Plexus

by Wilcoxson, Troy

  Driving just behind Emily’s car, Apollyon sits in the backseat gazing out his window and observing the chaos that surrounds him as they make their way to a bridge.

  “Is it hate, or love, that has pushed the world to this point?” Apollyon asks in a low tone.

  “What do you mean, sir?”

  “I can’t tell if I love the world or hate man,” Apollyon adds.

  “Perhaps a bit of both,” the driver says.

  Apollyon nods.

  “Either way, it’s been an honor working for you, sir. People will look back on this day and call it the ‘Grand Spectacle,’” the driver adds.

  Apollyon opens the sunroof and stands up, letting the wind hit his face. The nighttime clouds are lightly illuminated by the bright city lights.

  “This day marks the end of man and the beginning of something more,” the driver adds.

  Apollyon looks to the sky and sees a missile trail make its way out of the clouds. He then reveals a devious smirk.

  The big guy sitting next to Emily watches out his window, his eye caught by a woman on the back of a motorcycle. Smash! Emily stomps his face into the window with both of her feet. Blood runs down his head. Emily pulls the side arm from beneath the unconscious man’s jacket, then wraps the wire that binds her wrists around the passenger’s neck in front of her. The man gargles and gasps for air as she pulls the wire so tight around his neck that his face and her hands turn dark red.

  “Fuck!” the startled driver roars as he swerves the vehicle, almost hitting a car head on.

  He quickly jerks the wheel right, just barely missing the collision. He then turns his head to look at Emily. The passenger’s folded tongue sticks far out of his purple face while drool drizzles down the corner of his mouth. His eyes roll to the back of his head while Emily aims the pistol at the driver. Bang! Splat! Blood splatters on the front windshield as the car swerves left then swerves right. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Emily chokes the man to death as she fires repeatedly at the driver. The driver’s head leans forward just as his last breath leaves his body, rotating the steering wheel right and crashing into the side of the bridge.

  “What the hell?” Apollyon’s driver yells. They come to a stop behind Emily’s vehicle.

  The man sitting next to Emily begins to come to. His eyes open as she presses the pistol into his cheek. As the man freezes in fear, his big eyes look to see the angry girl covered in blood. Bang! Blood launches out the broken window.

  “Hand me your side arm,” Apollyon orders.

  Emily kicks her window out, shattering glass onto the sidewalk. She climbs out the window, scraping herself on the broken shards of window pieces. Emily plops down on the sidewalk into the pieces of glass. She quickly rolls over and jumps up, making a run for the edge of the bridge. Apollyon aims the pistol at Emily. Bang! Blood releases from her leg as she loses balance, falling to the ground. Apollyon steps out of the sunroof, walking down past the hood of the car.

  “I’ve wasted enough time with you,” Apollyon hisses.

  Emily plants her hand on the ground then throws herself up to her feet, diving off the bridge. Bang! Splash! Emily is submerged underwater, leaving a cloud of red in her wake. Apollyon runs to the edge. He aims the pistol at the red cloud. Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The missile flies over the bridge toward the center of the city. The warhead’s powerful wake sends Apollyon’s long coat fluttering and his collar flapping in the wind.

  “Time to leave,” Apollyon says, walking away from the vehicle.

  “Sir, where are you going?” the driver asks, confused.

  “Walking,” Apollyon replies.

  Emily kicks her feet and flaps her arms as she makes her way under the dark water toward land. The city lights flutter on the ripples above her. A deep, muffled boom sends a pulsing current past Emily’s body. Debris pelt the water, and vehicles plunge in next to her. Trails of dirt hiss by her while she fights the current attempting to get to land in one breath. Gasp! Emily pulls herself out of the water to see a darkened city with no lights and a large mushroom cloud on the far end towering over the city like a titan. Lying there soaking wet, Emily grabs her bleeding leg.

  A dark figure climbs out of a wrecked upside-down car just across the street from Emily.

  “Emily?” the male voice asks, shocked. “Emily!” Zach yells in a panicked tone and drops down from the street to observe her wound.

  He quickly removes his leather jacket. Zach places his hand on her wounded leg and lets out a breath of relief as he notices that the bleeding has stopped. Emily places her wet hand on his and attempts to sit up without causing herself pain. Zach tears a sleeve from his shirt and applies a pressure dressing to the wound.

  “Be careful,” Zach whispers, concerned.

  Emily pulls her wet jacket off then pauses as she looks at Zach. The dark city is quiet. A slight blue illumination from above catches Emily’s eye.

  “Oh, wow,” she says, looking up at billions of bright stars in the sky. The dark city is illuminated by stars for the first time in decades.

  Zach wraps his leather jacket around Emily. She looks at his muscular arms and his eyes skim her tank top, observing the beads of water on her wet skin. Unsure of how to react, her mouth goes dry, and her heart begins to pound while he looks at her. Her chest rises and lowers as she breathes in deeply. He places his hand on her wet chest to feel her heart pounding. She places her hand on top of his, holding it on her chest as she looks into his dark eyes. He expresses a look of intensity, almost threatening. She expresses a look of uncertainty and looks down, unsure of what is going on in his mind. Before she can ponder any further, he places his large index finger under her chin, lifting it back up to face him. He gazes deep into her hazelnut eyes. Oblivious to the world, Zach yanks her toward him, covering her mouth with his aggressively hungry kiss. She responds immediately, surprising herself as they connect their warm lips. He tastes her tentatively with his tongue. She opens her mouth with a low gasp. For a moment, they pause, pressing their foreheads gently together while locking eyes once more. A loud ruckus from around the corner breaks their attention. Dark figures with brightly lit eyes smash out windows as they pour inside buildings and attack people. Screams fill the air.

  “We need to go,” Zach says, throwing her arm around his neck and lifting her to her feet.

  “We have to walk. The EMP knocked out all electronics, including the ones in the vehicles,” Zach says, wrapping his arm around her waist.

  Zach holds her steady as they walk through the dark streets.

  The White House

  “Mr. Speaker, the swearing in is about to begin,” a female voice states.

  What appears to be Christopher Hernandez turns around just after adjusting his tie. He steps toward a darkened door with its edges lit from the other side. His brown eyes glow blue for a brief moment, then fade. With a devious smirk, he pushes the door open and walks into the light.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I saw a girl dancing to a cosmic beat. The little planets bounced around her joyful feet. I fell through space and time. I plunged into a wall of rippling stars. Worlds and suns sang past my face, leaving trails of cosmic dust. As I awoke, the whole universe revealed itself submerged in water.

  Thirteen Hours Earlier

  A man and a woman exit their van in a toy store parking lot. The father opens the door for their seven-year-old daughter Hanna.

  “Come on, Hanna!” the mother says with a smile, taking the girl’s right hand. The father takes Hanna’s left hand, and the three walk toward the toy store’s front door. The automated doors slide open. The family makes its way down an aisle full of robotic stuffed animals. Teddy bears, bunny rabbits, unicorns, and baby dolls greet the family as it passes by.

  “Can I help you?” a female employee asks with a smile.

  “Just browsing for the moment,” the father replies.

  “Well, have you seen the new ‘Oops, I Pooped’ dolls? They’re popular,” the employe
e states.

  A little baby doll runs by giggling while little brown balls drop out of its rear end as it bounces up and down.

  “People actually buy those?” the father asks with a disturbed tone.

  “You’d be surprised,” the employee says.

  “What about those?” the mother asks, pointing at Paul the Polar Bear.

  “Those are big sellers. They read stories, help with homework, and even act as security systems,” the employee replies.

  “What do you mean they act as security systems?” the father asks.

  “They’ll notify the police if there is a potential problem. They’re also programed in hand-to-hand combat, if the need ever arises,” the employee says.

  “I don’t think we need one of those,” the father says, looking toward an angry bunny.

  “Those are our Bad Rabbit dolls. Those are our most popular. They have all the same features as Paul the Polar Bear and many more. They can also teach your daughter to speak other languages,” the employee says.

  “Can you teach me to speak French?” the little girl asks the bunny.

  “Oui, je peux vous apprendre à parler français,” the Bad Rabbit replies with a nod.

  The little girl smiles.

  “We need to be closing the store now!” a manager says urgently, approaching the family.

  “Everything okay?” the mother asks.

  “There’s been an attack! Here in DC. A firefight erupted at the White House and has spread out. Rumors are the president and vice president are dead!” the manager says, panicked.

  “Oh my god,” the mother whispers, looking at her husband.

  Gunshots echo outside the toy store. Police cars roar by with screaming sirens.

  “Stay inside!” the manager orders the family while smoke builds up outside the glass door.

  “Mommy!” the little girl cries, hugging her mother’s leg tightly.

  “It’s okay, honey!” the mother says, rubbing her daughter’s back.

  Bam! Jiro emerges from the smoke, slamming into the door. He bangs the glass door with panic.

  “Save me!” Jiro cries with tears running down his cheeks.

  The mother steps toward the door to open it for Jiro. The father grabs her arm, stopping her dead in her tracks.

  “What are you doing?” the father whispers.

  “He’s all by himself out there!” she says, yanking her arm free of his grasp.

  She opens the door for Jiro, and he rushes in from the outside smoke. She quickly slams the door shut and turns around to face Jiro.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” she asks Jiro.

  “She’s trying to kill me!” Jiro cries.

  “Who?” the mother replies.

  The toy store lights shut down.

  “We need to get away from the doors!” the manager orders, moving deeper into the dark toy store.

  The family and Jiro follow the manager and employees toward the back of the store. The daughter is picked up by the father, and Jiro’s hand is pulled by the mother. Jiro takes one last look at the eerie window submerged in smoke, but Emma is nowhere to be seen. Jiro’s mouth drops in confusion. His heart begins to race as the fear takes control. The muffled gunfire continues to echo outside the toy store. The family and Jiro begins to make way deeper into the store when an eerie wind moans, just outside. Jiro stops dead in his tracks, as the hair on his neck raises. The wind sends the doors rattling behind the boy.

  “Jiiirrrooo…” a soft female voice says outside.

  Jiro is too afraid to turn around initially, but as he does slowly, he sees nothing but fog.

  “Common kid!” the father yells at Jiro, pulling his attention away from the door.

  “Jiiirrrooo…” the soft voice calls with a higher and longer note.

  The chilling voice sends Jiro into a cold stare as he turns back towards the glass doors. Something catches his eyes, deep inside the white fog. Something dark, as it sways gracefully side to side. Slowly it closes in on the door, hanging upside-down with long black hair. Jiro peers into the fog as the dark figure becomes more apparent. The figure immediately stops swaying, and pauses upside-down, still as stone. Jiro’s mouth drops. The dark figure opens her purple eyes, glaring at him. He spins around in fear and sprints to the family, burying himself into the father’s arms.

  “I love you, mommy!” a baby doll says as they move through a toy aisle.

  The baby dolls and stuffed animals rotate their heads, watching the horrified people as they huddle together in fear.

  “Why are you so special?” Emma moans in the darkness. “You are just a stupid little boy,” she adds with a growl. “What use could you possibly be?

  “He thinks I’m stupid! He thinks I don’t know what’s going on. I know why he wants you. I can see it, your ability. And once he has you, he’ll have no use for me. Will he?” she roars in Jiro’s face.

  Jiro jumps back as she disappears into the darkness yet again.

  “I have the ability to possess the Palomin. To make them do whatever I want. But you, you have something different. I can’t explain how you obtained it, but you did, and by no accident. You have the ability to inspire droids with nothing more than a single thought,” she says with a rasp.

  The mother looks down at Jiro in horror. Jiro looks at her, confused.

  “I will take this ability from you. Carve it from your brains I will,” Emma growls.

  Crash! The glass doors smash in, startling Jiro and the others.

  “I had a beautiful dream, and you, Jiro, were in it,” Emma adds.

  “I stood surrounded by sand dunes. I looked up to see a rocky sky from which there was no escape. There was blood beneath the sand. People were chained as far as the eye could see as they were pulled into the lake of fire. And there you were, chained like the rest of them,” Emma murmurs.

  “I like your face. I think I’ll wear it,” she adds with a growl.

  Emma steps back into the aisle. Jiro and the others are nowhere to be scene. Her stomach begins to ache with anger, and her lips curl inward, baring her black teeth.

  “Where are you?” Emma roars.

  “I love you, mommy!” a baby doll says with a distorted smile, staring at Emma.

  A Bad Rabbit wobbles up behind Emma. She turns to look at the rabbit as it stares up at her.

  “What the hell do you want?” Emma hisses.

  “I love you, mommy!” the baby doll says again.

  Emma’s heart begins to pound. Her face expresses fear as she looks back at the baby doll. The toy aisle stands high, towering over her in the darkness. Hundreds of toys look at her as their eyes begin to illuminate in all different colors.

  “Préparer à la guerre!” the Bad Rabbit shouts.

  All the toys pour off the shelves like a violent wave of water. Emma’s eyes go big with shock. She turns to run, sprinting down the aisle as fast as she can. As she reaches the end of the aisle, she quickly turns left in an attempt to escape. The horrified girl screams as she sees fifty toy aisles collapsing with angry toys. Her black hair flutters as toys leap by her head and surround her. She runs for the front doors with everything she has. Standing between Emma and the glass doors, Jiro stops her in her tracks, peering into her eyes without fear. The toys wobble and hop, circling Emma. The Bad Rabbit approaches Jiro’s left side, and Paul the Polar Bear approaches his right. Bad Rabbit and Jiro give a malicious glare, while Paul the Polar Bear punches his paws together, signaling his readiness to fight. Emma locks eyes with Jiro and peers deep inside. Whack! Emma receives a blow from behind, dropping unconscious. A little baby doll wielding a wooden baseball bat looks down at her. The giggling baby doll’s plastic mouth moves in and out while his robotic eyes roll back and forth. The baby doll walks over the top of Emma’s body like a doormat, dropping brown balls from its rear onto her.

  Jiro runs over to a bicycle rack, pulling off the first bicycle he sees and wheeling it toward the front door. Paul the Polar Bear hops into the bicycle�
��s front basket, Bad Rabbit hops onto Jiro’s right shoulder, and the ‘Oops I Pooped Myself’ baby doll hops onto his left. Jiro positions himself on the bicycle as he exits the toy store door. A gun shop catches Jiro’s eye. The other robotic toys pile onto the scooters, Big Wheels, and little bicycles as they follow the boy in a horde.

  Jiro peddles desperately with Paul the Polar Bear holding onto the basket from inside. Jiro gasps as sweat runs down his temple.

  Gunshots zip by their faces while Jiro’s hair blows in the wind.

  “Aah!” screams the baby doll from Jiro’s left shoulder.

  “Pédaler plus vite te faire foutre!” yells Bad Rabbit from Jiro’s right shoulder, his long ears blowing in the wind.

  Jiro slides the pink bicycle to a stop at the gun shop door. The toys leap to the ground. Jiro slams into the door, trying frantically to open it. He yanks it back and forth in failure. The hostile Palomin continue to fire at them.

  “Out of my way!” Paul says in a deep voice, lifting a cinder block over his white, furry head.

  “Aah!” Paul roars as he runs, crashing the block through the window.

  Jiro quickly reaches through the broken window, unlocking the door from the inside. He swings it open, and they all funnel inside. Without delay, the toys begin to arm themselves with side arms, shotguns, semiautomatic rifles, knives, and more. As the largest toy, Paul throws an assault backpack on. Tightening the shoulder straps, he clips the waist strap into place, grabs a woodland boonie, and adjusts it on his head. Bad Rabbit loads Paul’s backpack with ammunition magazines, shotgun shells, and a radio, adjusting the antenna to fit out the zipper hole.

  “Verrouillez et chargez, motherfucker,” Bad Rabbit says with a rasp, handing Paul a loaded twelve-gauge.

  With a grizzled glare, Paul cocks the shotgun. Bad Rabbit ties his ears into a knot, cocks his nine-millimeter to chamber the first round, throws on an assault vest, and fills it with magazines. Click! The baby doll flips open a switchblade.