by B. Buechter
Jake mocked. He was trying to mask his anxiety. “What do we get if we win?”
“You win boasting rights,” she half-ignored him. “And the knowledge that you have a surviving chance to be out here by yourself.”
She cleared her throat and continued.
“Second, I will test your stealth. You will hide in a block of buildings and try to keep away from me. When you are staring down the edge of my hypothetical blade, you lose.”
“Got it,” Jake nodded.
“I don’t expect either of you to keep away from me forever, though. I have been doing this all my life… In some way or another. When I was a kid, I saw this life… this existence… as a game - If you want to win, learn the rules. And then, be the best player. Lucky for me, I am the best.”
“That…” Jake paused, “Actually makes sense in a way. Interesting way to put it.”
A couple hours passed before they reached the outskirts of the city. Eva stopped to let the brothers absorb these breathtaking remnants of the past. She had never completely appreciated the beauty that still lingered within the walls of this once-distinguished city. The haze of the late-morning sun created sheets of glimmering radiance on the crumbling buildings consumed by vines and other greenery. At their foundations, trees had burst through the deserted roads. Shells of abandoned vehicles remained clustered together, forever a reminder of their inhabitants’ final moments of chaos and terror. A flock of birds chittered from an open window and baby rabbits hopped around the field of green separating Jake, Eva, and Tommy from the city. Eva seized a moment to close her eyes as a cool breeze brushed past her, rustling trees in the late summer air.
“This place holds so many memories,” Eva said gently. She couldn’t help being swept away by the moment. “Five hundred years since the world collapsed in on itself. We are those who remain. We are those who were born from the survivors of this.”
“My people hid in the hills,” Jake offered. “Hiding… while everyone else was dying right outside. Your ancestors weren’t afraid or selfish.”
“Selfish, perhaps. But fear of death is natural.” Eva’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’ll admit, I’ve lost that fear. And you lose yourself when the fear is gone. You lose your humanity. To have nothing to live for… It’s what makes me a strong warrior. But if you stand at Death’s door long enough, he tries to grab you. Eventually, you must make the choice let him pull you into the darkness or fight back.”
Jake could hear the pain through her words. He could not even begin to imagine the events that Eva had witnessed in her lifetime. Part of him did not want to know. Tommy glanced at his brother and then Eva with solemn eyes. They stood in silence for another moment before Jake suggested that they get started.
“First test,” Eva adjusted her jacket. “Right. Okay. Um… Stay around this side of the city. We don’t want to run into any Nomads.”
“Nomads?” Jake repeated.’
“They roam the city. Never in one place for too long. They stay within its borders and know the streets better than the Gangs. They worship the nature around them. Silly, I know. But they are very intelligent, and very quiet. The Nomads are not part of the Gangs or the Rovers. Just crazy fanatics for the most part. I’ll admit, I’m not sure whether they would distinguish you as a friend or a foe. They may attack without warning.”
“And what happens if we do come across them?” Jake stopped in front of Eva, facing her.
“You won’t,” Eva said shortly. “As long as you stay where I tell you. They don’t usually come to the outer limits of the city.”
Although Jake was not comfortable with her use of ‘usually’, he shook his head and stepped aside. While she did not give the exact impression that the Nomads were hostile, it was implied, at the very least, that they kept to themselves. Before he could dwell on it, Eva gave the signal for him and Tommy to split up and start scavenging. She would be watching them from the top of one of the tallest buildings in the area, which was still stable enough for her to perch herself on the roof and overlook a large portion of the city. It was her favorite place to reminisce about the Old Times. She made her way up the old marble steps to the ground floor.
The front lobby was a large room with high vaulted ceilings made of white stone, riddled with piles of bones. There were a few counter tops scattered around the room. Every surface covered in a thick dust. Footprints of predatory animals were all around. The silence would be eerie to most. But to Eva, it was comforting.
She passed through the entrance and began the ascent up to the fifth floor. Surprisingly, the stairs were in great condition, untainted by time. Broken cracks of sunlight zigzagged on the walls. This skyscraper had been twice its current height before the Old Time War. It had been torn in half and pushed into the building behind it at an angle. As Eva climbed the last handful of stairs, she was met with a flock of black and yellow birds which quickly took flight around her.
Finding a comfortable spot to sit, Eva hung her legs over the edge of the concrete half-wall and viewed the scenery below. In the blocks nearest to her, she could see Jake and Tommy weaving in and out of the streets. Occasionally, they would pop into a building with an item or two in their hands. Between the two of them, Tommy seemed to be less meticulous in searching every minuscule nook and cranny, whereas his elder brother would stop, lay down his weapon, and search through old dumpsters, rotted boxes, and the shells of vehicles.
Tommy is playing this game nearly perfectly. Jake is going to get himself killed. Every time he puts down his weapon, he lets his guard down. And diving in the dumpsters… She could only shake her head.
The two brothers were blocks away from each other for hours. Shortly after the sky had gone dark, they returned to the building where Eva observed them. She was waiting for them at street level as they approached the front doors. Both of them looked drained but were in good spirits. They presented what they had found.
Jake volunteered Tommy to go first. It was obvious that he was not confident in what he had accumulated and wanted to compare it to his brother’s loot. Much to Eva’s surprise, Tommy had found a few useful items. He presented her with a small knife, a perfectly fitted jacket, and a small potted plant. In his back pocket, she noticed that he had stuffed a semi-intact book titled Farming for Beginners.
“Wow, Tommy,” she knelt to his level. “Not bad for your first time out here.”
As usual, Tommy did not utter a word, but gratitude was plastered all over his face. A childlike smile grew from ear-to-ear. Jake looked at his brother, his dark eyes glittering with pride. Then they dimmed from his own lack of self-confidence. Just as he was about to present what he had found, Tommy placed the plant on the floor and pulled out the book, pointing frantically to a picture of a bean crop and then to the plant. Eva looked closely at the picture and admitted that she did not know much about farming.
She stood up. “The Rovers would know more about this than I would. I would ask them. I was never a farmer. I’m better at killing things, not growing them, unfortunately.”
“Yeah.” Jake shook his head and laughed. “We know.”
“What did you find then, smart ass?” she scoffed.
Jake cleared his throat and revealed his cache. The first item was a multi-tool in decent condition. He paused, waiting for any indication of approval from Eva. When she did not respond, he presented a pair of boots that he had already changed into. They were in much better shape than the shoes Eva had found at the Post.
“They fit really comfortably,” he said puffing out his chest. “And they’re like new.”
“Did you have to get them off of a body?” Eva laughed, half serious.
“Actually… I found them in an old store.”
“Next time, make sure you aren’t dropping your guard when you are scavenging. You’ll end up dead or captured real quick. And, never ever put down your weapon if you can help it.”
Eva was impressed. They seemed to be catching on rather quickly. Until Jake removed
the third item from his pocket. At first, Eva did not recognize the spherical item that had a pull pin on top. Her eyes widened. She snatched it from his grasp and ran down to the end of the block, placing it carefully in an alley.
“What are you doing?” Jake panicked. “What is it?”
“That was a grenade,” she breathed. “A small bomb. The pin hasn’t been pulled so it could still be dangerous. Useful, sure… but unpredictable, being as old as it is.”
“Oh sorry,” Jake apologized. “Well… this is the last thing I found. It isn’t really… um… a survival tool though.”
Jake showed her an old newspaper that was in remarkably good shape. The headline read The End Times - Bombings Reach America. Eva had not read that article before and was instantly intrigued. At this point, her relationship with Jake was built on sarcasm and annoyance. So, when her feedback was genuine, he became concerned.
“This is actually a good find,” she said with her eyes locked on his. “It isn’t useful for survival, but I am very interested in reading it. The Old Times is something I enjoy studying.”
“You don’t have to be sarcastic about it,” Jake said as he shoved it in her hands and frowned.
“I wasn’t.” She looked away and held the newspaper in her hands, letting the pages run between her fingers.
Tommy yawned. Even through the street, dimly lit by the moon, the brothers saw Eva’s smirk.
“And now,” she said rubbing her hands together playfully, “It is time for you to hide from me.”
“But it’s after dark,” Jake whined. “And we’re tired.”
“That’s the point. Sometime in your life, you will be forced to hide from the Gangs when you are drained of every last drop of energy in the middle of the night. You will have to fight. And you will have to kill. Stay within this block. Pretend that I am one of the Serpents and I’ve already seen you. The longer it takes me to find you, the better off you do. Buildings around here are mostly intact and much safer than other parts of the city so there are plenty places to hide.”
Jake and Tommy begrudgingly agreed as Eva turned around to let them split up. She plugged her ears so she couldn’t hear their footsteps on the asphalt. After a few moments of soft humming, she turned on her heels and stuffed the newspaper in one of her pant pockets. The street was dark and devoid of movement. Jake and Tommy probably thought they had advantage in the darkness. Little did they know, Eva spent most of her life learning to rely on senses other than vision.
She waited for a while, taking in a few deep breaths to center herself. While adjusting each sense, she craned her neck in an attempt to hear any sign of the boys. The only noises that met her ears belonged to the nocturnal animals scurrying around on the pavement or floating through the sky. Other than that, stillness. Nothing.
Even as a small child, she watched predators roaming the cities and suburbs. Their careful steps. Their calculated movements. Their composure. Because she had neither parent nor guardian, her survival relied on observance. And learning from the very animals that had hunted since the Old Times was her only option.
So far, so good for them, she snickered.
Before sundown, while she was watching Jake and Tommy scavenge, she had studied the buildings nearby. The structure and condition of each one, even considering which to choose if she were hiding from the Gangs. Although, neither of the brothers had experience out here, Tommy appeared much more meticulous. Jake, on the other hand, was very unpredictable.
Their unique personalities was what Eva used to hunt them. Know your prey, know them well. And because I didn’t mention how long I would wait for them to hide, Jake probably jumped into the first building he saw. Tommy, on the other hand, will stay hidden in the shadows, finding someplace he thinks will hide him well. Maybe with a good view to watch for me.
Admittedly, Eva loved a challenge, so she decided to go after Tommy first. And although he had not spoken a word since they met, he was obviously intelligent. Where his brother enjoyed the sound of his own voice, she believed the reason behind Tommy’s silence was to speak only when it was necessary.
She entered into a small building after nearly missing it the first time she had passed. Hidden behind rows of shops and boutiques, this ancient storefront looked intentionally placed at the back of a larger alleyway. She took care in placing her feet if anything on the ground would give away her position. It would have been pitch black if not for six small windows at the wall to her left, allowing some moonlight to penetrate into the room. With each step, she listened for any unusual sound. A couple of mice scampered across the wooden floors under her boots. Even they had not heard her closing in on them.
The building itself looked to be in poor shape long before the War. Shattered dishes strewn across the creaking wood floors and tall tables with stools placed haphazardly around the room. A shattered neon sign hung over shelves of broken bottles read Pub & Grill. The name of the bar was now illegible. At the far end of the room, there were stairs to her right and a door to the back rooms on her left. Directly in front of the back door was a large piece of metal that had fallen from the second story, pinning it shut. The stairs were built from the same wood as the floor. Most likely, it was rotted and warped. She swiftly scoured rest of the bar and did not find Tommy. He may have gone up the stairs and found refuge on the floor above.
Eva first placed her foot on the stair and drew it across the length of the plank, searching for any rot or loose boards. Only after she was positive that it was safe, she put her weight onto it. Same motion for the second. She slid her foot to one side and noticed that the wood had warped upwards and would snap or creak. She carefully moved her foot back towards the other side. It was stable.
This strategy was arduous, but she eventually made her way up to the second floor. Again, she craned her neck to hear any movement. Nothing. But when she reached the top landing, she felt a presence. It did not feel like an animal, but human. Eva’s heart rate quickened. There was a doorway to a smaller room near the front windows, caked with dust. The wall opposite her was destroyed and the light from outside draped loosely on ancient office furniture. She remained in the shadow of the stairway, waiting for movement around the doorway. Suddenly, the silhouette of a child appeared. When the sound of giggling filled the air, an intense chill ran up Eva’s spine.
“I see you Tommy,” she whispered, and the shape disappeared.
Eva furrowed her brow and rubbed her eyes. The doorway opened to a small room used for washing clothes and linens. It looked like it had been used recently, as if someone was living there. But there was no one to be found. She began to doubt herself. Doubt her senses. Did she see someone that is or someone that was? A few years ago, she became obsessed with stories of the afterlife and individuals who remained on earth after they passed. She had never seen a spirit before, but there was nowhere for that shadow to have gone. There were no other doorways out of this room and no place to hide.
She heard movement at the bottom of the stairs. As quickly and silently as she could, Eva made her way down to the bar. When she finally made it to the bottom, she glanced around. But again, she saw nothing. This time, it was what she heard. Scrambling down the street, the light pitter patter of footsteps.
Eva raced outside to try and spot the culprit, but they had already vanished from sight. They had to be close as she could still hear pacing - either down the alley or up in the next couple buildings. She jogged down the sidewalk, wary of the cracks and rubble below her. The first alley was empty, as was the first building. Most of it was destroyed. Tommy would have a difficult time navigating through the rubble quietly. Whirling around, she followed the sound of the same set of footsteps. They moved into a building further down the street.
If this is Tommy, she smirked, He is good. But not good enough.
Immediately, she knew which building that he had hid in, and it was small. It was the old food mart where she had been a few days earlier. Upon entering, she explored the front area
. However, the only acceptable hiding space in this building was a small room in the back, used for storage. Still, she checked the desk where she had found the coin purse, the aisles that had not fallen to the tile floor, and in the bathrooms.
Eva closed in on the storage room. Her back was against the wall and she peered into the cracked doorway. This time, she knew someone was in there. The faint sound of shallow breathing entered her ears. Bursting through the door, she spotted him immediately. Tommy’s face, plastered with fear, relaxed into an embarrassed smile.
“You did a great job Tommy,” she laughed. “Didn’t mean to scare you so bad. But you had me on a chase. By the way, how did you get out of the room in that other building?”
Tommy shook his head and pointed to where he was hiding.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Wait… You weren’t the one I saw before?”
He shook his head. Eva’s palms started to sweat. Was it a Nomad or, perhaps, a spirit? Or maybe it was Jake and she had mistaken the shadow to be smaller. She shuddered to think about it.
“Let’s go find your brother,” she grabbed Tommy’s hand and walked out of the building. “I went looking for you first because I knew you would be harder to track down.”
Eva could see, even in the near-complete darkness, Tommy’s grin. He took her hand happily and skipped out of the storefront, letting go once he reached the sidewalk. She turned back to the alley where the Pub was hidden. My mind must be playing tricks on me. Where the alley met the sidewalk, a dark figure stepped out and stood in the street. Then it faded away. In the pit of her chest, a heavy weight made it difficult to breathe.
Starlight and moonlight brightened the world around them, casting a serene glow to the desolate streets. Eva’s tightening chest relaxed. She had seen pictures of cities in the Old Times and imagined herself basking in the streetlamps of a bustling city at twilight. Streets lined with people. Cars dropping people off for their late dinner dates. Suddenly, bombs rained from the sky. People screaming. And she opened her eyes to the pale and broken streets. Only remnants of what was.