Man
I felt my vision jar. I heard the harsh crack of my palms slapping against a tiled floor. I took in a deep gulp of air. I looked up and saw the moss-covered walls of another metro station. What the fuck just happened?
I crawled to my knees. I felt sick, like I wasn't meant to be here. The oily residue that filled the air had mostly dissipated, but I could still taste it against my lips. Something wicked…
The train was behind me. The door of the front carriage swung open with a shrill creak. James scampered out, his rough hood billowing and his grasshopper–like feet tapping against the stone.
I threw up, not because of him. The stress had finally caught up to me. Reddish, foul-smelling bile spilled onto the ground and dribbled against my chin. James reached down and hoisted me up, his claws digging into my shirt just below the scruff of my neck.
I noticed his face had changed. Some of his front teeth had fallen out; small black protrusions covered in fine hairs had erupted in their stead. It looked like the start of more fitting insectoid mouthparts. He spoke, his voice somewhat more chittery than before. "I'm sorry about that, kid." He looked over at the mess I made. "Seems like you were expelling whatever dark force we came across."
He lifted a small metal flask to my lips. I didn't hesitate when it came to the first gulp. The water was cool. But it was too refreshing for someone like me. I reluctantly brought the flask away from my mouth, feigning satisfaction. "What happened?" I croaked out.
James looked away from me, staring down diagonally as if he had disrespected an overly strict parent. "I was meaning to ask you the same thing. To me, it looked like you had just… I don't know, vanished." He shook his head slowly, his hand never leaving my back. "Are you alright?"
I stared straight at him. It wasn't his fault… I think. It was that thing's fault, that girl. I steadied myself with another deep breath. "The train started looping like an invisible mirror. Then there was this woman. She was… something." To my surprise, I managed to spell it all out without dithering. I guess when everything that can't happen does happen, nothing sounds too crazy.
"I just felt… something passed through us." James lowered his arm before taking a hasty sip of water. I could feel the faint traces of terror clinging to his voice. "Something horrible passed right through the train the second you slipped out. The threads of reality began to untangle without you. Luckily, I found a fairly nearby stop."
I understood what he meant by something terrible—he probably felt the presence of that girl. "Something horrible? What do you mean by that?" I asked, nevertheless.
He scratched his chin. The act was a bold-faced attempt at concealing his nervousness. "It was something wicked."
Something wicked. That was accurate—scarily accurate. The more I thought about those two words, the more my heart sank. Whatever she was, she had invaded the train and snatched me away. I know for sure—if she wanted me dead, then I would be.
I looked into James' front–most eyeholes. "I think I just met God."
I zipped up my rucksack. Within the same heartbeat, James locked the train door. The rational part of my mind awaited the roar of its engine. Yet, of course, that never happened. I blinked, and the train was gone.
Can he not do that if I'm looking? I don't know. It's not my job to know anything. Next time I ring the bell, I won't close my eyes. Scrap that—the only thing being curious gets you is a bullet between the eyes.
James hadn't given me a choice. He handed me two bags of flour that I did not deserve. I took them not because I was hungry, but because he insisted. He wished to make it up to me for what happened. I should have refused, but I didn't. It doesn't mean I'm selfish. I just didn't want him to think he owed me anything. I did him a service. Still, the extra weight of those twin bags of Roller Mills flour sat heavy on my soul.
I could feel the dampness of the metro seep through my boots and chill the fragile bones in my feet. I headed towards the rusted railings of a stairwell. Graffiti coated the walls. It appealed to me—the light streaking through the deep cracks in the ceiling illuminated the discordant array of artistic masterworks and raunchy jokes in a way that felt almost comforting.
The world must be taking note of me. I have been making an effort to give back to it. This must be a token of its gratitude. If I can just keep this up, then—my toes slammed into something semi-rigid. It was a corpse.
I stepped over it, then turned it over with my foot. It was a man. No—a boy. He was no older than me. I sighed as I noticed the metallic sheen of plate armor. A soldier. Several holes had been punched through his cuirass. The blood had long since dried. He bore a perpetual look of contempt in his eyes. It looked as if he had been gunned down.
I couldn't stop the grin that began to overtake my face. This was another sign. He was killed because he was a killer. I wasn't. The universe was letting me know that I was on the right track. I thought about taking his armor, but I decided to leave it. It would be of better use in the hands of someone else. I wouldn't be so bold as to spit in the face of the universe right after its providence befell me.
I continued my transit. A plaza greeted my arrival in this unfamiliar city. Many bodies, just like that of the boy, were strewn about. Some were face-down against the floor; most were in repose behind cover. The enemies they faced likely intercepted them as they were leaving the metro. I understood why a group of crows was called a murder as I saw a half-dozen birds pecking away at bodies.
I took note of the sleek, needle-pointed rifle of one of the soldiers. It was attached to a power pack of sorts. The uniform that the man wore seemed worlds apart from that of the boy's. It was pristine, near pure white. He had a wicked-looking sabre sheathed on his hips. The scabbard wasn't just ornate—it was also lined with various components I did not recognise. The red button that seemed to glare at me from the hilt was a clear indication that this was one of those vibrating blades. My brother had recounted tales of soldiers splitting open the sides of tanks with these things.
I wanted to take it. Though my wants aren't important. So, I abandoned the bodies. I took nothing from them.
I surely treated them better than the corpses of my family.
A flag moved back and forth with the shifting winds. Its bright red fabric, adorned with a poorly drawn Jolly Roger, contrasted with the dull beiges and greys of the buildings. This was the mark of whatever faction had gunned down the soldiers. I couldn't care less. As long as I can do something for someone, I'll be on the right track. All the bodies seemed to be at least a couple days old, so it should be safe to move into one of the nearby buildings. The sun was halfway set; it would be better to find shelter before whatever lurks at night comes to play.
I moved towards one of the many offshoots and alleyways that rallied at the plaza's border. I wasn't all too comfortable with this sort of exploration. This felt less like scavenging and more like starting from scratch. I did not know anything. That scared me a little, I won't lie.
I chose an alley at random and started walking. Eventually, I was greeted by the sight of a library. The building was small in comparison to the others, but it seemed to hold a great age.
The door was wide open, completely un-boarded. The complete lack of light inside and the continual howling cry of the blood-red sky told me that it was desolate. With luck like this, I must be on the right path.
The inside was heavy with moisture. It was even more damp than the metro. I illuminated a hand-cranked torch and swept it around me. The place was untouched. Not many would see value in a library in times like these. All that mattered is that it had four walls and that I was alone.
I surveyed the environment, the bookshelves where they had been abandoned. Standing tall with the weight of whatever wisdom or trashy romance they held. This would be good enough for someone like me.
I laid down then shut my eyes.