I remember first hearing the news when I was sixteen, sitting in a high rise that overlooked Manhattan. After three years, America was finally winning the war. German troops were retreating.
But then two years later, Russia got involved.
I can still feel the chill in the spring air against my face from that night. Still hear my friend’s laughter as it floated through the air and can still see the starry sky glittering above us. It was a nice distraction from the trash that tumbled around in the wind, tossed along the cobblestone paths that sprawled out before us. Dead trees towered above, spindly branches reaching up towards the sky while the thickets of brush jutted out from the ground. Moonlight had highlighted the green buds that clung to the bushes, revealing some had already begun to open despite the frost that dusted the world around them.
“We should get back to the City soon.” A girl’s voice had cut through the quiet night, her tone coming as a hushed whisper.
Before I could look over my shoulder at her, a laugh sounded from my right. The second girl in question had thrown her head back with a dramatized cackle, her red curls swinging with every bouncing step she took.
“Oh come on!” The redhead goaded with another laugh, reaching down into the plastic bag dangling from her fingers. She sifted around a bit before retrieving a can of red spray paint and giving it a pointed jiggle. “Can’s not empty yet! Grow a pair, would you?”
“Mira,” I butted in with a groan.
Mira’s attention landed on me, and her amused grin only seemed to grow even more as she once again jostled the can. I snorted as she angled it towards me and, unable to help myself, I obliged and took it from her. “Hell yes!” She all but cheered, digging back through the grocery bag for what I assumed to be another can. “See, Simone? Your girlfriend’s not a coward!”
There was a grunt of apparent disapproval from behind and I finally glanced over my shoulder at my girlfriend. She sauntered along behind us, one hand stuffed in the pockets of her puffy jacket and nose glinting red in the light of the moon. In her other hand, a case of beer swung at her side. After a moment, those brown eyes met mine and a subtle smile settled on her lips. “Gonna come to my rescue or what, Ro?” She hummed as I dropped back to walk along beside her.
“Thought you could handle yourself,” I teased, nudging my arm against hers and she snorted. “Right, Sage?”
Sage merely rolled her eyes a bit at the nickname, though gladly leaned against me as we walked. “Is that you admitting defeat or laziness?”
“Against Mira?” I shot a look to the taller girl who’d taken the lead. Upon hearing her name, she tossed a look over her shoulder at us, sticking her tongue out. The silver of her tongue piercing glinted in the moonlight before once again disappearing behind her lips as she trotted along ahead of us. “Defeat,” I decided, wrapping an arm around Sage with a laugh. “Definitely defeat.”
“My hero.” She rolled her eyes, though she still settled into my embrace nonetheless.
The subtle smile on her lips never faded as we fell into silence. Eventually, the only sounds were that of the distant hum of an airplane and the crunching of stone under our feet as we walked through the park. After about the third time of swiping her sleeve across her nose with a harsh sniff, I broke the silence.
“I’m just about out of paint.” I gave the can a pointed shake, though it proved the opposite of what I’d just told her. The girl gave me a knowing look, one eyebrow raised a bit. I flashed her a wink, corners of my lips tugging up a bit as I offered a smile. “We’ll head back to my place after this. Maybe get some pizza on the way if you want?”
“Yeah, alright.” Sage sniffed again, wrinkling her reddened nose a bit. “Wouldn’t mind so much if it weren’t so damn cold.” Her tone was light despite her complaint. I laughed, giving her a gentle squeeze.
Before I could say anything more, Mira had set her sights on a small building across the lawn. She crossed over onto the brittle grass and started making her way over to the brick structure. With a quick kiss to Sage’s cheek, I released her and hopped out onto the grass to follow Mira.
We fell easily into our typical routine; Mira and I causing minimal vandalism with spray paint while Sage remained outside to keep watch. She never complained, nor had she ever offered to join. So I’d spent the better half of the next ten minutes mindlessly spraying the striking red across the mirrors and walls. Though it didn’t take very long for the initial excitement to wear off and after one final failed attempt at painting an animal on the mirror, I tossed the can aside. It hit the concrete floor, rolling towards the doorway where it came to a stop against a pair of pink Converse. I followed the muddied shoes up to Sage, whose arms were folded over her chest and her eyes taking in the mess on the walls.
“That supposed to be a giraffe?” Her brown eyes landed on mine, her lips curled up into a genuine grin. Her fingers rested against her lips as she rolled them between her teeth.
I glanced back at the admittedly bad artwork and wrinkled my nose, shooting the girl a look. “It’s a dog.”
“That’s a dog?”
My only response was a helpless gesture towards the dripping paint than ran down the mirror. Sure, maybe the snout was too long and the teeth were too sharp, but I thought it looked like a dog.
However, my attention was quickly shifted to her reflection in the broken mirror as she moved up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist with a gentle hum. “Come on, Ro.” She pressed a lingering kiss against my neck that sent warm tingles down my arms. “It’s a nice night out. Come sit with me?”
And of course, how was I supposed to say no to that? Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, I allowed Sage to lead me back outside. The half empty paint can rolled further into the corner as the side of my shoe hit it, clanking against a wall somewhere in the darkness.
The cold spring air hit me in the face the moment I stepped back outside, and I took a deep breath. The scent of fresh grass was a lot better than the stuffy bathroom, and the glittering stars above had almost been enough to make me glad I’d come outside. But the girl who was easing herself back down onto the concrete steps before me… Well, that was all I needed.
I grinned, taking the seat beside her. A chill spread through my body as the cold surface soaked through my jeans, and I nudged my arm against hers. “I guess I just figured you were waiting for Prince Charming,” I teased.
“I was.” There was a quiet crack as she popped the tab of one of the cans of beer and took a long swig. “But he never showed, so guess you’ll have to do.” The deadpan comment never reached the amused glimmer in those gorgeous eyes and I snorted, taking the can she was holding out to me.
“Please.”I ran my thumb over the cold aluminum in my hand, clearing a line through the condensation. “We both know I’m better than any prince.” The bitter cold liquid hit my lips, burning my throat as I took a drink. It only made me even colder, and I handed it back. “But hey, at least we can count on you for the refreshments.”
Sage took the can, once again lifting it to her lips and downing her swig like it was nothing. “You’d be lost without me,” she chuckled, setting the drink down in the small space between us. “How else would you get your booze?”
I rolled my eyes, leaning my shoulder against hers and lifting my gaze to the scene before us. A massive body of water sprawled for as far as we could see and beyond that, the City was visible clear as day. The dazzling lights danced on the waters surface, the gentle waves lapping at the rocks. The plane was still in the sky, the little green light blinking lazily on the wings. For a brief second, there was a smaller red light that flashed beneath it. Almost familiar.
Then it hit me.
That same flash of red. That same dark streak against the skies.
I’d seen it on TV, in newspapers and magazines boasting about America’s achievements against Germany.
Against Russia.
Oh, hell.
Everything seemed to grind to a halt, even as I was jumping to my feet and dragging Sage up with me. I didn’t have time to think much less react as I jerked her backwards into the restrooms. The door had just barely swung shut as the blinding flash filled every last corner of the room. I don’t know what knocked us down first, the impact of the explosion, or the two of us colliding.
In that silent instant, the darkness returned and I curled myself over Sage as though that would save her from the inevitable. The ground lurched beneath us, the concussive blast ringing out only seconds later. Glass exploded from the windows, heat barreling in and the overpowering stench of smoke filled the room. Nothing else existed in the following moments. Only darkness and the god-awful ringing that followed.
Just like that, the end of the world had begun.
And yet, it all felt so distant in that moment. It was a dream. A fuzzy, hazy dream that I’d no doubt pull myself from at any moment. It had to be. But each ragged breath drew more burning smoke into my lungs and that alone was a reminder that it wasn’t a dream. There was a heavy weight on my chest and all around me; no amount of movement would get it off. There was only the constant ringing in my ears and the suffocating stench of smoke - nothing more and nothing less.
I shifted the best I could, clawing at the debris around me. Wood and glass dug under my nails, and there was a crack. The debris lurched, sending dust spraying down onto me and with a painful wheeze, I gave another harsh shove against the weight that held me down. Somewhere beyond the darkness and endless ringing was a vague sound; yelling maybe?
Finally, the pressure was gone. Fallen away like a veil and I shot up into a sitting position. My lungs heaved, forcing air in and out. Dust and smoke scraped the back of my throat and burned my nose, but I couldn’t care less. I coughed at the sensation, swiping my sleeves across my face and eyes.
Every inch of the building before me was filled with thick and hazy smoke. The figure that was dropping to a crouch before me was blurred, but I couldn’t mistake those wide, brown eyes. Glassy and red with obvious tears streaking down her cheeks, the girl threw her arms around me with a choked sob.
“Simone? God…” I gripped her shoulders, pushing her back and holding her at arms length. Ash and dirt caked itself to the sweat clinging to her light brown skin, and her brown hair was matted with sticky crimson. Blood trickled down from the cut on her forehead and stained her fingers but aside from that, she was there. And she was alive. “Oh, Simone.” My arms were thrown back around her and my face was buried into her neck. I took another deep and ragged breath, breathing in the scent of smoke and sweat.
As the dust began to settle, I once again put the distance between us to look her over once more. I ran my thumb along her stained fingers, smearing the blood. “Is-Is this-?” She shook her head, lips parted in an answer she couldn’t find. But the relief weighed in my chest all the same.
“Come on.” With a pained grunt, I pushed myself up and onto my feet. Glass and debris slipped off me, tumbling to the ground. The world swayed for a moment, and a nasty pain shot through my arm. With a hiss, I pulled my hand from Sage’s and cupped it over the newfound wound. Blood coated my palm when I pulled it away. Shit. There was a sizable gash in my letterman jacket, the white of the sleeve now tainted red. “I’m fine,” I assured the girl upon seeing the way her brows tugged together.
Sage had opened her mouth as though to argue, but I was already clambering up onto what remained of the destroyed wall. Bricks shifted under my weight, sending small chunks sliding down through the pile as I made my way out. Once my feet were safely in the grass, I reached back through the gaping hole and soon enough, the two of us were free.
Though the sight we were greeted with was enough to make me wish I’d still been trapped.
Across the lake, New York City was nothing more than a blaze of flames. Nothing more than dark and twisted shapes that jutted out from the fire. The stars were gone now; hidden behind the thick black smoke that poured up into the sky. Even from where we stood, our feet rooted in place, I could feel the power of the inferno. The bitter spring air was gone, replaced with that suffocating heat.
We could’ve been there, came the brutal reminder as one of dark shapes collapsed in the distance.
We should’ve been. Me, Sage and-
“Mira!” I screwed my eyes shut for a moment, shaking off whatever trance I’d been frozen in. Tearing my hand free of Sage’s, I jumped down from the concrete steps and rounded the building towards the back. There was nothing around that I could see through the haze of smoke and flattened trees. Mangled shapes of twisted playground equipment remained ghosts in the night; a haunting nightmare as I climbed back up onto the cracked foundation of the bathrooms.
Much like the north side of the building, the wall was unstable and cracked. The door had been warped on its hinges, though the repeated pounding that sounded on the other side was enough for me to let out a shaking breath. My chest still felt heavy, heart still hammering way too hard against my ribs, but I flattened a hand against the door. “Mira?” I called out, and there was another loud thud on the other side.
“Rowan?” Her voice was muffled and the door handle twisted. With a grunt, she jerked the door, but it didn’t budge. “Shit. What’s happening? It-It’s stuck!”
“Mira?” It was Sage speaking now, and I looked over my shoulder at her as she approached. Brown eyes widened as the door once again gave a futile wrench against the hinges.
“Simone? Rowan? Shit.” Another loud clang. This time it sounded like something metal being hurled at the door. There was the sound of coughing and wheezing before the door jostled again, like she was leaning against it. “Get me outta here. It’s so hot.” There was a crack between the door and the frame itself, near where it had begun to warp away from the building. I could see a glimpse of red hair and wide, green eyes. Blood was smeared across her dark skin, but I couldn’t see the extent of it.
“Yeah,” I breathed, taking a step back to survey the area. “Yeah, we’ll get you out. We’ll just…”
I took another step back, the side of my foot shoe coming into contact with something big and hard. Alright. I can work with that. I reached down, snatching up the brick and slamming it into the top hinge as hard as I could. It collided with a loud clang, further denting the loose metal. I raised the brick and brought it down again.
And again.
Again.
Until it broke free, clattering to the ground. From inside, the door lurched again as Mira threw herself against it. It groaned against the sudden weight, sending the bottom hinge springing from its place and the door falling forward. Sage and I scrambled back as it landed on the concrete, with Mira spilling out on top of it. She gagged, coughing and heaving in fresh air as thick plumes of smoke billowed out behind her.
“Are you okay?” Sage was already crouched beside her, and I followed suit. Between the two of us, we’d managed to get her on her feet and away from the building.
By the time the three of us came to a staggering halt at the water’s edge, we were already collapsing into an exhausted and panting heap. The three of us lay there, tangled in each others limbs and almost too scared to even move. Sure, maybe the ruins of the old bathroom were behind us, but we were now faced once again with the same view as earlier; the inferno that had once been New York. And the look on Mira’s face had gone from an exhausted relief to something horrified.
Green eyes widened, brows drawing together as she slowly untangled herself from Sage and I. “My-My mom. And-And Matthew. She’d need-she’s gonna need help…” Her voice was hoarse as she fell forward, whether it be to crawl towards the water or try and stand, but my fingers curled around her wrist before she could get any further.
My chest burned. “Mira-”
“He can’t walk. She can’t-she can’t carry him all by herself. She…she…”
“Mira.”
But she knew it. And with a wretched sob, Mira was back on her knees. Her shoulders shook as I moved closer, draping an arm over her trembling figure. On the other side, Sage did the same and the girl let out another mournful howl, curling in on herself. I felt the same prickling behind my eyes, but the flames across the lake almost felt like just a sick joke. An hour ago, it was a bustling city whose nightlife could be heard from where we currently sat.
Now, though…
Now there was nothing.
One look over at Sage and that burning in my chest had turned to a heavy weight. Her lips were rolled in, chin quivering and tears clearing a path through the dirt on her cheeks. She lifted the back of her shaking hand to rest against her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. I shifted my gaze away, looking back ahead of us. But I didn’t look at the City. No, instead, I watched the inferno flickering away in the calm ripples of the water.
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We could stay.
We should go.
Go back?
Hell if I knew.
I didn’t know how much time had passed; minutes? Hours? But my body ached, my arm throbbing along with the rest of my limbs. I shifted, taking in everything around us. The fire of the City had died down, though the ash that had been floating down from the sky had now become like snow; covering the once green grass in layers of dark gray. Flakes of ash stuck in our hair, and I ran a hand through my dark waves. My fingers came away with streaks of white and I let out a shaking breath. It left my lips in a cloud, snaking up into the air. The heat had faded, leaving us with nothing more than the bitter cold from before.
I drew another steadying breath, looking at the two figures beside me. Sage, whose head was leaned against my shoulder, had been holding Mira in her lap. Neither of which had seemed awake at first glance. Though a wet sniff broke the quiet, and a slow blink had given it away that the redhead was, in fact, awake. I followed her bleary gaze back out to the dying light across the lake.
We couldn’t go back, right?
There was nothing to go back to.
Despite my aching limbs and throbbing headache, I nudged the other girl awake and with a confused grunt, she removed herself from my shoulder. Brown eyes gave a bleary blink, squinting against the exhaustion. “Ro?” Sage mumbled, immediately swiping her sleeve across her red nose. “What’s…?”
“Come on.” My mouth felt so very dry, and my voice sounded so muffled in my own ears. Yet at the same time, it sounded so loud in the silence. “We have to go.”
“Go where?” Mira had chimed in, her voice breaking as she spoke. There was an underlying bitterness to it, and she didn’t look at either of us. “There’s no where left to go to.”
With a sigh through her nose, Sage ran her slender fingers through Mira’s curls. Her brows knitted together as she watched the girl in her lap. When she finally looked to me, I saw that glimmer in her eyes. She parted her lips, some form of question or statement on the tip of her tongue. Reassurance maybe? I didn’t know. But I tore my gaze away regardless, fingers tugging down the cuffs of my sleeves as I regarded the old City once more. Where to was a good question. But here wasn’t the answer.
Neither was giving up.
“Anywhere,” came my eventual answer. When Mira said nothing more, I looked to both of them. Sage was no longer watching me; instead, her attention had returned to the redhead, where she was still playing with her hair. The redhead hadn’t bothered to tear her gaze away from the skeleton city in the distance.
Like it or not, the end of the world had come. We didn’t have a choice; lie there and die along with the rest of the world, or keep moving. The longer I watched the two of them, the harder it became to breathe. And dying wasn’t an option. Not with them. I swallowed, and my throat burned at the sensation. “Simone. Mira. Come on.”
Say goodbye to your past, I wanted to tell them.
Your religion. Your faith.
Instead, I shifted my legs underneath me and hauled myself to my feet. Pain shot up through my ankle and I winced, biting down on my lip. But the moment passed, and I looked down at the two. Their eyes were on me; brown eyes wide and glimmering, green eyes narrowed and glassy. “We stay here and we’re dead and…” My gaze flitted over my shoulder, towards New York. My throat tightened and I swallowed again. “We can’t go back. Can’t stay here, either. It’s just us now and-and…”
And what?
The newfound wasteland once known as New York was gone. What more was there? A future? Hell, maybe even hope? I wanted to think it wasn’t likely, but I held my hand out to Sage, nonetheless.
“It’s just us, now,” I decided on. My words came out as a whisper. The two watched me, though neither said a word. “Please.” I hated the break in my voice as I spoke and I tried to take a composing breath. “Don’t make me do this alone.”
But then a warm hand slipped into mine, our fingers intertwining. Finally, the prickling seemed to boil over and with a blink, I felt the hot tears falling free. I ground my teeth together for a moment, giving her hand a squeeze as Sage climbed to her feet. “Of course not,” was her quiet reply. “We’re in this together, right?” She glanced down at Mira, who was once again watching across the lake. “The three of us?”
“Mira…?”
Finally, the redhead sighed and with another harsh sniff, she lifted her head to face us. Sage held out a hand and after what seemed like ages, she accepted the offer. The three of us were standing now, somewhere between the beginning and the end of the world. The faint glow of the City was still visible through the haze of smoke while behind us was nothing more than an endless wasteland. The known and the unknown.
Giving Sage’s hand one final squeeze, I turned my back to the City. And together, the three of us stepped into the darkness.
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