Buildings Collapse

I can still see the dead lying beneath my feet. My shoes are stained red as I wade through the pooling blood, barely able to keep from drowning. There is never any discrimination in death. Comrade or enemy, a person I know or not, smiling or in excruciating pain – they all end up in the same place.

Sometimes it happens when I’m observing my surroundings. Other times, my memories pull me away from reality, replacing those I see with those I used to know. Just because I have come to terms doesn’t mean I can simply stop thinking about it. The brain is fickle in that way.

Even now…

Tick.

The firefighter and his band of lackeys did a good job of cleaning out the place. Not a sound echoed through the splattered corridors. The piles were endless, though I assumed a few were a figment of my imagination. After all, most of the faces I recognized died in a completely different world from a completely different time.

I continued making my way towards the storeroom, keeping my eye out for anything troublesome. While there were a few things that did turn my head, none of them were of any import. Basically, it seemed as though they planned to destroy the supports holding up the church with a few well-placed explosions. However, with none of them remaining, they were effectively duds. Of course, I couldn’t rule out that there wasn’t some remote detonator just in case, so I hastened my steps.

It didn’t take too long to arrive at the storeroom, though my clothes retained the heavy iron smell permeating through the catacombs. The shelves were about half empty, with three rucksacks lying near the center of the room. Whoever was packing must have left in a hurry as one of them had fallen on its side, letting its non-perishable foodstuffs spill out. It made my life easier either way. I picked up the two remaining bags easily – carrying any more was impossible at the moment – before making my way back towards the main hall.

Tick.

The trek back was a bit slower, though still uneventful. Andrea hadn’t moved from her position by the nun’s side, sobbing uncontrollably. It was obvious she felt broken. The nun meant quite a bit to Andrea, at least through my few observations. While I didn’t feel the same way about Jack, I would like to think there was some affinity between us. However, we had to move on.

I loaded the sack into the aisle between the seats of the diesel truck. From my limited view, the fighting had started to wind down, though out of anyone’s volition. Almost all the buildings along the street had collapsed. Those still standing were beginning to crumble. While that should make the drive safer, the rubble posed a different challenge. I had to hope that the truck tires could withstand the littered roads.

“It’s time for us to go,” I said softly while lightly patting Andrea’s shoulder. She didn’t respond verbally, but her shoulder stiffened, so I knew she heard me.

Tick.

“Was I wrong?” she whispered. It was so quiet that even my enhanced hearing barely caught it.

“About what?” I responded.

“About everything. About this faction. About helping others. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing. But now, with Soraya… I’m not sure what to…” Andrea choked on her words, even as she already accepted the reality of the situation. “You know. I thought about taking Soraya away with me and leaving this all behind. However, she wanted to stay and help everyone else who was struggling. She was so dazzling, I wanted to follow her. She deserved better than… than this! What was it all for?!? TELL ME!!!” She pounded on my chest over and over until she slumped back onto her knees.

“...do you regret it?” I asked with the slightest hesitation.

“...no, but… It should’ve… but I don’t want to die… but without Soraya…” Even her words had become a jumbled mess the longer she talked. However, I understood. Being the last person alive, watching everyone you know die – I knew the feeling all too well. Even then, it took a hundred lifetimes to overcome my downward spiral. With that, there was only one thing I could say.

Tick. Tick.

“Then, keep living. I’m sure Soraya would’ve wanted that for you.”

“...yeah…” The light in her eyes was dim, but it hadn’t gone out yet. I wasn’t sure whether she would recover before the world ended in 9-10ish months, but I hoped as much. Compared to my unanswered questions, that was well within her reach.

Tick. Tick.

Huh?

Tick. Tick.

Damn. I hoped I was imagining it, but I definitely wasn’t. I heard the sound of two ticks only the slightest bit off from each other. The first was from the second hand in my right eye. That meant the second was…

Tick. Tick.

“We need to leave now,” I grabbed Andrea by the hand and quickly pulled her towards the diesel truck. Although she lumbered behind, she was definitely making an effort not to fall or be a burden. I wasn’t particularly in a rush, but I didn’t want to risk the diesel truck. Having it blown up after finally obtaining it would be cruel.

We both hopped in, or I did and Andrea fell in as I started the truck. Since the truck was pressed up against the wall, turning was slightly nerve-wracking as the metal body screeched against the stone or marble pillars. Nevertheless, we were able to drive back down the steps and then down the road as fast as possible. The truck shook violently as it drove over the rubble and carcasses.

Once we were far enough from the church, Andrea listlessly stared out the window. “Even the city is–”

Tick.

BBBOOOOOOOMMMMM!

A loud sound rumbled against our ears as the church began to collapse behind us. Then came the shockwave, sending a tremor through the nearby building, causing them to crumble a bit more. Andrea did her best not to look back, but her tears flowed freely with the silence left behind.

Tick.