“Yeah, something like that,” I groaned as rubbed my sore leg. “But I won’t be trying that again anytime soon.”
This room was slightly different than the last. Two beds were positioned on opposite sides of the room, next to matching desks that looked like they were falling apart. In the center of the room, between the beds, was a huge pile of clothing, taking up almost half the room. We rummaged through this pile, seeking anything of use. We had only begun our search when the pile began to move. We jumped back and Cora readied her gun.
The clothes shifted and we saw a humanoid figure rise up from the ground. Mark aimed his light, and we saw a young man, no older than us, kneeling there in the middle of the room. He had a youthful face, and black, disheveled hair. He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves ripped at the elbow and tattered blue jeans.
“Um, who are you?” I asked nervously.
He raised his hand over his face to shield himself from the light, and Mark responded by dimming it.
“I-I’m Isaac,” the boy responded. “I don’t-I don’t remember where I am.” His eyes were half closed, and he spoke in a groggy voice.
“You’re in Philadelphia,” I answered. “Your Sanctuary was attacked.”
“Does the word ‘anarchist’ mean anything to you?” Cora asked. I wondered why she didn’t just read his mind, and figured perhaps his amnesia was making it harder to do so.
“I remember a group of these raiders attacking my home,” he said, starting to remember. “But they’re gone now…”
His voice trailed off, as if he was trying to remember something. He pondered for a moment before getting a worried look on his face.
“We need to get out of here,” he warned. “The air…it’s not safe.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Those things, the Hollows, they got sick from the air.”
“Neogens are immune, Isaac.”
“Are there Hollows here?” Cora asked.
“They’re in the rooms. In all these hallways,” he said solemnly. “And I’m not even sure I’m immune. It’s been sometime since my last vaccination.”
“Why would you need a vaccination?”
He hesitated. “I’d feel a lot better talking on the way out.”
Agreeing with his proposal, we walked out of the room. Just as we were all back in the hallway, we heard a low rumble. Creaks and cracks came from the stairwell, and after a few seconds we heard a crash, followed by a cloud of dust that erupted from where the stairs used to be.
“Of course that would happen,” I said, exasperated.
“It’s fine, we can go through this hall until we reach the next staircase,” Cora suggested.
Isaac took a step back. “No, you go without me, I’m not risking going through that.”
“Do you see this robot?” I said, pointing at Mark. “He’ll warn us at the first hint of danger, so nothing can surprise us.”
“Besides, you’re a Neogen, right?” Cora asked. “Don’t you have a power?”
He looked down, and shook his head. “I don’t have any special abilities, and as far as I know I’m the only Neogen like that. That’s why I don’t know if I’m immune to the virus. That’s why I get vaccinated with the Parents.”
I felt truly sorry for him, and could empathize with his fear. If I didn’t have my power I would almost never feel safe. Cora must’ve thought the same thing because she activated her shield and handed her gun to Isaac.
“You’re going to be just fine,” she said.
He was only slightly reassured, but hesitantly agreed in the end. We walked back past the stairwell, taking care not to cause more damage or risk falling through the floor. As we advanced through the next hallway, I began to feel light-headed. Maybe it was the specks of dust that I was inhaling, or maybe I was just tired. I glanced at Cora, whose eyes were drooping slightly, and I worried she was suffering from the same affliction. Isaac, on the other hand, looked relatively normal. It was uncertain how long he had survived here but it must’ve been at least a few days. Speculation became difficult as my vision got foggy, and it became harder to breath.
Gradually, I heard moaning and scratching coming from all the rooms in the hallway. I tried to ignore it, but noticed that Isaac’s hands were shaking. I prayed he wouldn’t accidentally shoot one of us.
We were halfway down the hall when the moaning got louder. Cora looked exhausted and I felt the same way. Mark was floating next to a door, trying to get a reading.
“Are those…Hollows?” I asked in a whisper.
“People. They were once people like you and me. But now they’re these mindless creatures. I’m starting to remember…” Isaac spoke quietly.
“I cannot get a reading,” Mark said, sounding worried. “Audibly, yes, there is something behind these doors. But I detect no living beings.”
The scratching and crying was maddening. Hollows weren’t known to be violent, but the noises they made were quite discomforting. I was so tired, but I forced myself to move faster. Fresh air was all I needed. One breath of fresh air and it would all be over.
Just as we reached the next set of stairs, I heard the familiar sound of a creaking door. And then another, followed by a few more. I assumed they’d been attracted to our footsteps, and had begun wandering into the hallway. I saw dark figures appear in front of us as well.
“Just…ignore them,” I said between breaths. “They wo…won’t hurt you.”
We shoved slowly past the wandering Hollows, trying not to look at their blank, withered faces. I kept my head down as we walked and attempted to block out the sound of their dull moaning. After what seemed like hours in this claustrophobic nightmare, we finally reached the stairwell. Fortunately, the air wasn’t as dense here, and we rushed to the ground floor. Isaac swung open the door, and the slammed it shut once we were all out. I took in a huge breath of air, and felt my heartbeat normalize. Reinvigorated by the natural atmosphere, I turned to see if the others were alright. We took a few minutes to relax and catch our breath.
A noise from inside distracted us, and I turned to see a Hollow push through the door and meander out in the sunlight. His skin was gray and covered in scratches, and his lifeless eyes remained fixed on the ground. Isaac, startled by the Hollow’s sudden appearance, fired his gun into the creature’s chest. It staggered, but did not fall. Then, a final gunshot to the head finally put the Hollow down, but it did not come from Isaac’s gun. We looked out towards the grass to see the others approaching with Aaron in front, weapon drawn.
“Mindless as they may be, they’re drawn to certain stimuli,” Cora said.
The sound of more stumbling footsteps from the stairwell caused us to instinctively move away from the door.
“We shouldn’t leave them like this,” I said.
“I agree,” Aaron said, raising his gun. “Back away from the door. Let’s put these things out of their misery.”
We had just stepped behind the others when the gunshots erupted. I saw the creatures fall, one by one, in a storm of bullets and a peculiar flurry of white metal that I could only assume was Rachel’ Quantum Orb. After a minute of this bloody display, the door slowly swung shut again. Aaron and Lynn lowered their guns, and Rachel retrieved her Orb.
“Who’s the new guy?” Aaron asked.
“This is Isaac, he hates anarchists, and he’s a Neogen with no power.”
“Good, great, and sorry to hear it, friend,” Aaron replied.
“Are you sure?” Rachel asked skeptically. “Maybe it’s just something you haven’t discovered yet.”
“I’m doubtful,” Isaac replied. “But I’ve gotten over it.”
“Do you remember what you were doing here?” I asked hopefully.
“I think so,” he began. “I was in my room when I heard gunfire from the yard. Our Sanctuary had been overrun by what you call ‘anarchists’. They killed almost all the Neogens and Parents, leaving their bodies in those rooms. I survived the firefight and stayed
alive by locking the door and hiding. The next day I think one of their scouts reported a Titan wandering around the city. They didn’t want to risk a battle, so they just left us here.”
“Before the attack,” Cora began, “did two people visit your Sanctuary? A man and woman?”
“Maybe…I don’t know, my memory is still a little hazy. I’m sorry.”
It’s OK,” Cora seemed hopeful, and continued her line of questioning. “So how did everyone get infected? And how did you survive?” Cora questioned.
“I don’t know. No one had been vaccinated for a few months, and I suppose the virus interacts strangely with people who are already dead. All I can say is that no sooner had the anarchists left did I begin to hear strange noises in the other rooms. But I was too scared to leave. I never felt sick myself, but I guess the stuffy air made me fall unconscious. Next thing I remember is waking up to see you guys.”
“That’s how the virus works,” Cora said. “It kills you, everything shuts down…except that one part of the brain that tells you you’re still alive.”
“But how?” Isaac asked.
“No one knows,” I answered. “The cure is based on our natural immunity, not actual knowledge of the virus.”
“Well regardless, I don’t think it’s safe here. Not with that Titan wandering about.”
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Lynn said quietly.
“What?” Isaac asked innocently.
“We were attacked,” she answered. “Our friend…my best friend…she killed it.”
“Whoa, what kind of power does she have? Where is she?”
“She’s a pyro-” Lynn stopped herself. “Doesn’t matter. She didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Isaac said, his curiosity turning to sympathy.
“What I don’t understand is how Cora and I were affected so adversely.”
“Might’ve just been the lack of oxygen,” she replied. “Aaron, did you guys come across the same thing?”
This whole time, Aaron was staring intently at Isaac, examining him and trying to read his personality.
“Aaron?” she repeated.
He took a deep breath. “I think… I know what power our friend Isaac has.” Then he raised his airgun, pointed it at Isaac’s chest, and pulled the trigger.
“WAIT!” we all yelled.
But it was too late. Isaac staggered backwards but wasn’t knocked down. Blood poured from the wound, and Isaac’s face went pale. However, just as I expected him to fall, the wound stopped bleeding. Isaac blinked, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened. Color returned to his face, and we were all shocked to see no wound over Isaac’s heart, but a perfectly clear patch of skin underneath a ripped shirt.
“Regeneration. That’s a new one,” Aaron said casually.
“ARE YOU INSANE?!” Cora yelled. “You could’ve killed him!”
“Oh, give me some credit,” Aaron pointed at a spot on Isaac’s shirt, several inches below the gunshot wound. There was another hole ripped through it, and another light patch of skin in that exact location. Then Aaron lifted Isaac’s left arm and revealed two more. “He was already shot. When he seemed unbothered by it for such a long while, my suspicions were confirmed.”
We were speechless, and I was actually impressed. It was ironic that the one person most frightened of the Demons and Hollows was the one person who could not be harmed. That’s how he must’ve survived the virus. It couldn’t kill him so the exposure simply put him to sleep and gave him amnesia.
“That does explain some things,” Isaac said. “When I was younger, every time I got a really bad cut or something, I wouldn’t feel it. Someone would point it out, we’d put a bandage on it, and a couple days later there’d be nothing but a faint scar.”
“So while all the other kids were playing with superpowers,” Rachel wondered. “You didn’t feel pain and your wounds healed faster than normal. That didn’t give you any hints?”
“I…well, no,” he answered sheepishly. “Guess I needed to die to find out I couldn’t.”
“Well, congratulations!” Lynn said half-heartedly. “Now, do you think you could tell us where the anarchists went?”
“Oh, um,” Isaac was flustered by her directness. “I heard some of them talking about going somewhere coastal.”
“Somewhere coastal?” Lynn repeated irritatedly. “That’s specific.”
Isaac racked his brain for a moment, and fortunately his memory served him well this time. “Oh, I know! Does ‘Cape Henlopen’ mean anything to you? I believe it’s south of here.”
Rachel pulled out her map and followed the coastline with her finger. “Here it is.”
She pointed at a small, sandy section of land jutting out from the continent. By the looks of it, there was a medium-sized town near the beach, adjacent to a collection of fields.
“It’s almost completely surrounded by water so it’s easily defendable,” Cora commented.
“And they can catch food from the sea and farm these nearby fields,” I added.
“But where’s the Sanctuary? There’s just sand here,” Aelia pointed out.
“Maybe it’s in the town?” Cora guessed.
“Or perhaps it’s underground,” Mark suggested.
“In either case, we can go back down the Delaware River, it’s a pretty direct route,” Aaron said.
Rachel let out a heavy sigh, realizing she would have to create and operate another boat. Just before turning to leave, we heard soft banging on the nearby door, followed by a familiar moaning.
“More Hollows,” Aaron said, raising his airgun. “Don’t worry, it sounds like only a couple of them.”
The door slowly creaked open, and sure enough, two Hollows walked into the sunlight. Aaron took aim, but was interrupted when Cora put her hand on the barrel of the weapon. We all stared at her, confused. But then I saw a look on her face that told me she knew exactly who they were. It was a man and a woman, both with wrinkly, pale skin and tattered clothing. The man’s eyes were a dull yellow color, and his mouth hung open, revealing rows of chipped teeth. The woman’s long, black hair was messily tied into a ponytail, but her blue eyes were all too familiar. Aaron lowered his gun and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Cora, I’m-”
“It’s OK,” she replied quickly. “It’s OK.”
The Hollows were squirming in the sunlight, unaware of our presence, but still advancing towards us. Cora took a deep breath and calmly took the gun from Isaac. We took a few steps back as she aimed. It didn’t feel right witnessing what was about to happen, so I looked down and shut my eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, I jumped when I heard the gunshots followed by the sound of two bodies hitting the ground. Then I heard a final thud as the gun landed on the grass. I opened my eyes to see Lynn’s arm around Cora, leading her away.
Chapter 10
Rachel advanced forward with the map, leading us to the river. Aaron and Mark went ahead as well, scanning the area. Lynn and Cora walked together behind me, talking quietly. I was much more wary than I had been before the Titan. I kept imagining that all these buildings were filled with Demons, and should they be disturbed, we wouldn’t make it out of the city. I wasn’t used to being constantly worried about an attack, it didn’t seem so real until we lost Aelia.
“We’re almost there,” Rachel said. “The river is only a mile away.”
I turned to make sure Lynn and Cora heard, and they nodded solemnly. When I turned back, Aaron had stopped was focusing intently on the ground a few meters ahead of us.
“Mark, do you have a reading?” I asked.
“Nothing. But I believe Aaron sees something.”
“Yeah, I’ve started to see through solid structures if I focus hard enough and…I think there’s something ahead.”
We all stopped and looked nervously down the street.
“Mark, do you sense anything?” I asked again.
“Sorry, I see nothing.”<
br />
“What is it exactly?” Isaac asked.
“I don’t know…there’s like this shifting just below the ground…there,” he pointed, “In the center of the intersection.”
“Well let’s hope your eyesight improves by the time we get there,” Rachel said.
We all hoped Aaron was mistaken, and continued forward. I found myself wondering about the times before the war. How our Parents would’ve been in a similar situation, except above them would be thousands of portals, releasing endless waves of Demons. Their survival was a miracle to me, and I couldn't imagine the relief they must’ve felt when the portals finally closed. I then remembered something Mark said back at Sanctuary about how the Eltechs were partly responsible for the end of the war. I had no idea what kind of weapon or device they used to accomplish this. I told myself I’d ask Cora once this was all over.
I was then startled by a cat that scurried by me towards the front of the group. It took me a moment to realize that it was Lynn. Moments later, Cora walked up next to me, and I realized my questions might be answered sooner than I thought.
“Listen, I know what you’re thinking,” she said calmly.
“I wasn’t gonna say anything.”
“It’s fine. I know you're curious, I’m a scientist too. When we don’t know something, we find out.”
“Glad you understand, but you don’t have to - “
“I know. And I won’t. Not yet.”
“Hey, you two,” Aaron whispered. “Keep it down.”
I turned back to her. “Look, I trust you. I haven’t known you all that long but I do. You don’t have to tell me anything now, but if it’s something that’ll affect us in the future, I’ll want to know.”
“I understand. And you will. For now, let’s just focus on making it out of here alive.”
“Agreed.”
We were almost out of the city and I could see the river in the distance. Evening had fallen, and the orange sky rested above the horizon. A strong gust of wind flew in from the south, carrying a foul odor with it. Strange noises emanated all around us and we found ourselves walking a little faster.
“It’s almost dark, friends. The Demons will become more active soon,” Aaron warned.
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