I sighed and rubbed my hands together, then stopped my eyes on the dull sign that read, “Trenz.” It was a small boutique shop, but I was certain whatever they had was better than what I was wearing.
“I’m gonna--,” I cut my words off as I turned and found Derrick and the others crossing the street.
“Wait!” I shouted after them. “I need to grab some clothes.”
“We’ll wait right here,” Oscar called back.
I nodded then pushed against the glass door and it swung open with and ominous clang. Beads and wind chimes hung from the hinge and I wondered what twelve-year-old had done the decorations.
As I stepped inside, I paused and let my eyes adjust to the dim light. Racks of clothes cluttered the floor in such a random way it had to be on purpose. Hand-written sale signs hung from the ceiling and a giant spray-painted mural took up the back wall.
“Hello?” I called out with a slight quiver in my voice
No one answered, and I ventured in a little further inside. The air was cool, but stale and it was shocking how quickly things went to shit when there was no power. The entire city looked like they’d been living off the grid for weeks.
“Hello…is anyone here?”
The silence continued so I started searching the racks for something I could wear. The theme was some kind of alternative, grunge vibe and everything was blacks and dark greens with odd symbols and phrases of protest. Not that it mattered, clothes were clothes.
I settled on the least ripped pair of jeans I could find and a sweater that read “Kill you TV.” It was just as good as anything else, besides if you were going to survive the apocalypse might as well do it dressed as a misplaced teen with daddy issues.
Sitting on the floor, I pulled on a pair of fresh shocks and some thick black boots with metal tips and eyelets. I had no intentions of walking barefoot ever again.
“Much better,” I said to myself then headed back outside.
I was in the store for less than ten minutes, but in that time, it seemed like the entire world had changed. People were screaming, running frantically down the street. A few feet from me two guys had another man pinned to the ground while he struggled to break free and screamed at the top of his lungs for help. Across the street, the looting had already begun. Glass covered the sidewalk as every manner of object was used to bash in windows and doors.
I couldn’t understand why things had gotten so crazy. Then I looked to my right and found an APC with National Guard troops marching alongside. They were firing canisters of tear gas into the crowds and what I hoped were rubber bullets.
“Fucking Bill,” I growled.
This was his idea of controlling things. He’d taken a quiet, subdued city and spurred them into hysteria. There was no reason for military assets to be deployed at all.
Suddenly, the sky cracked open, pouring out tears that swept down like jagged missiles. Silent veins of luminous hues traced through the sky in hellish webs and the people outside scattered for cover, but the military continued their assault.
I stepped back under the awning and in a panic stared to the street. Oscar and the others were gone. They’d either fled or were picked up by the soldiers that were now grabbing people and tossing them into the backs of trucks. Bill had gone fucking crazy.
I didn’t know what was worse, the weather or an army unit arresting American citizens. Lightning flickered wildly, illuminating the battle as soldier’s baton’s collided with bone. Boots and water rushed down the gutters and I felt every crackle of thunder in my chest.
The National Guard unit was slowly advancing, clashing with more and more people. But this was New York City and Bill hadn’t accounted for resistance. The small team was becoming entrenched, overwhelmed by the civilians that had decided they weren’t going to be pushed around.
There was no organization, no leadership. Just twenty something year-olds trying to corral cats. Whatever plan Bill had devised, was doomed from the beginning.
I stood there in shock as the mob clashed with the armed soldiers. Screams of anger and pain echoed down the crowded roads like a battlefield. The guard unit was being swarmed, but they weren’t going to back down. Suddenly, a single gunshot split the air and for a second everything stopped.
An older woman with streaks of red left in her gray hair, fell back onto the pavement. Her floral blouse was covered in a vibrant crimson and her dull green eyes were wide with fear and shock.
Neither side moved. The gravity of what had just occurred took a moment to sink in. But a line had been crossed and for the soldiers, their only hope was to keep pushing forward.
“Fuck you!” a voice from the crowd roared. “Get them!”
And just like that it began. Rocks and bottles took flight as the people surged forward. And in return the soldiers dropped to a knee and opened fire.
With one last glance into the crowd, I turned and took off down the sidewalk. Bullets whizzed by my head, smashing into the various stores and shops. There wouldn’t be a way to explain this.
I ran all out for nearly five minutes before my lungs felt like they’d melted into a puddle of goo in my chest. Huffing, I doubled over and leaned against a brick building, trying to keep my wobbly legs from failing me.
I didn’t know where I was. But all the buildings had been haphazardly boarded up and deserted. The area looked rundown and I wasn’t sure if the boards had been there all along or put up as the city spiraled into darkness.
The crowd had thinned out a bit, but I knew it wouldn’t take long for the panic and violence to continue spilling through the city. I needed to get out of town, I needed to get home.
Rain fell in uncharacteristic splats and the streets rose with churning, dark muck. I stepped into a doorway to avoid the icy water and catch my breath. I watched as the sewers bubbled and debris ran down the road.
Shaking the water out of my hair, I leaned my back against the wall and sighed. The crowd had already begun to rush in my direction and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the violence followed. I heard the echo of gunshots already.
With a groan, I straightened up. A small group of people sped by me and vanished down an alley. A few more stragglers came after them and then I heard the armored truck and shouting from the troops.
“In here,” a voice suddenly called from behind me.
I whipped my head around and stared toward the building, but there was no one there. Hesitantly, I stepped closer then the board that covered the window moved to the side and a woman stuck her head out.
“Hurry up,” the woman said and motioned her hand.
I looked back down the street as the first wave of troops rounded the corner. They had their rifles raised and were indiscriminately firing into crowds. I clenched my fists then turned and crawled through the window into a sea of darkness.
CHAPTER 6
TURN YOUR BACK AND WALK AWAY
“Molly,” the lady said casually and forced a smile on her dirt smudged face.
“MJ,” I replied to her. “Thanks for letting me in.”
“No worries.”
She was wearing a faded blue, wool coat that was several sizes too big. A scarf covered her brown, frayed hair and a dusty, gray blanket was cloaked over her shoulders, disguising what I guessed was a baby.
We were in a room off to the side that she’d led me to by candlelight. The place was empty, except for a rickety table and a few chairs, but as the sounds outside grew more ominous, I was happy to be there.
“Is it just you and the baby in here?” I asked.
She smiled and uncovered the child’s head, revealing a young girl with long, blonde locks and dried milk around her mouth. She was no more than four months old and bundled in a dirty, pink jacket, but looked like she was well taken care of.
“Faith,” Molly said. “It’s just us.” Molly kissed her forehead then turned back to me and cocked her head to the side. “You have any kids?”
“Yeah, Grayson. He’s twelve today.�
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“Where’s he at?”
“Home…with his father. I had a business trip.”
“So, what brings you to Shelter City?” she asked in an accusing tone.
“Shelter city?” I echoed.
“A block or two of closed down businesses. Bit of a safe haven for us downtrodden folk.”
I narrowed my eyes and stared at her. She had a weathered look, like she’d been fighting to live for ages. She was probably younger than me, but the lines etched in her leathery skin betrayed her.
I knew that look on her face, that fear that brought me back to a murky past filled with despair. It was the guise of every mother that had felt the sweet breath of their own creation wisp across their face. It was the demeanor of someone that would do any and everything to make sure their child never knew hurt.
As she found my gaze I looked away and stared around the room. My eyes slowly adjusted to the faint light and I saw more of the dilapidated space. An old floral-patterned mattress was stowed in the corner with a dirty pillow and a tattered camping bag. A few baby bottles sat on the floor next to a gas burner with a rusted pot of water on top of it. This wasn’t any building, this was her home.
We both jumped as the rapid snare of gunfire clattered outside and I unraveled from my daze. The rumble of hurried footsteps pounded loudly like they were in the next room and my heart crawled into my throat.
I looked toward the door and held my breath. I’d seen firsthand how unhinged these troops were and I was certain they’d shoot first and ask questions never. I prayed they wouldn’t find us.
Minutes ticked by like a lifetime. My heartbeat echoed in my head like a malfunctioning speaker. Right outside, people screamed, and people died, but eventually the noises faded, and we were alone again.
I turned my attention back to Molly as she rocked her daughter to keep her quiet. There was something about her, something about her story that intrigued me.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
“Here? Two weeks, this time. Next place maybe longer. Sometimes the cops come and arrest a few of us. We always come back though.”
I frowned, knowing that there wouldn’t be a next place or anything to come back to.
“It’s probably safe now. You can stay, but I figured you’d be wanting to get back to your boy…if you can.”
“Yeah, yeah I need to get home.”
“Don’t worry,” she said with a smile as she gently ran her fingers over Faith’s hair. “This will all blow over. Whatever’s happening out there…it’ll be alright.”
“You’re not scared?”
“Of course, I am. I’m not stupid. But I can’t worry about what I don’t understand. These buildings have been here forever. They’ll hold out.”
I wanted so badly to tell her to run, to tell her the truth of what was coming, but that wasn’t my job. So instead, I did what I do best, I lied.
“You’re right. The media is always blowing things out of proportion. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”
CHAPTER 7
THE TUNNEL TO NOWHERE
After an hour of waiting, I left Molly and her baby behind. I felt relieved when I finally walked out of the cramped little building and into the open air. I’d spent my life deceiving people but lying to Molly took a toll.
Now I found myself in the middle of a city I didn’t really know without an idea of how I was going to get home. Bill never showed and the troops he did send were likely to shoot me on sight. We were supposed to be containing the situation, not throwing fuel on the fire.
“Bill, you fucking asshole,” I huffed and stared ahead at the road.
Swallowing my anger and fatigue, I lowered my head and started walking. I walked with no real plan, just a general direction toward home. It was all I knew to do and the only thought that kept repeating in my head. Walk, and just keep walking.
I left the city behind to find more destruction around every corner. Broken buildings and fractured lives scattered the landscape like the remnants of some great civilization that had been decimated with time. I could no longer keep count of the dead.
Deep down I’d been waiting for this moment. Deep down I knew sooner or later the world was gonna go to shit. I just didn’t think I’d be here to see it.
The roads had become eerily barren. Every now and then I’d see small pockets of people, just as lost and lonely as I was, but for the most part, I was walking through a cemetery. Those that hadn’t died had probably been taken by Bill’s henchmen.
Eventually, I ran into a small group huddled around a fire in an alleyway. There were two men probably in their sixties and a lady about the same age that could’ve been their sister. They were dressed in old dingy clothes, but seemed content, even happy.
I approached slowly and held my hands out toward the fire. “Do you mind?” I asked.
The lady smiled and motioned me forward. I extended my arms over the writhing flames and cooed. The fire felt great. I hadn’t realized how cold I was until I felt the radiating warmth.
“Where ya headed?” one of the men asked.
“Arlington,” I replied.
The other man laughed. “Good luck.”
I gave him a look then shrugged my shoulders.
“You’re about a mile from the Holland Tunnel sweet heart,” he continued. “That’s your way outta here and if the entire thing isn’t underwater yet, it will be soon.”
“Be easy if you found a damn car, but I ain’t seen one since the military evacuated everyone,” the lady added.
“What?” I gasped. “Evacuation?”
“Yeah, came down here a while ago, bunch of those young boys with the real smooth faces. Screaming and carrying on about some storm coming.”
“You didn’t leave?”
“That’s sweet honey, but where am I gonna go?”
“Maybe the vacation home in Miami, Eunice,” one of the men said and they all started to laugh.
The lady ran her fingers through her gray hair then turned back to me. “Truth is we’ve seen worse. The storm will come and go, and we’ll still be here.”
I smiled and nodded my head. “Well, I better get going. Tunnel’s that way?” I pointed down the long narrow road.
“Just keep walking. You can’t miss it.”
“Thanks,” I replied then headed off.
Fucking Bill. What the hell was he trying to do?
He had one job and it was the same as mine. There were protocols, rules to be followed, and Bill had broken every single one. I was going to break his nose when I saw him.
I arrived near the Holland Tunnel as the sun melted into nothing and pulled the day back into its arms. Night was calling, the day shed its clothes like a snake and steeped the world into shadows.
The dank air and eerie glow from the emergency lights along the road made my skin crawl. There were hundreds of cars, jam packed together leading into the tunnel, but not another living soul in sight. This was the outcome of Bill’s failed evacuation.
I stared down into the darkness and shivered. I had to get home and the tunnel was the only way. Trying to backtrack and find another path would’ve been suicide, but there was no guarantee that this wasn’t.
“Toby and Grayson are on the other side of this,” I whispered to myself.
With a deep breath, I started making my way down to the tunnel. The cold, wet air blew against my face and the sky grew darker and darker. My footsteps against the grimy concrete echoed in the emptiness and I fought against the growing fear that lingered in my belly.
The opening looked ominous, draped in shadows and guarded by empty toll booths. It was like a gateway that led straight to hell, a never-ending ladder into the depths of the monster’s belly.
The Holland Tunnel ran into New Jersey from New York. It was a dark corridor that twisted underneath the Hudson River like some secret passage. Barreling through it was normally routine, but since the day started there wasn’t much routine to anything
.
As I entered the tunnel the temperature dropped, and I wished I’d taken more clothes when I had the chance. My sweater was still damp, and my frayed jeans weren’t fairing much better. The elements were bound to claim me sooner or later.
My thick boots clacked loudly in the empty chamber. Every sound I made stretched into the depths ahead like a lost boy looking for a friend. But I was alone, a torch in a dark cave, praying that there would still be a home left for me to go back to.
The tunnel disappeared ahead of me and I fought against the urge to turn back. Dim, orange lights attached to the ceiling, barely illuminated my hand in front of my face. Every step I took brought me deeper into the unknown.
I tried to keep my mind busy, to focus on anything besides the fear I was feeling. Grayson came to mind. I loved that boy more than he could ever know. He was my first and only child, a little piece of my heart running around out there alone.
I’d almost given up on having kids. Toby and I had tried for so long with no luck. I thought it was him, he thought it was me, and the stress nearly broke us. Grayson was what brought us back together, Grayson had saved my marriage.
“Get your shit together, MJ,” I grumbled.
I took a deep breath and tried to focus. There was a mile and a half abyss waiting for me and I didn’t need to be distracted. I needed to be sharp because I was convinced, the world was trying to kill me.
I stood there for a moment in silence, breathing through my nose, slowly taking in the scents of the underground. It was the loneliest I’d been in my entire life, the furthest I’d been from humanity. There was just me and the darkness, me and whatever lay in the shadows of that dank structure.
“Keep going.”
Step by step I walked into the nothingness before me. The darkness soaked up everything, even the sound of my feet splashing in the little puddles of rat piss.
I was blind down there and the dim lights above looked like fireflies, leading me to a gory end. But the thought of Grayson calling to me, the thought of him needing me, kept me going.
Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set Page 38