A FUTURE WITH YOU

CHAPTER 16

"What in the world...?" Jaden mumbled, gawking at the view. The world. Our world? It was... What was it? nothing. Just grey. And destroyed. Empty. Like how I felt. Is this lone place what we've risked everything for? This place with no sign of anyone anywhere? Only a hazy sky and brown grass? The trees rotten. The shops, houses, buildings abandoned. No sight of humanity. Is this actually it? Is this really it? Where is everyone?

"People started living in groups," Lyod spoke up, reading my thoughts, "No one likes staying outside." 

"Why?" Nickie asked, "Because of them?" 

Lyod nodded, "Precisely." 

I didn't say anything. Chose not to say anything. If I did, Lyod would say something 'smart-aleck' and leave me quiet. Dumbstruck.  Folding my arms, I stayed silent, controlling my urge to speak. to ask questions like, 'Why the hell are you walking? We've got a car.' But I didn't. As much as I wanted to. 

"Um... Can't we take the car?" Nickie suggested.

Lyod shook his head, "Can't. It will attract too much attention."

I scoffed, louder then I intended. Lyod glared at me, saying, 

"I only used the cark because it was dark. And incase you haven't noticed, the windows are also covered and the car does not have headlights. No one could spot it. Not even you. But it's not dark. It's light. That means it's only take a few minutes before they start attacking us."

He talked to us like we were kindergarteners or scouts or something. He thought us stupid. Weak. I knew he did. I could see what he was thinking. He looked disgusted by us.  

"Attack?" Jaden repeated. 

Lyod sighed, dramatically, fed up, "You three got a lot to learn." 

With that we were off in the grey light. I shuddered to see the place... lifeless. I felt on edge. I felt so... lost. This world, city, place, it was all so unfamiliar. 

"Where are we going to sleep?" Jaden muttered. 

"Anywhere," Lyod replied a-matter-of-factly, "Like I said, Everyone's left this area. We can sleep in the malls, restaurants, shops. Anywhere. You name it, we got it."

Jaden beamed but Nickie put a hand on his shoulder, explaining, "That's not a good thing, cuz."

"Whatever," Jaden muttered, "I just hope we sleep in McDonald." 

"Why don't you ask Lyod that?" I sneered, Giving a cold stare at the man walking in front of us.

"I'll give it a shot." Jaden grinned, wriggling his eyebrows playfully before jogging up to Lyod.  

I sniggered, my pace steady. Nickie's eyes focused on me, I looked back at her with a questioning look. She frowned, motioning around us, "Didn't expect this huh?" 

I sighed, nodding, "We couldn't have expected anything pretty." 

"You're right. But I expected chaos." Nickie shrugged. 

I raised my hands waving them around, "If this isn't chaos, then what is it?"

She shook her head, biting her lower lip anxiously, "I expected the type of chaos in which people would be running around mad, bloodshed and stuff." 

I looked at her with wide eyes, teasing, "What's wrong with that head of yours? You think that an empty street is worse then people killing each other? Nice." 

She laughed, "No. You won't understand hurry." 

"Then make  me understand?" I said. "That is if you want to."

She smiled, her long chocolate hair blowing in the dead wind. She opened her mouth to speak. But I didn't hear what she said. All I heard were firecrackers. No.. were these sounds coming from... a gun? 

I saw Lyod, who looked as bewildered as us. As shocked as us. 

"Run!" He yelled at us. 

I grabbed Nickie's hand, who was completely frozen in fear, and took of in a fast sprint. I took a glimpse from behind and saw figures running after us. They had guns, but for some reason they kept firing in the air, not at us. Who were these people? What did they want from us? I could see them moving towards us. The way they walked... just wrong. 

I followed Lyod in a small pharmacy. Adrenaline shot inside my veins as I ran faster to keep up with the other two, silently praying for Nickie to not trip because of the pace we were running in. 

"This way!" Lyod motioned us inside the basement. When we all entered the room, Lyod locked the door, staring at us. 

I plopped down at the floor, saying between breaths, "Who... the.. ? Are.. you... crazy? Running blindly... leaving.... us behind." 

"I knew you'd catch up." He rested his hands on his knees, wheezing. 

I watched Jaden lying on the floor, his face flat down, staring at the wall as he breathed heavily.

"You okay, Jaden?" I crawled closer to him. 

He shook his head, his face red. I tried to pull him up straight but he refused to. Nickie walked closer, her expression worried, "Jaden, What's wrong?" 

Jaden breathed heavily, coughing loudly. 

"He... he can't breath!" Nickie screamed, "Harry do something!" 

"What -what am I supposed to do?" I spluttered, trying hard to stay calm. 

Nickie nudged at Jaden who was still trying hard to breath but it kept interrupting because of the coughs. 

I stared angrily at Lyod, who seemed unmoved by the commotion, "Keep it down." He muttered. 

"How the hell do you expect us to do that?" I barked, "Our friend here is dying!"

"You can do that by keeping your mouth shut." Lyod rolled his eyes, "Plus your friend's got asthma. Obviously." 

"Then do something!" I yelled, "We're in a bloody pharmacy! There's got to be some medicine here." 

I gulped to see tears trickling down Nickie's cheek as she kept whispering to Jaden he's going to be okay. She was freaking out. It was awkward to see her cry. It looked so different on her. 

I hadn't realized that Lyod had walked upstairs to get something. He came back with a weird plastic thing in his hands. He knelt down to Jaden and sprayed something in his mouth from the thing. It took less then a minute for Jaden to recover. He sat up, but was trembling. Nickie had an arm around him, as Lyod handed Jaden the thing, explaining, 

"This is an inhaler, kid. You're supposed to keep this with you from now on, everywhere, got it? I'll pack several more for you. Just try and avoid running from now on, though that's not an option."

Jaden nodded wearily to every word he said, taking another spray from the inhaler. 

"But he never had asthma when he was in MEFY." Nickie mumbled. 

"That's because MEFY isn't a road in which you will get attacked by these infected psychos." Lyod snapped, "Tell me, did you ever bother running a mile in that building? Of course not." 

Nickie didn't reply. I didn't glare at Lyod. Because he was right. We never had any activities related the outside. No wonder Jaden never knew he had asthma. Because he never found out. 

"Alright. Half a fifteen minute break. then, we'll head out." Lyod ordered, heading out from the room. 

I didn't argue. The sooner we get out from this area, the better. Something told me that the other two agreed.