by Tom Lewis
The crazed woman spun in their direction, letting out a growl. Suddenly two more crazies burst into the store, and leaped on the woman, knocking her to the floor.
Then a loud crack like thunder echoed through the city. All three crazies dropped to the floor. Like someone had turned off their switches. Paige and Chad exchanged a look.
“What was that?” she whispered. Chad just shook his head. They waited a minute, keeping their eyes on the crazies. But none of them moved. They were out cold.
Chad slowly rose, motioning Paige to keep behind him. They approached the crazies. Paige kneeled down beside the woman, pressed her finger against her neck. “She’s alive,” she said, looking up at Chad.
“That noise must have subdued them,” Chad commented. “The same way that first noise triggered the rage.”
Paige slid a hunting knife from her belt, reaching for the Crazy.
“Wait!” whispered Chad, reaching for her arm. “What are you doing?”
Paige shot him a look. Isn’t it obvious.
Chad shook his head. “We don’t need to kill them. Let’s take those things out.”
“And what if they wake up while we’re doing it?”
“Then we do whatever we have to,” finished Chad.
Paige just shook her head, sliding the knife back in her belt.
The two of them went to work digging out the implants from behind their ears. Paige was just finishing with the last of them, when another noise came from outside. This sound was like the roar of a jet engine. Chad and Paige froze, still holding onto the last of the implants. They exchanged a concerned look. “That one was new,” she commented on the noise. Chad nodded in agreement.
“Wait here,” he whispered, easing towards the front of the store.
“Where are you going?” she whispered back.
“To see what that noise was.”
“What’s going on?”
Paige and Chad spun around, to see the woman staggering to her feet.
“Shhh,” Chad whispered back, pressing his finger to his lips.
“I will not,” replied the woman, taking a worried look around the store. “Who are you?”
“We’ll explain later. Right now, just keep quiet,” Chad responded.
“Not till you tell me what’s going on.”
“Would you just shut the hell up, lady!” Paige shot back. “We’re trying to help you.”
Before they could react, the woman shot past Paige and Chad. “Help, someone, please!” she shouted, as she raced out the door.
Suddenly a mirage-like wave ripped down the street outside. It swept through the woman, instantly obliterating her into dust.
“Holy, shit,” said Paige, staring wide eyed at the door.
“What the hell was that?” It came from one of the male Crazies they had removed the implant from.
Suddenly a canon-like boom echoed down the block. The front wall of the store exploded in. Chad grabbed his backpack, turned to Paige. “Come on! Out the back!” he shouted, grabbing her by the hand. She snatched up her backpack and bow, and hurried after him.
They ducked out the back service door, and onto a loading dock in the alley, just seconds before a second sonic wave obliterated everything inside. They scrambled down from the loading dock and onto their bikes, pedaling away as fast as they could go.
CHAPTER SIX
The Shield
A five year old Paige awakened, and sprang out of bed. With her sparkling blue eyes, and long dark hair, even at that young age it was obvious she would grow into the stunning beauty she later became.
She was in the same bedroom, in the same house, but it was barely recognizable from her current bedroom. The walls were filled with colorful posters and drawings, the floor was clean and tidy, and with the overall pink theme, it just felt girlish. Like this was a happy little girl.
She raced downstairs, finding her mom arranging presents beneath the Christmas tree. Her mom, Hannah, smiled at her young daughter as she hurried over to the presents.
Everyone told Paige that she looked like her mom, and the resemblance was apparent. Hannah was gorgeous. She’d been approached by modeling scouts during college, but just wasn’t into it. What she was into was the handsome young ROTC cadet she’d met her freshman year. That man, Rick O’Connor, would later become her husband, and Brad and Paige’s father.
“Can we open them?” Paige asked, her young eyes pleading.
“I think Brad and your father have something for you in the garage,” her mom smiled back.
“What?” Paige asked.
Her mom shrugged. “Why don’t you go out there and see,” she teased.
Paige sprang to her feet, and rushed out the door.
Out in front of the house, Paige found the garage door open. She raced inside, and found a much younger version of Brad and her dad tightening the nut on the front wheel of a new bike. A new girl’s bike.
Brad had gotten his looks and athletic build from their dad, Rick. He had retired his commission from the Army when Paige was born, but never lost his love for playing sports and staying physically active.
“Wanna give it a spin?” Rick smiled at his young daughter.
She raced over, grabbing her dad in a hug. And then hugging Brad, before wheeling the bike out of the garage.
“Be careful,” Rick called out to her. “Watch for cars.”
“I will,” Paige called back, as she pedaled off.
***
The morning sun was just peeking over the ruins of what used to be Studio City. With its quaint cafes, and movie studios, this had once been a mecca for those in the film industry.
And now all of that was gone. There were no more movies or TV shows, and probably never would be again.
All of this raced through Paige’s mind, as she and Chad maneuvered their bikes through the rubble and debris of this once vibrant suburb of Los Angeles.
Handfuls of survivors wandered along the cracked sidewalks, staring in confusion at the devastation, and the enormous ships hovering overhead. They’d awakened after the thunderclap noise, with no knowledge of anything that had happened the previous day.
“They have no idea what’s going on,” Chad remarked, as he swerved around a deep fissure in the street.
“Should we go tell them they chased us halfway across the city yesterday, trying to kill us,” Paige smirked.
“It wasn’t their fault,” Replied Chad, watching the confused looks on their faces. “We should go help them.”
Paige shot him a look, like he was out of his mind. “Help them how?”
“Take those things out.”
“Are you serious?” she shot back.
“Yeah,” he nodded. “They’re not dangerous anymore.”
“So what happens if that sound comes again, and makes them go all dangerous. No way.”
Chad thought about it for a moment, eyeing Paige.
“Look, I know it’s a dick move not helping them, but I just really don’t want to get eaten.”
Chad nodded. She was right. “So what’s the noise we need to look out for?”
“I think it sounded kinda like nails on a chalkboard. But way worse. At least that’s the way I remember it.”
“And that other sound we heard last night,” Chad added, “that one sounded like thunder.”
“Yup,” Paige nodded. “That one’s like the off switch.”
“Any other sounds?” he asked.
She nodded. “The jet engine one. But I don’t think it had anything to do with those implants.”
“So that’s it, then?” he asked. “Just two sounds that affect their behavior?”
She nodded. “That’s it’s so far. But I’m sure those things have lots more,” she added, nodding to the ships.
***
Paige and Chad continued their trek, finally reaching the ruins of Burbank. Skeletons of once proud buildings continued to smolder in the early morning light.
A small crowd was gathered in
the street just ahead. All of them seemed to be staring at the sky.
None of the people seemed to be dangerous, but Paige and Chad weren’t ready to take any chances. They skirted as widely as possible around the crowd.
“Don’t go that way!” someone in the crowd hollered. Paige instinctively skidded to a stop, as did Chad. They looked at each other, then over to the crowd. A guy in a construction outfit was waving them back.
“Why not?” Paige hollered over.
“Watch this,” he hollered back, picking up a rock, and heaving it at the sky.
Suddenly the rock exploded in mid-air, about thirty feet past where Paige and Chad were at.
“Holy shit!” Chad exclaimed.
The construction worker nodded. “Two guys got fried earlier by whatever the hell that thing is.”
Paige just stared up at the sky in the area where the rock had exploded. She slipped the bow off her back, slid an arrow into it, and fired at the sky.
The arrow exploded like the rock had.
“It’s like a force field,” she remarked.
“Any idea how far it goes?” Chad asked.
The construction worker just shrugged. “If I had to guess, I’d say probably around the entire city.”
“Those assholes aren’t gonna let us leave,” Paige swore.
“Kinda looks that way, don’t it,” replied the construction worker. He reached into the back of his pants, and pulled out a Ruger pistol. “Let’s see if they’ve got enough balls to quit hiding in those ships, and come down here and face us.”
Paige was actually starting to like this guy. He had fight in him. And judging by his size, he could probably do some damage.
“Do you have any more of those,” she asked, nodding to the gun, as she climbed off her bike and headed over to him.
Chad started to say something about her leaving her bike, but she seemed to know what she was doing.
“Got a whole apartment full. You and your friend want a couple?”
“Yeah,” she nodded.
“Let’s go get them.”
“Wait,” she said, approaching him, “let me see behind your ear.”
“What is it,” he asked.
“They put these things in us. It’s right behind your left ear.”
“No shit?” he replied feeling behind his ear, and the look on his face let her know he found it. “Can you get it out?”
“Yeah,” she replied. “It’s gonna sting a bit.”
“Just get it out.”
She was just reaching behind his ear, when that ear-splitting squeal began resonating across the city ruins. It was the nails on a chalkboard sound. The “on” switch. The construction worker and the entire crowd keeled over in excruciating pain.
“Paige, come on!” Chad hollered. She looked at Chad, then back at the construction worker. She had been so close to getting it out.
All around her came cries and yells, as the crowd squirmed on the ground.
And then the tone was over. The construction bolted to his feet, his face concealed beneath that mask of rage. Veins bulging from his forehead. He grabbed Paige, and heaved her onto the ground.
She caught most of the fall with her elbow, but damn that hurt. And then he was on her.
A blur flashed by, as Chad leaped across the construction worker, knocking him off Paige.
Paige scrambled back. All around her the Crazies were laying into each other, snarling, and mauling.
The construction worker rolled Chad beneath him, grabbed the large knife from Chad’s belt, and stabbed it into Chad’s leg.
“NO!” Paige hollered, as she unslung her bow, and quickly loaded an arrow. She fired, and the arrow planted in the construction worker’s neck.
She raced over to Chad, as the construction worker tumbled off him. A blood spot spread down Chad’s pants leg. It was bad.
“Shit,” she muttered, pressing down on the wound. Blood seeped through her fingers.
“Look out,” Chad managed to mutter, as a Crazy man charged at them.
Paige grabbed the gun from the construction worker’s hand, then spun around firing two shots at the Crazy. The Crazy dropped to the pavement. Paige turned back to the construction worker, and dug through his back pocket. She fished out his wallet, and flipped through it to his drivers license. There was his address.
She shoved the driver’s license in her pocket, then turned back to Chad. “Can you walk?” she asked, helping him to his feet.
He groaned, nodding his head in response. Together they hobbled over to the bikes. She draped him across the seat, then tucked the gun in her pants, slung the bow and arrows over her shoulder and wheeled him away on the bike.
***
The sun was setting, as Paige peeked in the doorway of the hotel’s lobby. Even in better times, the building had been in decay. And right now it was a disaster, with furniture upended, and cabinets toppled over. Outside, most of the three-storied building’s stucco walls had collapsed.
Paige lugged Chad in the door, and over to a far corner of the lobby. There she set him down. He was out. She gently patted his cheek.
“Chad,” she whispered, trying to get his attention. “Chad. Hey. Can you hear me?”
He groggily opened his eyes, staring up at her. “You’re not gonna die, Harding. You hear me,” she insisted. It was as much for her, as it was for him.
Chad nodded, gritting his teeth together. The shock had worn off, and now he was feeling the wound.
She slid the large hunting knife from her belt, then slit his pant leg over the wound. Blood continued to flow freely. She dug through her backpack, and pulled out the roll of duct tape. She tore off a length of it, then wrapped it around the wound.
“Just hang in there, okay. I’m gonna check out the building, and make sure we’re safe.”
He managed a nod, but was quickly losing consciousness. She just shook her head in frustration. Why had she been so stupid?
Then a commotion outside brought her attention to the door. Those things were swarming past the large window on the front wall next to the entrance. Luckily it was too dark inside for them to see in. But she needed to block that window.
She spotted a heavy display case near the check in counter. She headed over to it, then scooted it across the room, and backed it up against the window.
Just to the right of the check in counter was a staircase. She hurried up it.
***
The access door to the hotel’s roof squeaked open. Paige slipped through it, then headed across the flat roof top deck and over to the edge.
The third-story vantage point gave her a sweeping view of downtown Burbank. And it looked like hell. Fires blazed from skeletons of buildings and cars, and bands of Crazies swarmed down the streets.
Paige just stood there, watching it all for a moment, before heading back downstairs.
***
Paige headed back down the stairs, and into the lobby. It seemed a lot darker with the window blocked, but there was still enough light for her to find her way around.
She crossed over to Chad who had blacked out, but his heavy breathing assured her that he was still alive. Outside, a band of Crazies raced past the building, their howls and screams echoing off down the block.
Paige sank down against the wall, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. It was the first time since the initial attack that she actually had time to process everything. And it was overwhelming. The grief. The loss.
She pulled her wallet from her pocket, and dug out a picture. It was a selfie of her and Brad, taken several years earlier. Her hair was long, and pulled back in a ponytail. It was also missing the blue streaks. They were standing outside somewhere, on a bright sunny day.
The two of them looked happy, as they playfully mugged for the camera.
She sat there for a moment, just looking at the picture, as tears slowly filled her eyes.
Then slowly the picture slipped from her hands, as she droppe
d her head to her knees and just cried.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Day Three
“Remember to pump your hands,” a sixteen year old Brad hollered from the sidelines.
It had been a warm fall day, not unusual for this time of year in Los Angeles, and Brad was spending his Saturday helping his fourteen year old sister practice for the track tryouts.
Paige sprinted past him on the dirt track circling the football field, trying to mimic the pumping motion he’d shown her.
“That’s it, Paige. Looking good,” he hollered.
Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail, swaying back and forth as she slowed to a stop.
“Can we take a rest, coach,” she panted, heading over to her big brother.
“Mmm, let me think about that. Nope.” But that was followed by a smile, as he handed her a bottle of water.
“Jerk,” she laughed.
“Seriously, Paige, you’re looking good out there,” he smiled, patting his sister on the back.
“You think I have a shot at varsity?” she asked.
“I think they’re idiots if they don’t,” he nodded.
Paige smiled, nodding her appreciation for his support. “Hold that pose,” she said, hurrying over to her jacket, and pulling her iPhone from the pocket.
She hurried back to Brad, then pressed her cheek up against his and snapped a selfie of them. It would be the shot she had later printed out, and carried around with her in her wallet.
“Thanks coach,” she smiled.
“Anytime.” Then he put his imitation coach voice back on. “Now move it, O’Connor. Ten more laps.”
She playfully punched him on the arm, before jogging back onto the track.
***
Chad’s eyes squinted open. The morning sun peeked around the edges of the cabinet blocking the front window. Paige had the Los Angeles map spread out in the middle of the floor. She glanced at the construction worker’s driver’s license, then traced her finger along the map till she located the address. Chad’s groan caught her attention.
“Hey,” she said, grabbing a bottle of water from her backpack and heading over.