Chapter 6: Homecoming
+As I walk into the little store, a dinging noise shutters the dead-silence. Various goods are scattered across the floor. The pungent odor of gasoline fills the air. I carefully avoid crushing them. I wonder what it must've been like to work in a place like this. It must've been a slow business. Probably something enjoyable to do, being able to meet new people and sell them things they need. At St. Jerome's I was never able to make new friends. It wasn't the fact that everyone else was as crazy as me, but the fear of losing something. That's probably why I never took the chance of doing pretty much anything. I felt anything would just get up and leave like my parents. But they didn't leave, they were taken from me...everything taken from me... now and then. I could've done something, but then again what could have I done? My world is gone. My family is gone. What was I supposed to do now? I can't keep wandering around the town until someone shows up. I need to get out of here. But how? This town and those four white walls are all I have really ever known. Which way am I supposed to go, and where? I wouldn't even know anybody.
The skittering of a metal can snaps me out of my deep thought. It rolls on it's side towards my direction. Then slowly, it stops. I pick it up and examine it. How did this get here?
"GET DOWN! GET DOWN!" Falling to the floor in panic, I hold my arms over and shield my head. Gunfire erupts behind me and I realize I'm trembling. Make it stop make it stop please make it stop.
It ceases. Looking up in caution, I can see two young men gathering supplies from the collapsing shelves. There was another holding a gun towards the ceiling.
"Hey, alright Harry it's shot. Get this guy and the stuff and let's get outta here." Looking closer now I can see why they were shooting. A security camera lay in pieces by the destruction of the gun. They apparently didn't want to be seen. One of the boys named Harry helps me up and hands me a water bottle.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you. We just don't like the sickos who did this watching us. "
"What do you mean? Who's watching us?" I ask talking the bottle.
Stuffing his backpack with lighters, the other replies,
"It's kind of a long story."
"All we've got is time Len, might as well tell him."
"Not here," He slings the backpack over his shoulder and walks out the store. "They might be watching."
The other gazes towards me and continues,
"You can come with us. It's dangerous to stay out after dark." Harry chases after Len leaving me awestruck. Soon, the other young man follows calling on a small radio:
"Alyssa, it's all clear. We're bringing another one up to the base."
"Wait! Hold on!" I yell after them. They were at least friendly. Maybe I might have a chance of escaping after all.
+Len leads us up a hill towards the forest. My stomach begins to churn. The other two men linger behind me carrying their bulging backpacks on their backs as if they were camels.
"So Matt," Len asks. "Where are you from?"
"St. Jerome's,"
"The mental hospital," His eyes grow wide. "Are you kidding me?" He says, surprised.
"Check it out Len we've got a Looney on our trail!" The two men in the back give each other a high five.
"Knock it off J.D. or do I have to bring up your little problem to the newcomer?"
"Oh man you wouldn't!"
"What did he do?" I ask innocently with curiosity.
"Yeah, see now he's interested. It would sure be a shame to keep it from him..." Len remarks with his hand under his chin in a pondering state.
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" J.D. begs. Climbing a huge rock in front of me I struggle with my question.
"What does J.D. stand for?"
"Johnny Day," J.D. Replies.
"His real name's Lenny, but since it's the apocalypse he wanted some cool name like it's Resident Evil or something!"
What's Resident Evil? Did he just say the Apocalypse!
"Shut up Harry!"
"Your fault for being such a nerd!"
"I'm gonna KILL YOU!" He tackles Harry to the ground and they begin to wrestle like kids. Len shakes his head in shame then keeps heading up the forest hill. Watching them in amusement, I give a small chuckle. It's kind of funny watching two people fight like that.
The air suddenly grows cold. Shadows overtake the warm light on my face. Looking towards the east I can see the sun is setting. Harry and J.D. immediately stop fighting and grabs their bags. They both run to catch up with Len and me.
"Hurry! The sun's going down!"
"Alyssa?" Len calls out on the radio. Suddenly, a combination of clicks echo from behind a huge rusty, metal door right above the hill. The church reminds me of a bigger version of St. Jerome. The dirty-white building somehow scares me. There aren't too many windows from where I'm standing. Why would a little town like Redwire need such a big church? Harry notices my gaping mouth immediately.
"It's was an orphanage too. That's why it's so big." Walking inside a woman with short blue hair greets us. Behind her, a few more people tend to their own business.
"Come on you people. We still need to lock-up."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch Alyssa. We're here aren't we?" J.D. sasses back flinging his backpack to a corner in the room. The strange features of the building soon startle me as I head deeper into the lobby. I can hear my own feet echo against the dirty, wooden floor. The ceiling has faded scenes from the bible painted on it. These people have barricaded whatever was left of the windows leaving hardly enough light to shine inside. Various candles flood the desks and floor-edges with flickering light. This seems more like a haunted house than a church, but at least I'm with other people now.
"Len, get the boys to help me with this door." A man wearing a bandana over his head calls. Len waves his hand for me to come. I hesitate then run to help them nail boards over one of the doors. Finally, I get to help with something.
+Why do these stupid humans get so heavy after they're dead? I can barely stand carrying them any longer. Even though I am Father's first creation, I at least have the right to know what his intentions are with this town. Even from the beginning, he has always been secretive. All I know is that we're observing an experiment. What experiment could be so important that we have to take into such careful consideration and preparation? What could possibly be so great?
Oh, for the love of-
The wondrous joys of human beings. They even leak out fluid when you have them slung over your back. Why can't we just blow up the damned planet? I'm sure that would be so much easier than years and years of planning and sliding past government officials in over forty countries. Sometimes I think Father is just a complete idiot. Then again, he did tell me that this was all apart of his master plan. But what could that be? Well, at least I will be a major part in it. I will contribute the most I can give and receive a generous spot as a general for future specimens. The BIG BROTHER project was only the beginning. Soon we will rid this filthy planet of it's vermin. Then, only then can we start to rebuild. Only then can we begin to erase the past's filth.
Hurling the body onto the remains of a truck, I pull out the gasoline beside me. I dowse it in the clear, musky liquid. Then I pull out the match from my breast pocket. Too bad Father only gave me control in the cold. The fire gene would have come in handy right now. But what must be done must be done. With the flick of my wrist, tossing the packet of matches into the pool it bursts into flames.
+ The building is safe now. I slammed a couple of nails into my hands in the process, but now I can officially say we can rest for the night. J.D. told me I could help with finding spare parts for the van tomorrow. We gather around a fire in a pit dug inside of the church's floor. The cackling of the burning wood and constant chatter of the people make me feel uncomfortable more than comforted. Orange light coats the walls while their shadows create scenes on them. This reminds me of Halloween. I loved Halloween when I was a kid. Dressing up and going trick-or-treating. I couldn't get enough of it.
A sudden burst of pain erupts in my skull, throbbing.
Gripping my head, I give off a moan. Why does it stop for a while then come back?
"Here," Harry tosses me a small white bottle. It's pain reliever. "That should help for a couple of hours."
"Thanks" I say downing a few pills with my water.
"So what's your name new guy?" Alyssa asks me from across the fire.
"Matt,"
"So Matt, Len says you can't remember what happened after the fire?"
"How could someone forget?" A man next to me remarks.
"I just remember waking up and everything was gone." I answer lowering my head.
"How did you survive for three weeks?" J.D. asks.
"I don't know. It was just a normal day for me. Then the next thing I know I wake up and everything is gone. What happened to the town?"
"That's my specialty," Everyone quiets down as J.D. rises in a dramatic sense. Somehow, everyone forgets how I amazingly fell asleep for three weeks. How did I do that...?
"Oh no, here he goes again with his apocalyptic tone!" Harry cracks up.
"As I was saying," Johnny smirks at Harry then continues.
It all started with just a typical Sunday morning. Alyssa here was the local bartender, and did a damned good job at it. Len owned a gun store. Harry and I ran a bookstore. Everyone here was just playing out his or her normal, peaceful lives. It was all going sweet too. Then we noticed the smell of burning wood. And that the sky turned black."