"Tom, where are you going?"
Pulling his hair away from his forehead, Tom then looked at his friend. Turning his attention to their surroundings, he picked up an electric flex and walked close to the edge of the gap. "Here, catch this."
Reaching out, Jake looked down and his head spun. The cable slipped through his grip, and Tom had to reel it in for a second throw.
Jake caught it this time. It was thin. Could it even hold his weight? "What are you going to do with this?"
Tom didn't reply. He simply stared.
"You don't know, do you?"
"No, I do. I was thinking--" The ground shook again, and Tom's eyes spread wide. Looking down, his feet not even a meter from the edge, Tom winced. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm so sorry."
Standing with the limp cable in his hands, Jake watched Tom's back as he ascended the hill again. "Tom! Wait up, Tom. Help me, man. Tom!"
The ground shook. Swallowing the grit in his dry mouth, dizzy from the thick pulse crushing his skull, Jake searched the floor for something of use. Anything.
Unless he was going to throw rubble at whatever was beneath them, he was shit out of luck.
Thoom!
Behind, a hole as deep as the one he was staring into but twenty times wider opened up. A mushroom cloud of dirt filled the sky. As the hole stretched, the debris in the surrounding area was drawn towards it and sucked into the abyss. A whirlpool of rubble and masonry. The entire landscape was changing before his eyes.
Turning in quick circles, hoping that his second look would reveal something that would help him, he then caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
The first he saw was a long scaffolding board wobbling in the strong wind. A couple of seconds later, Tom, red-faced and sweating, appeared over the hill. Sliding down the slippery slope again, he let the board fall across the gap, the end of it crashing to the ground centimeters from Jake's toes.
When Jake looked down at it, Tom shouted, "Hurry up! You don't have the time to think about it."
Glancing behind, the black hole continued to suck the landscape into it. Putting his attention on the narrow board, Jake watched it hop and jump with the wobbling landscape. As he stepped forwards, another quake shook the ground.
The kneecap on his good leg took the brunt of the impact when he fell onto a jagged brick. Before the rest of his body had hit the floor, the searing pain had already crippled his thigh.
Looking up at Tom, his bottom lip buckled and he shook his head. "I can't do it, man! I can't fucking do it!"
***
What could Tom really do to help? He was useless at best. All he'd done was drag Jake down and kept him in the ruined city. He was just prolonging the agony. There was no way Jake could cross the gap. He could barely stand, let alone walk that plank.
Chapter Seven
Staring at Tom on the other side of the gorge, Jake waved him away. "Go without me. I can't walk."
Looking at Jake for a moment, his eyes pinching at the sides, Tom nodded and turned his back. After one step, he stamped on the floor and spun around again. "Fuck it!"
"Just go. There's nothing you can do to save me."
"Fuck it!"
"Go!"
"Fuck it!"
"Stop saying that!"
Walking up to the edge of the plank, Tom briefly looked down. Snapping his eyes back up again, his cheeks puffed as he exhaled.
"What are you doing, Tom? Just bloody go already."
Closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths, Tom then reopened them and placed a shaking foot on the plank.
Gulping dusty air, Jake put his hand on his chest, his heart kicking against it. "What are you doing?"
Staring at Jake, Tom said, "Will you please shut up? I'm concentrating."
Biting down on his bottom lip, Jake watched on in silence.
When Tom fully stepped onto the plank, it was hard to tell if the wobble was coming from the plank, the wind, or Tom's trembling body. Whatever the cause, the effect was horrific. There was no way Tom would make it across without falling to his death. Why was he even coming over? What did he plan to do once he'd crossed the gap?
As he reached the middle of the plank, Tom swayed in the strong wind. Burying his mouth and nose into praying hands, he closed his eyes and remained statue still.
Watching his friend, panic stole Jake's breath.
The wind had picked up to the point where the tendrils of Tom's clothes were being blown horizontally away from him.
The grit stung as it sandblasted the side of Jake's face. Rubbing his kneecap to soothe the burn, Jake gasped as Tom stepped forwards again, the board looking more unstable than ever.
Two quick strides and Tom jumped clear of the plank. The long lump of wood hopped several times, and Jake expected it to fall into the hole.
Landing on the rubble, Tom rested his hands on his knees and expelled a long breath. "Fuck."
After a moment's silence, Jake said, "So what are we going to do now?"
"We're going to cross back over."
Shaking his head, Jake pointed at the bridge. "There's no way I'm crossing over that. No fucking way."
Looking at the dry whirlpool behind them as it chewed up the land like a giant waste disposal unit, Tom said, "It's getting bigger. If we don't cross this plank, we'll die. That's all there is to it."
"But I can't walk."
"Crawl then."
Staring at his friend, Jake didn't move.
"Hurry up, Jake. I didn't just risk my life for you to bottle it."
"But I can't do it."
Shaking his fist at him, Tom clenched his jaw and shoved Jake forwards with his foot. "You have to! I've just risked my fucking life for you!"
When Jake didn't move, Tom shoved him again, his entire body shifting closer to the edge. "Now! Get moving, you stupid bastard!"
Kneeling on his damaged knee, Jake's stomach contorted and he had to fight to stop himself vomiting. It felt like the patella had fractured in several places and every ounce of applied pressure crushed it like an eggshell. Turning around to look up at Tom, he was met with a stony glare.
Shuffling forwards, Jake placed his water in front of him before gripping either side of the rough wooden plank.
"Hurry up, Jake."
Feeling Tom's nudging foot against his bottom, Jake moved forwards, placed his bottle farther ahead, and then moved forwards again. Every time he put pressure on his knee, it sent electric pain through his groin and kidneys.
With each shuffle forwards, Jake became more aware of his surroundings, and more specifically, the height of the drop. With each shuffle forwards, the wobble in the board became more exaggerated. With each shuffle forwards, Jake was accepting that he couldn't turn back even if he wanted to.
Once he was halfway across, Jake froze as the wind battered his right side, threatening to capsize the plank. Gripping onto the board, he remained still and watched his water get blown over the edge. The full bottle spun into the darkness below, bouncing off the moving carpet of black beneath them. "Fuck it!"
What sounded like a thousand high-pitched whistling screams shot out of the chasm. Had they mistaken the bottle for fresh meat? The mass below churned and twisted. Eventually, the sound died down.
When Jake felt Tom step onto the plank behind him, he looked around. "What are you doing, man?"
"Crossing. What does it look like?"
Another quake ran through the ground. The board slipped down. Debris fell into the abyss. Another shake like that, and the plank was following it. Jake sped up.
The long board sagged and bounced with both of them on it, and Jake's heart beat in his neck. Despite swallowing, he couldn't relieve his dry mouth, and he had no water left.
With less than a meter to go, the ground shook again. The end they were heading for slipped farther. Ignoring the pain in both of his legs, Jake pushed on. Gritting his teeth and grunting through the discomfort, he reached out to the rough rubble on the other side. Seconds later
he was off the board and scrambling up the hill. Tom was still crossing.
Another heavy rumble ran through the floor. For the slightest moment, Tom froze, so Jake called, "Come on, man! Keep moving!"
Putting his next foot forward, the ground shook again. At first, the board stayed in place. Then Jake noticed the brick it was resting on. Dirt and debris was slipping past it, flowing like water around a rock. It didn't look like it would hold for long.
Glancing up at Tom, he saw the tall man's eyes focus on it. Looking back down at the brick, Jake held his breath as it started to shift.
Everything happened in slow motion. The brick moved again. Then again.
Jake's mouth hung open and he gasped.
The brick slipped free.
***
Watching the plank slip, she held her breath. If Tom fell, then Jake would be rid of him. The tall man held him back, and if Jake had any chance of avoiding his fate, Tom would have to go.
As long as he was friends with Tom, Jake would stay in this godforsaken city. As long as he stayed in the city, he was her responsibility. The longer he was her responsibility, the more likely it would be that she'd have to kill him.
Staring on with unblinking eyes, she watched the plank slip farther. There was no way Tom was walking away from this.
Chapter Eight
Watching the plank slide, Jake reached towards his friend. "No!"
Like he had on the way over, Tom took two long strides and leaped. The second he jumped, the long plank slipped into the chasm.
At first, Jake thought the gap was too wide to jump, but with the wind at his back, Tom seemed to fly. Rolling over to the side, the jagged landscape jabbing his body, Jake scrambled out of the way as Tom landed on the rubble beside him.
Remaining crouched, Tom panted for a few seconds before standing up and looking behind. "That was fucking close."
Swallowing a dry gulp, Jake nodded. "Are you okay, man?"
"I think so." He patted himself down. "I think–"
The ground shook again, and the ledge behind them started to crumble. Pulling on Jake's arm, Tom half-dragged him. "We've got to go, Jake."
When Jake tried to stand, his legs gave way beneath him and he hit the floor hard. "Ow!"
Using both hands, Tom grabbed him again. "Come on."
Letting the big man pull him to his feet, Jake draped his arm, and most of his body weight, over his friend's shoulder.
As they hobbled up the hill, the ground shook more and a mini landslide of bricks and debris rushed towards them. When he looked across at Tom, who was red-faced from the effort, Jake said, "I'm sorry, man. I'm a liability. You should have left me."
With his jaw locked tight and his feet slipping beneath him, Tom grimaced. "Shut up, Jake."
When they reached the top of the hill, Tom launched Jake with such force his feet left the ground. Jake screamed as he spun through the air. The breath left his lungs when he collided with a steel girder, and nausea gripped his churning stomach.
Fighting to breathe, he watched Tom sway at the top of the hill and then fall forwards.
After a couple of minutes, Jake found his breath and lifted his head to look over at his immobile friend. "Thank you for saving me. Again."
Tom didn't move.
"Tom, are you okay?"
Nothing.
"Tom?"
"Tom?"
"Tom?"
"T--"
Looking up, a heavy frown crushing his long face, Tom said, "I'm fine, stop fucking barking my name. You sound like a yappy dog."
Falling flat on his back again, Jake adjusted his glasses and stared up into the storm. The sound of destruction over the brow of the hill was moving away from them. Were they safe? Probably not in this fucking world.
###
It felt like only seconds had passed before his view of the sky was filled with Tom, but Jake knew it was a lot longer. The tall man peered down at him, the rage had left his face. "How are you feeling?"
Sitting upright so quickly his head spun, Jake rested his hands on the ground to steady himself. The scarf covering his face made it hard to breathe, but to remove it would fill his mouth with grit. Fighting against his overworked heart, Jake started to cry. "I can't do it, Tom. I can't go any farther."
After tutting, Tom dropped down into a crouch and shoved Jake in the chest.
Jake's shoulder blades smashed against the jagged ground as he fell horizontal. Before he could say anything, Tom grabbed and then lifted his right leg. Pulling air in through his teeth, Jake stared at the sky again and winced.
"What hurts on here?"
"Knee," was all he could manage before biting down hard on his bottom lip.
Tom extended and bent his leg several times, the movement sending stabbing pains through Jake's kneecap.
Grabbing his other leg, Tom asked, "And here?"
"Shin," Jake wheezed as heat rushed to his face, turning his skin clammy. While watching his friend, he gulped a dusty mouthful that tasted like sand.
When Tom rubbed his shin, Jake wailed at the sky. "What the fuck are you doing, man?"
Tom stood up. "They're both fine."
Jake opened his mouth, but Tom cut him off, "I don't doubt they hurt, but nothing's broken. You can walk on them."
More tears stung his eyes, and Jake shook his head. "I can't."
When the ground rumbled behind them again, Tom glanced over his shoulder before looking back down at his friend. "You have to, Jake. If you don't, we're dead. Do you understand that?"
"Go without me, Tom."
Raising a clenched fist, Tom glared down at his friend. "I just risked my bloody life for you. If you say that again ..."
A boom exploded behind them. It was so loud Jake imagined the earth's tectonic plates shifting. As the low thunder of it died down, the hissing of a thousand boiling lobsters screamed into the sky.
Instead of running, Tom looked at Jake and raised his eyebrows. "That was the last one."
"How can you be sure?"
Tom shrugged. "Dunno. But I'm sure." He looked calmer than he had in a long time. He then walked back up the hill, Jake presumed to look at the devastation.
As he watched his friend's back, Jake trusted Tom's assertion that his legs would hold and forced himself to his feet. Once he was upright, he wobbled for a moment before walking up the hill too, wincing with every step as if his bones were made from glass.
Arriving at the top, all he could see was a hole where the ground used to be. It stretched so far and wide it was like staring off a cliff overlooking an abyss. It was so dark, Jake couldn't see the writhing mass anymore. "Do you really think it's finished?"
Tom nodded.
"And," Jake said, turning to his friend, the wind rocking him on his feet, "do you still think nothing was following us?"
Lifting his lip in a snarl, Tom shook his head, turned and walked back down the hill.
***
Although she'd watched Tom walk away from the edge, she still repeated, "Push him. Push him. Push him." Punching her thigh with the repetition, she barely felt the dull thud.
Staring up at Jake as he looked off what was now a cliff, she dropped her head and spoke to her lap. "Half of the city falls and Tom fucking walks away from it. Why can't he just bloody die?"
Lifting her stinging eyes up to see Jake again, she asked herself the same question that had been in her thoughts constantly. Could she kill him when the time came?
Chapter Nine
When Tom stopped and stamped his foot on the rough ground, Jake's frame sagged in anticipation of what he knew was coming. They'd been walking for a day now, and Tom hadn't stopped complaining.
"I can't believe they stole my fucking water. I was trying to save your life, and the bastards stole my water!"
The burn in Jake's legs was easing, but it was hard to get going again once he'd stopped. Slowing down, he hoped Tom would move off to save him the pain.
He didn't.
Grindin
g to a halt, Jake winced as his joints seized. "Are you sure you didn't bring it back over the hill with you when you came to rescue me? Everything happened quite quickly."
"Don't patronize me, Jake. I left it on the floor before coming back for you. When we returned, it was gone. If you were made of stronger stuff, I'd still have it."
Looking at his friend's long face, Jake shook his head. "All right, Seabiscuit, ease off, will ya?" Leaning down, he rubbed his sore kneecap.
"Don't call me that."
The angrier Tom got, the longer his face hung. Not knowing whether to offer him a sugar cube or an apology, Jake gave neither.
Staring over at the blurred red tower on the horizon, Tom brushed his hair out of his eyes. "They're playing a bloody game with us. They give us hope and then steal it away just to fuck with us."
Jake swallowed the frothy saliva in his mouth. Tom wasn't the only one in need of a drink. "Maybe it rolled away when the ground shook?"
"Why are you sticking up for them?"
"Fucking hell, Tom, rein it in. I'm just suggesting there may be another explanation. Why does everything have to be a fucking conspiracy?"
With his face locked in a frown, Tom stared back in the direction from where they'd come.
Looking at his friend through narrowed eyes, Jake cleared his throat. It brought bitter phlegm onto the back of his tongue. Lifting the scarf covering the lower half of his face, he spat on the floor. "What did you see chasing me?"
"This again? Really? And you think I'm paranoid?"
"I know you're paranoid. That doesn't change the fact that you obviously saw something. All you ever do is look behind you now."
The wind tossed the loose bits of Tom's hair that refused to stay in his ponytail. Turning to face the tower, he threw an arm in its direction. "We've kept that bloody thing on our left-hand side for the past two years. Your plan isn't working!"
New Reality: Truth Page 5