“Well, that’s reassuring,” he chuckled.
This was our last night in the hive, and I wondered if Finn and his mom would stay with us or if we would eventually separate. The thought immediately saddened me.
Finn stepped closer to me. My heart fluttered and my pulse raced. He lifted his hand and carefully tucked a stray hair behind my ear.
“Abi, can I ask you something?” he breathed, his fingers trembling. I could see nervousness glazed in his eyes.
“Sure,” I answered, my eyes drawn to his full lips.
“I have no idea what the future holds for us once we leave this place, but before we do, I want you to know I want us to stay together. I mean, I don’t want us to be separated once we go topside. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
I paused, replaying his words in my mind. This softer side of Finn was something I rarely experienced. He was usually sarcastic and cynical.
Finn didn’t give me a chance to reply before closing the distance between us. He was so close. I could feel the heat of his body touching my skin. My heart pattered as he ran his fingers through his tousled raven hair and then lifted his brown eyes to mine. I couldn’t move – not that I wanted to – but my knees would have buckled if I tried.
“Abi?” he said in a low tone, his eyes flitting down to my lips and back up.
It was then I noticed something I never had before. Within his deep chocolate eyes were specks of gold. They blazed with passion, capturing me in a magnetic trance, unable to look away.
“Yes,” I breathed.
The knob on the door began to rattle. Finn quickly pushed me backward and spun to face the entrance. I fell on my rear, stunned.
Charlie entered with tired eyes. His hair was a disheveled mess.
“Hey Charlie. What - can’t sleep either?” Finn asked.
“No way. Not with us going to the topside in a few hours. So, what were you guys doing?” He asked.
“Umm...” Finn stalled, “I was teaching Abi one of my new defensive moves. Want me to show you?”
“No way,” Charlie squeaked, shuffling toward the swings.
Charlie had been teamed up with Finn a few times in combat training, and most of those times he would quit in pain. Outside of training, Charlie avoided all physical contact with Finn, and I didn’t blame him. Finn was the strongest person in our hive, and even the adult men were hesitant to train with him.
“So, are you guys ready to leave tomorrow?” Charlie asked.
“We were just discussing that,” I said. I was still a little wobbly from what I think was almost my first kiss, so I decided to take my time getting up. Finn offered me his hand, and I took it. His strength flung me up, smacking my face on his solid chest. I couldn’t help but take in a deep whiff of his spicy, clean scent.
Finn cleared his throat, and for a second, I’d forgotten Charlie was in the room. My face was still pressed up against him, and my eyes were closed. I quickly stepped back, and glanced at Charlie, who was gawking at us.
“Whoa. That made me dizzy,” I covered.
Finn looked at me apologetically, making my heart race again. It was the strangest feeling. I’d always thought Finn was handsome, but he was my best friend. I never thought about being anything more. I guess when we grow up, things do change. Appearances change. Circumstances change. Feelings change.
We’d almost stepped over that fickle line we called friendship. A place that would take our relationship to a whole new level. Our future was already mapped out. I believed that whatever happened to us was destiny. I just hoped it didn’t suck, or end quickly.
The doorknob jiggled again, and then swung open. This time Lily walked in. Her eyes were wide with surprise, seeing the rest of us. I guess level nine was a place of peace for all of us tonight. She walked over and took a seat next to Charlie on one of the swings.
“Hey, do you guys think those Arvies will be up there when we leave? Do you think they’ll attack us?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t know, Charlie,” I answered. “But if we all stick together, I think we can make it to the safe zone.”
“The safe zone is hundreds of miles away! How are we going to survive out in the open? Everything is dead on the topside. We won’t be able to hide.”
“We don’t know what the topside looks like, but there should still be structures intact. Who knows, maybe one of the old beaters are still working, and we can drive there. You never know. We just have to hold onto hope. Plus, if worse comes to worst, and we can’t hide, that means they can’t hide from us either.”
“What about our grandparents?” Lily’s soft voice questioned.
I looked over at her with a smile.
“I think Nana and Pops will be just fine, Lily. They are just as strong as any of us.”
That statement wasn’t entirely true. Nana and Pops had many things that could keep them from being in top shape. For one, Pops had a bad knee. He injured it when he was younger and it had recently caused him problems. Nana always complained of aches and pains and a bad back, but I wouldn’t tell Lily that.
Lily’s face softened. Finn and I walked over and took a swing. One for each of us.
We all swung, talked, and laughed away our last few hours in the hive.
Chapter 6
TOPSIDE: DAY 1
(RELEASE DAY)
The alarm went off and everyone gathered one last time in the conference room. Everything felt weird and different, knowing it was the day.
It was finally here.
Soon, we would be climbing to the topside wearing radiation suits and gas masks. A precautionary measure. Each one of us would be carrying a full pack of supplies and our weapons. There would be one cart, which was to be pulled with the rest of the supplies. The strongest of us would take turns with the added weight. Our main goal: steer clear of the larger cities, where Arvies might possibly be concentrated. The second: be on the lookout for a means of transportation.
The government bunkers had confirmed the Arvies had completely surrounded their bunkers. This was horrible news for the rest of the survivors, because we would now have to maneuver through areas riddled with thousands of infected mutants to reach the safe zone. We all knew we needed to get there in order to survive. They had better resources to keep us alive and to defeat the Arvies.
We donned our radiations suits, and all fifteen of us congregated at the bottom of the stairs. Stairs which could lead us to our redemption, or our demise. We stood under the escape hatch, and paused while my grandfather said a prayer. A prayer of safety and protection, to be watched over, guided, and protected as we made our arduous journey toward the safe zone.
I stood between my mom and dad, whose arms were wrapped around me. I was lucky to have such awesome parents. They truly loved each other, and not once did I ever question their love for me.
The other families huddled together, holding tight to each other. Finn wrapped his arm around Anya. The Hatch’s held Charlie close. The Banks’ held hands, and Uncle Frank and Aunt Sandy hugged Lily.
After the prayer, my father stepped forward. “This is it. Are you all ready?”
A few answered yes, but the rest of us nodded.
I was afraid of what could be waiting for us at the top. I didn’t want to exit, ready to start a brand new life, only to get bitten and go crazy. That’s why I carried Hellfire. She was fully loaded and ready to go, hopefully bringing death to all that deserved it.
I wore multiple extended magazines attached to a belt on my waist. Each magazine held thirteen rounds. If one of those things tried to take a bite out of me, I wouldn’t blink an eye; I would place a hollow point bullet right through the middle of its forehead. I was ready to extinguish any evil that would try to hurt me, my family, or my friends.
Lily had a 380 ACP, semi-automatic, but smaller and easier to handle for her petite hand. Despite her age, Lily knew how to shoot and could hit a mark if she needed to. I wasn’t sure if she could actually kill something, but ho
pefully she would do what she had to when the time came. We wouldn’t know what the new world would throw at us, until we entered it.
Finn had a very sharp sword, and a shot gun slung over his back. Everyone else carried handguns, except Uncle Frank. He carried multiple guns, ammo, and other fatal weapons strapped to a vest. He also had a sniper rifle. He was prepared for anything.
“Masks,” my father said. I exchanged a look with Finn before putting my gas mask on. We all went through this drill many times. Making sure it was tight and sealed, I looked around. We all looked the same.
As soon as my father took his first step, ascending up the stairway toward our exodus, my heart started to hammer against my chest. This was it. We waited, surviving, counting down each day for thirteen long years…and now it was here. My stomach twisted as the men went first. They would be our eyes and protection. I could feel the tension in the air. It was thick and weighted.
My father continued climbing, then my Uncle Frank, Dr. Banks, Mr. Hatch, Finn, and then my grandfather.
The rest of us formed a line. My mother was first, then me, and so on.
We all watched in silence as my father reached the top, and slowly began carrying out each step needed to open the hatch.
He waved to Uncle Frank and Finn to help him. With a lot of effort, the seal cracked and they pushed the hatch open. For the first time in thirteen years we saw the sky. The real sky, not a painting of it. The world around me froze. I stood staring upward in complete and total awe. All of us were.
The sky was the most beautiful shade of blue I’d ever seen. In a few moments the men disappeared out of the hole.
This was heaven. Something grabbed my attention and I realized it was an actual breeze blowing dust down the stairway. Then, unexpectedly, there was gunfire and yelling. Everything became chaotic. The women started screaming, knowing their men were out there, and they couldn’t see what was happening. I felt my mother’s arms wrap tightly around me. She knew me well. She knew I wasn’t that girl who would stand by when someone needed help.
I broke loose from her grip and started up the stairs.
I could hear my mother’s voice screaming, “Abi, no!” I was on autopilot. My pulse raced, wondering what I’d find at the top. I un-holstered Hellfire and racked her slide, chambering a round.
Was this the end? Would we die before our new life even started?
I gasped as a mask peered down the hole. It was Uncle Frank. I could tell by his hair, or lack of it.
“What happened?” I yelled up to him.
“We took out one of the Arvies.”
“What? Are there more?” I asked.
“No,” he answered. “The area is secure for now. It was alone.”
“Frank! Are we making the right decision? Leaving?” Aunt Sandy yelled, holding tightly to their daughter Lily.
“We can’t stay in the hive forever, sweetheart. Right now the area is clear. There are no more threats as far as we can see.”
“Are you sure?” she wept.
“I’m sure, honey. I promise. It’s safe to come up,” he answered.
I took in a deep breath, clicked the safety on my weapon, and holstered it. I was only a few steps from deliverance. When I reached the top, and took my last step, I had to shield my eyes. I was so used to artificial light, as soon as the real sun hit me, they ached. I guess they needed to adjust, and I hoped it would be sooner than later.
As the others were making their way up, I squinted at the landscape around me.
In my mind’s eye, I remembered the day we came down into the hive. This place was once flourishing and filled with life, painted in multi-colors. When I blinked, I was back in the real world, buried under a dead and defiled ground. This was our home, and we would have to nurse it back to life.
In the distance our beaters had turned into worthless heaps of rusted metal.
Behind me, a blue tarp was laid out over the ground. I knew under it was the body of the Arvy they shot. I wanted to see it. I wanted to know what we were fighting against. They were humans just like us once, given a vaccine which was supposed to save them from radiation sickness. They were victims of the apocalypse. Victims of the ARV-3 serum.
I walked up to the tarp and knelt down next to it.
“Abi, I don’t think you want to do that,” Finn whispered behind me.
“Why?” I breathed. My fingers brushed the rough fabric.
“Because, it’s just not a good idea,” he said.
He knew that wasn’t a good enough answer for me. This was something I needed to see now. I needed to know what I was up against, so that I wouldn’t freak out and freeze when I saw it for the first time, alive. This was my way. I knew myself best, and I didn’t like surprises.
My fingers carefully wrapped around the edge of the tarp and then slowly lifted. I gasped, but couldn’t tear my eyes away. Milky white eyes were wide and steeled on me. There was a strong, putrid smell the mask could not block.
The creature was completely hairless, and its skin was creased with countless wrinkles, appearing scabrous and leathery. It was horribly pale. Purplish blue veins protruded and snaked all over its body.
Its eyes were sunken deep into its skull; the teeth were horribly rotted and looked as if they’d been sharpened at some point. Each finger was bony and curled. The nails were long and sharp, covered with filth. I tried to search for anything that resembled humanity, but there wasn’t much left. It was a sickly, horrifying mutation.
Thick crimson liquid was seeping from a bullet wound to its chest. It was something right out of a worst nightmare. Suddenly its hand shot up and touched my arm.
I screamed and jumped back into the sturdy arms of Finn.
“Don’t worry. It’s dead. It’s just the muscles reacting to random impulses from the nerves,” Dr. Banks said, covering the body back up.” I don’t think the others should see this.”
“No. I don’t think they’ll want to leave,” I said. My body was still trembling.
Finn kept a tight hold on my arms, and I leaned back into him for support.
“I told you it wasn’t a good idea,” he whispered.
“Yeah, but you know me. I had to look,” I breathed.
“Just make sure it doesn’t haunt your dreams,” he said.
I turned to him, hoping to find his beautiful dark eyes, but instead was met with a blinding glare from the sun, reflecting off the glass of his gas mask.
“I don’t think I have to worry about my dreams. Hellfire will make sure of that,” I smiled, patting my weapon. Let’s just hope we don’t run into more of those. At least I’ve put a face to the horror, and won’t freeze the next time I see one.”
“Could you ask Hellfire to watch over my dreams too?” Finn asked.
“Of course. I’m sure she’s itching to fire off a few rounds,” I laughed.
Welcome to the new age. The age of chemical suits and gas masks. I couldn’t wait until we could breathe the fresh air again. I knew it was all precautionary, but this suit was really hot. A bead of sweat trailed down the side of my face, and we hadn’t even starting our journey yet.
Finn led me over to the others, making a circle around the door to our past.
My father spoke. “May we remember this day, the day we shed our past and stepped over the threshold into our future. From this day forward, we will begin to pave new paths, create new memories - good or bad - and rebuild our future. This is the day we will begin anew. Today we are rebirthed in a new age. A new dawn, a new day, and a brand new life awaits us.”
My father was an amazing motivator. He lifted our spirits through the many dark years in the hive. He kept hope alive, and led us to this point. He was my hero.
Everyone cheered and was excited, but looking around, I was smacked with reality. Each one of us was covered head to toe in chemical suits and gas masks, all looking the same. The world around us was desolate and bereft of life. Death in its many forms, was waiting.
Our journey
had just begun. We just needed to survive until we reached our new destination. The safe zone, over a thousand miles away in Montana.
Chapter 7
“It looks like we’ll need a whole lot of damn seeds if we’re going to replant this earth,” Finn chucked quietly.
I smiled and nodded. “Well, this barren land hasn’t met the Hatch’s yet. They have loads of seeds and magical green-thumbs. If anyone can start the world growing again, it would be them.”
“Yeah, I totally agree with that,” he responded with a nod.
My father cleared his throat. “It’s imperative we keep our chemical suits and gas masks on as long as possible. I’m not going to risk any of your lives, especially since we’ve survived this long.”
“The air and soil samples the government collected were from their surrounding areas. Locations which are far from our location. There were two nuclear power plants a few hundred miles from here, and that is much too close to take any risks. I didn’t create the hive to survive, and then bring you all back to the topside to get sick and die. So, until I know we are in a safe area, we must remain vigilant and cautious.”
“I suggest we travel by night and rest during the day. There are limited areas for shade, so we will need to set up the tents to provide our own. Remember, our bodies are not used to the sun. Dehydration could very well be our worst enemy, so if you are feeling sick, please let Dr. Banks or Dr. Lisa know. We have limited food and water supplies, so we will need to be extra careful on our usage. Well, the sun is starting to set, so let’s get ready to move. Remember, we all stick together. No wandering off. We need each other to survive.”
We all agreed and secured our survival packs on our backs. Everyone remained quiet. I think we were all completely overwhelmed. I mean, heck, we were standing on the topside. Something we’d dreamed of these past years. As we walked away from the hive, sadness began to overwhelm me. The hive was a part of us, and still carried a lot of our treasures and memories inside. It had kept us safe while we grew up. A tear trailed down my face as we stepped further and further from away from our past and headed north toward our future.