“Maybe someone is there, taking care of them. We can’t be the only ones left, right?” Silas questioned.
I regarded at the cows for a long time and contemplated if we should go to the farmhouse. I decided not to take any chances. The late afternoon sun continued to descend. We drove past the farm and pulled into the garage. The sun made its last appearance of the day. We sat and waited for the garage doors to close completely before exiting the truck. I grabbed a couple bags and I directed Silas to do the same. We headed into the basement. I hesitated for a moment before opening the secret entrance into the bunker. Silas stared in amazement as he followed me into my underground sanctuary.
“This is incredible and scary! Your family has a bunker in their basement. This is so weird and cool all at the same time.”
“Yeah, I know right! My dad was, I mean is, always talking and planning for the end of the world. I always thought he was crazy. I didn’t pay much into his theories and crazy ideas. I wish he was here now, all his hard work and for what? I know he must be out there somewhere. I can’t help but wonder if he is one of the screamers now.” I flopped onto the couch after dropping the bags of supplies on the table. I fought back tears, refusing to be weak in front of some guy I hardly know.
“I’m sure even though he isn’t here he would be happy knowing you are safe,” Silas replied.
“Yeah, I guess you are right,” I said.
“Do you mind if I get cleaned up?” Silas asked glancing around the bunker for a bathroom.
I pointed to the door of the bathroom and watched him disappear. My head raced with hundreds of thoughts. I stood and decided to
prepare dinner. I put away the supplies while water boiled on the stove. I added linguini to the boiling water and opened a can of spaghetti sauce.
I set two plates, cups, forks and spoons on the table. Silas walked out of the bathroom in time to sit at the table. We sat in silence with an occasional fork scraping food against a plate. I glanced up and met his eyes. He was staring at me. I felt my face redden and warm before quickly looking away. For the briefest moment in time I forgot the monsters roaming outside and that the world was different.
Silas had shaved away the hairs that had hidden his face. His dark hair washed. He put on one of my fathers white t shirts. I felt tempted to reach across the table and touch his face. I decided against it, bringing myself back to the moment. I picked up my cup and consumed the cool water. The water felt refreshing and quenched my thirst.
“Layla what are we going to do? I need to go home and check on my family. What if they are looking for me?”
“You can’t go to the city tonight. It is overrun with the screamers and there isn’t enough hours in the day to make it there and back,” I explained with more force than I intended.
“Do you plan on staying in the bunker for the rest of your life? We need to search for people and find out what is happening out there,” Silas snapped.
“Yes, I can stay here forever if need be. It is why my dad built this place, it is safe here. Are you forgetting the screamers attacked us. I don’t think they were trying to cuddle and kiss us. They would have killed us, we barely escaped,” I hissed.
Silas looked down at his plate defeated.
“I don’t know what has happened to everyone. I’m scared. Something odd has happened to me. Ever since I woke up in the jail cell I feel different.”
The air in the room seemed to fade away, I could feel his pain, worry and fears. My appetite dissipated as thoughts of the screamers and my parents filled my mind. I wanted to believe that everything would be ok but deep down I knew nothing was ok. I knew I was different now too. The question was how were we different?
Day 18:
A week had gone by since Silas came to the bunker. Things settled into a quiet but grave routine. There were so many words I wanted to say to him but I found them locked inside my head. The past few nights I felt restless. I wanted to go outside and breath in the night air. Knowing it wasn’t safe only made me want to do it more. I wrapped myself tightly under my blankets and drifted off to sleep. Sleep had become something I dreaded. My dreams were filled with ear piercing screams. There were people everywhere, they begged me to help them. They were telling me to go and find them, they needed me. I had to hurry. I felt terrified, I tried to get away from their reaching hands. I woke each time in a cold sweat with a desperate need for water each night I tiptoed out of the bedroom and hurriedly consumed a gallon of water. I felt like I was doing something sneaky. The water quenched my desperate need and was like a drug I couldn’t get enough of. I noticed Silas had the same need for water. We were consuming less food and more water as the days passed. I had no desire for the foods I once craved, my taste buds were happy with water but nothing else. I couldn’t taste the creamy milk chocolate bars I once adored. I wondered if it had something to do with the sickness.
I decided I would speak with Silas in the morning. We needed to make another trip into town for more water. At the rate we are consuming it, we would run out much sooner then I had calculated. We had water from the well but I worried it wouldn’t last. I climbed back into bed and tried not to think about anything else, at least not for a few more hours.
Day 19:
The sun was a joyful sight. I exited the house and entered the backyard. I followed Silas and watched him plop into a patio chair. I did the same and sat directly across from him. He glanced at me for a moment and then looked away at the open fields. Reverently I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when Silas beat me to the line.
“I have to go and search for my parents. Maybe I’ll find other survivors too. I’m grateful for everything you have done but I feel something inside me, pulling at me. It is powerful and I need to go find out what is happening. You could come with me, if you wanted to.”
“I understand you want to find your family. I want to find mine too but the screamers are out there. They are fast, strong and we can’t fight or outrun them. I don’t want to be anywhere near them again, you’ve seen the screamers! You know what they can do, what they want to do to us!” I sputtered off alarm in my voice.
“I felt an energy come over me in the truck and I let off some kind of light, it made them all go away. If I can figure out how to do it again then they won’t be able to get us. I can keep us safe, we won’t have to hide away in the bunker. We can leave and see if there are others out there,” Silas said warmly, hope edged around his words.
“We don’t know how you did the light thing or if it can be done again. I know we are different now. What I don’t know is how we are different. We aren’t like the night screamers and we aren’t like we used to be. I noticed we both have a strong desire for water. We aren’t eating much food anymore. I don’t think we need it,” I replied.
“We could leave at sun up,” Silas suggested.
“There aren’t enough daylight hours to get to the city, search, then find somewhere to hide for the night. It isn’t possible, we will be killed by the screamers,” I quaked.
“I understand you are scared,” Silas stated.
“No. I am not scared of the screamers. I am petrified of them. There is a big difference. I am scared of sharks and snakes. I am horrified that the screamers are going to tear me to shreds and eat me, all while I am alive and watching. They smell awful and look repulsive. I am perfectly safe in the bunker and have almost everything I need. If you want to go and get yourself killed, feel free to do so without me.”
I knew I was being a bit dramatic but the screamers were worse than any nightmare I could have imagined.
I watched Silas’ face change from determined to disappointed. I felt disappointed too, disappointed in myself for being weak and terrified. He was going to leave, go search for his family and here I was hiding away in the safety of my home. I wanted to make him stay with me because the only thing that truly scared me more then the screamers was the thought of being alone.
Silas stood and started to walk toward the f
ield away from the house and away from me. I stood and followed behind him. We walked for what seemed to be quite some time. Every time the sun disappeared behind a cloud I found myself searching all around, making sure nothing was going to get us. I knew I was overreacting but I felt on edge, exposed in the open field. Something didn’t feel right about this place and then it hit me. My mind was flooded with memories or perhaps a dream. Everything felt mixed together. I had been in this field before. It was the field I stood in when the ground turned to fire and I sank into the flames of eternal hell. I felt a cold sweat cover my skin. I stood still and looked at the ground, waited for the fire. Waited for the pain, but nothing happened. It was then I realized Silas was shaking my arm and speaking to me. His words slowly gained access to my ears. I focused in on his face. His beautiful dark eyes were staring into mine. True concern for my well being spread across his face.
“Are you ok? You are crying? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said.
“I was here when I became sick. At least I think I was here or maybe it was a dream but it felt real,” I stated, feeling alarmed.
Silas put his hand on my cheek and wiped away a tear that froze in place halfway down my face. The moment his finger touched my skin I felt an electric shock. A bright light shot out of his hand, throwing me back many feet. I hit the ground hard. An incredible and astonishing energy ran through every ounce of my being. I was laying on my back, twenty to thirty feet from him. I got to my feet and noticed I was illuminating light from my hands, arms and chest. It was bright like the sun on an August afternoon. The light did not blind my eyes or hurt me. I felt incredible. It was the best feeling in the world. I inspected the light coming out of my hands and shook them fervently. It reminded me of the fourth of July my dad would let me use sparklers once the sun set. I moved my hands in little circles and then made bigger ones.
I glanced in the direction of where Silas was. He was laying on the ground and he was moving his body in a strange way. When I approached I saw he was convulsing uncontrollably. I ran the remaining distance to him and dropped to his side. The sight of him was haunting, his whole body shook and he looked as though he was trying to scream but nothing escaped his lips. I was on my knees next to him and felt completely helpless, I didn’t know what to do; tears poured down my face. I wiped them away and noticed the light was still shining brightly within me. I saw Silas’ skin turn an ashen grey color. I backed away a bit and tried with all my might to clear my head. I didn't know what to do. The seconds were ticking by and I watched the life drain out of him. I closed my eyes. I could feel the energy and light start to pull away from me and leave. I allowed my body to let go, the joyful bliss of the light leaving me.
I heard a voice in the far distance, quiet and clear, “This gift isn’t yours to keep, you have to give it back to him. You are going to kill him. Hurry, he is running out of time!”
I didn’t want to let go of the light, it made me feel ecstatic and alive. I knew whatever was happening to Silas was my fault and I didn’t want him to die. I allowed sadness to overtake me. The light started to fade and I felt my whole being come back to me. I was no longer alive and free. I was alive but my alive was afraid and anxious. I exhaled as the last of the light left me. My tears all gone, I dropped to the ground. I felt weak and couldn’t stand, everything in me drained away. My eyes locked on Silas, I was relieved to see him sitting up. He appeared to be himself again, color flowed back into his skin. My vision started to blur and my body felt empty, everything went black.
Day’s 25-45:
I woke up wrapped in soft blankets, the material warm against my skin. I was in the bunker bedroom. I sat up and saw through the opening in the door. I saw Silas sitting at the kitchen table. He had maps spread carelessly all over the place. I jumped out of bed and ran to him. He jumped up out of the chair in stunned surprise. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“I am so so sorry! I didn’t mean to take your light from you.”
Silas watched me like I had lost my mind.
“What are you talking about?” He asked puzzled.
“In the field you touched my face, then I took your light from you. It was incredible but I think if I didn’t give it back to you, you would have died.”
“Wait. What?” Silas stuttered, “You collapsed in the field and I had to carry you back to the bunker. The sun was setting and I could hear the screamers. You have been out cold for days! I have been giving you water because I know we need it.”
I explained what happened and how I took his light and what had happened to him. I told him about the voice I heard and about the nightmares that were plaguing me. I told him I was frightened but I thought he might be right. There were others out there, others like him and me. I explained how they called to me in my dreams. I had been trying not to think about them because I was afraid, but now something had changed in me when he touched me. When I took his light I felt powerful and alive. I craved to hold it that very moment but didn’t want to hurt him. I fought the urge inside me and focused on what we should do moving forward.
We looked at the maps together and talked about the best routes and places we could hide out at night. We knew the world came alive at night. The problem was it came alive with the worst kind of monsters possible. If we were too close to the screamers it would mean endless hours of torture for us. We contemplated ear plugs and ways to block the screams. Another problem was the screamers were too fast to outrun. After endless hours of discussion and attempting to make a plan, we found ourselves talking in circles.
I prepared dinner but we didn’t have an appetite. Our thirst for water had become the only nutrients we needed. Any food we put in our mouths tasted foul, our throats constricted, refusing to swallow.
Silas wanted to learn how to use and control his light. He practiced over the next few days. I attempted to help him but found all I was doing was learning how to steal the light from him. Everyday it became easier for me to take it. At first, I didn’t know what I was doing then, I discovered that I could see the light in his eyes. It was hidden deep inside the pupil. Each time I took his light he would drop to the ground, convulsing. I could keep it for minutes at any given time. The more I practiced the better I became. I soon discovered I could take his light while he was sleeping. He agreed to this of course; once asleep I would take his light, he didn’t convulse while sleeping. When he woke up he was himself. Me on the other hand would drop to the floor, weak and depleted. Silas would feed me water, lots of it, the more water he gave me the faster I recovered.
One morning Silas had an idea to have me take his light by water. We needed a large body of water so we left in the truck when the sun came up and headed to the closest lake. Granite lake was only five miles away from my house. I hurriedly drove down the highway excited to try Silas’ idea. We pulled into the boat landing and exited the truck. The summer air was thick with humidity. I didn’t know the temperature outside but I guessed it was in the nineties. We walked to the edge of the water and began the experiment. I had become very good at taking Silas’ light. I took my shoes and socks off, stepped into the cool water and felt instantaneously refreshed. Silas joined me and we walked out stopping waist deep in the water.
The sun was splendid and for a moment everything felt right once again. I cherished these moments in time. I took a deep breath and reached for Silas’ light. This time when I held it he didn’t drop and convulse. He stood and watched me shine, my body let off a tiny light at first, then it expanded and the light grew. I loved the energy pulsing through me. The water made the energy stronger. Silas walked towards me, the light didn’t seem to affect him in any kind of negative way. He reached for my hand and I felt his warm hand close around mine. He had a sparkle in his eyes locked with mine the world felt perfect, nothing mattered to me except Silas. I had never had a boyfriend but the way I felt in moments like this made me want Silas to be my first. He moved inches from my face, I wanted to kiss his lips. We ea
ch moved in slightly and tenderly our lips touched, lightly and gracefully we kissed. The light grew brighter and brighter until a surge of pain shot through me. Silas must of felt it too because we pulled away from each other at the same moment. The light was in both of us, realizing we could share the light. I let the light go back to Silas fully and then I fell back into the water. Only I didn’t feel weak I felt revived, wonderful and elated. I drank the water and floated on my back. I felt water enter my ears. I never wanted to leave the water. Closing my eyes I let my mind wander freely. I sank under the water and felt Silas next to me. We splashed, played and swam the day away. We were content and distracted in the water and didn’t notice the setting sun. It was dropping fast and yet we didn’t notice.
The first scream came from far off in the distance. I didn’t realize the faint sound was a screamer. Soon more and more screams came to life as the sun completely vanished. The moon ascended in the sky and stars twinkled and danced. The screams came from every direction. The water muffled the screams. In the water Silas and I hadn’t noticed what surrounded us on the shore line.
I opened my eyes and stared at a big white ball in the sky. I knew it wasn’t the sun I was viewing, it was the moon. My eyes doubled in size at the sight before me. I bolted upright in the water and searched for Silas. His eyes were closed when I reached him, I shook him hard. He opened his eyes lazily, first looking at me unconcerned but his expression became incredulous. He glanced around frantically, the sight dire. I surveyed the area and saw screamers everywhere.
The screamers seemed to be watching us. They were in every direction the eye could see. Some were near the edge of the water but not one was in the water. There were dozens upon dozens; too many to count. We could faintly hear them screaming, somehow the water was muffling the screams. The screams were not hurting our ears, the water seemed to shield us from them. Thankful our eyes, nose, mouth and ears were blood free.
The Demise of Humanity Page 3