inquired.
“Them? No, I don’t think they could.”
“You know them?”
“I spent some time there,” Harris said. “It’s best if we stay far away from them.”
The sign made Joey smile. It was a small victory over MM. He wondered if anyone on the planet knew the truth about what happened. Would they come to the stone with them and help them fight against MM? Would anyone believe the truth? He laughed at his thoughts and walked back into the hotel room. If someone told him a few weeks ago, there were other Earths, Arracks, and zombies; he would have thought they were crazy.
“So where’s this service elevator?” Julie asked, as the rest came back into the room.
“It’s on this floor, in this suite, somewhere,” Harris said.
They spread out and searched the sprawling suite. Joey walked to the other rooms—an office, a bedroom, a bathroom. Then, he opened a door that led to a short hallway with an elevator door. “Found it,” he yelled.
They came to him and he walked to the elevator door.
“Should be able to pry it open,” Julie said.
“Here, let me.” Poly stepped forward, pulling a knife from her leg sheath. She wedged it between the two elevator doors, opening them an inch.
Joey stuffed his fingers in and pulled the door open.
“Holy moly.” Lucas peered down the shaft.
Joey glanced down and reactively stepped back. It went down farther than he could see, and then the hole disappeared into darkness. Steel cables ran down the middle of the shaft.
“See these cables? Maybe we can rig something to them to get us down,” Julie said.
Harris looked down the elevator shaft, then up, and took a step back. He placed his hand on his chin and took his Panavice out. He didn’t seem happy with it and stuffed it back in his pocket.
“We’re over thirty floors up. There’s no way we’re going down that shaft,” Lucas said.
“I can’t control the elevator from here, but if I go down, I can get it going and send it up to you guys,” Harris said.
“You’re okay going down those cables?” Poly asked.
“I think I can handle it.” Harris took something that looked like a wallet from his inside jacket pocket and jumped into the elevator shaft, grabbing onto the cable. “When the power is back on, press the call button.” Then he slid down the cable, disappearing into the darkness below.
Lucas shook his head. “Wow.”
“What a frickin’ lunatic,” Julie said in awe.
“I think the guy is pretty incredible,” Hank added.
“You think he’s pretty?” Lucas teased.
Hank pushed him.
Joey looked at the black hole. The cables jostled with Harris attached somewhere below. What if the elevator wouldn’t run after sitting for so many years? Could Harris get back up those cables? “I guess we have to wait.”
“What if he doesn’t come back?” Julie asked. “What if he dies down there? We’ll be stuck in this hell.
I mean, do we even know who this guy is, really?”
Joey paced near the elevator door, listening to her concerns. They quickened his steps, as well as his breath. They didn’t really know much about Harris . . . but he had saved their lives, probably several times now. Plus, his dad seemed to trust him taking them away. “He’ll be back,” he said and looked back at his friends.
Julie crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She slid down to her rear and Poly took a seat next to her. “You okay?” she asked Julie.
“No. This whole time we’ve been hunting down the secrets of our past, I’ve wanted to believe what my mom told me. But look at this . . .” She flung both hands up. “She freaking lied.”
Joey grimaced and rubbed his chin. He’d felt the same way since the first zombie skidded across the bedroom floor. He always knew there was more to the story, but this was too much. They weren’t just hiding a lie, they were hiding a whole different world.
Lucas sat against the opposite wall from Julie, laid his bow at his feet and adjusted his top hat. “They all lied to us, true. But what was the alternative? I’m sure they all thought this was behind them. Plus, would we really have believed them?”
Hank shook his head. “My dad would tell me stuff so outlandish I never believed him. Even when I heard the truth, I thought he was lying. In fact, I wish he had lied to me.” He took a deep breath blew it out. “It’s not fun living alone in a house when you think your dad is going crazy.” He laughed halfheartedly. “But he wasn’t . . . this is real.”
Joey thought of his house and his parent’s refusal to say anything. Living in a house of secrets felt like the walls were moving in on you. For over a year now, they had eaten in near silence. He would slide his fork against the plate because he knew it annoyed his dad. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his parents; it was more about the pink elephant in the room crowding out the spaces of comfort. He almost felt he owed his parents an apology.
“Well, I can’t wait to get home and have a talk with my mom,” Julie said.
“I forgive my mom,” Poly chimed in. “I’m with Hank. I think it would have been worse if they told us the truth.”
“If I have kids, I’m telling them everything,” Joey said, but he felt as if he was trying to convince himself as much as anyone.
“Same here,” Lucas agreed. “The stuff we’ve seen will make for the awesomest stories ever. We’ve freaking world-jumped, fought off zombies, and now we are in some super suite in what has got to be the fanciest abandoned hotel in the world. And did you see the headshot I made on that slappy zombie down below?”
“Not to mention your sweet outfit.” Hank smirked.
“Thank you, Hank. You’re right. This hat is the topper of my head and of my future stories.” He slapped the top of the hat.
Joey glanced over to Poly and her new dress. Her position on the floor revealed her high upper thighs. He turned and looked at the open elevator doors.
The distinctive sound of electricity and motors came to life and the doors slid shut. Joey ran over to the call button and pressed it. It lit up and the number above the door changed, counting up until it stopped at floor thirty-two. The bell dinged. He brought his gun out, ready for anything.
The doors slid open, revealing an empty elevator. He relaxed and lowered his gun.
Lucas sauntered in first. He turned to face them with his tuxedo and top hat and bowed before them, spreading his arms out, inviting them into the elevator. Joey didn’t think Lucas would be changing out of his ridiculous outfit anytime soon.
“Bottom floor I guess.” Julie pushed the button marked B3 and the elevator began its descent. It creaked and moaned the entire trip down.
“This thing seems to be in excellent working order,” Lucas said sarcastically.
Joey watched the numbers fall and concentrated on that, instead of the creeping fear of entrapment in a tiny elevator. He felt a hand on his and looked over to see Poly smiling at him. He tightly laced his fingers through hers and watched the numbers until they displayed B3 and came to a hard stop.
Julie let out a cry of pain. “Well, that sucked.” She hopped on one leg.
The doors slid open, and the cab lights filled the immediate space in front of the elevator, but beyond ten feet—darkness enveloped. Joey gripped his gun, scanning for anything in the darkness. Something cloaked in the shadows moved. He took a step closer and pulled the hammer back on his gun.
AT THE END OF JOEY’S sights, Harris stepped into the light.
“Took longer than I thought,” Harris whispered. “Come on. It isn’t far from here.”
Joey let everyone out of the elevator first. The elevator clicked as the lights went out. He stepped out quickly, catching up to Harris’s Panavice light.
“We really need to be quiet this time and watch your step. I’m keeping the light at a minimum,” Harris said quietly.
A musty smell of dirt and waste filled the basement. Harris led and Joey stayed in the far back, behind Poly. Pipes ran in every direction and large, metal boxes lined the walk paths. He relied on his ears as much as the faint light from Harris. He listened for the soft steps in front of him and the soft breathing of Poly next to him.
He bumped into Poly. “Sorry.”
Harris stopped ahead and shared close words with Lucas. He waved his hand for them to come up to the front. The soft glow from his Panavice lit Lucas’s worried face as he huddled close with them.
Harris whispered, “Look ahead.”
Joey followed the light as Harris pointed his Panavice and saw why they had stopped. Ahead on their path, a zombie leaned face-first against a wall with its back to them. Harris pulled the light back.
“Hibernating,” Harris said.
Joey cringed and shook his head. If one found its way down there, a hundred could have. He reached for his gun and glanced down the hall, into the darkness.
“Can we sneak by?” Joey whispered.
“Too risky,” Harris said.
Joey nodded towards it. “Lucas, shoot it in the head.”
“No problem,” he said with a smile and nocked an arrow.
Harris illuminated the thing again. Lucas pulled back his bowstring and let go. The arrow flew into its head. It slumped to the concrete floor without a sound.
Lucas fist-pumped his bow. “You see that shot?”
“Can we just keep moving?” Julie asked through gritted teeth. “And shut up, you idiot.”
Lucas stopped congratulating himself and joined the group as they walked by. They centered around Julie and Harris’s lights and stayed near the middle of the walkway. Harris lifted his light every few feet, just enough to check ahead of them, but not enough to give them away.
Joey whipped his head around, thinking he heard something in the darkness. Maybe it was a scratch on metal, or a heavy footstep or a creak of the building. It was as if every sound in the basement was a zombie. His foot caught on a crack in the concrete and he stumbled forward. His foot skidded on the concrete as he stopped himself from crashing into Poly. She spun around with a knife in her hand. Looking at him, she shook her head and lowered the knife.
“It should be right here,” Harris whispered, shining his light around the hallway. There was a concrete wall on one side and rows of metal containers on the other. Harris paced around the small space, searching every crack.
“There might be a door somewhere.”
Joey looked around, but it looked exactly like the rest of the hallways.
Harris stepped on the gap that had made Joey trip. He dropped to his knees and passed the light over it. “Here. It’s below us.” He pointed at the crack. Jumping to his feet, he looked around the room. “Hank, grab that steel bar.”
Hank took the metal bar leaning against the concrete wall and brought it to him.
“We’re going to have to punch a hole through this.”
“That’s going to be ridiculously loud.” Julie shook her head. “All of the freaking zombies in a fifty m
ile radius will be running here.”
“Can’t you use that laser thing and cut through it?” Lucas asked.
“No, not through concrete.” Harris sighed. “It is going to be loud. They will be coming.”
Hank stared at the crack in the concrete and shook his head.
Harris placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him. “Hank, you’re going to have to quickly break a hole big enough for us to get through. There’s already a hole started, you just need to hit the edges and build on it. You can do this.”
Hank nodded and gripped the steel bar with both hands.
“Joey, you take the west hallway with Poly. Julie, you light the way for them to see what’s coming. Lucas, you and I will take the east hall. Make sure each shot counts.” Harris paired with Lucas and stood on the other side of the room, shining his light down the hall.
Joey spent a moment looking at Poly. She gazed up at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. He felt the same way. He wanted to hug her, but she turned to face the dark hall.
Julie walked in between them, her cellphone light guiding the way. Joey sighed, took out his gun and followed Julie. He glanced back at Hank and had the horrible feeling they were about to do something incredibly stupid. The bar shook over his head as he glared at the floor.
Joey held his breath.
“Go,” Harris ordered.
Hank slammed the bar on the concrete. Joey flinched. It echoed around the metal boxes and bounced off the concrete walls and floor. Hank slammed it again and got into a steady rhythm.
Joey stared down the hall, trying to make out the deepest regions the lights reach. He felt his pocket, feeling the two speed loaders. He sighed and gripped the gun.
The sound pounded into his head. He strained to see the ends of the hall—searching for the first signs of movement. Something moved. He took a small step forward.
“You get the far, I’ll get the near,” Poly said. She held a stack of throwing blades in her left hand and one in her right.
Joey gave a slight nod and didn’t lose sight of the dark figure. It moved toward them and its wrinkled skin took form in the light. Julie gasped and the light wobbled as the cellphone shook in her hand. The thing opened its mouth and hissed at them.