Ordinary

by Starr Z Davies

  Eventually, we find ourselves back at the broken bridge. Leo and I carefully set Enid down just inside the doorway of a building, out of sight. The inside of the building is like everything else. Broken ruins. No lights or glass on the windows. Chunks of rock, drywall, and steel litter the floor. This building has been vacant since the attack on the city that caused the crater.

  “Now what?” Sho asks.

  If only I had an answer.

  “You’ve done this before, right?” I ask. He had to have. Miller seemed to know what was going on, and Sho has been here a year longer. “So, what do you suggest? How do we finish?”

  Sho scratches his cheek and stares out through the broken window toward the bridge. “Usually I just use my skills to stay away from troublemakers.”

  “How long are we stuck in here?” Leo asks. He sits with his back against one of the crumbling walls.

  Sho just stares at him, and the silence makes my stomach twist. My rations won’t last long enough, judging by his silence.

  I scrub dirt from my hands, and the skin turns an angry red. “Do you know where the building with the birds on it is? Miller said east.”

  Sho nods. “It isn’t far. A few blocks from here, but we can’t get across the highway without difficulty.”

  A few blocks. For the first time since this started, relief pushes out of my chest. I heave a sigh. Finally, some good news. Crossing the bridge will be a challenge, but at least Miller’s close by.

  Beside me, Enid stirs. Her eyes drift open, and she blinks at me, pushing away before realizing who I am. A whimper cracks from her throat as she reaches for her arm.

  “It’s okay, Enid,” I reassure her. “They’re gone.”

  She shifts to her good side and pushes herself into a seated position, cradling her bad arm against her chest. “It hurts.” The words come out breathlessly.

  “Okay.” I dig in my bag for the sheet. It isn’t much, but I can use it to make a sling for her. “Let’s have a look.”

  Using as gentle a touch as possible, I brush the tips of my fingers over her arm. Tears leave clean lines on Enid’s cheeks, but she doesn’t make a sound. Her eyes stay fixed on my face.

  “We can pop it back into place,” Leo says.

  “What do you think, Enid?” I ask, keeping her eyes on me.

  “Just do it.”

  I hold her steady as Leo shifts into position to pop the shoulder back in. “Just watch me,” I say softly.

  Enid swallows and blinks away tears, then clenches her jaw. Her good hand grips mine. Leo counts to three, then yanks Enid’s arm back so sharply I wince. Enid sobs once, her hand holding mine in a death grip. She gulps down air and her breath hitches, but she doesn’t complain. Her dark, watery eyes stare at mine.

  “Have you done this test before?” I ask, trying to distract Enid as I tear off a strip of my sheet to make a sling. It’s the best we can do for now.

  “Once,” Enid breathes, then hisses as I shift her arm into the sling. I mumble an apology as she continues. “It was a long time ago. And it lasted days.”

  “Three and a half,” Sho says, pulling bread from his bag.

  Leo watches Sho with ravenous eyes.

  “Where can we find food and water?” I ask. “We don’t have enough to survive that long.”

  Sho just shakes his head.

  “Enid, can you use something we have to create a food environment?” I check the sling to make sure it’s secure.

  She shakes her head, clenching her jaw tight. “There’s a place,” she finally says through clenched teeth. “An old grocery. But we won’t reach it in the dark.”

  I glance toward a nearby window facing the street. The light is dying outside.

  And Dave is aiming Enid’s gun out the window at something.

  “What are you doing?” I rasp, rushing to his side.

  “Getting us across the bridge,” Dave says.

  A short, chubby figure stands near the edge of the bridge as the pieces stitch back together. Boyd!

  “Don’t!” I shove the gun down.

  It accidentally fires off a shot that hits the ground outside the window, releasing a blue flash of light.

  Boyd jumps, spins toward the shot and stands frozen like a terrified animal. The sound will surely attract attention.

  I yank the gun from Dave’s hand. “He’s a friend,” I snap, then duck through the window and rush to Boyd.

  “U-Ugene.” Boyd’s sunken eyes widen, looking at the gun. “You-you shot at me.”

  “No, it was an accident.” I turn my gaze to the half-finished bridge. “Can you finish patching the rest?”

  Boyd swallows, watching the gun uncertainly, and nods. “M-my Power is str-str-stronger.”

  The others approach us in a clump, Leo standing close to Enid like he’s afraid she will fall over. Her face is ashen in the growing moonlight.

  Together, we form a plan for finishing the bridge, finding the building with the birds for the night, then in the morning we will scavenge for the food Enid says isn’t far away. All of us are hungry, and I share what little I have with those who have nothing—Leo, Dave, and Enid. It leaves me with only part of the snack I got from the machine—a package of pretzels that make me thirsty—but if we find food and water tomorrow, maybe it will be okay.

  Or maybe we will find Miller tonight.

  As Boyd finishes the bridge—using existing materials to stitch together a path across—we all agree that should for some reason we get separated, we will meet at the building with the birds.

  The sun has set, and soon it will be entirely dark. It doesn’t leave much time to get the two blocks to the building.

  A voice calls out behind us. “There he is!”

  We all glance back, and Sho grips his gun in one hand.

  “No.” I wave at the others. “Go. Cross the bridge.”

  “It isn’t done!” Boyd’s protests fall on deaf ears as the others rush across his newly created bridge.

  Terry, Derrek, and a third boy with a hooked nose I’ve seen with them but don’t know, burst out from a group of buildings toward us. The third guy has his gun raised.

  “Run!” I scream and raise my gun to take aim. My stomach twists in knots. I have no idea how to aim. No idea how to shoot… or even if I can.

  “Ugene!” Enid screams at me from the other side of the bridge. “Come on!”

  Hooked-Nose smirks and fires.

  I duck.

  The shot fires wide and hits the bridge.

  Then the gun in my hands begins to melt. His Power must be Naturalkinesis, turning a solid into a liquid. Instinctively, I let go and back up as the three of them rush toward me. Hooked-Nose fires again, this time hitting the ground where I just stood. I turn on my heels and take off across the bridge.

  Dense fog rolls through the buildings, and for a moment I fear it may be an acidic remnant from the war. But the fog parts around me and trundles toward them. The moisture in the air offers some relief to my hot skin.

  When my foot falls on the unfinished edge of the bridge, there’s no hesitation. I launch myself over the five-foot gap. My steps falter on the other side, slipping on the gravel and concrete. Dense fog covers the ground in each direction right up to the east edge. The three of them will have a hard time crossing the bridge.

  “Come on,” Enid waves me after her.

  The others didn’t bother waiting, which is fine. We will meet up as planned.

  A scream rips into the air from inside the fog, then cuts off suddenly.

  Terry’s voice is muffled by the fog as he calls out to Troy.

  The others in our group are out of sight now. I take Enid’s good hand, shift my bag, and we break into a sprint. My body aches and resists the motion.

  23

  Shards of glass from broken and crumbling buildings on either side of the street leave me little choice but to run over them. Hopefully, my loafers have thick soles. The last thing I need is a shard of glass cutting into my feet ri
ght now.

  The trio managed to cross the bridge—or at least what remains of the trio. They pursue Enid and me, but experience has taught me how to run faster than the people chasing me. My feet slip a couple times as I run over the debris, but Enid and I cling to each other for balance.

  A few blocks ahead, a structure built over the road has suffered near-total collapse. Going through isn’t an option and going over will slow me down. The red brick building to my right is open in the front where the bricks have fallen into the street. No birds on it either. We could try finding a place to hide in there, but the integrity of the building makes me question our safety, and I have no doubt they would discover us eventually. The building isn’t that big.

  I push on, glancing across the street at a sprawling building with broken windows on the upper levels and a long, collapsed entryway. That’s a dead end. But on another wall…

  Birds. Three of them. Could I be that lucky? Could this be what Miller was talking about?

  I skid to slow my step, then turn toward the entrance to the building along the wide, broken sidewalk. Enid is quick to follow.

  The glass doors are broken, making it easy to slip through, ducking under the bars across them. Glass crunches under our shoes, but I see tracks. Someone else is here. Or at least has been. Hopefully one or more of the others. Or Miller. If not, we could be in a world of trouble.

  My pursuers’ voices grow more distant as I turn east inside the wide corridor. Parts of the ceiling has collapsed into the building, offering partial vision in the dying daylight. I push on the doors to an interior room and peer in. Empty. Just seats and a sky. It’s a dead end, too. If I’m followed, I’ll have nowhere to go.

  Nothing else along the wide corridor offers any potential. Enid and I head west of the doors.

  “There!” Outside, Terry and Derrek are gathered on the sidewalk. After spotting me, they rush toward the door.

  I utter a curse under my breath and sprint due west on Enid’s heels, only to meet another dead end. Broken escalators to our right offer the only means of escape as they close in. Where are the others?

  Our only choice is up—into the darkness above. It’s a risky move. The floors could be collapsed. Any number of items or debris could block our path. Perhaps, those windows I spotted outside offer some light from outside. Peering into the darkness doesn’t give me much hope. But there’s movement.

  Dave stands at the top of the escalator, waving me up. Enid is the first to go. I follow.

  My legs resist, shaking. A shot shatters the quiet, and blue light casts just enough illumination up the stairs to help guide my way before it disappears. Terry and Derrek fired at me.

  Finally, I reach the last step, hearing the two of them climbing up after us into the darkness.

  Dave presses a finger to his lips and takes my hand, pulling me deeper into the darkness. I quickly grab Enid’s good hand, so she isn’t lost in the dark. My heart hammering against my ribs, I shuffle along beside Dave. My feet kick at something just as Enid pulls back. I squint.

  A gorilla. It takes a moment for me to recognize it’s stuffed. I touch the plaque beneath the display and can only make out one word: Samson.

  “It’s too dark,” Terry whispers. “Can you see?”

  Derrek’s voice is hard. Angry. “No.”

  Relief. I hold my breath. Dave gives my hand a small tug away, and I don’t protest. Glass on the floor gives us away, crunching. We freeze.

  “Did you hear that?” Derrek asks.

  “Shh!”

  Silence. The only sound is my beating heart. Then their feet begin scraping the ground. Dave tugs again, and we turn away from the sound of their feet to go deeper into the building.

  Soft light glows ahead, and I realize Dave is being guided along by Sho. I glance back, but there’s no way Terry and Derrek can see it. The light is at an angle away from us. We head toward it, and I pray that whatever waits ahead won’t be more dangerous than what follows behind.

  The floor becomes more uneven. As we draw nearer to the light, I can see that the ground is stone. Cobblestone, maybe. It’s a street! How can there be a street inside the building?

  We round a corner and carefully edge along the street. The source of light is apparent now. Boyd created it. He stands just up the street, holding a thin line of light between his hands. It’s risky, casting any sort of illumination in this dark space. It will draw Terry and Derrek to us.

  I try not to sneeze as dust kicks up under our feet. Miller, I pray you’re here.

  “Light this way,” Derrek calls. Feet scuff the floor back the way we came.

  They will find us soon. We need to move faster. We need to get off this floor. Maybe we can escape back to the first floor.

  The five of us hurry as fast as we dare along the street, catching glimpses into bizarre old shops with ancient paraphernalia. Someone stares at me from a window, and I stumble back, bumping into an unlit lamp post. It takes a moment to calm my pounding heart once I realize it’s fake—not a real person. Sho is grinning at me.

  Trying to calm my nerves, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It’s no different than sneaking into my parents’ house and avoiding the creaks. I just need to be careful where I step. Someone else in the test can probably smell fear. I need to control it. But my hearing is more acute because of the fear.

  The wall beside me is suddenly gone. Is it moving or did it just end?

  We explore deeper through the odd maze. Just keep moving away from sounds. They’re closer now. Terry can probably sense us with his telepathy.

  Enid steps so close to me our bodies are almost pressed together. “Straight,” she whispers into my ear. The heat from her body warms me. She motions straight across the room, then points at me. She then points at herself and back. I get what she’s saying. We need to split up, make it harder for them to track us. But I can’t leave her. And I certainly can’t let her go toward them.

  I shake my head. No. This is a terrible plan.

  Enid scowls and pushes me away with her good hand. I stumble, but quickly catch my balance and move toward her again.

  Except Dave won’t let me. He grabs my arm and pulls me straight ahead. The ground beneath our feet begins to rumble, and as I watch over my shoulder, Enid raises a wall of stone across the street, blocking it off.

  I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want to leave her, but Dave gives me no choice.

  Boyd and Sho are already gone, and with them, the last of the light.

  Dave and I shuffle along carefully. Since he seems to have a keener sense of direction with his Hearing, I move him forward to take the lead. My ears strain for signs of Enid, and I keep wondering where she is and what’s happened to her. She hasn’t made a sound, so I can only hope for the best.

  Suddenly, the whole building shakes. I grab a display case to my right to catch my balance. Dave screams, the sound echoing downward. Just enough light shines from below to reveal a new hole in the floor. Dave pushes off his back from the depths, coughing and brushing debris and dust from his scrubs. I didn’t even see him fall.

  “I’ll get you back up,” I call down to him.

  “Don’t. Just go. I can see an exit.”

  I open my mouth to protest, but he’s already moving.

  Biting my lip, I edge cautiously around the hole and continue until all is darkness again.

  “I feel his mind,” Terry says from somewhere beyond the darkness.

  It’s time to move. I don’t fear Terry. But I do fear another fight with Derrek.

  Taking a few breaths to gather courage, I glare at the darkness ahead of me, one hand pressed to the wall, muscles taut.

  Go. Just go.

  They’re closing in.

  Move, Ugene!

  Closer.

  If I bolt and something is in my way, I’m screwed.

  Closer.

  God, the walls are closing in on me. Pain presses against my chest. My breaths shallow. I pus
h off from the wall and run, praying nothing will jump out at me from the darkness. I keep running.

  Move. Just keep moving.

  Cool air rushes past. The toe of my shoe catches on something, and I pitch forward on my face, tasting metal and blood.

  A scuffle breaks out somewhere behind me, grunts and sounds of impact. A fight. Maybe one of my friends. Maybe not. Maybe Derrek. There’s no way for me to tell. Something shatters, then there’s a clatter as Terry calls for help.

  I reach out, my face and ribs and knees aching.

  Grooved metal brushes my fingertips, cold and straight, then up at a right angle.

  Stairs.

  Scrambling to my feet, I wipe the blood from my nose and mouth. Sweat prickles across my forehead. Taking steps two at a time, hand securely on the cold, smooth rail, I pray no one else follows. When I reach the top, I turn sharply and run into a wall that vibrates upon impact.

  A flash of blue light emanates from the bottom of the stairs, accompanied by the boom of a gun, then shoes climbing the steps. Dave or Enid? But I can’t dare to hope. It could be Terry or Derrek.

  Heart in my throat, I reach desperately out in the dark ahead until my hand brushes across a smooth, glass-like surface. A door? I grasp around for a handle but when I pull it’s locked. I’m trapped. Whoever follows me will be here soon. A shaky breath slips out.

  A taste of metal. Blood still trickles out of my nose and from the corner of my mouth, mixing with the sweat on my brow as it drips down. I press the hem of my shirt against it, then head the other direction away from the stairs.

  My toe hits the bottom of a display, and I pitch forward, skidding on my stomach across broken glass. It rips up my shirt, and I bite my lip to avoid screaming out. And there’s something else. Stairs. More stairs up.

  “I heard him!” Derrek calls. “He’s on this floor.”

  Hopefully, they will search this floor before moving on. I ease myself as slowly and silently as possible off the floor. There’s a chance Derrek will stumble across me before I escape, but it’s better than giving away my intention of going up another level.

  I tiptoe up the stairs, using the rail to help guide me along.

  Something crunches under my foot as I near the top. I wince. Freeze. Hold my breath. Wait.