The End Series | Book 1 | The End: Genesis Page 2
“Yes.”
There had been words spread around of a potential attack on the States although there hadn’t been much proof to back them up. It was the fears of others that made him more worried than he wanted to be.
“Do you think it’s true?” she had asked him.
He had inhaled before responding; “I’m not sure.”
“I’ve always tried to trust the government,” she’d admitted. “I’d like to believe if something really was that serious then we would know, but you can never be too sure.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time that the government withheld the truth,” he’d said.
It was almost a year since business man, Billy Monroe, had been sworn into office as the President of the United States of America. So far, his track record had been flawless. The people he had selected to be members of his cabinet were only the best in their fields. According to him, they were round pegs in round holes. The laws he had made only made life better for the people. He had centralized the whole economy in such a way that privatization was still allowed but private bodies were answerable to the government as to how they ran their businesses and to the amount they gave out towards altruism. Altruism was compulsory which was a good thing. There were now more scholarships, jobs and community service programs. Somehow, this president had also managed to create ties with the Russian government. After a couple of talks, he and the Russian government came to a bilateral agreement to combine resources towards the development of both economies. No one had seen that coming. From what Xander had read, economists had projected that if the agreement lasted for only a year, the Russian and American economies would become so strong that both would be unbeatable by other nations for the next ten years.
It then got weird when both presidents signed an agreement that allowed cross-migration into either state without the former strenuous restrictions. Everyone had begun to wonder why the government would make such a decision that exposed the States to attack. He had reassured the citizens with the fact that the agreement had been signed by both parties thus exposing them to equal danger. It was still unnerving though, especially with rumors going around the internet of a looming attack on the nation.
A sad smile had taken over Nia’s face as she met Xander’s gaze.
“That’s true.” Her eyes had moved back to the two girls, and she’d let out a deep breath. “I guess I just have the hope of a parent that everything will be alright for my daughter. We’d better get going,” she had said before calling the girls to herself and taking them with her. Alicia and Gertrude had gone to work long before them. Once again, as he drove to the park, Xander’s mind pondered on the rumors.
Could they be true?
He had gotten to North Orchard Street. He recalled that there was one right turn left before he got to the amusement park. He turned on his radio. The quietness in the car had become eerie. He needed some external sound to help him relax. However, what he heard on the radio made him tense all the more. The voice of the lady who was speaking seemed urgent.
“…All citizens are to move to New York where a ship would take them to safety…”
Xander zoned off from there. He hadn’t tuned in early enough to hear all that had been said. What was she talking about? Was there a problem? Why did they need safety?
Suddenly, his car jerked, flinging him forward. His seatbelt restrained him so that he didn’t collide against the steering. The radio stopped working. So did all the equipment on his dashboard. Just as he was about to catch his breath, he realized that his wheels were still moving though his engine had gone off. The car ahead of him had stopped completely. He turned the steering to avoid crashing into the car. Unfortunately, a Buick Muscle car was still moving forward with speed from the side. It crashed into his car, sending glass shards pouring all over Xander. The impact caused Xander’s head to collide forcefully against the door frame.
He blacked out.
Chapter Two
“All of them got out.”
15th November, 2021
11:57am
North Orchard, Chicago, Illinois.
USA.
Xander hands flew to his left leg the moment he gained consciousness and he groaned. A searing pain coursed through body and, when he opened his eyes, he could see the damage. The leg was curved to the right instead of straight. His hand went to his head from where blood had trickled down. The blood had dried up though. His torso seemed okay. His breathing was labored as his hands went to the power window in a bid to open the car. He pulled on the knob, satisfied with the click sound, he tried to push the car open but it wouldn’t budge. That was when he noticed the Buick that blocked him. He had to restrain himself from cursing. He looked to his right. The door seemed free however; the issue was how to move to that side of the car with his hurt leg. Bracing himself, he unfastened the seat belt that had saved him and crawled slowly over to the next seat. Taking deep breaths, he pulled his bad leg up to the driver seat. He opened the right door and pushed himself so that he fell on his back to the ground. He groaned the moment his leg hit the ground. The pain was unbearable. He waited for the pain to subside before he made his next move. Spinning on his back so that his head was close to the car, he tried to get up, using the car for support. All the while he was careful to not allow his left leg touch the ground. He looked around as he stood straight finally.
For the first time, he noticed that the city looked like a ghost town. All of the lights were out, leaving him thankful that it was afternoon. There were cars littered across the street, some crashed into buildings and others into other automobiles. It was eerily quiet and, the moment he noticed the amount of corpses everywhere, he closed his eyes. There was no living person around him. The realization hit him hard.
It had happened.
He needed to move. For the most part he would tell anyone that he was a healthy man because it was the truth. He worked out occasionally and had run track all through high school but nothing had prepared him for the battle of only using one leg. He struggled to get oxygen to his lungs as he moved with the help of the car and, even though his foot wasn’t hitting the ground each time he moved, he could still feel the shock of pain registering throughout his body.
Animal Science had never been a subject that he really liked. And now, in his time of pain, he felt himself regretting that. He suddenly felt that he should have been a better student and paid more attention when he’d been in anatomy. Maybe, it would have prepared him for what to do in cases like that. From the sight of the city, he sincerely doubted that a hospital would be of any help to him. All of their machines would be down and the doctors would be gone, at least those who had survived. Xander refused to allow his mind wander to how many lives the attack had taken.
Letting out a deep breath, he gazed across his surroundings until he found what he’d been looking for. Hobbling over to it, he picked the stick up. It was taller than his waist therefore he deemed it good enough. Eventually, he’d find a larger one but, for the moment, that was what he would have to use. His fist clenched around the stick that he was using as a crutch as he tried to walk with independence. Unfortunately, it was weak. It snapped the moment he allowed his weight rest on it and his injured leg made contact with the ground.
A small scream left his throat as he fell into the snow. The frustration rose in his body as his temperature continued to decrease. The weather was very cold and he was unable to walk. What was he supposed to do then? Without the strength, he wouldn’t be able to hop around forever. And obviously he couldn’t walk on his left leg, not in the condition that it was in.
In the next second, another realization filled his mind, causing him to cringe with fear.
The girls!
Resolve filled him. Giving up wasn’t an option. He had to find the girls. Just as he was about to get up again, he heard a voice. “Mister!” It was a female voice. He frowned, sitting up just enough to see a woman.
She didn’t look good. Had he been unaw
are of the situation that the country was in, he would have thought that she was a hobo living on the streets. Her red hair was full of filth and her face was dirty. There were bags under her eyes and grime underneath her fingernails. She looked like she needed a bath. But at least she looked warm which was more than he could say about himself. The three piece suit he wore barely kept the cold away.
“We didn’t know that there were more survivors out here,” the woman stated, as she began to remove her coat before draping it across his body. She caught a glance of his leg as she covered him.
“Oh, that looks nasty! We need to get you to the health care center. Carlisle might be able to help you there. You haven’t been walking on it, have you?”
“I didn’t particularly have a choice to.”
“Ah, I see,” the woman stated, as she nodded her head. “Well, it ain’t too far, not where we’re going.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
A puzzled look made its way across her features and she seemed genuinely surprised by his words. “Now, why would you say something stupid like that?” she scolded him, placing her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow up at him. “Obviously, you are unless you have a death wish.”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, sweetie, but this person is probably gone at this point. I doubt you’d even be able to find the body if you were looking. Now, come on,” she urged him, beginning to reach for his arm. Xander knew that her intent was only to help him but he didn’t want her help, not when he didn’t have the girls with him.
He jerked his arm away.
“They’re not dead,” he stated, his voice stern because he didn’t want to consider that possibility.
“How can you be so sure?” she raised an eyebrow at him again. She wasn’t sure of how many people they were talking about any longer. “When was the last time you saw this person?”
The question made Xander frown. It was one that he didn’t know the answer to.
“Well,” the red head asked, growing impatient.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly, his words cold.
“Don’t go snapping at me because you can’t handle the truth,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “Who is it that you’re looking for?”
Xander studied her, as if unsure whether or not he could trust her. He wasn’t a proud man and often he would relent whenever he thought that he needed help but this was different. Their country had just been attacked, their population dying. It left him not trusting. He didn’t know how long he’d been out and that only helped to raise his suspicion of her. Still, with how she looked, he doubted she was anything more than a survivor that had managed to live through the attack. He sighed in defeat. “My sister and her friend.”
Oh, we’re talking about two people, Harper thought.
“And just how old are they?”
“Eleven.”
The woman nodded her head. “Are the three of you from here? From Chicago?”
“Yes. But not from this neighborhood.”
“Why did you stop here?”
“It’s my sister’s birthday. I was supposed to pick her and her friend from the amusement park. Look, why does any of this matter?”
“I suppose it doesn’t.”
Before either of them could say anything else, the sound of a loud growl interrupted them, making Xander’s eyes widen as he quickly looked around them. The sound had been so dangerous and much closer than he was pleased to admit. It made him gulp. “What was that?” he asked, turning around to face the woman.
She was looking into the distance, her eyes scanning for something before she checked behind her. When her brown eyes came back to meet his, he could see the worry clouding them before she coughed and cleared her throat. “My guess is a bear.”
Xander choked on his own spit. “Maybe it’s just me but I don’t remember reading about wild bears running free around this area otherwise I may have picked a different amusement park.”
She rolled her eyes. “They’re not wild.”
“Circus then?”
“When the electromagnetic pulse hit, all of the power went out. Lincoln Park is known for its zoo.”
“So, all of the animals…?” he began to piece it together.
“All of them got out.”
His lips separated as he let out a shaky breath before shaking his head, attempting to get up. “I have to go then. I have to find them. Only God knows where they are now.” His efforts to get up failed as he began to fall down. The woman caught him just before he hit the ground. She was stronger than her small figure suggested. She propped him up, allowing him to lean against her for support.
“Then, we’ll help you,” she said, turning her head to meet his gaze.
“Why?”
“The apocalypse didn’t exactly take away our hearts,” she told him, offering him a small smile. “Not all of ours anyway.” It was a terrible joke, but it lightened his mood, even if only a bit. “But, first we have to get that leg checked out by Carlisle. You won’t be any help to them if you can’t even walk.”
He debated arguing before letting out a groan of defeat. “Fine, but let’s make it fast. Time isn’t exactly on our side.”
Chapter Three
"Their dead bodies would be frozen over in the snow.”
16th November, 2021
12:49pm
North Orchard, Chicago, Illinois.
USA.
“Ow! Take it easy. That hurts,” Xander exclaimed as Carlisle, a grey-haired woman, applied balm to his left leg and massaged it. The woman snorted.
“You’ve not even gotten to the painful part,” she said as she continued her work.
Xander sat back and grimaced as each move of the woman’s hand caused pain to shoot up his ankle. His mind was full of worry. He hadn’t seen his sister yet. The only reason he was calm was because Harper, the red-haired woman who had brought him to the make-shift clinic, had promised to help him look for Grayson and Prim. If he would be a good boy and listen to her instructions, he figured he would also be able to get some supplies from her when he finally had to move on with the two little girls. Unfortunately, her instructions entailed him staying back to recover for a whole day. The only reason he didn’t die of anxiety was because he believed that the girls were safe with Nia. He hoped they really were.
Carlisle pulled hard on his leg and twisted it towards the left causing a ‘crack’ sound to be heard across the small room from his leg. Xander yelled and jolted up from the bed. He hadn’t expected that. Carlisle got up from her seat and headed towards the door of the small room.
“My work here is done,” she said just before walking out of the door.
The room was a small one however it was filled with over fifteen patients having varying levels of injuries. Medics attended to some while others were sleeping. The room was probably one of the classrooms of Lincoln Park High School- the school where Harper had brought him. According to what he had been told, the EMP had killed a lot of people in different ways. Planes as well as cars had crashed. Elevators had suddenly stopped. Hospital ventilators and life supports had been disabled. No one knew who was behind the bombings. It had happened a little over an hour after passing out from the crash. The makeshift health care center had been set up immediately by local medics to cater for the health of survivors from any of those incidences. Harper had said that the whole area had been searched to find survivors. Harper was one of the police working in that area of Chicago. She had been off-duty that day but because of how sudden the attack had come; she had left her home to help out. At least that explained why she had looked like a hobo. She had been pulling people out of wreckages all day long. There was uncertainty everywhere and so every police person, whether in uniform or not, had to be around to reassure the people. Winter had come in full force and nobody knew where the next attack would come from. All the supplies around town had been rationed so as to be managed.
Xander took a while to recover from the pain. He looked at his leg. It was straight by default again. After a couple of minutes, he got down from the bed to test the leg. Harper had given him a crutch to help with walking. He took the crutch that had been lying by the bedside and used it, along with his good leg, to stand upright. Slowly, he put his bad leg to the ground. It didn’t hurt much any longer, which was good. He limped out of the room into a larger hall where over a hundred people were gathered. There were youth, adult and children alike. What they all had in common was the fact that their normal course of life had been disrupted. There were no cell phones to preoccupy them. Instead they all had to face the future with a level head. Family members were with their injured loved ones. Harper had said that all the injured people around town had been gathered in there. Some had died. There were some stretchers with bodies completely covered with leather.
He spotted Harper just ahead, speaking with a man who also looked like a hobo despite being in a suit. Xander noticed the glow stick in her hand as he walked up to her.
“Hey, Harper. Thanks. My legs feel so much better,” he said once he was within hearing distance.
She smiled when she saw him walking better.
“Well, you do look better. Carlisle is dun’ a great job once again,” she said.
“Yeah. Sure. She’s been massaging me since yesterday. Unfortunately, she didn’t stay long enough for me to thank her when she finished,” Xander said and Harper laughed. She turned to the man she had been talking with.
“Joel, this is the guy I told you about who lost his sister. His name is Xander.”
“Hey, boy. Good to meet you,” Joel said, stretching out his hand for a handshake.
“Thanks. Good to meet you too,” Xander replied, though he was not too comfortable with being called ‘boy’. It reminded him of Gertrude. Suddenly, he wished he had been nicer to his step-father. He didn’t know if he would ever see Gertrude or his mother again. He chose to swallow his pride and honor Joel. Besides, the man was definitely in his forties, to say the least. Xander decided the man had earned the right to call him ‘boy’. He turned back to Harper.