Chapter 7
For some reason it feels really nice to be back in the exact same space I was not that long ago, Daniel and I bringing up and laughing about random stuff. I think one of the first things I spoke to him about was about making our voice bounce off the walls and hearing it bounce off the walls instead of through our thoughts of what we sound like. I remember watching some random video about it and then I tried to claim it as my own. I think we had to use all four of my notebooks and place them in between our mouths and ears. Then we would battle to see who would be weirded out first and who had to put the notebooks down and speak normally first. I think he was definitely better at that than I was.
I hate it when random flashes of darkness hit, maybe they call them reverse flashes. There was just one but usually I don’t acknowledge them first I wait for someone else to… and Daniel….
“Did you just see that?”
The sun will still be up for quite a few more hours and the light to his garage isn’t on, the garage door is open also so we can’t both be dying of carbon monoxide. “Weird.”
“What was that? Everything got dark just for a split second.”
“Maybe something blocked the sun for that time. A plane or eclipse?”
“Didn’t you used to be always updated on astrological events?”
“That seemed to be a short lived thing, nothing comes into my recommendations but then the day after I’m flooded with all these pictures of people enjoying whatever happened. I don’t think it was an eclipse, I think that it was within our world.”
Daniel reached for his phone and frustratingly pressed the on button more times like the problem was with the device. Almost instinctively I grabbed my phone but that was just for show. I still want to see what he’s up to. Oh wait, my phone is dead also.
“Eric… What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Check if your lights turn on. Is the power out everywhere?” I know I could go and be checking this stuff too but for some reason at times like this commands come out of my mouth. As he’s walking to the light my heart starts pacing again, I don’t know how many more times like these I can take.
“All the lightbulbs were new, all the power was working when I moved here.”
“Let’s go inside.” My first thought was to hit the button to close the garage door and even now I’m still wondering if I should manually pull it down but what will that help? Okay, it’s the same thing I keep telling myself, there’s no point in fueling eachother up with worry so I should try to not sound like the world is going to end. Of course none of the lights turn on, nothing electrical works. “I don’t want to feel locked in this house, let’s go outside, is that okay?”
I have to keep telling myself this is normal, I don’t want to look over and ride on Daniel’s fear. I sure hope that is a plane because a shade is coming from behind us with seemingly no end to it. I don’t hear a plane though and it would have to be quite low to cover that much of the sunlight at a time like this. Now that we’re outside I can see it’s several blocks away but I can see the fading back into the light, but to the left and the right I can still see the sun shining, is this coming for us?
“I don’t know if we’re going to see if the stars came back tonight.”
In some ways I’m glad Daniel said that because I know right now my voice would just be this shaky mess that sounds like I’m 3 seconds away from crying. The biggest thing is that I don’t like the fact that his observation has any chance of being true. The shadow is still passing and on my first glance up, beyond the clouds but far deep into the blue sky and into the haze there’s this skin tone thing passing. I can’t imagine how many buildings that thing would take out, I really hope it’s passing the Earth. I don’t know if it’s something with perspective but it’s changing space and it looks like it’s coming down. It’s acting on its own will it seems, it’s almost not affected at all by gravity. It’s coming down somewhere in the town.
As I was gasping for air I tried to scream at Daniel; “Get down, it’s going to hit.” He knew it was going to happen also. As expected this huge burst of wind hit us and it felt like it pushed something up and into my eyelid, I can’t imagine doing anything stupid enough that would prepare me for that feeling. Maybe testing the strongest leaf blower known to man right on my face. It looks like all the cars on the street have broken windows now, and their alarms are…? NO NO Nno no no, I’m deaf now. All I hear is ringing, fuck I’m deaf. I’m deaf.
“I’m deaf.” Yup I moved my mouth, I think sound came out but I can’t hear it. My eyes hurt too, my instinct is to rub it to the point where my eye might fall out. I feel something on my shoulder. I think I can get one of my eyes open but oh wait I can hear a little. All the alarms are going off…
“Eric, are you okay?”
Okay my initial panic might have been too much, I can hear again but I don’t think I can continue this conversation. I just want to lay down here. Something feels warm, this isn’t good, I hate cold feeling but this feels like I’m too close to a campfire. If I want to live I think I gotta get up, open back up my eyes and process. Maybe I smelt if first, about 3 houses down behind us there’s a burning house. It’s actually not that hot, the day feels the same but there’s cracks in the sidewalks. The weak points like where the tree roots broke the concrete have major splits like the trees are reclaiming the land.
“I just felt that gust, when is the earthquake coming Daniel?”
“You didn’t feel it? It happened at the same time. After you fell though.”
“The world smells wrong. There’s something wrong. I smell broken, brokenness.”
“You’re really shaken up. We have to carry on, simple things, we’ll be fine.”
I won’t question how Daniel knows how to survive, I feel like I owe my survival to him. Even if he just woke me up. I mean there’s no danger right now, or is there?
“We have to get higher up, I think we’re at sea level now. There might be a tsunami.”
“I thought I told you that.”
“Well whatever, come on let’s go.”
I was pretty annoying with random facts when Daniel and I used to walk around the school. Whatever popped into my brain would be shoved into Daniel’s as well. I always tell people to worry about the aftershock also because sometimes it could be bigger than the original shock. Well right now Daniel is saving me. I have no right to talk.
Daniel gave me a firm look and led me to a few large boxes where we unpacked his bikes. He gave me another glance before he started talking again, he started to speak as he turned his head to look straight. “If you see anything strange, if you see anything concerning, don’t stop and stare. Just follow me on my bike, there’s this path that leads us to basically the highest point I can think of. If you feel tired, you have to keep going.”
I don’t know much about bikes but he seemed to give me the better one, the other one looks like it was one he meant to sell to buy this one but he realized it wasn’t very valuable…
“Eric, let’s go.”
I don’t know if it’s because I just saw Lorenze but I hope he made it home and he’s okay. Everything is throwing me off but I know we made a right after his house and the road is almost nothing but cracked. There’s these small patches of smooth concrete, but even though this road looks like it was redone just a year ago, it looks like it was made weak and the trees are taking back over. Already my mouth is so parched it almost hurts, it feels like I can’t swallow but for some reason my brain keeps trying to make me inbetween when I’m panting. I don’t know if I can form any words and even if I could I’m too winded to try and talk. At least I know now isn’t the time for small talk or anything at all. Daniel looks like he’s doing well at least. It feels like I remember this path, it looks like some trees fell but I can’t see if some of the infrastructure is still there. It used to be a clear view for where we’re going… Oh shit. Now really isn’t the time for this. I don’t even want to think about how Daniel thought of this. This isn’t just any trail, this is The Trail.
Chapter 7.5
It’s scary, the entire world could be broken right now and non-existent the next. I guess right now I’m thinking more about how Daniel saved me. There’s nothing else flying through the air, there’s no hazards coming from above us. Right now it’s just process what’s in front, avoid any potholes and broken glass, and slow down for certain cracks. All I can think about is how Daniel got me to this point, my mouth is still almost entirely parched and my body is instinctively making this cough which just reminds me more how much I could use some water.
We approached this place I always simply called The Trail, it’s the only thing I ever really known it as. As the pavement turned into dried up pale dirt that was the first time Daniel had turned around to check on me. It must have been 3 or so miles to this point. I’m not really sure if he started to wonder if there was another big thing coming, would it have stricken us down by now?
“Do you want to change bikes?” Daniel said almost as if to present that he still has a voice unlike myself.
I keep trying to swallow or do something to make something come out of my mouth but I guess I just have to shake my head no. I guess so far it hasn’t even been the half of it, going up a dirt hill on a bike is even harder. I remember there being this flat section in just a little bit, I think I’ll tell Daniel I’ll meet him at the top because I don’t want to slow him down.
I get off my bike and then sit down without any caution. I don’t know if it was abrupt sitting down or everything catching up but I’m almost starting to see stars. Daniel notices and gets off his bike as well, laying it down flat. To try and process what’s going on I try to count how many trees look like they just freshly fell.
“I don’t think that was an asteroid.” Daniel said with a sense of questioning nearing the end.
This must be the first time I was able to catch my breath, I didn’t even notice how out of shape I’ve been until now. I don’t know if it was the adrenaline or what it was that pushed aside my fear.
“What do you think we’ll see at the top of this mountain?” Daniel seemed like he has an answer to everything, I just want to see what he has for this.
“The same thing… Not as in what we’ve been seeing on the way here but you know about the park up there right? It’s a normal play structure with some big slides.”
I think now definitely isn’t the time to tell him about how many times I’ve been there. “Probably some more trees that fell, and broken windows.”
“The further you are away from the rest of the world the more you’ll realize there’s not too much wrong.”
“At a time like this?”
“Especially at a time like this. At least where we are now we’re safer if a tsunami hits, but we’ll try to reach the top soon.”
“I don’t get how this works. That wasn’t an earthquake, there won’t be an aftershock, what do you think even hit us?” As that last question was leaving my mouth I think I realized that we have a decent chance of seeing whatever we saw earlier at the top. My eyes just met with Daniel’s and I know he knows we’re thinking the same thing. “Alright, back on the bikes.”
To me this trail feels like home, it’s just about the only “hike” I’ve been on, it’s comforting to be here when the man made world is heavily shattered. I don’t think we should ditch the bikes because I imagine this will be a lifesaver later on but on a dried up dirt path going uphill… Well the same recurring thought keeps hitting me as my lungs start to burn from dry panting for the past 20 or so minutes. I can see the top and now I’m processing how there’s only this zig zag ramp or a staircase to get to the very very top. So we either have to carry the bike… You know what, I’ll just do whatever Daniel does, I’m wasting too much of my energy complaining about a bike.
I see, he went up the staircase and dragged the bike on the step grass next to it. You know I never thought I’d be excited to see one of those but that water fountain that looks like it hasn’t been touched in about 20 years is looking mighty fine. I think it’s just about the closest thing we have that physically tastes like the Earth. It tastes like all the minerals combined with an influence from human’s lead and asbestos days alongside a concern for safety. I’m kinda wondering if Daniel is going to stop me drinking it, I’m heading to it. Ah yes yummy.
“Yo what the hell, they closed off the slide.”
“Are you okay?” Daniel asked with aggressive concern.
“Any effects of the water probably won’t start showing this soon.” I think coming to this place really calmed me down. The bike ride was hell, but this feels so much like home to me that all my worries just go away. After doing a quick pan around our eyes meet with… “Yeah, what is that?” There’s only so many times in life where references can truly fit and snap together like a 3 dimensional level hard puzzle.
“Eric, what the fuck. How are you smiling again? For the past hour or so, all I’ve seen in your face is confusion and pain and now you’re smiling.”
“Well I mean there’s this giant flesh colored cylindrical thing spanning into the sky…” There’s no way I’m allowed to say it out loud. I think Daniel might just take the bike he gave me and leave. I feel my mouth smiling past my cheeks, I feel this crack forming in the middle of my bottom lip over this.
“Eric, please, whatever it is you’re thinking, don’t say it. You’re already giving me a strange feeling over this complete switch up you’ve had in the past 5 minutes.”
Chapter 8
I get it, at least I think I get it. Every now and then in my brain what’s going on and what might happen is running through my brain. Every single time I tell myself just not to think about it, in other situations I might be able to fly with just that but with this, it just consumes my brain. I think it’s still important to have human emotions, even if the world is ending, there should be some laughter. Actually, that’s pretty awful to think. Those two thoughts combined definitely don’t work together.
I can tell time is still passing because the shadow is moving I think. The flesh colored object seems to be in the same place still. It’s only been maybe 20 minutes since we reached the peak of this mountain but I think the shadow has moved about 20 minutes west, or east. I guess if the sun sets on the west then the shadow will move east, but also I don’t know which direction is which. I don’t think I’m going to know what’s safe to snack on up here.
“Are you okay?” I guess the only time I know now is the intervals between when Daniel asks that question. I could sense nothing but concern still but this time when he asked it felt like after a huge relationship argument and this was the point where the responder would have to decide if more chaos will ensue or if it’s time to move on.
“I said ‘thank you’ right?”
“I mean… Don’t worry.” I got this feeling of a humble way to say you’re welcome through that hesitant response. Even if I didn’t say that I’m sure he knows it.
As the sky turned this hazy red with pink undertones and the clouds began changing from pasty white to shades of grey, it felt that although we knew the darkness would come, there was still time to enjoy golden hour and the twilight. In my head, I really think I have some good sayings, but already at this age I know that they don’t sound right out loud. There still seems to be this perpetual look of concern in Daniel’s face, that should be present with myself as well probably. I think he doesn’t like the things I’ve been saying or maybe he’s just worried because we didn’t bring any sleeping bags and night is about to strike.
“Sorry. I hate to be like this but one time I really enjoyed stargazing the few times I’ve been this high up at night. I know the stars, or just the view we have of the stars are gone but at least the sunset is nice.”
“Eric, if you lost track of time, it’s about 4P.M.”
“Oh.” Honestly at this point the total control of my responses have already been consumed by terrestrial anomalies. I definitely can’t predict what's going to happen and I can't even explain what has happened, even right now I don't have a single clue. Not knowing is bone chilling shocking but at this point, I’ve been shaking to the point where everything feels like this fever dream. “Do you think everyone is okay?”
“Well whatever hit us, wherever they hit, they must have had some huge damage. Please probably have glass shards they’re taking out of their body. Everyone else is probably living in pure panic.”
It’s right here. It's happening, I just don't want to think about anything that's going on. Whatever is going on seems careful enough. If something had control of whatever flew through the sky, they could've wiped out way more than the tip of their ship’s worth. Could it be a ship? Still running away still seems like the best option.
I don't understand why it would be so delicate. The sunset or whatever haze is covering the sky seems like it was gently laid across where it couldn’t even disrupt the clouds.
Daniel looked over to me and tried to summarize our next plans. “We’ll stay here for the night, I don't know how clean that water was but at least we have something.”
“I think I’ve started to internalize this lie that we’re all just panicking for nothing. Y2k all over again. I was talking with Lorenze abou…” Daniel cut me off hastily.
“That was fearing the future, you really don’t think we should be scared of what just happened and what we are currently seeing?”
I feel this overarching need to tell him about how I never had a camping trip, about how I wanted to see colors of the galaxy. That’s not even remotely on anyone’s mind. Daniel still has his senses and maybe he’s right and I’m living in the land of delusion.
I never told Lorenze, or anyone, if the seas were to rise where we should meet. At the end of the day, is there really a point? I don’t know who I’m going to see again, I don’t want to think about that though. I feel better just telling myself other things. This pink haze is starting to mess my vision up, when I look at Daniel he’s almost just this gray silhouette.
“Hey Daniel, when do you think it’s going to get colder?”
“It’s weird it hasn’t yet, right? No use saying it’s a coincidence though because then it would just be a coincidence the sun is in the right location for Earth.”
“So we’re the center of the universe.” I still feel something weird in my mouth, even letting out a chuckle would make something feel weird. I hope Daniel knew that was a joke, but then again, he’s tired of my jokes isn’t he.
“I guess right now we are.”
In the distance I started to hear screeches approaching. I can’t even count the amount of times a bone chilling experience has happened to me lately but still this knee jerk reaction will never go away. “aaaAAGGGGHHHHHHHH.”
“That’s another person, I think they’re coming. Eric, stay away from them, we don’t have anything to share, but we can lead them to water. Okay? Got it? They might have a weapon.”
“No.” I genuinely wouldn’t believe this even if this was the most well written dream my head put out for me.
“What? Remember what I said, come on.”
“It’s David.” He looked around, then somehow his eyes locked on mine and he sprinted right towards me. Daniel seemed to take some sort of defensive position, mostly just backing away. I should brace myself, but there it is, he knocked me down.
“You won't believe how relieved I am to see you.”
“Lorenze is coming soon, he said he ran into you. He came to my house and I didn’t want to let him in so we started walking to get a slushie. Lorenze had finished his and I was about halfway done with mine and then we noticed this giant hand flying through the sky and it landed directly on my house. Lorenze is messed up, but he got a beer also so I guess he’s fine.” David spoke as if he knew he would find me up here. His whole speech sounded prepared but David could be a nearly perfect improve actor so I’m not going to question it.
There’s Lorenze coming up now, he does seem to be fine, he’s doing his unfazed by anything walk as he’s approaching us. Neither of them acknowledged Daniel yet but I guess we’re getting there.
“Lorenze where did you get hurt?”
“I’m fine.” He seemed more like Lorenze than ever.
“The car window broke and then he fell inside the car. Or maybe he got blown into the window and broke it.” David responded for Lorenze. “I was on the grass under a tree, some leaves fell on me but that’s about it.”
“I guess we were luckily in the middle of the street.” I said, after Daniel decided to add, “The gust knocked Eric over, if it’s silent my ears start ringing.”
No matter what, this really does feel good, catching up with everyone, we don’t really do this often. “Sal… Salvador.” The thought of him just popped into my head. Everyone just looked at eachother then simultaneously looked off to the side.
“I don’t think he would know to come here.” When David said that it felt the way it should’ve. I don’t know if it’s my fault for thinking about others but I think we should be just worrying about ourselves.
“We should have hidden in the caves until the new world emerges.” For some reason it doesn’t feel like there’s any change amongst any of us really. While it’s still a weird sentence, it doesn’t feel weird coming out of Lorenze’s mouth.
“High ground was the right choice, Daniel and Eric chose it.”
“But who else do you see here?” Lorenze responded.
“Well who did you see running to the caves?”
“We didn’t pass any caves.”
As the two banter, it seems something went off in Daniel’s head. “Hand?”
All three of us cocked our heads and turned to Daniel. “Hand? You said part of a hand flew through the sky. It was a meteor or spacecraft, why would it be a hand?”
David responded by saying, “it was just part of a hand?”
“So like a finger?” Daniel responded and Lorenze started to feel the tension so he waltzed and scooted over my way like he was going to whisper something but instead he just stood there.
“I mean I guess. Why would you think it’s something else? We can see it right now, It’s flesh colored and human shaped.” As David and Daniel continued I still expected Lorenze to say something. Maybe a comment that would brighten the mood. I’m getting tired of breaking the seriousness while entertaining myself to no avail for others. Finally Lorenze opened his mouth and spoke to the group.
“It was a hand. It was gentle.” David took over after and continued the argument of the two. “The size of that thing would’ve done much more damage if it had no control.”
After that, I think everyone just decided there was no point in arguing over the unknown. I feel like it’s quite the miracle, whatever landed could’ve done so much more damage for sure. I think Lorenze would appreciate it if I said something like “the real miracle is that we’re here all together.” I still have to tell myself just to keep on going. It felt like hours passed, I don’t feel the need to ask what time it is because why would it matter? No one even attempted to suggest making a tent but there’s some soft padding because of the playground up here. I already knew that’s where I would be resting since Daniel said we’re staying up here for the night. This place really isn’t anything special, it’s not really a true hike because there’s a play park for kids and a parking lot. I’ve been so detached from nature it never even dawned on me if there’s a cave within 50 miles of where we are right now. Maybe it’s fitting I don’t get to see the stars tonight.