Anarchy on Earth

~16~

"LET US IN!" Auden yelled, pounding on the door. "YOU CAN'T KEEP US OUT HERE!"

I shook my head. "Shut up." I said sharply. "They'll hear us."

"Who?"

"The strangers!" I said, digging through my backpack.

I found my first-aid kit, and tossed it over to Auden, who caught it.

"Put the anti-septic on your hand, and bandage it." I said.

As he dressed his wounds, I listened to the door. The hard whir had stopped, and was replaced by a soft hum.

"They're trying to open it again." Auden said, looking up.

"I don't know if they can. Opening and closing the gate may have sapped whatever was left in that generator of ours." I sighed.

The hum was replaced by a screech, and then a bang that echoed through the silent district. I heard a faint growl from a while away.

"We have to go..." I said, backing away. "Now."

"Huh? Why? The door might open!"

"No. This has happened before. Something got stuck in the door bolt. Every stranger in the district came knocking. We need to leave. NOW."

"But we can climb the walls-"

"The top is lined with wire we put up there. You'll bleed out in minutes." I confirmed.

He nodded, solemnly.

I looked to the north, and saw the first of another massive horde approaching Greenway. They hadn't seen us yet.

"Run." I whispered. "The residential district. Split up."

"That's an idea even worse than 'Sun Wars: The Ghost Menace'"

We ran for the nearby neighborhood, that was  few blocks away. The first house I saw was a small one story house that looked relatively untouched. I just hoped Auden made the same call.

I ran up the driveway, and looked down the road. Strangers were pounding on the Greenway door. They wouldn't get in though, would they? I flung the door open and a wave of stale air hit me in the face. My eyes watered as the smell hit me. It smelled at first like home before the world went down the garbage disposal. Then, once you got past the "Patriot Candle" smells, you smelled the blood. The smell that had taken away the good times in the world. As I walked through the house, I saw the blood splattered on the walls, one of the houses that had been struck first when the disease came around.

"Hello?" I called out.

No answer. Not a genuine surprise. I continued to search through the house, sweat beading on my forehead. What if Auden didn't make it? Searching for strangers in the house was nerve-racking, knowing that in any room, there could be a stranger waiting to tear off your face. I swung open the last door in the hallway. The room was dark. I looked around, and saw a body lying on the floor, blood strewn all over the place. It smelled stale, as if the person had died long ago. I picked up a piece of paper I found on the ground.

"Head boils, decisions and toils, I got bit, I guess I'll quit." I read.

I looked over at the body, and saw it was a young girl, a pencil in one hand, a handgun in the other. I grabbed the gun and sighed. I slipped it into my backpack

"I'm sorry." I muttered.

I left the room, and headed for the living room.  I reached the window, and stared at it. The night was pitch black. I heard no more strangers, but that didn't mean they weren't around. I couldn't see Greenway from there. Were they alright?

*BANG* *BANG* *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH* *KERCHUNK!*

My thoughts were interrupted by Auden throwing open the door, and stumbling in. He collapsed on the couch, and let out a groan.

"Auden!" I whispered. "That was so loud! All the strangers in the neighborhood will hear us!"

"No..." He gasped, looking down at his injured hand. "They're all trying to get into Greenway..."

"What? We have to go back and help them!" I said.

"You don't think I tried?" He asked, wheezing.

"Huh?"

"I tried to go back... One scratched me across the chest... It hurts."

"Auden!" I said. "Why didn't you tell me!"

I opened my backpack, and grabbed the first aid kit. I threw it over to him.

"Fix yourself. We need to sleep. I'll keep watch for a few hours."

He nodded, and ripped off his sweatshirt. He began to wrap the bandages around his chest, which was bleeding a bit. I turned around, and looked out the window again. I saw a few strangers roaming the road.

"I wish I could go out there now..." I muttered. "They could all be in danger."

"TK's a good leader. If anything happens, he'll lead them to safety." Auden reassured.

"What if they think we're dead?" I asked. "You saw the horde out there!"

"TK did tell you to hide, right?" Auden said, stretching out on the couch. "G'night Jack."

"Sleep well. I'll wake you up at midnight." I said, looking at my watch. 8:23

He nodded, and closed his eyes, falling to sleep almost instantly. I guessed he hadn't slept in days. Neither had I, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I'd have to... stay... awake...

I silently dozed off, sitting in one of the chairs, my mind floating to other things.

***

"When will he be back?" I asked innocently to my mother, who had tears streaming down her face.

"He'll be away for a while." She sniffed.

"Why?"

"Your father needs to fix some things... he has a few things to make right."

I sat by the window, all day waiting for him to return. And the next day. And the week after that. That's when I realized silently, that he wasn't coming back... he left us.

"Mom?" I asked the next week. "Is Dad ever coming back?"

"No, Jack. He loves someone else, and he did some very bad things, so he went away. I'm sorry..."

I remember how I cried that day. Long, and hard. I cried my little toddler eyes out. Maybe he still loved us... wherever he was. But where was he now? Where was my mom. Where was Dad? The man I thought to be God in a Blue Day T-shirt.

I guess he never will come back now....