The End Series | Book 2 | The End: Fight For Survival

by Cage, Zion

  “You didn’t seem so independent yesterday.”

  Aaliyah rolled her eyes.

  “Is that what this is about? Well, I didn’t ask you to save me.”

  “I know. And you don’t owe me. I know you don’t appreciate it but I’m just hoping you’ll realize that we all need each other especially in these crises. Please, let me in. I just want to help.”

  Aaliyah sighed and walked around him, pulling her woolen nose mask on in the same moment. She passed through the small streets cautiously, looking for the green cross that symbolized pharmacies. Her eyes were also peeled for any abductors. She spotted a small building. It had the sign she was looking for. She frowned when she noticed the iron doors that blocked the entrance. The windows were barred. She couldn’t go through them either. She walked up to the door and looked at its lock. It was of the more complex sort - the kind that took a while to open. Luckily for her, she had some experience with doors of that sort. Her mind wandered back to her days in senior high after the incident. She had decided to hang out with a couple of Goth girls because no one in school messed with them. She had wanted to be like them: strong and intimidating. She had learned a lot from them; like how to open locks when they wanted to enter the principal’s office and change their grades; or how to fight like the wrestling stars on television. Someday, somehow, she decided to not continue with her squad. It turned out to be a great decision because they were caught and got expelled on the next scheme after she left them. She was lucky.

  She set to work on opening the lock. In ten minutes she was done. A smile lit her face as the doors swung open to let her in. She walked through and shut them so as not to be interrupted. She walked through the aisles, searching for pain killers, diabetic drugs and bandages. She found them one after the other. Then she had an idea. There was so much need for drugs back at the camp. People had caught the flu and had to resort to natural remedies that they knew little about and weren’t used to. If she got drugs for them, she could make some good exchanges. She ran through the store, picking up whatever she felt would be necessary.

  She was pleased with herself when she saw how full her bag was. She decided to leave. She was about to head out when someone suddenly grabbed her from the back and held a hand to her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Aaliyah paused, taking a moment to recall all her training.

  Stepping hard on her captor's feet, she turned sharply and kicked so that the person fell over on to a shelf, taking the whole thing down. Aaliyah poised herself for a fight. Her assailant got up from the pile. It was a dark-skinned woman, probably in her forties. The lady twisted her neck, making cracking sounds in the process. Aaliyah wasn’t afraid of her.

  Fear is only an illusion.

  “You want to kidnap someone? Well, kidnap this,” Aaliyah said, running to the woman. She threw a punch but the woman dodged it, grabbed the hand and hit Aaliyah in the armpit. Aaliyah’s hand felt numb as she staggered back. She knew the trick well. Stretching out her hand forcefully, she heard a crack and felt her hand return to normal functionality.

  “I’m not here to kidnap anyone,” the lady said, walking in half circles. “However, I’m guessing you’ve met my friends.”

  Aaliyah smiled at her then she lunged at the woman, taking them both to the ground. She punched the woman. The next second, the woman turned and sent Aaliyah to the ground. She got up and watched Aaliyah do a Chinese get-up. The woman smiled.

  “I’m impressed. I wondered what you did to my friends when they tried to abduct you.”

  Aaliyah didn’t respond this time. Instead, she threw her heel towards the woman’s face. The woman barely dodged it but Aaliyah wasn’t done. She threw herself into the air, turning so that her other heel struck the woman on the face sending them both to the ground again. This time, Aaliyah got up first with a smile.

  “I didn’t do anything to them. They were lucky they drugged me first. You aren’t as smart as they were.”

  The woman stood up.

  “Enough of this,” she said as she ran towards Aaliyah. Aaliyah braced herself to dodge a punch but the woman squatted instead, using her leg to kick Aaliyah’s leg off the ground. Aaliyah landed hard on her butt and gasped in pain. The woman used the front of her leg to hit Aaliyah’s face, causing her to fall flat on the floor. She placed a heel on Aaliyah’s head.

  “Don’t bother moving, young lady. Especially if you don’t want my heels to go through your skull.” When she was sure Aaliyah would respect herself, she lifted her foot off and went back to where she dropped her bag. Picking it up, she started to leave when Aaliyah called out.

  “Hey, if you’re not kidnapping me, what are you doing here? And why are you friends with the kidnappers?”

  The woman turned and looked at Aaliyah sitting up on the floor.

  “I’m guessing you’re on some Israelite journey to some promised land where a ship awaits you.”

  Aaliyah nodded.

  “Well, let me put it this way: whatever you’re running away from here is the same thing that’s waiting for you there. The people who are being kidnapped are the lucky ones.”

  Aaliyah frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you don’t. You’re an innocent citizen with complete confidence in the integrity of your government. When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffer. At least the Africans got that one right. Look, I want to tell you what’s going on but it’ll only put you in more danger. So, have a safe trip to New York. A new life is waiting for you there. Bye,” the lady said as she continued walking away. Aaliyah followed her. It was only then she realized that there was a back door that the woman had come in from.

  The woman sat on a snowmobile and turned to face Aaliyah.

  “Look, it was great meeting you, though I wish it wasn’t under the current circumstances. Take my word for it. It’s better to stay back than to make this trek,” she said before putting on her helmet and driving off. It was then Aaliyah realized how foolish she had been to miss the tire tracks in the snow to the pharmacy. She wondered how the lady’s snowmobile still worked and how she even managed to power it. Another thing bothered her.

  why were the kidnapped ones the lucky ones?

  Chapter Five

  “Stay away from me, will you?"

  18thNovember, 2021

  7:53am

  Gorham, Danville. USA

  Aaliyah ran through the snow in worry. She was confused. Could she take the advice of the strange woman and just stop the journey? Who would believe her if she told them what the woman had said? What had the woman even said that would logically explain why she should stop her travel and go against the government orders? Nothing made sense. However, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of impending doom.

  She went to the road leading to the highway and she noticed the guys were no longer sitting around. Apparently, they were about to move. She walked faster till she got to the camp. people were preparing to leave. She went towards Ted’s parent’s corner. When they saw her coming from afar, she noticed that they started whispering among themselves.

  Sure, whatever. Say what you want about me. I don’t care.

  Ted got up and limped towards her and she rolled her eyes. The guy never got it, did he?

  “Leave me alone, Ted. I just want to get my grandmother and prepare her for the trek,” she said even before he got near. When he was close enough, she noticed the sad look on his face.

  “That’s not what I want -” he began to say but she cut him off.

  “Hey, check out what I got you,” she said as she pulled out the bandage roll and a bottle of alcohol from her bag. “Take care of your leg and stay away from me, will you?” she asked with mock sweetness as she walked past him.

  “Marcia is really ill. She can’t even talk or get up. Time is running out.”

  Aaliyah froze. Slowly she turned to face him.

  “That’s a nasty joke,” she said, hoping that he would burst into laughter and tell her she looked li
ke an ape when she got angry. He didn’t do that.

  “I’m serious, Aaliyah.”

  She struggled to hide her tears as she didn’t want him to see her cry.

  “When did it happen?”

  “Shortly after you left. I got back to the camp and she began to complain to me of headaches. She slumped shortly afterward.”

  Aaliyah sucked in her breath.

  “Where is she?” she asked and Ted walked up to her.

  “This way,” he said as he led the way. Aaliyah followed him to his parent’s corner where something lay in a heap on the ground. She bent down over the heap. It was her grandmother, who had been covered with blankets.

  “Granny,” she cried as she took Marcia’s hand. She couldn’t fight the tears anymore so she allowed them to flow freely down her cheeks.

  “Granny, please come back. Don’t die. You’re all I have left. Don’t die please.”

  She didn’t mind the presence of people as she cried like a baby. She pulled off her bag and hugged her grandmother. The Hankins excused her, allowing her to be alone. Only Ted stood there, watching her as she cried.

  After a couple of minutes, her sobs became quieter. He limped over and managed to kneel beside her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spoke.

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  She looked up at him and saw hope in his eyes. Hope was what she needed. Against her better reasoning, she threw herself into his arms and cried again freely. He simply held her in silence, allowing her tears to flow down his shirt.

  “I don’t want her to die,” Aaliyah whispered.

  Ted stroked her hair with his hand that wasn’t holding the crutch.

  “I wish it was within my power. Believe me, I do.”

  Aaliyah was quiet for a while.

  “I wasn’t always like this, you know,” she said finally. Her voice was full of sadness.

  “Like what?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “You know: rude and angry. Grandma used to say I was the brightness in her sun. I remember those days and somehow, I can’t seem to find my way back there.”

  “What happened?” he asked sincerely.

  Aaliyah broke out of the hug, wondering whether to tell him. She had never told anyone about it. She bit on her lips.

  "I know you don’t know me and you might feel insecure sharing secrets with me but I guess the fact that we’re strangers should make it easier to off-load your burden. I mean, I don’t know you and so I can’t judge you, right?” Ted asked.

  She looked into his eyes to see if his words were real. They were clear and sincere, inviting her to empty her heart.

  “You promise not to judge me?”

  “I promise.”

  She sat on the ground in front of her mother and Ted joined her.

  “You know Jackson?”

  “You mean Jackson Wells?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, no. I just know his father is the owner of the local bank and a deacon at church. I hang with him because of his elder brother. Why?”

  She didn’t speak immediately. When she tried to speak, the words wouldn’t form well in her mouth. She sighed then she forced the words out.

  “I was raped. By him.” She broke down into tears again.

  Ted was going to get angry at Jackson and shout but he saw Aaliyah’s need. He shifted closer to her, grimacing as pain mildly shot up his left leg. He put an arm around her.

  “It’s okay. Free yourself. Talk to me.”

  “It was a year ago. I had only just entered my senior year. They had a game that day,” she said amidst tears. She paused, wiped her eyes, and tried to calm down.

  “I was a straight A student. He had to retake calculus and so I tutored him. I don’t know why but I allowed him to get close. My friends tried to warn me but I was blind. And that’s what they say, right? Love is blind. At the close of the football season, we were matched against this other school and we were all scared because they were tough. We only won by a point and everyone got so excited. He asked me to wait for him after the match. When the whole place was empty, he took me behind the bleachers and she took a second to say it: “he raped me. I feel so dirty.” She broke down again and Ted patted her back.

  “You’re not dirty. If anyone is dirty, it’s him.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I couldn’t bear the shame. Who would have believed me if I told them that the son of the bank manager raped me? I doubt even my parents would. I became so depressed. I couldn’t help it. I lost my family because of him. We didn’t have a relationship anymore. The afternoon they left, you know what happened? My mother had confronted me, asking me why I had become so reclusive. They had planned a family day out in the park but I didn’t want to go. I sparked. I was just tired of life. I was going to kill myself the next day, anyway. My father rebuked me for shouting at my mother but I didn’t care. I told them to go to hell and I ran up to my room.” She smiled ruefully as she shook the hair out of her eyes. “Those were my last words to my parents: ‘go to hell’. How ironic.”

  They sat together in silence.

  “Your grandma said you learned martial arts. Is that why?”

  Aaliyah laughed.

  “She’s told you a lot, hasn’t she? Well, yes. At first, I wanted to have revenge but my karate tutor had a no revenge mantra. That’s what saved Jackson. Later on, I just learned it in order to defend myself in the event of future occurrences.”

  There was silence. Just when Aaliyah felt the conversation was over, Ted turned to her and said;

  “I’m sorry life turned out this way for you.”

  She turned to him too. The air was tense.

  “Thanks.”

  Their faces drew closer to each other, the eyes of each on the other’s lip. Aaliyah closed her eyes, taking in the moment. Their lips had almost locked when Ted turned his face away. Aaliyah opened her eyes, feeling embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry, Aaliyah. I can’t do this. I don’t want to take advantage of you in your moment of weakness.”

  “Oh,” she said, bowing her head. There was silence again then Aaliyah asked:

  “What do you want?”

  “What?” Ted asked, confused.

  “What do you want? Why do you keep being nice to me when I’m always rude? Then, you have the opportunity to get a kiss and you refuse. I don’t understand. Most guys wouldn’t do that.”

  Ted smiled ruefully.

  “Believe me, Aaliyah: I really like you. From the first day, you showed up in the church. But it’s beyond that. I just refuse to judge people. I’d prefer to love them and pour out myself to them. If everyone lived like that, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.”

  Aaliyah didn’t say anything as she absorbed his words. Ted placed a palm on her cheek and stared into her eyes.

  “I know you probably don’t feel the same way about me as I do about you and you have good cause to do so. I mean, your trust has been abused and all. I’m not asking for anything myself. I’m just asking that you open your heart again. Truly, there are a lot of crack heads like Jackson out there. But there are good ones too. People who won’t hurt you. And there’s family. Marcia really loves you. Whenever she talks about you, it’s hard to believe it’s the same person others see as a snob that she’s talking about. Don’t push her away, Aaliyah. Tell her everything. And do it soon. It’s obvious she doesn’t have much time left.”

  Aaliyah allowed herself to get lost in his eyes for a second. It all felt weird: being held by someone who didn’t make any move to use her; who seemed trustworthy and loved her just for who she was. She began to feel overwhelmed.

  She nodded and got up.

  “Thanks so much, Ted. I wouldn’t have believed I would have been in this place with you if someone had told me an hour ago.”

  Ted smiled up at her and nodded then he held up the bandage and the alcohol.

  “Thanks for these by the way. Finally, I can get a state-of-the-art wound coverin
g.”

  She chuckled slightly, feeling free in her heart. She turned and walked away.

  “Where are you going to?” he called from behind her.

  “I’m just taking a stroll.”

  “But the rest of the camp will soon be leaving”

  “I can’t move without my grandmother, can I?”

  Chapter Six

  The kidnapped ones are the lucky ones…

  19th November, 2021

  12:35am

  Danville, Vermont. USA

  Ted and his father dropped the makeshift trolley in which Marcia lay onto the snow. Aaliyah was by their side.

  “Thanks so much, Mr. Hankins. I don’t even know why you’re helping me”

  The elderly man smiled at her.

  “It’s nothing, really. I just hope she gets well soon.”

  Aaliyah looked down at her grandmother who was sleeping and she nodded. She had told her grandmother everything as Ted had advised her. Marcia had wept with her. She realized she had done herself wrong by not opening up. Her family had loved her.

  It was the midday break, lasting only for thirty minutes. She had been unable to go hunting that morning. She couldn’t leave her grandmother.

  Feeling the need to be alone and think, she asked;

  “I really don’t mean to bother you with my mother, sir. I was just hoping: Can I just stroll a bit? I’ll be back soon.”

  His brows narrowed but he was still smiling.

  “You know this is supposed to be a rest period, right. The walk will continue soon.”

  “I know. I just need to be alone and clear my head a bit.”

  He sighed and nodded. “It’s okay. Elizabeth will watch over Marcia. But be back before we have to move. We don’t want to have to look for you.”

  She smiled, nodded, and walked off. As she passed by Ted, she noticed he was staring at her. She didn’t look at him though. And she hoped he wouldn’t follow. She felt so embarrassed as to how she poured her heart to him the previous day. She smiled. It felt so good to confide in someone, though it was a new feeling for her. She did what she always did: enter the main city to see the emptiness of it. She passed by the short buildings and gazed on the snow-topped maple trees around her. It was a small settlement, nothing too attractive.