Sky Corruption (Past Tense)

Chapter Two

Once China and Jay exited the pharmacy, they both gazed around at the city they had once called Manhattan. Jay took another glance at China behind him, she wore her usual bright smile as she looked around outside. The buildings that used to stand tall and harmonious, either stood halfway with the windows completely shattered, or the buildings had completely became one with the ground below it. But still, they were still framed within the outrageous landscape of New York.

Jay snickered and nudged China with his elbow. "Do you like the sight of this dump?" He asked tauntingly, China blinked, but abruptly grabbed his arm and pointed at the sky. Jay's confusion grew as he tried to understand what exactly China was so ecstatic to show him.

"Look." China chirped, placing a firm grip along Jay's arm, he stumbled a little as he continued to stare blankly at the rustic bus that had been flipped upside down in front of them.

Jay's puzzled face soon became full of boredom. His mouth formed into a straight line. "All I see is a damn fossil."

China's smile didn't subside. "Look up."

Jay did as he's told, peering over all the devastated buildings, to see the Statue of Liberty standing tall in the distance, several birds drifting past as if it was a normal day. It was one of the few things that was able to stand tall through all of the destruction.

"She still stands," China spoke in barely a whisper, her face in a complete wave of awe. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Even though Jay found it a little odd that she pointed this out of nowhere, he still found it endearing.

"It's a statue, not a person," Jay answered back in a smart-ass tone.

China turned to him, her hands gripped at the straps of her backpack and had skipped so that she was facing him. A glimmer of hope had glowed in her eyes as she spoke. "I don't see it that way, she may be a statue but it's a woman who stands strong." She explained.

Unable to make sense of what China is saying, Jay gave off a slight chuckle. "Okay, okay mother goose, let's get a move on, we can't be out in the open too long."

They continued down in the city, careful not to attract any attention from anyone or anything that lurked within the shadows. China often had glanced over her shoulder at the wonders of Manhattan that had remained undiscovered while Jay kept an eye out for the predators that coexisted on down the streets they walked.

--

"Damn, we nearly walked past it."

The pair finally made a pit stop in a small clearing of the junkyard, there was an iron lid that had blended its way with the other debris of the cluttered area full of junk. It remained a mystery as to why a manhole cover was in the middle of a junkyard of all places, nonetheless, it was a place of refuge for both China and Jay.

Jay let out a relieved grunt while they came to a stopping point in the middle of the junkyard. China giggled as she crouched down toward the lid, her hands grazed over the metal handle fastened to it.

"You'll have a sharper eye next time." China chirped as she gave the handle a sharp tug, revealing a long ladder that had tunneled its way down into pitch darkness. Jay gazed at her.

Jay crossed his arms, wondering why China had hesitated to climb down. "Something the matter?"

China shook her head, looking up at him. "No, I was waiting for you to go down first."

Jay rolled his eyes. "I got it, just go down."

Without further argument, China did as she was told, her sturdy feet and hands had climbed down the rustic ladder with Jay not so far behind. Once she was close to the bottom, she lept down.