Aberrant

Chapter 29 - The Great Escape

When the shaking finally stops we're all covered in a thin layer or dust and dirt and even Essri seems startled. We wait in silence for any more disturbance from above the ground but after two minutes with no indication of danger we have to move. Essri takes the lead and makes us wait at the bottom of the ladder as she peeps through the trap door. Rylyn screeches besides me and I find myself also screaming.

"Avex!" Rylyn screeches again but with a tone of annoyance this time. "Don't do that!"

Avex backs away but smiles in an unapologetic way, "Sorry."

"What are you guys doin' down there?" Essri hisses from above, hanging from one rung.

"What's it to you?" Rylyn scowls at her, "Can we go up yet?"

Essri rolls her eyes and presses her lips together in irritation, "Yeah, but stop making so much noise or we won't even make it past Saltus Street."

We make it into the forest, padding carefully on the ground, still wary of the noise from earlier. Everything is eerily silent again, not even the animals or insects are making a sound, like they're waiting for something. I read somewhere that animals can sense natural disasters way before humans can so will evacuate in the opposite direction, which also helps humans realise something is wrong. Maybe something is wrong, it wouldn't be surprising with the day I'm having.

"What do you think that noise was before?" Avex whispers, dodging a tree branch on the floor.

"Could've been anythin'." Essri shrugs, wielding her knife from her leg as we make it out of the forest. "Better just ignore it for now, it's not an immediate threat, but keep your eyes open."

"You proper sound like you've been in the army, Essri." I comment, now happy to step onto some tarmac.

"My mum and dad were in the army." She says simply, not bothering to elaborate.

We follow Essri in the general direction of the main gates through the silent streets, the houses are all dark and still, it seems like the whole of the community has fallen asleep despite it only being around six O'clock. We're just about relaxed when a scream echoes through the street, at first I think it's Rylyn again but when I see her looking around in confusion I stand up straight and search for the emitter of the sound.

"Fire!" Essri hisses, pointing at the barely visible smoke in the distance near where the gates are located.

"Why would there be a fire?" Rylyn asks perplexed, "I thought everyone was on the other side of town."

"The spell has worn off now." Essri points out, "But I didn't think there would be anyone down here yet."

"Well, obviously you were wrong." Rylyn replies nastily.

Essri looks at her tiredly, "Go eat a dick."

Rylyn gives her the evil eye but before she can reply a blazing light and explosion comes from the gates again but this time much closer.

"What the hell is going on?" Avex's eyes flicker around anxiously as he palms his gun.

"No idea, but the good thing is that the community obviously isn't looking for us." Essri mutters thankfully.

We continue jogging down the street and make it past Avex's house when we notice a strange clanging noise and the ground starts to shake slightly. We all slow into a walk and crouch down, looking for the source of the shaking. As we round the corner we don't realise what we're seeing until Rylyn yells 'Tank!" and drags us to the ground and behind a set of dustbins.

"Shit!" Essri hisses under her breath, "What in the hell is goin' on out there? This wasn't a part of the plan. I don't think that's the community, all of ours are old designs. That's definitely only come out recently, never seen anythin' like that before."