Insolation

by Bradlyn Wilson

  “Hey there! UN! Come out with your hands up,” he shouted.

  Hadley didn’t have to think, she just ran. She ran towards the mattresses, weaving in and out of the aisles.

  “GET UP!” she squealed hoping that Pax and Vanya would hear her. They were just standing up as she got to them.

  They saw her frenzied look and the man running behind her and sprinted towards the Serva. Hadley followed, knocking over shelves as she went. They ran past the Serva and out onto the flooded street, twisting and turning through the streets until they ran into another building.

  Pax looked around and decided to run up the stairwell; four floors up they paused and sat on the ground, waiting. But no footsteps came. Hadley peaked out of the broken window and didn’t see anyone below on the street. Half the building was gone and two feet over it was a freefall onto the pavement below.

  “Why—” Pax started to say loudly giving Hadley a disapproving look.

  “There was a man carrying a gun walking around outside. When he saw me, well he looked like he was going to shoot,” Hadley whispered urgently.

  “Let’s go see him, maybe he knows what’s going on,” Vanya whispered.

  “I don’t think we want to do that,” she whispered, shaking her head. Her stomach gave a lurch.

  “Why not?” Pax asked.

  “I get this feeling he isn’t the type to help us.”

  Paxton nodded; he was starting to understand her fear. “We will wait for the coast to be clear then continue on; at least we know we aren’t the only ones out here.”

  “We don’t know if they are good people though.”

  “In the apocalypse is anyone?”

  Vanya twitched. “Why do you think it’s the apocalypse?”

  “Vanya, have you looked around?” Hadley asked, an air of discontent straining through her voice.

  “I know but…” Tears welled up in Vanya’s eyes and she looked away shaking.

  “Had, we have to stay united…” Pax warned.

  Hadley walked towards the other side of the building alone. Pax put his hand comfortingly onto Vanya’s shoulder as she sobbed. Hadley shook her head as she watched the rain pile down. A while later Pax walked over.

  “It doesn’t help to be like that to her Hadley.”

  “I know, I mean I don’t even know why I said that, I… It’s just… I don’t even know.” Hadley was flustered.

  “We’re all on edge, so it’s fine,” Pax said as though his opinion was the most important.

  Hadley grimaced at him but bit her tongue.

  “Let’s all get a few more hours of sleep.”

  In the morning, they woke up with the sun. Hadley opened her eyes and felt Pax’s arm around her. She lifted her head off his shoulder and wiggled to relieve her total body stiffness while pushing her heels forward. She felt the stretch through the back of her legs. She reached towards the sky and felt the cracks run down her spine. She tilted her head casually to one side and the crack rang through to her ears. Sleeping sitting up was no fun.

  She took a look at their surroundings in the daylight, realizing how differently it all looked in the morning sun. The rain had stopped and as Hadley looked out into the street she saw the puddles start to dry. The windows were long blown out of the building. The floor they were on looked as though it had been partially vacated before it was blown to bits.

  Hadley noticed a broken bottle close to her and a chainsaw lying cracked in two. The walls were surprisingly intact but many of the support beams were crumbled in many places. Had looked up and saw pieces of the roof falling down. So much for stability. She sighed having no ideas on what to do next.

  “Hey—thirsty—water—” Hadley said when she saw Pax’s eyes open. Her lips were cracking again and she could feel the sawdust coating the back of her throat.

  Pax also looked dehydrated as he dug into his bag and threw her a water patch. Hadley slid it under her tongue and felt the slow release.

  “I know. Me too,” Pax said as he also popped one in his mouth, scooting his arm out from around her. Vanya had rolled over and was lying in the fetal position on the floor, her chest moving up and down in a peaceful manner.

  It was strange, she had known him for less than a day and suddenly they were relying on each other for survival. Hadley suddenly felt a pang of guilt for how she had talked to both of them. She got up and looked out the window cautiously. There was no one in sight, just the destruction they had seen the day before.

  “We should keep moving,” Hadley said to Pax, who was putting another nutrition on his arm.

  Pax nodded. “When Vanya wakes up Hadley, there isn’t a rush. We’re probably going towards nothing.”

  “Pessimistic much?”

  “Coming from the queen of happiness and good decisions?”

  “Point taken.” Hadley scrunched up her nose, unable to think of anything else to say.

  After a long uncomfortable silence Pax said, “Did we know each other before this?”

  Hadley’s eyes widened, “I had the same thought…”

  “Weird isn’t it? Not knowing anything about our lives.”

  “Are you having dreams?” Hadley whispered, knowing she sounded crazy.

  “Everyone dreams, Hadley, it’s a physiological process, especially after trauma.”

  She looked at him, unimpressed, until she saw he was joking. A smirk ran over his face, and he again felt oddly familiar.

  “But yes and flashbacks?”

  “I thought I was the only one…”

  “The only one?” Vanya said waking up. A sadness spreading across her face as she once again realized she had interrupted a moment between Hadley and Pax.

  “Flashbacks,” Pax said simply.

  Vanya smiled, relieved. “Oh right.”

  Pax handed Vanya a couple patches and they got up. They made their way back out onto the street. There was a long amount of nothing where they walked through more rubble and destruction. No sign of any other human.

  The rain from the night before evaporated in the hot morning sun, typical of a concrete jungle. Before long they were sweltering in the heat. Their water patches were going faster than they would have like. Hadley kept looking under anything for a sign of life.

  Then they saw it: a fountain, completely disjoined from everything else around it. It was completely intact and cool blue water ran through it. All around it was destruction and piles of exploded concrete.

  The fountain was carved into the shape of a man and woman beneath a tree. They had their hands interlocked. The woman held her hand like a gun against her mouth. Her lips pressed against the base of her index and middle finger. Her thumb was pressed against her temple. The man’s hand was clenched in a fist over his heart. There was plate beneath it that read “In the future we entrust protection of the earth. 2095.” Underneath someone had written “We will not be silenced; they will not take our minds. We promised only peaceful revolution. But it’s us against them.” Hadley thought this inscription was odd, it must have had some significance but she couldn’t figure it out and to make matters worse the man and the woman looked vaguely familiar.

  The water looked clear as day. The sunlight danced on its ripples. They walked up to it mesmerized. Hadley knelt beside it and took a scoop in her hand. It smelt like fresh water. She brought it up to her lips and sipped. She felt the cool water run down her throat.

  “How do you know it’s safe?” Vanya hissed.

  “We don’t,” Pax said with a pretentious shrug.

  Paxton sat down beside Hadley and took a drink. They spent a few moments taking in as much water as they could. Vanya eventually gave up her fight and starting drinking too.

  Then there was a crash behind him and a voice, “We finally found you three.”

  Hadley turned her head slowly, still hunching over the fountain and saw a figure standing there.

  He smiled, holding his gun, “Good afternoon Dr. Evans. Everyone will be so glad we found you.”


  Chapter Seven

  The man was tall and thin. His glasses were slightly askew on his face and he had a sympathetic smile on his face. His green eyes blazed and he took a step forward.

  Hadley jumped to her feet, followed by Pax and Vanya who slowly retreating backwards looking for an escape route. The men and women with guns started pouring into the square around them like ants retreating to their nest.

  The three of them stopped looking around.

  “Hadley there is no reason for you to be scared of us,” the man said meekly, re-holstering his gun and putting his hands up in front of his chest. He meant it as a sign of cooperation but with the 50 or so other guns pointed directly at them they couldn’t take it that way.

  She stared at him, not uttering a word, her eyes searching while her mind played games. A familiar tingle shot up her back and through her chest and her heart quickened. Adrenaline, she thought.

  “Captain, just grab them!” another man said, the same man Hadley had run from the day prior, as he turned the corner beside the man. Hadley caught the new man’s eye and he gave her a scowl.

  “Shut up Jeremiah, always rash.” The captain shook his head and waved a dismissive hand towards Jeremiah who took a step backwards.

  Hadley glanced at Pax who had puffed out his chest defensively. Vanya was shaking in fear her hands raised just above her hips, pleading silently for no one to hurt her. The captain took a step forward. Paxton defensively stepped in front of both women. Hadley shook her head, outraged. She side stepped beside Pax, while Vanya quivered behind them.

  “Don’t be afraid of me,” the captain said. He raised his hands even higher to symbolize he really meant peace. He looked straight into Hadley’s eyes as though he could see into the depth of her soul. Hadley glared back, careful not to break the eye contact they had established.

  “Why shouldn’t we be?” Pax replied. He glanced from Hadley to the captain.

  The captain crinkled his nose and pressed his lips into a thin line, obviously debating what he should say. He countered smoothly, “I am not here to hurt you. We have been looking everywhere for the two of you. I know you don’t know who I am, but we will do everything we can to help you remember.”

  Hadley narrowed her eyes to signify that she meant business. “How do we know that’s true?” she retorted with more coldness than she meant to.

  “I guess you don’t,” the captain shrugged. He still didn’t look away from Hadley, barely even noticing anyone else was there. It was exhausting holding someone’s eye contact for this long, but Hadley wasn’t going to be the first to look away. She was bound and determined.

  Out of nowhere something changed and his gaze became unsettling. He knew something they didn’t. Hadley opened her mouth and started to say something when she felt hands around her. They were strong and rough, and held she couldn’t break free.

  Hadley started to thrash around, trying to loosen the solid grip she was held in. She looked to her side and saw two large men, well over six feet and triple her size holding her. She tried to wriggle but it didn’t work.

  Vanya had subdued to the man holding her and was standing completely still as her hands were cuffed behind her and a bag was thrown over her head. Hadley watched and felt her hands get clammy.

  Pax was doing a good job fighting off his would-be captors. He was standing in the middle of a circle of large men who were ready to pounce. Two already lay on the ground writhing in pain.

  A man jumped towards Pax, swinging his arms and smoothly Pax took out his legs. As he did two others jumped in but Pax was too fast, his fists hitting them hard as he jumped in the air sending them both sideways. Pax was winning and the unconscious count was pilling. Then a small woman stepped out from behind a big man. She held a small metal tube and aimed it at Pax. Five small metal objects, the size and shape of tacks, flew at Pax. They adhered to his skin and clothing, then erupted in a flash of blue light.

  Pax ended up twitching on the ground. They rolled him over and tied him up, pulling a bag over his head.

  Hadley wanted to scream as she watched Pax’s defeat but she knew she had to continue fighting. Jeremiah came over and grabbed a hold of her arms, dismissing the other two. They both looked at him obviously puzzled but they just shrugged and walked away. Hadley didn’t understand why he would take over from two noticeably bigger men. He was muscular and strong, but he was a couple inches shorter than her.

  Jeremiah pulled her arms together, causing a pop in her shoulder. “You’re stubborn Hadley.”

  “Wouldn’t you be?” Hadley spat back.

  “I was, but calm down. We’re here to help.”

  Hadley continued to fight against him. She got a good kick into his shin but he didn’t even flinch on his grip. A man came by and pulled a bag over her head but Jeremiah just kept a firm grip and forgot to hand cuff her. The bag made her feel claustrophobic and sick as the memory of being trapped under the rubble resurged. She tried to suppress it but her stomach did flip flops and she could feel the vomit try to make its way up her throat.

  Hadley struggled as they walked; unable to see, she tripped over her feet constantly. She thought that if she was being dragged to her death there was no way she would go quietly. So she became dead weight and tried to make it hard for Jeremiah. However, he was stronger and didn’t notice; he just dragged her shins across the ground.

  Hadley kicked and squirmed and felt another set of hands on one of her arms. Two of them dragged her along, hardly noticing her effort to break free. They struggled to hold onto her limbs sometimes but never let go.

  Finally, she got one arm free and without hesitation raised her elbow to her eye level and brought it back hard behind her. There was a sickening crunch at her shoulder level as her elbow made contact with something.

  Both sets of hands momentarily let go and she removed the bag from her face. She started to run, avoiding the other soldiers that were trying to grab her. Someone shot a metal cylinder at her and she watched as the tacks exploded over her shoulder against a wall. With one glance back Hadley saw she had broken Jeremiah’s nose. He clutched at it, blood drenching his shirt. He started to run after her, one hand on his face.

  She looked away and ran, faster than she ever had before. The muscles in her legs burned as they propelled her forward. She didn’t even pause to look back, hearing the echoes of footsteps near behind her. She swerved and ran down a narrow back alley.

  The streets were cobblestones and the whole alley was red brick buildings, or at least what was left of them. The bricks lay in heaps on the sides of the street. The one at the end still had windows, remarkably. They were in the older part of the city, headed towards the suburbs. Hadley glanced around as she continued bolting down the street. She ran past a door and slowed for a moment as she saw the same symbol she had at the Serva. This time it was modified though; instead of just the symbol right under the top of the circle was a number four and a Roman numeral one. Three letters were stamped above the symbol RFE. A fleeting memory returned as she ran, but as fast as it had come it was gone and she was running past the symbol.

  Hadley turned for another glance to see if her momentary slowing had caused her to lose the distance she had gained. Before she could turn her head all the way backwards the air was forced from her lungs.

  “You really don’t have to be scared,” she heard the captain whisper in her ear as they tumbled forward. She glanced backwards as they both fell forward. His hands were wrapped tightly around her sides. Soon enough his entire weight was on top of her. She just caught a glimpse of Jeremiah whose nose she had broken breathing heavily to the side watching them fall.

  Both the captain and Hadley rolled down the cobbled street. Hadley felt her arm twist in an odd direction and the crack rang through her ears. Her entire side was scraped brutally by the stone and she was left lying on the ground. The air was pushed out of her lungs as she felt a body on her back. Moving her eyes backwards, she saw the captain kneeling beside he
r with a hand on the back of her neck and his knee between her shoulder blades.

  “Jeremiah how in hell did you let her get away,” the captain grunted.

  “She broke my nose sir,” Jeremiah said sheepishly, staring daggers at Hadley.

  Hadley kept squirming through the pain. The captain leaned forward and hissed into her ear, “Can you stop running? You can’t get away, and even though you don’t know it, you don’t want to.”

  “Fuck you!” she yelled.

  Jeremiah was shaking with rage as he held her arms back and tied them tightly together. He tied them tighter than he needed to, letting his anger take over. Then he tied her legs in two places so there was no way she could run. The captain threw a bag over her head. In one swift movement he threw her over his shoulder and started to walk.

  “Where are you taking us?”

  “Shut the fuck up. You’ve made this day difficult enough Hadley. You’ll see soon enough.”

  Hadley knew she had made a mistake in running but it was her only choice and she wasn’t going to feel bad about it.

  Chapter Eight

  Hadley was thrown to the ground in a hurried frenzy. Since her hands were tied behind her back, her shoulder and cheek broke her fall as she landed face first on her side. She landed on the same side as her road rash and felt the pain radiate through her body. Everything was still dark since the bag was still over her head.

  She struggled against her restraints but it was no use. The bag was blocking everything from her vision. She squirmed on the ground like a worm. Finally, she brought herself into a seated position. Everything was quiet.

  Unexpectedly, she felt the bag being pulled off of her head then she realized someone was in the room with her. She looked up and saw him, with the same knowing look in his eyes. She stared at him. His captivating green eyes were ablaze.

  “Fuck you,” Hadley whispered as she pursed her lips.

  “No thanks, not today,” he played.

  The colour rushed to Hadley’s cheeks and she bit her lip. His tone had completely changed since coming into this room. He no longer wore the military garment of the field instead his thin shirt was buttoned unevenly. His glasses still sat crookedly on his nose.