Days of Oblivion

Friendly Enough.

My eyes flicker at the count of an annoying alarm screaming “s**t,” I swing my legs if the bed, stretching every knack I hear.

I still remember the day they changed me, as if it happened yesterday…

The partner I lost that day in the dark alley. Everything plays in my head like a movie each morning I wake. I couldn’t save him or even myself, I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but the happening changed me… physically.

*

Year 2019

“You realize this won’t work, right? Those damn things are everywhere,” “Yeah, Bleak, I hear you, now shut up, and help me, will you?”

Darkness slides upon the streets, flames reach every roof quickly leaving smoke everywhere. “Ethan, we need a proper plan,” He heels me through the alley.

“The whole point of stealth, is silence, Bleak, silence,” He nods variously annoyed, “Fine, fine,” “s**t,” “What the heck, Bleak?” “s**t, Ethan, help me,”

I spin around aiming my barrel at whatever is behind me, “Ethan…” His screaming echo throughout the alley, “s**t, no,” My bullets pierce through his immense head and a c***k fills the air.

“Bleak…” I holster my guns and sprint his way, “Bleak, come on man, answer me,” With all strength, I push the thing off, “Bleak, answer me,” I slap his cheek “Brother, come on, answer me,”

No, no, this can’t be happening, I rest my head on his chest, frustration fill my lungs, I take my stand and sprint toward the light flickering at the end of the alley.

Bolts of lightning flashes through the sky, and within seconds… my vision darkens against the concrete.

*

He screams. Everything plays in my mind like a movie each morning I wake. I couldn’t save him, I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but the accident changed me… physically.

To explain how I ended alone isn’t easy, I hardly think about my solitude, there isn’t a point in trying…

I pull on the door frame, exercising the stiff parts, the machinery they inserted in me, was to rebuild me, make me human again, but I always hated them, I never approved of this and I never will.

This wasn’t how I imaged I would have loved when I had my old life, I never imagined I would have to face this s**t every fuc-ing day, trying to survive, trying to face a war I barely know s**t about.

But when they announced some subjects have escaped, I knew it was the end, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon.

Or happen this fast…

*

“Mama, papa,” “Alfie, please, quiet down,” I pluck him into a hug to safeguard him, but he keeps calling their names. I lift Alfie and lead him toward the window; we need an exit fast.

Alfie escapes my arms and yanks the door open and before I can save him, mom is the first to grab him and everything shut down around me…

I jerk my minor handgun from my drawer and within seconds, they all left dead…

I crouch down, puddling on Alfie, my baby brother; gone… I could not spare him, “I’m sorry, Alfie, so s-sorry,”

*

“s**t,” Soft growling lingers behind me, I slowly take my stand and without warning, my handgun flies from my hand and the thing battles me off the plane into the rushing water.

In minor breathes I grip my minor knife from my boot and stab his head… “s**t,” The rushing water drags me along, causing the minor air I have left out and before I know it… drags me overboard and everything fades.

*

“Hey, come on, wake up,” The soft hand slaps across my cheek a few times…

*

“Wake up,” I flutter toward shaking, “What… where am I?” The rumbling of the car wakes me completely, “Ah, s**t, what happened?” I glance at the old car moving at high speed, “Are you awake?” I jump to the side of her voice.

“What the… who are you?” She glances at me blankly, “I just saved your ass from hundreds of those damn things, what’s your name?”

I hold my head shifting my weight again, “Ethan, Coleman,” She glances at me again, “Lixa Fond… what in the world were you doing down there?”

I peer at her glancing at me every few seconds, red substance drains from me, the part of my human flesh aches badly, “One of them attacked me…” She nods taking a right turn, “Wait… how did you know I was there?”

“I heard your broadcast, I followed the signal and yeah,” “Oh,” I glance at her wild black hair flowing along the wind, her shredded shirt and shorts proves her survival, along with her dirty sneakers, her average build bronze skin shows some minor bruises.

“T-thanks,” “Yeah, no problem, you were lucky I found you… you would have been…” I rub my head, stretching my sore muscles, “I can’t die, even if you didn’t find, I wouldn’t have died,”

She tilts in a glance, “What…” I look at her, “I can’t turn by their blood,” “Oh, so I worried over nothing, thank goodness,” “I’m serious, Lixa, I’m not kidding around,” She nods toward the front, “Okay then,”

“Where are you taking me?” She takes another sharp left turn, “I have a house, near to here, we should be safe there,” “Oh, do you have family left?”

She nods, changing the gears, “Yes, they’re back at the house, um, and you?” I focus on the window instead of her, “No…” “Oh, I’m sorry, I know it’s hard,” “Thanks… Lixa I can’t tag along,”

She glances at me, “Oh, I understand, but you’re more than welcome to live with us. If ever you should change your mind, we’ll be here,”

“Thanks, Lixa,” I glance at every few seconds, just to make sure she is real, being alone for so long… it feels uncomfortable.

I never thought this day would come where I meet another, I honestly thought I was alone, I thought the world was all like them, but then… maybe I should tag along with her, “Lixa, maybe I should stay a few days with you, I have a house in the next city, I just need to reach it,”

She nods in a minor smile. It holds beauty, “Sure, I have a truck there which you can use when you want to leave,” I nod toward her, grinning, “Thanks,”

*

She breaks the car before the brick house, “All right, here we are, come on,” I notice how quiet the street is, I follow outside the car toward the front door, she knocks a few times and someone peeks through the window, “It’s Lixa… and a man,”

The door opens and we’re pulled inside, the door slams shut and locks again, two elderly men shift the furniture before the door and they all turn to us.

“Oh, this is Ethan, I saved him,” “So, now you’re bringing home strangers? You know better than this Lixa,” She pushes her hands toward the one elderly man, “I know papa, but he’s human, I had to safe him, he’s the messenger,”

The messenger? What does that even mean? The elderly man walks up to me, surveying me, “So, you’re the messenger? Tell me, who are you?” His grey locks fall each side along with his beard, skinny and tattooed, “Ethan Coleman, Sir,”

“I’m Hecto, and that is, Jed her brother and, Kennet her grandmother and, Florence, her mother,” I peek at each one he’s pointing to, her brother is about the same height as me, a little minor inbuilt, black long hair and also tattooed, her grandmother is excessively skinny and short grey hair, her mother looks exactly like her, I swear if I didn’t know, I would have thought they were sisters, black long hair and skinny.

I wave to everyone, and they all greet me. Her father pats my back and leads me toward the kitchen, “Do you have family, son?” I count my steps, “No, Sir,” “It’s hard facing this world without a second soul, I lost my father a few days back to those damn things,”

“I’m sorry Sir,” He shows me to seat and grab two beers from his fridge, he points it to me and I take it, “No need to be sorry boy, you faced more than we all did,” “Yeah…” “So, we have an extra bedroom for you, if you’re interested?”

I place the beer on the table and shift forward, “Sir, I can only stay a few days, I have other plans,” He nods taking a sip, “I understand boy, it’s your choice, I know this world of today is… hard, but we all must survive and have faith for tomorrow,”

“Papa, I said he can take the truck,” “Lixa, I told you to not interrupt, please leave us be,” This man was different, although he reminds me of my father, respect is his key in living.

“But yes, you may take the truck,” “Thank you, Sir,” He nods friendly enough.

Finding this new family may bring me luck, but my main mission is still to meet at the diner and then head to the dome, the plans I arranged with my family hasn’t changed, although, I don’t know if they’re still alive but I hope for the best.