MY NAKED FEET pad across the rubble littered road. I come to a cross in the street, one way into uncertainty, one way towards more rubble. Also, there is always back the way I came.
I walk my naked ass to uncertainty because there is no going back now.
I could see it in the distance—a bridge lined with abandoned cars. They have just been sitting out there for years. Some doors are still open.
I move a little quicker. If the vehicles are still intact, maybe there are buildings; if there are buildings, maybe there are pants.
I’m full on running now. I have to get to that bridge. There are fumes rising up in me. The fire is lit in the furnace that is my soul. I have to know what’s on the other side of that road.
I thought I would just rush through this bridge, but there is something that is not quite right. If I still have hairs back there, all the little hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. A numb tingling is chasing goosebumps through my skin.
Something is here. Something unnatural. Something that’s hiding.
I CAN SMELL YOUR DISEASED BLOOD
First there is the smell—not quite rotting flesh, but maybe sour is the word. The light is rumbling, like an old car. They are making that noise.
Eyes peeking at me from the inside of cars. Some are on the ground, squished under the discarded travel machines. (of the ones they could fit under.)
Glowing cracks shine through their skin. Flesh, hanging off bones like a starving wretch. Big dark eyes, of which you are not sure if there is somebody home in there.
They crawl and skitter their way out of hiding. I'm expecting them to run right at me and try to eat me like zombies. No, they were not dead but not quite fully alive either. What are they?
Then the glow of the radiation coming from inside their bodies. ‘Oh god.' Did I say that out loud? I make eye contact with a few. Some turn their gaze away, lowering their heads.
Great, now I’m the asshole. They definitely heard me.
I nod, holding my hand up.
“Sorry, I react the same way to my own reflection.”
Are they buying it? No, I don’t think so.
Some are just openly staring at my John Cena. I guess there are no manners left at the end of the world. I would try to hide it, but that would leave things a bit weirder.
Then there is the clack of a boot. My eyes target it immediately. There is one dressed like a Cowboy.
He tilts his hat to me, chewing on nothing. A big, glowing teeth grin. I smile back. I don't want to be rude. Again…
It looks like I share more in common with the Cowboy than I do with the humans. HUMANS? When did I start thinking of myself that way? Am I not human anymore?
It steps from the shadows, and then it speaks.
“Hello there.”
“He-hello”, I reply.
I lower my head, feeling warmth in my face.
“Sorry about before, I was.”
“No need to be embarrassed. We know wut we look like. Do you know what you look like?” He interrupted.
“Yeah.”
Damn it. I was doing one-word replies. I was trained how to talk to strangers on the phone for cold calls. What am I doing? He makes me feel like I’m a kid in the principal's office.
‘Get a hold of yourself. You’re better than this. You are a grown man. You might be older than this guy. Maybe.’
“You git in yer head a lot, don’t ya?” He asks.
“Yes, yes I do,” I reply.
Still saying short sentences.
He looks back at the swaying creatures behind him and back at me.
“Well, come closer; don’t be shy.” He says.
He holds his hand out, trying to shield his vision from my peacemaker.
“Yeah, let’s go git ya some pants first.”
He turns his back to me and starts walking.
“Come on,” he beckons with a hand gesture.
Now I’m following my new mutant friend. There may be pants involved, and I would like to be able to sit down without worrying about things going places. I would also like to be able to run without damaging my Ricky Stanicky.
FOREST OF WONDER
A light shimmers over the crystallized trees. If it wasn’t for the fact that I knew this place was probably petrified from the nuclear blast, it would be quite pretty.
He looks back at me over his shoulder and smirks. He could tell I am enjoying it.
“All this here is jus fir us. The rest git sick and die out here.”
Eventually we come to a large cave. Inside there are the bones of animals frozen in positions of their final moments on the stone floor.
“Don’t mind the mess. Prior occupants. No worries though, we spruced up the place.”
Lights cover the ceiling. I think part of it is carpeted. There is furniture. At the back there may be slot machines. If it wasn’t for the dead animals at the beginning, it would be a glittering paradise.
With an outreached finger, he points down a shadowy corridor.
“Down there are the bedrooms.”
“There’s more?” I ask.
“Hell yeah, there’s more. This here is a cave. It goes on a bit, and we ain't even using half of it.”
I look back towards the opening, my mind on the rest of the world.
The Cowboy takes his hat off and hangs it on the cave wall.
“Now ya don’t gotta worry. They never come down here on the account that they git sick and die. This here place is jus fir us.”
He sits in one of the plush club chairs that somehow survived this mess we are all in. Where did he find a chair? I wonder. They must have searched for a while. They lugged it back here for miles.
“Well wut ya think?” He asks.
I nodded my head, seeing all the comfort and the beauty in what they have done here, and it is nothing short of amazing.
“You have a wonderful home.”
“Well thank ya. It could be yers too if ya want.”
They are all staring at me. Waiting for my answer. They just met me and accept me just like that? They don’t even know me.
“When the world comes back, we the ones who gonna be runnin things. They all gonna die. They treat us like monsters. We are the next evolutionary mark in this tree called life.”
An outreached hand holds out clothes to me. I look up at the smiling lady. I could see some of her inner green light shining through her skin. That only happens to me when I am injured.
I take the clothes, and dress right there: dress pants; a button-down shirt; socks; shoes; and a jacket.
I realized that everything I am wearing is black.
“I’m dressed like I’m going to a funeral.”
“Society.”
It was all he says. It is all he has to say. I understand. The world is over, and now this is what is here for me.
“If you’re wondering, we waited for you because we sensed you coming. We wanted to meet you.”
I sit stunned.
“I can’t do that.”
“You will,” the Cowboy says, in a matter of fact kind of way.
Some others come forward. Their heads pointed down, not looking where they are going. All those micro movements—rubbing their arms; sliding their feet. These creatures can’t stand still.
“They not the same as us. The blast took somethin from em. They’re here but they aint there.” He points to his head.
I nod. It is like I mentioned before; they are like worker bees; they can’t think for themselves.
This is beyond weird. What am I going to do? I don’t want to be rude. I don’t want to offend anyone.
“Dey creepy.” He says, with a smoker's laugh.
I look into his eyes, and he is genuinely happy about what he said. I look back to the others. Their dark eyes looking anywhere but at me. I don’t know if it is shame or if they just aren’t capable of holding my gaze.
Clearly, not everyone before me has all their faculties.
The creeps stand up on end. Every other sound seems to stop. They are like bloodhounds. Then they point.
“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, we gonna eat.”
“What's going on?” I ask.
“Meat.” is all he says.
He grabs his hat and follows the creeps out the cave and into the crystal forest. They are really moving. My jaunt turns into a stride. Soon I am full on running to catch up to them.
I could hear voices in the clearing. My God, there are people. Tons of them. We are not alone.