Days of Darkness: Awakening

Chapter 2: No Place Like Home

The world after the Event changed forever. The planet was left in a state of complete devastation. As the cities around the world gradually fell, the landscape changed. More and more places became more isolated and desolate. Wooded areas had expanded as the human population decreased at drastic rates and so-called concrete jungles were well on their way to being merged with actual ones.

The scene in Chicago was no different. What was once a sparkling metropolis could only now be described as a mere shadow of what it once was. After two years of population reduction, the forest preserves had spread out into the main parts of the surrounding areas. With no one around to keep up the maintenance, everything had begun to fall apart. Countless businesses were lost across the city. There were no more stadiums for sporting events, no concert venues, and no restaurants... Absolutely nothing was left.

Since these things were gone now, most people only felt hopelessness or despair. Where was the entertainment to brighten up their darkened days? What would they do without that next big concert of their favorite music artist or something as simple as enjoying the everyday, excitement of binge-watching their favorite television show? The simple things that everyone once took for granted were now gone, perhaps, forever. But out of all of that, the people lost the one thing that meant represented a sense of security - their homes.

There were no more neighborhoods. No communities were left. Parks and schools were all destroyed. Some had set up small shelters around the city to assist in placing people after the Event, but most were left living on either the streets or in abandoned homes. Somehow, though, in a world that seemed so dark, there was always a way for the light to shine through.

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Damien and Christian reached their home shortly after. It wasn't much. Just an abandoned, old house in one of the old neighborhoods. Since the Event, resources such as electricity and natural gas had been scarce. So, whenever they could, they would charge up a couple of generators that they had managed to salvage in order to keep the power on and they used electric heaters and blankets to keep warm at night.

Once they walked into the house, Damien dropped his bag at the table and sat down to take a minute to himself. "What's in here to eat? I'm starving."

Christian walked into the kitchen, looked in the cabinet, pulled out a couple of cans of food, and held it up. "Creamed corn or pork and beans?"

"No meat? There's nothing in the freezer?" Damien asked.

Christian went to the refrigerator to check it out. "There's not much in here, honestly. Mostly vegetables and we barely have that. Let me go check the trap outside."

He walked out around to the back yard where they had several bear traps set up.

Empty...

"Well...," Damien said, "I guess pork and beans and creamed corn it is. I'll be honest, though. I sure could go for a steak right about now."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Christian agreed. "A ribeye with a loaded baked potato sounds really good. You know, I wouldn't mind running a farm just so we could get some of those things again. Even if we had tried to set up a garden out back, seeds are difficult to come by now."

"Picture that! Christian Clarke, a farmer," Damien exclaimed as he laughed out loud. "Maybe one day, Chris. One day, we can have the life that we had before. You're a genius. If anyone can figure it out, you can."

As they ate their dinner, the sun had begun to set. This was usually a critical time every evening because that was when the danger was at its highest, even in the suburban area south of Chicago, where they lived. It was almost as if day and night were two different worlds. The howls of wolves, owls, crickets, and other creatures filled the sounds of the night as the wind blew overhead.