by Magus Tor
CHAPTER SIX
Drew opened his eyes and found himself back in the safe room. As T had said, the screen was back and instructions were given. He was on his own. Drew took a deep breath and opened the door. What he saw was not what he had expected; not that he really knew what to expect.
Drew figured he would be thrown into a dark world, but as he stepped through the door of the safe room for the last time, he found himself looking at the sun. It was low in the sky, but without his bearings, Drew couldn’t tell if it was sunrise or sunset. He turned back to close the door only to find that the door was gone; in its place stood a tall oak tree. Stepping back towards the tree, Drew tried to figure out exactly where he was.
Near the tree, Drew saw a narrow blacktop path no wider than his arm-span. Leary about stepping out into the open, he followed the direction of the path from the safety of the trees and shrubs alongside it. It curved to the right and from the cover of the shrubs Drew could see that it led to a fenced area. He crept slowly towards the iron bars to get a closer look. That looks like an animal enclosure. I’m at the zoo! Drew knew he had to find his way out of the zoo so that he could try to find Max at the library.
The path led around the enclosure, but now Drew would have to expose himself because there were no trees on the other side of the path. He stepped out into the light of what now appeared to be a setting sun. Instantly he heard the gunfire. Running as fast as he can and staying low, Drew reached the other side of the enclosure. He ducked behind a garbage can and listened. The gun shots had stopped, but he could hear footsteps coming closer. He readied his gun, peeked around the can and fired on the person. He went down fast. Drew thought it best to get out of there; it was likely that others heard the shots and wouldn’t be far behind.
Drew grabbed the man’s gun, checked him for other weapons and ammo, and then took off down the path. After a couple of slight twists and turns he came to a fork in the path. Looking to his left, Drew could see buildings through a stone and iron archway. That’s gotta lead me out of here, Drew thought to himself. He took the left turn and headed towards the exit. While running, he tucked his new gun in his waistband and kept his firearm in his right hand. Drew hated having to look over his shoulder, but in this game, that’s all he seemed to do.
The exit led Drew to a wide street filled with empty cars and abandoned city busses. Zig-zagging across the street, ducking low between cars to avoid being seen, he reached the other side without incident. He had no idea which way he should go, but he could hear voices nearby. With nowhere to truly conceal himself, Drew was forced to walk along the side of a building where shadows were his only real cover. The voices were getting closer, and as he reached the end of the building, he found himself at an alley. He peeked his head around the corner and saw a group of men, and one really large figure. It was almost as if he were watching a sci-fi movie because the largest of the men was robot-like and stood about 3 feet taller than the others.
Drew couldn’t hear what was being said, but as he stood there he wondered who these people were. Just as Drew decided it was better to be safe and head back in the other direction, the “robot” lifted his head and saw him. He lifted his metal clad arm over the heads of the other men and let out a roar of machine gun fire. The others turned and started towards Drew.
Drew turned and ran, not thinking about any other people he may encounter; he just needed to get away from this thing and its men. He rounded the corner and headed to the next street where he turned right. As he ran, he could see a huge, old building with a giant set of stairs that led to a bank of doors. He was determined to make it to this building and he had no idea why. It would be risky because the stairs offered no cover, but he felt that once inside, he would be safe.
Crossing the street and ducking behind an abandoned police car, Drew could see the group of men rounding the corner. They stopped and looked around. Hearing the frustration in their voices as they tried to figure out where he went, Drew knew that he was safe for now. He stayed in that spot, watching all around him, until the group was out of sight.
He couldn’t understand why this city was so empty and lifeless. Where had all of the people gone, and why did they leave their cars behind? Thankful that he at least had the cars as protection, he began to creep along them until he reached the stairs. Drew paused. In all his time as an agent, he never felt truly scared. Now, scared was an understatement. He was going to have to expose himself again as he ran up the stairs. He took a deep breath, held a gun in each hand and went for it.
When he reached the top of the stairs and barreled through one set of double doors, he realized that nobody had seen him; or at least nobody had fired on him. Looking around, Drew realized why he was so drawn to the building. An information desk sat directly in front of him, and behind that sat banks and banks of bookshelves. He had made it to the library. He had never realized it before, but the smell of the old books had a comforting effect.
Knowing that he had to get away from the openness of the entrance, Drew dipped into the main room of the library and found the directory on the back counter of the reception area. He found the children’s section on the map and slowly worked his way there, watching every corner of the areas he passed through. Drew knows better than to get comfortable with his surroundings.
The sun had set low enough that only a small amount of residual light was shining through the narrow windows at the top of the two-story high walls. He knew he had to make his way quickly or the darkness would take over. Drew passed through a few sections of the library before coming to the children’s area. He panned the room, looking for the cardboard playhouse; the one where T had found Max weeks ago.
There it is! Drew’s inner excitement diminished when he reached the playhouse and found that Max was nowhere in sight. He moved behind the playhouse and crouched low. I will just have to wait for a bit and see if she shows up. Just as Drew finished his thought, a shot rang out and the plaster next to Drew’s head exploded into a million pieces. Trapped behind the house with nowhere to go, Drew lifted his gun and shot into the darkness surrounding him. What he heard next chilled him to his core.
I know that voice. I…Drew stopped mid thought and slid along the floor over to where the soft groaning was coming from. Lying on the floor in front of him he could barely make out the face. He had shot Max.
“Max? Oh, my God, I am so sorry,” Drew said as he tried to find the wound.
“I shot at you first, Drew. I didn’t know it was you.”
“You’re gonna be fine, just hold on.” Drew’s voice sounded desperate as he tried to save Max.
“It’s no use, I won’t make it. Take my gun. I don’t know where I will wind up, but we will see each other again. I always come back here.” As her voice trailed off, Drew’s heart sank. He did as he was told, and also took her flashlight. His only hope was to find T. Being alone out here was crazy.
Before Drew left, he tucked her body into the cardboard playhouse, not wanting to just leave her out in the open. He had no clue how long it would take for her to re-enter the game, and he didn’t feel right walking away. Knowing he had no choice, he moved back through the library, but took a back exit to avoid the openness of the main entry and staircase.
Now darkness had completely fallen, leaving everything in shadows. The streetlights flickered, but never stayed completely on. As Drew worked his way down the alley, he knew he would have to be more aggressive if he planned to get anywhere on his own. Guns in both hands, Drew looked over his shoulder one last time and then walked the half block to the next street. Looking both ways, he decided that going left was his best option.
The street was completely deserted, or so he thought. He continued walking past a row of small shops and cafés. As he reached the end of the block, all hell broke loose. Shots rang out and it sounded as if Drew was in a war. Drew began to fire back, not really knowing who or where he was shooting. It was then that the streetlights flickered enough for him to see the robot. He had no time to th
ink. Instantly he felt a searing heat rip through is torso, just above his left hip, then another just below his left shoulder. Darkness spread over him and he slowly grew cold. For a brief moment, he was able to open his eyes. Standing over him was the robot. Drew saw a flash, but silence was all he heard.
***
Drew opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing seemed familiar. He sat up, rubbed his eyes with his hands and took another look around. He was no longer outside, but couldn’t quite figure out where he was. Pulling himself to his feet, he realized that he wasn’t alone. The faint light from the window was just enough to allow Drew to see a hand reach out to him and hand him a gun. The man stepped closer to the light and Drew could see that it was T.
“Thank God!” Drew had never been happier to see somebody than he was at that moment. “How did I get here?”
“It’s the game, man. You never know where you will wind up.” T’s response was more casual than normal. It was almost as if T was more comfortable in the game than out of it.
“How did you find me?”
“I was already here when you appeared. You got lucky. If I had been anybody else, you would have been dead again!”
“I killed her. I found Max, but I killed her. She shot at me not knowing who I was and I shot back. I didn’t mean to kill her.” Drew was on the verge of a total breakdown.
“Drew, it’s okay. I’m sure you didn’t know. She has enough lives, she’ll be fine.”
“It just doesn’t seem right. I shouldn’t have left her there.”
“Drew, really, there was nothing you could do. She would have vanished anyway. It’s just how this game goes. We have to get out of here. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this game, it’s that you can’t stay in one place too long.”
Drew closed his eyes, hoping to gain a little clarity, and get his mind back to where it needed to be.
*****
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Drew opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the darkness, but in the soft light of the morning sun shining through his bedroom window. He sat up and looked around. It all seems so real, he thought to himself as he tried to shake the dream from his mind. He had to get ready for work quickly so he could make it to The Bean with enough time to sit and have his coffee. He desperately wanted Max to be there. He had to be sure she was okay and that she understood why he shot her.
Getting out of bed, Drew tapped the button on his alarm clock to turn it off. He then showered in record time, dressed and was out the door, almost running to the coffee shop. As he walked in, Adam looked his way and said, “Man! You just missed Max. She asked about you and stuck around, but had to get to school.”
“Damn. Thanks, Adam. I’ll have the usual.” Drew waited for his coffee and then sat on the couch. Well, at least she was here and was looking for me. Should have gotten her number, dummy, then you could’ve called her. Drew could’ve kicked himself.
After watching people walk by, all looking like he felt, he dragged himself to the door and aimed himself towards the “L” platform. There he was greeted by a swath of other people, all with the same unexcited look on their faces. Work was never exciting, and usually the days all seemed to drag. Drew was convinced that this day would be no different.
When he got to his desk, there was a pink slip of paper on his desk. It was a message that the service had taken overnight. Oddly, there was no name or number, just the time the call came in and the message, “Missed you once, got you once. I’ll try again later.” That’s weird. Drew couldn’t figure out who would leave such a strange message. Obviously it was someone he had talked to recently, but who? He’d talked to so many people. That is his job, after all, talking to people. Putting the message aside, he went about his day.
***
As Drew’s day at work wound down to a close, he found himself thinking about Max. He decided that he would stop in at the coffee house on his way home and pick up a couple of croissants, hoping he would bump into her. Drew cleaned up his desk, unplugged his headset and tucked it into his drawer and headed for the “L”.
Usually Drew passed his time watching the people taking the train ride with him, but today he found himself in a haze, constantly thinking about the dream and Max. When his stop was announced he bolted out of his seat and headed for the platform. It never fails, when someone is in a hurry, that’s when everyone else seems to move in slow motion. Drew grew frustrated with the others on the staircase, taking their time reaching the street below.
Once able to maneuver past the last of the people in front of him, Drew headed for The Bean. When he entered, he quickly scanned the faces and realized that Max wasn’t there. Drew saw Adam waving him over and stepped past the people in line and made his way to the opposite end of the counter.
“Max was looking for you again,” Adam started. “She left this for you.” Adam handed Drew a folded napkin.
Before looking at it, Drew asked Adam for two croissants. Unfolding the napkin, Drew read the quick note she had written: Drew, Sorry we keep missing each other. Give me a call. Talk to you soon, M. Her phone number followed the note, and smiley face followed the number. At least she isn’t mad at me! Drew thought to himself.
“Here’s your croissants, no charge,” Adam said and handed Drew a white paper bag.
“Thanks, man. See ya tomorrow.” With that, Drew headed home.
Once inside, Drew decided to make himself a couple of turkey sandwiches on the pastries he had just picked up. After changing, he sat on the couch, phone in one hand and a diet soda in the other. He dialed Max’s number, put the phone on speaker and set it on the table.
“Hello?” Max answered on the first ring. Drew could hear in her voice that she was anxiously awaiting his call.
“Hey, Max. You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling much better now.” It was almost as if she was worried about something.
“I am really sorry, Max.” Drew didn’t know what else to say.
“Drew, it’s part of the game. I didn’t know it was you. I was so glad I didn’t hit you. It wasn’t your fault.”
“But,” Drew started, but Max quickly interrupted.
“Shhh. You had no way of knowing. It’s over, let’s just forget about it. I am just fine.”
“Somehow it’s just not that easy for me. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“Really, I’m fine. It’s okay.”
“Okay.” Drew wasn’t sure he could just forget shooting and killing her like that, but he said okay anyway.
Changing the subject, Max asked, “So, how was your day?”
“Long and boring, yours?”
“My days are never boring being a kindergarten teacher,” Max chuckled as she answered.
“I would imagine not.” Drew had a hard time with small talk. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“Drew, I just wanted to make sure you were okay and wanted to let you know there were no hard feelings.”
“Thank you. I feel horrible, but now that I know everything is alright, I do feel a little better.”
“I have some work to do right now, but hopefully we’ll run into each other in the game. If you come to the library to look for me, check behind the information counter. I’ll leave something for you,” Max said softly but with purpose.
“Okay, will do. Have a nice evening.”
“You, too, Drew. Bye.”
“Bye,” Drew replied and they both hung up. Feeling a bit relieved, Drew sat back on the couch, let out a sigh of relief and then set his sights on the two turkey sandwiches in front of him.
After watching the news and eating his dinner, Drew decided to go up on the roof. He had heard some noises up there and had a feeling that the cat from the apartment next door was back. When he reached the top of the steps, Drew turned on the long string of lights and sure enough, that cat was lounging on his chair. Shooing the cat, he walked over to the edge of the roof and looked towards the lake. The sun was setting behind him and it c
ast a soft glow across the water. He could see a couple of sailboats in the distance.
Enjoying the view, Drew dragged over one of the chairs and flipped off the lights. He sat down and set his feet on the foot tall ledge that lined all four sides of the roof. As he sat there, he could see boats coming and going from the harbor. It was a relaxing sight. As the sun set deeper, the sky gradually turned dark. The lights of the boats on the lake started to twinkle like the stars in the sky above. Drew found himself wondering why he didn’t come up here more often. Maybe it’s because up until now the weather had been frigidly cold! Drew shuddered at the thought of the cold winter air.
After sitting for what felt like maybe half an hour, Drew looked at his watch and found that he had been up there for almost two hours. He took one last look at the lake as he stood up, and then turned to go back down the stairs. He went back inside and decided to do some sit-ups and pushups before bed. After his exercising, he grabbed a quick shower and then turned everything off. The air coming through his open bedroom window was much cooler than the last couple of nights, so he closed and locked the window and made his way over to his bed.
Checking the alarm clock, he decided to not get up so early tomorrow and reset it for a later time. He sat on the edge of the bed and found himself almost dreading going to sleep. The dream seemed cool at the beginning, but this game he was a part of was getting more real than he cared for. Nevertheless, he lay back on his pillow, pulled up the sheet and closed his eyes.
***
When Drew opened his eyes, he wasn’t surprised to find himself back in the game. He was, however, surprised to find himself sitting in the street with his back against the tire of an abandoned car. He knew he had to act quickly or he would be shot before he could even get to his feet. Crawling around to the back of the car, he slowly stood, looking around to get his bearings. He didn’t recognize any of the buildings that he saw.
Using his training, Drew deduced that, since there was faint light in one direction and the temperature was cooler than it should be around sunset, the sun was beginning to rise. With that information, he was able to point himself toward the light and move east. Hoping that the city in the dream was Chicago, he was under the impression that he would make it to the lake. After walking and crouching and dodging bullets, he realized that moving east wouldn’t bring him to the lake. He shuddered at the thought that he was no longer in Chicago. At least there he knew where a few things were, but here he had no idea and that made him uneasy.