Chapter 6
My mind was in shambles and things were about to get even worse. As I tossed and turned thanks to the uncomfortable mattress which I now called my bedroom. I was soon awakened by a loud crash from the street above. All three adults jumped out of bed at attention staring up at the bunker ceiling in a trance like state. It was absolutely quiet, even the girls shivered in utter silence. Out of the blue Smith shouted, “Move, come on you lazy bastards, lets hustle go go go!” Like a drill sergeant he barked out his orders, “we have to make sure it doesn’t get to the food.”
I looked to Sharif hoping for the slightest bit of reassurance, but there was nothing except that damn blank facial expression. Then he reacted, eventually, I thought to myself. He gave a nod to Sky who was up digging through the large crate at the back of the room. She grabbed the nail tipped bat and sent in hurdling towards Sharif. I closed my eyes thinking it would pierce straight through his hand, but to my surprise he caught it with one swift grab. Sharif then took to his knees at the side of his quivering young kids and began talking to them in a deep serious tone. Not A query from either of the children, they were absolutely obedient. A silent understanding between both parent and child, As Zara a Shahkierah showed great maturity by not flinching from their fathers instructions.
As I redirected my attention to Sky, I saw her holding an old revolver in her hand, the 45 calibre long colt was honestly more of a museum relic than a modern day weapon. Like a deer in the head lights I stood unsure of what to do as I watched the three of them scramble across the room, prepping for what? I had no idea. Smith pulled a rusty machete from his belt, the dull blade so well concealed only visible once it had been drawn. The three sprinted to the door leaving me clueless as to what was happening, not knowing what was going on or what I should have done next; my instincts took over and I hobbled after them, I wasn’t sure if I should have stayed with the girls or if they wanted me to follow them so I just ran. As I made my way to the exit Sharif stood at the large door waiting to shut it, I ducked under his extended arm which held the door handle. He looked over at his kids one last time, smiled then sealed them in.
As they raced down the passageway they left me behind, I mustard up all my strength and pursued the three figures which had become shadows in the distance. My body was telling me to slow down and take it easy, but fear drove me to push on. Truthfully now in the middle of nowhere, caught between the bunker and my companions, I had an urgency to reach them, insuring I did not become stranded by myself in the long dark maze like passage ways. I saw light peeping into the bend of the corner passage and as I reached it I found them ascending to the top of the streets. Just As I made my first steps onto the ladder I could see Sky climbing out onto the street, the other two were already up there doing who knows what.
As my eyes peered into the light I had to squint, not yet used to the bright sight of sunshine. I readjusted my eyes, not only from the bright light which semi-blinded me but more from the shocking sight which immerged before me. Was this the city I loved? Was this the place I had left my home for, a bundle of emotions filled me as I lay eyes on the wreckage which was once known as New York City.
Well kept roads where now, cracked dusty pathways which hadn’t felt the rubber of tyres in years. The parks in the distance were now like jungles, filled with over teeming grass and weeds which consumed the see-saws and swings. Cars sat abandoned, waiting for their owners who had left them in the midst of the chaos, but the most obscure element however was the huge hole in the grounds and the large rocks which were scattered throughout the city. Some meteors implanted deep into buildings, others lying on top of smashed cars.
The contrast in the situation though was the air, it was crisp and after all the factories and cars stopped, the environment had a chance to breathe again. I lifted my nose to the sky and inhaled the crisp air, immediately being transported home to the unpolluted little town in South Africa.
The overwhelming feeling of this was soon engulfed when I took a look to my left and caught the devastating site of the rundown buildings. Some had collapsed others still blackened from the electrical fires which burnt them and everyone inside of them to a crisp. But the worse feeling however was the amount of scattered bones which were spread across the city. Heaps of undug graves lay bundled together in the middle of the streets. Bones in every form from big to small lay next to each other, New York City had literally become a burial ground.
I remembered when Smith explained how the site of all the dead bodies kept them from coming up to the surface for regular visits and I could only imagine how he felt. I had it easy compared, Smith and the others had to see the rotting faces of the victims and smell the decomposing stench which most likely lingered around the city from the countless bodies which rot in the NYC sun.
Ear piercing screams interrupted my confused psyche, and in the distance I saw what my mind didn’t want me to believe. A man in a torn pin stripe suit with one shoe on shuffled around trying to figure out what constricted him. He screamed and shook like a wild animal and pulled furiously at the chain which bound his leg. From the distance I could see his skin was pale just as Smith had explained and those eyes white and soul-less, he foamed at the mouth but other than that he was still a man, an outline of a man at least. Then it dawned on me,” So smith had been telling the truth about all of this.”The man or animal, whatever I could refer to that thing as stopped howling and looked straight at us.
As he paused his screams were replaced by the sound of slight grunts, which became somewhat of a purring noise. I could not believe my eyes, the old man was right. I felt quite foolish now, doubting what Smith had told me. I should have believed him from the beginning as soon as I saw the conditions they were living in and what had become of them. But there was no time to reminisce on what I should or should have not believed; I had this thing in front of me and no idea if I should have jumped back down the manhole or run to the safety of the grocery store. Before I could react he slowly started walking towards us, the creature picked up speed from a slow jog he came running towards us as fast as an Olympic sprinter.
There was a sudden jerk as the rope around his leg tightened and then sent him whipping back colliding straight into the shop window behind him. Sharif had placed a trap right in front of the grocery shop door, which kept any unwelcome visitors at bay. He had looped the rope into a slip knot wide enough to cover the entrance of the door; he then tied the opposite end to the minivan parked outside. It was simple and primitive, but it did not have to be complicated or elaborate for the type of victims he was hoping to scare. I assumed the situation was under control; surely that impact would have rendered him unconscious.
But the creature slowly grabbed the broken window frame, slicing his hands open as he pulled himself out the store. He got back to his feet and yet again came charging at us. This time the strain on the rope was too much and it snapped, freeing the man and sending him our way. We all froze as he approached, then Smith shouted,” SKY!”Sky aimed the revolver at the creature and tried releasing her rounds, but nothing, all that came out was a clicking sound and even I knew the old gun relic had jammed. Before we had time to contemplate our next move the creature was within reaching distance.
It mowed down Sharif; and both of them went sliding through the dust. Before Sharif could defend himself it drove its blunt bacteria ridden teeth deep into his arm. Blood poured from the wound, as the creature reared its head readying itself for another bite, Sharif screamed for our help. Without time to think Sky ran over to where Sharif now lay and swung the gun at the creatures head. There was a dull thud and the man went rolling off Sharif. Still dumbstruck from what was occurring in front of me I realised I had not moved an inch throughout the entire ordeal, my mind was trying to tell my body to move but fright had paralyzed me.
The creature raised itself from the ground, but how was this remotely possible; half its head had been caved in. Again it made its way towards us. There was a sudden s
ound of steal rubbing against leather followed by a flash of metal which whipped past me and when I looked up Smith had drawn his machete from his belt and it stood risen in the air. As soon as the creature was close enough Smith drove the blade deep into its skull, there was a sound of cracking bone then a fine red shower of blood.
As it lay on the floor, Sky took no chances; she repeatedly kicked the creature in the head which dislodged it from Smiths blade. This time the creature had been put down permanently, I hoped at least. My eyes stood wide and my heart raced. I looked to the floor and Sky was at Sharif’s side tending to the wounded mans arm. What would happen now, only time would tell?
Northern Exposure
Luken Du Pont
Copyright 2014 by Luken Du Pont
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