by Maxey, Phil
Fiona laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t eat that.” She looked around. “Try some of the other packets.”
Zach walked into a small room off the foyer. It was packed with arcade machines. He smiled remembering his childhood.
Wyatt enthusiastically walked up to one of the large machines, with a fake gun pointing at a screen. “Man, I loved this one.”
Zach walked to the smaller machine, with the simple screen and controls. “This was my thing when I was a kid. I sunk a whole lot of my weekly allowance into it.” He looked at the other machines and the carpet. “Although when I was a kid, you would see a lot more cigarette and drink stains everywhere!” He laughed, and turned around. Wyatt was moving the plastic gun left and right as if the machine was working. Zach walked to him. “No reason why we can’t get some machines like these up and running again in the camp.”
Wyatt gave a forlorn smile and put the fake gun back in its holding.
As night fell, most found their way to ‘Screen three’, and were sitting in one of the many seats trying to get some rest.
Zach looked across the rows for Fiona, but couldn’t see her. He spotted Michael sitting right at the front. “You seen Fiona?”
“Saw her walking to the back, up top.”
He looked at the people gathered near the topmost seats. “She’s not—” He saw some flickers of light from the projection room window. “Ah, I know where she is.” He went to walk away then stopped, turning back. “How’s…”
“Hannah. Yeah she’s good thanks.”
Zach didn’t know what else to say so smiled and walked away. Soon he was knocking on the projection room door. “Fiona you in there.”
“I am indeed.” Her tone was slightly off Zach thought. On entering, he found her sitting on the floor with a bottle of clear liquid in her hand. The alcoholic fumes filled the air.
“Mind if I join you?”
She nodded, waving the bottle.
He closed the door behind him, and looked at the simple looking office with a desk, filing cabinets, sofa and a modest size box device, which pointed towards the screen outside.
“Yeah, not what you imagined eh…Bet you thought there be this huge—” She opened her arms. “Contrapssion… with reels of film and…”
Zach smiled. “Yeah…”
She briefly closed one eye then opened it. “Technology! Ain’t… I mean, wasn’t it great! Made all this shit possible for us…” She then stopped as if realizing something. “If the world has ended, does that mean that if I invent something, then I would have invented it for the first time?”
Zach sat near to her and she gave him the bottle. He took a small swig, but resisted handing it back. “Umm yeah sure why not.”
She looked about the room then smiled pointing at the bottle. “Then I lay claim to invensing Alcohol!..” She blinked while swaying back and forth. “I’m gonna be so rich.”
Putting the bottle down he got to his feet and helped her up and onto the sofa which she immediately laid down on.
“I don’t feel so good…”
He helped her turn on her side and her eyes fell shut, followed by her breathing deepening.
He looked down at her and sighed. “Get some rest,” he said quietly, then left.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A house which by any means would have been regarded as a luxury residence, sat near the top of the hill with a back corner missing. Luckily it was the corner without the stairs, which led up to a number of spacious bedrooms.
Abbey looked through the gap between the drapes with her small set of binoculars at the buildings and lights in the middle of town. A light knock came from the door behind her.
“Just come in Raj, I’ll try not to get naked while we are just a mile from homicidal Cascaders.”
The door opened and he walked in with some packets in both hands. “I found these in what was left of the kitchen.” He threw them onto the king sized bed. “Least we’ll sleep more comfortable tonight… if we get any that is. What are they doing?”
“Laughing, dancing… all while their creatures create craters everywhere.”
“So they’re having a party?”
“It would seem so and that’s a good thing.”
Raj looked confused for a second. “Ah, because they have been drinking? Dulls their Cascader abilities?”
“I have no idea, but hopefully.”
He sat on the bed and started tearing a packet of dry roasted nuts open. “How can we help those underground? If they could have defeated the Cascaders above them, they would have done so. How are we going to help?”
Raj didn’t have to say it, but she could tell he wanted to leave the town and head back to the outpost.
“We can’t just leave them.”
“They just left us. We could have done with their help. Even if it was just to know we weren’t the only ones left alive.”
She sighed. He was right, but she still couldn’t leave them to their deaths. “There’s at least a few thousand people down there Raj. We need to do something.”
He got to his feet and walked to her. “Maybe the best thing we can do is go back to the outpost and get reinforcements. More Cascaders to even out the numbers?”
She shook her head.
“I saw what just two of you could do with the creatures around you. How many are down there? Twenty? Thirty? And they can control most of what’s alive around us…” His eyes widened on realizing something. “You want to talk to them don’t you? Because of what Elcher said?”
“Your alien friend made it very clear. I need to find more of my kind. Then we can stop the Cascade. Why not start with those down there?”
“You just said they were lunatics!”
“Homicidal I called them, but maybe that’s just because they were under the influence of Clovis. Maybe I can convince them to change.”
Raj shook his head and moved back to the bed grabbing another packet. “You’re gong to get yourself killed. And what will you do when he returns?”
“That’s why I’m going to have a quick rest then try and make contact.”
Raj shook his head then left the room closing the door behind him.
Abbey looked again through her binoculars. One of the men a few miles off, was keeping away from the others. He also had one of the largest E.L.F’s, a kind of tall four-legged lizard which did not look that dissimilar to pictures of dinosaurs she had seen as a kid. He sat on top of it, watching the others.
He’s the one.
*****
Abbey moved through the passageway to the back of the house, which was open to the world outside. It saved her having to open and close the front door, which Raj might hear. Stepping over pipes and masonry she emerged onto an expensive looking patio, and then moved around the side of the house onto the driveway. She looked up at the house then ran down the road, trying not to make a false step. She had no light, but the moon was providing enough illumination to make out shapes and the path that wound its way between the trees.
Soon she was back on the road. The calls and shrieks of various nocturnal E.L.F’s rang out around her. Remembering best she could where things were, she jogged down the slope towards the main town junction which was a few hundred yards away. Earlier she ate some of what Raj had left with her, then gave herself a few hours of sleep. It was now around 2am by her reckoning and as far as she could tell there wasn’t any movement in the town. Even the E.L.F’s that belonged to the people there had dropped to the ground to rest.
Glows came from the upper floors of the few buildings that were still habitable and those were her target.
Running down the two-lane road, she avoided dark shapes which sat on the concrete, and then moved onto the sidewalk as she neared a parking lot at the back of the buildings. A scratching noise made her turn around. Instantly she froze.
Facing her was a large humanoid cat like E.L.F, standing a foot above her on its rear legs, its eyes shimmering in the moonlight. It growled then just
as it was about to lunge forward, she thrust her hand out in front halting its progress. She could feel it wanting to tear her apart and its rage was almost too much for her to control. Straining with all her might, she felt something give in the mind of the creature just a few feet from her, and it turned and sprinted away towards the buildings she was moving towards.
One of theirs.
Her top lip felt wet. Touching her finger to the area made it feel warm and sticky. Her nose was bleeding. Have to be more alert.
She crouched and allowed her mind to scan the space between her and the back of the building. She needed to find the large dinosaur looking E.L.F, that would hopefully help her find its master.
No… No not that one… That could be… nope… ah…
She looked across the decaying cars that littered the street, towards another junction. It’s down there.
She stood then ran as fast as she could trying to keep her mind open to anymore unwanted appearances from the Cascaders creatures. Once she was past the parking lot, she was alongside old stores and office buildings, all of which were smashed and broken in some way. She glanced inside a few of them as she trotted past, but only intense shadows looked back at her.
Soon she was at the junction. With her back against the wall, she peered around the corner, and saw what her mind already sensed. A huge reptilian creature laying in the middle of the street. She really did not want to have to try and fight the imprint on the creature’s mind again, as she could still feel the affects of the last mental battle.
In one of the apartments above the row of stores a dim light glowed. Got to be him. She looked across the road. At the end of the block was a fire escape. She looked around her for any movement, then quickly ran across the junction, and to the side of the building opposite. Pulling the metal ladder down as quietly as she could, she clambered up the steps, past the first and second floors until she came to the third. She had noticed from the ground it was the only one with a window that was partially open. Leaning forward she heaved it upwards, then ducked inside.
She knew the apartments weren’t linked, but she had other plans. She pulled the small flashlight from her pocket and shone its light around the corridor. Dark streaks covered the patterned wallpaper and the carpet was covered in what looked like rags, but on further inspection seemed to contain bones. She swallowed and walked forward until she found what she was looking for. Pushing the door open, she walked up the narrow staircase, then opened another door and came out onto the roof.
Making sure to keep her light pointed at the ground, she walked forward trying to not make noise. Climbing over the dividing walls between the apartments, she was soon near the one where she had seen the light on within.
She walked quickly over to the external wall and looked down to the street. The large E.L.F she wanted to avoid was still sleeping in the middle of the road. She then went to turn.
“You do know it’s not safe to be creeping around rooftops in the dead of night, right?” Said a voice behind her.
She slowly turned. A man who was striking even in the limited light of the moon stood just a few yards away. It’s him.
She went to talk but he continued.
“You’re a Cascader. This is why I’m standing here. Question is though, why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“I see, and who might you be?”
“Abbey.”
“Abbey…”
“Reisner.”
“And why do you want to see me Abbey Reisner?”
As she went to talk the ground around her became bathed in shadow and she realized something was blocking the light from the moon. She slowly turned her head. The man’s E.L.F was standing on its hind legs, and its long crocodile like head was looking down at her, just beyond the rooftop wall.
“Oh don’t mind Surus, he’s just a little protective of me. But you were saying?”
“Maybe we could go inside to talk?”
He spun around with his arms out. “Why would we want to do that? It’s a beautiful spring night.” He looked at her expectantly.
“Look, I don’t know who you are. But you seem to be in charge of the people here.”
“The Cascaders?”
“Yes, and well I learned of some information, which means that Cascaders need to come together.”
“Hmm, that’s interesting.”
“And I thought you could help with that.”
He walked forward and past her, leaning on the outside wall and looked out into the night. “What information are you referring to?”
“I know how to stop the Cascade.”
He turned around to face her. “Stop? Look around! It’s already over. Humanity lost. I think you’re a little too late.” He smiled.
She shook her head. “Only the animal part has stopped, but the environment, that’s still changing. And it will keep changing until it’s more habitable for those that started the Cascade in the first place!”
His expression changed and she could see for the first time he was genuinely curious.
“Go on.”
She walked nearer to him. “The Cascade was started by a race of aliens—”
He rolled his eyes turning away. “Ha! Aliens!” He sighed. “For a moment there I must admit I was beginning to be interested.”
“No, I’m telling you the truth! It was the Hulathen! They—”
Noises came from the nearby door to the apartments below, and two men appeared, which Abbey could sense were Cascaders. They walked towards her. She started to back away. “You don’t understand, the planet is in jeopardy, what you have now, it won’t last!”
“These men will show you to a room downstairs. We don’t hurt those Cascaders who stand with us, but equally we don’t know you, and honestly you seem a little—” He twirled his finger near his head. “Loco.”
She thought about running and trying to call to Mo to fly down from where she left him on the hill, but it was too dangerous. Instead she nodded and walked away with the men.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Zach walked to the Humvee outside the cinema and opened the driver’s door. In the black of night a background of squawks and roars echoed all around him. Trying to ignore the sounds he climbed inside. Those seated behind and to his right were barely awake. Closing his door, he clicked on his radio. “Ready? Over.” Bower’s voice confirmed they were refueled and ready to leave. Zach then took a glance at Fiona who was holding her head and started the engine. They were soon back on the highway and pulling away from the town.
He reached down beneath the seat and held out a bottle of water to Fiona. She took it and swallowed a few gulps.
“How much further?” said a tired sounding Wyatt.
“Roughly six hours, but we will be stopping in a few hours time and deploying the drone. That should tell us how best to approach the town. You get any sleep?”
“Some…”
Zach didn’t bother asking any of the others, as they looked like they were still sleeping. He was pleased at least one of the Cascaders was awake.
A light drizzle filled the air as the convoy thundered along the highway.
“How you feel?” said Zach to woman next to him. He had offered her some help getting to the car as she had staggered her way through the lobby of the cinema but she pushed his hand away.
“Fine,” she croaked.
“Keep drinking the water.”
“I know what I need to do.”
After an hour Wyatt couldn’t contain the questions that were rattling around his mind. “So… how are we going to stop the aliens from doing what they are doing?” It was a question he posed to Zach, but he immediately looked to the other passengers. No one answered.
Zach looked in the rear mirror briefly to see the young man looking back at him.
“Don’t worry about the big questions, kid,” said Fiona. “Just concentrate on getting through to the next day.”
“Okay…”
Zach watched Wyatt sit back in his seat. He was sure it didn’t answer what Wyatt wanted to know but it was about as true an answer as he was going to get.
After a few more hours the sky was beginning to change from black to dark blue and they approached a bridge over the Hudson river.
Zach looked back to make sure the two Cascaders were doing their jobs. Both had their eyes closed, but their faces were one of concentration.
Fiona looked to the south. “Fifty or so miles down river is NYC.”
“You been?” said Zach slowing the convoy as he steered around an overturned semi-truck.
“I lived there for a while. You?”
“Only once.”
“I wonder what it looks like now…”
“All messed up,” said Michael in the back.
Fiona continued looking into the night. “No doubt… How much further?”
“Another hour till we stop.” Zach briefly looked behind. “How’s things with the E.L.F’s around us?”
“Keeping them away for now,” said Miles.
As they progressed the convoy slowed almost to a crawl to avoid all of the vehicles broken and forgotten across the highway.
Zach clicked on his radio. “We’re not far from Hartford, let’s take the next turn off. I think we might reach a standstill soon staying on here anyway. Over.”
Bower agreed and soon they were on a wide four-lane road which stretched out to the west of the city. With each new turn the concentration of buildings increased and after traveling for ten minutes, Zach pulled over to the side of the road, and got back on the radio. As he spoke he looked at a large blue sign with white writing visible in the Humvee’s headlights. “There’s a hospital up ahead, let’s stop there. Over.”
Driving a short distance, Zach pulled the Humvee into the entrance of the hospital then stopped far short of the actual hospital doors as ahead was a wall of sandbags and cars used as barriers. He looked back at Wyatt and Miles. “How are we?”
