The flashing red lights fill the tunnels, making them look caked in blood. The screaming that fills my ears makes my stomach drop. I pass many bodies just lying on the floor, covered in blood. Some bodies have their family members hunched down next to them, pleading for them to wake up. Tears don't fall on my cheeks until I see a child on the ground, blood running out of their mouth, and their skull caved in like a squished pumpkin. My legs burn as I scramble with Paige. I clench my jaw as I step over another body. Don't look. Don't look at them, Ethan.
My thoughts feel like they're running a mile a minute. My eyes snap from person to person, looking for Dally's familiar face. I swallow hard when I can't find him. Where did he go? He was right next to us. The only explanation is that he's already at the gate, patiently waiting for Paige and me. He wouldn't stay in the Hub, would he? Would he wait until it's clear to make sure we're not lying on the floor dead? My stomach drops at the thought of leaving him behind. My gut tells me I need to go back and look for him before the oxygen runs out. But what if it does, and I'm stranded and choking on my last breaths? I couldn't do that to Paige. I need to get her to safety, whatever that means.
I decide to go to Gate 5. That's where Dally should be waiting for us. Luckily, Gate 5 isn't the closest to the entrance of the tunnels, so there shouldn't be that many people trying to push through it—less trampling.
As I make my way down a hallway, I see a family frantically pushing each other in different directions, not knowing where to go. Why would they? The tunnels have been previously restricted since the day the bombs fell. "Follow me!" I yell at them, but they stare blankly at me. An older man looks me up and down, disgust written on his features. He shakes his head, pulling the little girl next to him closer to his body. Walking past him, I hear him whisper: "Murderer."
I push the comment to the back of my mind and let my feet take me down the tunnels I know so well and back to the gate we heard the knock at. When I turn the corner, I'm met abruptly with a sea of people. I would estimate that about a hundred people are standing before me. My eyes peer over their heads, and I see Gate 5 looking back at me.
It's not open yet.
A loud bang fills my ears, causing my eyes to focus on the people in front of the crowd. Another bang. Another. I see the first few people at the gate slamming the metal with closed fists. My breath catches in my throat when I see a man bash his head into the gate. Pushing erupts through the crowd. People fall to the ground on top of each other; the people at the front are pinned to the gate by the horde of people. Roaring fills my ears, and my whole body clenches at people's high-pitched wailing. This is madness.
I search the crowd for Dally, but his long dark hair is nowhere to be seen. The hope drops from my chest, and worry bubbles through my skin. I almost turn back and head toward the Hub, making sure he's not lying on the ground dead. But, when alarms blare through the corridor, the red lights above the gate flashing rapidly, I stay put.
The puff of the gate's airlock system opening echoes through my ears, and I can see it start to rise—air spills inside, making my hair flap against my sweaty forehead. I hold my breath, still scared the air outside is toxic. But I take a deep breath once I see no one falling to their knees, faces blue and choking on air. Nothing happens. I breathe normally.
I knew it. The air's not toxic.
Earth's gritty, almost metallic scent fills my nostrils in seconds, and I'm taken back. The nostalgic smell makes the hair on my arms stand up straight. It's like the planet is a distant memory, and I've been in space for the past six years. Suddenly, I'm in my mother's garden, helping her plant tomatoes at seven years old. I can practically feel the soft soil between my fingers and under my nails, the bright sun warming my skin, and the gentle breeze winding through my hair.
My mother. I was too focused on Paige and Dally that I forgot about her. Did she make it to the gates in time? My heart thumps faster in my chest at the thought of my mother lying dead on the floor of the Hub or gagging on her blood somewhere in the tunnels.
I'm jolted forward, almost losing my grip on Paige. People start pushing, shoving each other toward the rising gate. I see people ducking their heads and spilling out of the room. As I shuffle with the crowd, my feet try to stay planted on the ground. I know that if I fall now, there's no way I'd make it out of here alive. I'd be crushed to death, and so would Paige.
The aroma of clean air becomes more prominent, and my hands shake excitedly. My heart feels like it's about to come out of my chest. Finally, I'll be free of the compound.
When I pass under the gate, joy jumps into my throat. The breeze hits me in the face like a baseball bat. The wind gliding across my cheek feels like the embrace of a silky blanket. While my feet carry me further away from the compound entrance, I look up at the dark sky. The stars seem to shine as bright as the moon. The full moon. You never know you missed something so stupid as a rock in space until you haven't seen it in six years. The white glow illuminates the area like the fluorescent lights back in the compound. I take another deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs to their capacity. It almost feels euphoric. This must be what a baby feels like after it takes its first breath. The faint sound of crickets fills my ears, almost making me melt from relaxation. I see cacti taller than me in the distance. Straw-like bushes and weeds surround the compound gate like it's been overgrown for years. Red clay rocks are scattered throughout the landscape, making a maze of small shrubs and prickly cacti. Mexico. I had forgotten the compound was built in Mexico.
I hear the awe of the people next to me. They're doing the same thing I am, taking in the air like water. Speaking of water, I feel a drop fall onto my face as I step further away from the gate. I squint my eyes and realize that it's drizzling. I open my mouth, letting a few drops land on my tongue. Finally, water that doesn't taste like piss.
"I wish you were awake for this," I whisper into Paige's ear.
But an echoing scream makes me jump out of my skin, and I almost drop Paige. My eyes look further away from the gate, and all I see are the confused faces of the other residents. But, when I hear the next blood-curdling scream, my heart drops.
Something's wrong.
I push my way through the crowd toward the screaming. Others have also started to scream, which makes my heart pound faster in my chest. My eyes widen when I reach the crowd's edge and look into the hollowed-out circle.
A woman is lying on the ground, clutching her throat. I see the shine of the blood that's oozing out of her. Her legs kick frantically, her voice gurgling on the blood-forming in her mouth. But that's not the worst sight. What's lying on top of her makes me want to run away. It's a desert cricket the size of a Labrador, its long spiky legs piercing her skin and four-foot antennae hovering over her head. The cricket is digging its mouth into her bloody neck, eating her. Its exoskeleton is grayish-brown, but the crimson tint of the blood stains its wings.
It can fly.
Screaming explodes from the crowd, and I see an older woman pointing to the sky. A morphing black cloud grows, blocking out the moon's white light. The shadow moves closer to us in unison, thumping like a beating heart.
My mouth drops open when I realize it's a cloud of hundreds of crickets, just like the one feasting on the woman before me.
"Back to the gate!" I scream, my legs aching as they start to move. I push through the crowd, hands shoving my body. I keep upright until my foot catches a rock, and I fall to the ground, losing my hold on Paige. Her body skids in the dirt, coating her bloody shirt with clay.
I scramble to cover her body with mine just like I did last time, but my eyes make their way to the sky, and I see the cloud touch the ground. Dozens of people fall to the dirt with crickets feverishly biting at their flesh. Their screaming attracts the others in the air, and they all continue to land around us, jumping like kangaroos onto people.
One of the crickets attaches its jowls to my calf. I scream in pain, kicking the cricket with my free foot. My shoe connects with its head and gets thrown back. I feel the wet warmth of blood trickling down my jeans. Before it jumps back onto me, I stumble up to my feet, my calf stinging like I just got stung by a wasp. I grab at Paige's body. I didn't realize a cricket was feasting on her arm until I tried and pull her up.
"Fuck!" I grunt as I kick the cricket's head, which collapses with a wet thud.
My head swings back to the cricket that bit me, expecting it to launch itself back onto me, but to my surprise, it starts to shake. It stumbles, tripping on its legs. When it falls to the ground, its body caves into itself, becoming a pile of bloody mesh.
What the hell?
Without wasting another heartbeat, I kneel to Paige and look at her arm. The bite is deep, and it's bleeding rapidly. I wrap the string of her sweatpants around her arm above the wound, making a tunicate. The sensation makes Paige's eyes open, and she frantically blinks until her eyes focus on me. "Paige!" I say. "Stay with me!" I pat her cheek with the palm of my hand. Her face contorts in pain, and she looks at her arm. Her eyes widen at the sight of the bite, and she starts screaming as loud as possible.
"We have to get up! Paige! Come on, get up!" I pull at her other arm.
She makes it to her feet the second a gunshot fills the air. It's coming from the gate. With his gun, aA guard is holding off the crickets from entering the compound. I grab Paige's hand, and we shuffle toward the entrance. I can feel my leg healing with every step I take.
Another gunshot rings in my ears, and Paige and I duck our heads and keep moving. We weave around the people getting eaten by crickets and, finally, make it to the compound's entrance. I'm gripping Paige's hand as hard as I can, dragging her behind me.
Another gunshot. But this time, pain radiates from my chest.
I've been shot. Again.