

Northern Exposure

The Divided

Episode 1

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Without warning it began! The inevitable, I think it's fair to assume t **his book is not in my possession. This means I'm most likely dead. Most nights I wrestle the reason I have chosen to explain what happened, the things we did to each other, things no human being should witness. I Wright this simply to enlighten your poor soul and give you more of a chance than I had. A chance to survive what is most likely the brink of human extinction. Times are harder now and as the days go by we are less of our former selves. We have become husks floating around in a lost, desolate world. I look at this place and it still seems so alien to me, as the days roll into the nights I'm still unsure of how we got to this point.**

If you are reading this, you too are probably North and very much aware of what has happened to our beloved city. I feel a responsibility to inform you that you will most likely share the same fate as I have. I understand you may be wondering what's worse than death, trust me in this place death seems like a paradise compared. I do not know why I still feel so obligated to write this. To be honest most nights I think its just an escape from the madness, like a natural sedative it's the only way I can fall asleep in this hell. However I do need to clear my conscious and pay dividend for my demons. I need you to know what happened to me; I need you to know what we have become and what we are capable of. I need you to know why we have chosen to kill each other, why the smell of human flesh lingers in the air like slow roast pork on a Sunday afternoon. Why bodies litter our streets. Why things that seemed to be so impossible happen in front of our very own eyes. Why conformity i this place is the unreal ideas people live their lives by and why I was included into this group of youthful abominations. All of this might be irrelevant compared to what I am about to tell you.

I remember the past, how I would lay on **my bed while listening to the bustling pot of cultural dilution brewing. Continually going at an ever slowing pace. People intertwining in each other's lives, affecting each other without the slightest fathom of how they needed one another to sustain the comfortable lives in the city they so much adored. They moved around weaving in and out not taking the time to enjoy what they truly had. Not taking a second breath to soak in the benefits of being able to jump into a cab and drive to the local cinema down the street. Forgetting how easy it was to stay in contact with their friends and family through social media, video chats and phone calls. Or being able to stop at the grocery store with their favorite foods all lined up, packaged and ready to go.**

However most of all, they never took the time to realize what company meant. What having people brush against your shoulders as they walked past the busy street felt like, or the joyous sound of laughing kids in the green parks. They hadn't felt alone before, not the type of alone I was about to feel, the type of desertion which starts to feel as physical as a blade to your flesh. They had never known how loud and frightening the absolute sound of nothing was. No birds in the trees, no noisy neighbors, not a howl in the distance or a scream over the horizon... absolutely nothing!

I can rant, rave and explain the silence, then the chaos which soon ensued. But before we go any further I have to take you to the beginning. To the place it all happened and let you know why it happened. I have to let you know what I went through on that dreadful day and the events which soon ensued. You need to know how we have survived. How we have stayed strong even after being plunged into the bowels of hell. But mostly I have to explain the reason behind my drastic decision, the reason I had to kill the person who meant everything to me, the reason I had to stand over the lifeless body of the women I loved more than life itself.

**2030 was a year never to be forgotten. The world unanimously took that curve ball called life and smashed it out of the park! Democracy reigned king and poverty had become somewhat of a faded idea. Crime had globally dropped and a strong middle class had developed throughout the world. An Economic boom had surged from country to country and now when we spoke about people starving and country's collapsing it sounded like a farfetched fable. Humanity had beaten the global recession and was united together in a stand to bring peace and economic sustainability through out the world. We had beaten a pandemic, stomped our foot on a ravenous globe virus which left us bunkered down in our houses waiting for a cure. We had eventually learnt how to navigate our way over the thin fragile tight rope we shared with our planet and its other inhabitants. We managed to master technologies which powered our world through sustainable energy sources while simultaneously learning the importance of the planets animals and their environments. We helped revive animals which were crucially engendered and even managed to bring back some extent species thanks to DNA scripting and the help of CRISPR. Majestic Wooley Mammoth herds took back the cold grasslands of the Alaskan Game sanctuaries which had been created to protect the reintroduced species. The Mammoth was not the only extinct animals we brought back, the out back saw the return of the Dodo bird and the Thylacine once again hunted in the forests of New Zealand. We helped flood the jungles of Borneo with Giant orangutans once again; majestic bangle Tigers thrived in huge preserved lands stretching throughout** India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. The Rhino bountifully flourished once angin on the African continent and could breath a sigh of relief as Ivory and horn poaching became non existent. **Our oceans and coral reefs came back to life as we invested in a biodegradable lifestyle which in turn stopped suffocating it with plastic and refuse.**

Laws banning families from having more than three children were gladly accepted by most people in countries struggling with over population and adoption rates became so popular people would have to wait on lists to get the chance to adopt. All these changes took a lot of pressure off the earth's natural resources. Integrated marriages occurred more frequently, breaking down the barriers of racial and cultural stereo types. The figures were higher than they had ever been recorded, and even though so much success circumnavigated the globe, it was nothing compared to the success I had individually achieved...Well at least I thought so

### CHAPTER 1

At twenty six I had landed my dream job, I still cannot believe how fast it all happened. One day I was stacking fish for a living in a small coastal Town. Next thing I got the call for the sous-chef position I had applied fat at the well-known Italian restaurant, "The Italian Job." The journey had not been easy and it had taken me a while to get to where I was. But I had eventually reached my goals, I could not believe I had finally moved into the city. The place of dreams, the concrete jungle, I was having the best time of my life! I was in a state of euphoria, a place which seemed unreachable a few months back. But even though an abundance of self-esteem surrounded me like an invisible halo, and no matter how much I had accomplished through my hard work, my biggest achievement was presented by the kind hand of fate.

Meeting her was the greatest moment of my life, and many times I got lost, thinking "how the hell did I manage to land such an amazing women?" The reality was I was an average looking guy. Tall, tanned, with a large frame and well toned body. I had a short fade and hazel eyes. At the end of the day I knew I was no Adonis that's for sure. I considered myself a C minus, on a good day a B plus. She however was a straight A plus all year round. I will never forget the day that I met her. I had just flown in from the South, eight hours before landing in the heart of the City. I found myself standing in the hallway of a rundown block of apartments, bags in my hand and dreams on my shoulders. I was ecstatic about the move out of my parent's garage and into what I like to think of as my freedom.

"So Mr. Goodridge, the rates are $300.00 a month, no pets allowed, the elevators are out but the stairs work just fine." "We will have no freaky business here Mr. Goodridge, this is a family filled building and I run a tight ship!" "The Last guy who lived in your apartment was some kind of escort male type freak so I kicked his ass out onto the street with all the other freaks in this freaking city!" The land lord was a short stocky old school gentleman, shabbily dressed but stern in his demeanor. He wore a white wife beater covered in mustard stains and had a bold patch in the middle of his crew cut hair style. The regulatory army style hair cut caught the light from the florescent tubes above his head, emphasizing a large patch of smooth hair lacking skin. His cargo shorts were army green and accompanied by a thick pair of white socks which he wore all the way to his knees and black military grade boots.

I stepped back, and responded as respectfully as possible, "I can promise you sir, I'm not a gigolo and definitely not into any freaky stuff." I smiled as I tried to reassure him I was a funny respectable guy. His reaction was dull and his eyes remained fixed on mine. "You better not be boy or I will have you out there quicker than you can say what the freak just happened! His obsession with this word made me smile wanting to burst out into laughter. He reminded me so much of the overweight foul-mouthed father from my favorite animated sitcom. "Any way boy, here are the keys, rents due beginning of each month and No"...I interrupted, "Freaky stuff?" He clearly wasn't impressed with my sense of humor. He tossed the keys into my already full hands, turned and disappeared down the corridor. I did not allow him to dampen the mood. I was too excited to let anything weigh me down. As I opened the door I was greeted by the overwhelming smell of mold which almost knocked me clean off my feet. The moldy smell was not alone; it was infused with what I presumed to be cheap male cologne. The foul smelling concoction lingered in the air and clung to the apartments walls. I could care less; to me this was the bachelor pad I had always dreamed of. For the first time I felt like a real man and not a boy, a grounded self sufficient man, who had his own place and his own life. I was no longer only Mr. and Mrs. Goodridge kid. By the time I had settled in and unloaded all my belongings, night time had crept up and the sunny back drop had been replaced by darker scenery. I walked over to the window and gazed into the night sky. Illuminating bright like a florescent rainbow from the thousands of street lights, billboards, apartment buildings and cars, the city adopted a new life. My thoughts were soon interrupted by the groans of my stomach. So I stepped away from the window, took out all my pots and pans and readied myself. It was time to brake in the old dilapidated stove which looked like it was hanging on for dear life. So I popped my ear pods in and began banging the tunes. Not before long I was hunched over my pots checking if the penne was Al Dante. The aroma of basil and garlic filled the air, as I cooked and sang along. I couldn't care if anybody heard my screeching attempts to sing. This was my time, I was in my zone.

My meal would have to wait though as I realized the bin bag hanging around my door handle had filled up with trash. I removed the bag and started making my way to the garbage shoot. Music blasting in my ears I danced down the hall way with not a care in the world, stopping only to shuffle then two stepped every few feet. With my eyes closed and Marinara sauce all over my shirt I put on my best moves, which in reality were far from good. But before I could hit my next Dab, BAM!

I opened my eyes, it was a mess, a crime scene, the wall was painted blood red, carnage lay throughout the now trash filled corridor. My emotions became intertwined I was scared yet aroused at the same time. I stood waiting for the banshee like scream, but nothing. She stood picking rosemary out of her hair and cleaning red sauce off her face. I had collided head first into the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on. What's more, charming old me had just showered her in trash. I...I...I'm so sorry I was cooking, I mean dancing, no I mean trash." Time after time I had heard about the famous cliché, now I had fallen victim to it. She smiled, then looked down and began laughing. Wearily I joined in not knowing what else to do in the awkward situation. The attractive women took her finger wiped a bit of sauce from her chin then licked it. As she walked past she whispered in my ear, "tasty". I turned around and watched her walk away. She approached the staircase turned and just stared at me from across the hall way. Like an angel ascending into the heavens she disappeared up the stairs. She had entrapped me into a trance as I watched the light bouncing off her golden locks. I so badly wanted to chase after her and at least get her name. But I was frozen in time, my body not registering what my brain told it to do.

I lay in bed that night hardly able to sleep. She ran through my mind all night. She was a beauty, so real, so pure. In a time of so many insta-models and fashion queens she was something different, something unique. Her pale white skin was almost to perfect, her piercing blue eyes shone deep like an untouched ocean. Her golden hair tumble down her shoulders and her luscious thick pink lips contrasted against her soft smooth skin. She was tall with a slender figure, the green tank top she wore clung tight to her body. Her legs seemed to never end and were on show thanks to the short demine cut offs she wore. Unfortunately I would not see her again, or so I though

The months rolled by and the incident with the gorgeous girl faded away, only popping up occasionally to remind me of what I missed out on. I hadn't seen her since our little run in so I assumed she was just visitor in the building. So as time does the thoughts of her were soon replaced by day to day life challenges while life kept moving forward. But something was coming, something that would make the fragile way we had built these lives of ours crumble to the ground. Something we were not expecting and it came so silently, so unnoticed, like a thief in the night. I'll never forget that day; it was a bright Monday afternoon. I lay on my couch, too exhausted to move, after a hectic day in the kitchen at work. All I wanted to do is just relax. Then suddenly a disturbing sensation came over me, I was thrown from my couch and fell hard to the ground. The earth was moving; I heard screams coming from throughout the building. So I jumped up to see what all the commotion was. While running towards the window I lost my footing as another tremor hit the city and sent me tumbling to the floor. My head collided with the edge of the stove and split open on the impact, blood started trickling down my brow. I pulled myself from the floor and shock my head, the blur soon settled as I wobbled towards the window.

People fled from the buildings across the street. Just as a scared flock of sheep, they huddled together, frightened and unsure of what to do. The rumbling sensation soon eased down and a small sense of relief filled the atmosphere. Immediately a tense grip of fear caused people to start spewing out different theories about the event. I heard the distant conversations from my window; some were saying it must have been an earthquake which did not happen that often, others opposed the idea saying that we would have been warned on the news if it was an earthquake. One man shouted out insanities that it was the military doing bombing drills in the outskirts. But that idea was shut down fast, people didn't feel right about bad mouthing the government. If not Mother Nature and not man, what could be the cause of the tremors?

Police, medical assistance and rescue teams soon arrived throughout the street. They started reassuring people everything was okay and it was safe to go back inside. I wanted to see firsthand what was happening outside, so I grabbed my jacket and ran for the door slamming it behind me. As I made my way to the staircase I wiped the blood from my brow, smearing it across my forehead. So full of adrenaline I couldn't be bothered about the injury. Then the feeling surged through the building once again, something wasn't right. I slowed down and grabbed the banister, taking deep breaths as I proceeded down the stair case. The buildings lights flickered on and off, only giving me a split seconds to navigate through the darkness. I was scared, I felt so alone, the more I walked the stronger the fear grabbed hold of me. I could vaguely hear people's conversations from behind their closed doors no one wanted to be outside, and honesty it took all my strength to restrain myself from banging on their doors and begging them to let me in.

The passageways were empty, fear still kept the tenants trapped in their apartments. I too had the urge to stay safe in my apartment, but my curiosity pushed me onwards as I found myself walking through the halls. I bent over trying to get a lower center of gravity in case the shaking began again. I approached the second bend in the passageway; a figure appeared in the distance. The darkness made it near impossible to tell who or what it was. So I took two deep breaths and slowly made my way towards it. The closer I got the clearer the figure became. It was a person, a woman to be precise; I approached her and took a knee. "Excuse me, excuse me miss are you okay?" She did not respond she just kept rocking back and forth. Miss it's alright now, it's all over. My tone was passive and compassionate, but the more I tried to console her, the more erratic she became. She started rocking faster, hitting the wall harder. I reached out and grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. She lifted her head; I retracted my arm and fell over. I could not believe it was her, after all this time, all the situations we could have met. She stared at me, frightened to the soul. Before I could say a word it happened a third time. The building began shaking harder, large slabs of concrete separated from the Sides of the old structure and you could hear violent thudding sounds as they met with parked cars in the streets. Screams echoed across the city. She threw her arm around me and started digging her nails into my back. The more it shook more she tightened her grip. I put my arms around her and tried to console her, but she could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

Eventually the shakes came to an end and an eerie quite swept across the city. Slowly she peeled her face away from my shoulder. Exposing her runny mascara and smeared lipstick. Her bright blue eyes where now red, bloodshot from all the crying. For a moment she just looked at me through the dim light. Then she spoke, "You!" I smiled as she recognized me. "How are you feeling, Do you need some water, I can go get you some water?" I was so eager to please. But she insisted I stay close and not leave her side. So we sat there silently for at least half an hour.

Slowly people started to emerge from their doors, the lights returned and questions started circulating. Everybody wanted to know what was going on, no one felt safe. As humans do when a crises arises, speculation soon follows. "IT'S THEM!" "You all know it but hell, you people are too ignorant to acknowledge it, they are coming for us, they did this to us!" A group of people had formed just a few meters away from us. The speaker of the unsettled mob was a middle-aged overweight, paranoid woman who went by the name Mrs. Jenkins. She lived her life in fear of aliens and believed extra terrestrial were trying to invade earth. The tubby lady's only companions were her four cats and no one took her serious. A different woman across the hallway shouted out that the shaking was from an earth quake in the ocean, just a few miles from the city. She franticly tried to warn the people that due to the shifting tectonic plates under the Seabed a tsunami would soon follow and that we needed to evacuate the city. After watching one to many Nat geo documentaries she dubbed herself a self proclaimed geologist. A man screamed out that it had to a be problem from the subway, maybe a derailed bullet train or construction on the rails. Mrs. Jenkins shut down everybody's Ideas and began shouting louder. This was the platform she always desired, this was her chance to deliver her message. "You are all so blind that you cannot see it's them, they are doing this to us, I tell you it is the them, I see them in my dreams, they are here!" "Shut up you crazy bat, aliens my ass. From the back of the group a deep, scratchy voice echoed across the hallway.

"A sudden shaking of the ground, no reports, and perfect weather outside, like hell its aliens you crazy old fool!" "There's only one logical explanation for this and I'll give you a hint, they damn sure ain't green, think a little darker sweet cheeks!" Mrs. Jenkins quietly disappeared into the back of the mob as the man approached the middle. She seemed scared and her loud flamboyant act came to a screeching halt as she noticed who he was. The tall thin man entered the middle of the crowd. His face was petrifying, his arms wrinkled and marked from top to bottom with faded blackish green tattoos. The largest one on the side of his neck was of a swastika which looked as if it had been done in a drunken stupor, by a prison mate, with only a knife and ink as tools. He wore an old brown cowboy hat with a button down silk green shirt, tight black jeans and matching green gators. The man turned his attention to a gentleman in the doorway, who was quietly minding his own business listening to the crowd.

The quite man took a step away from his door and confronted his accuser. "What are you implying Sir?" Sharif the owner of the apartment was now only centimeter's from his door. His children peeped from behind his wife who stood right by his side. She was beautiful, like an Arabian princess her hair was tick and black, she had an olive complexion, her eyes green contrasting against her light brown skin. The Arab man's wife was a picture of true beauty and you could see her distinct beautiful features in their two cute little girls. All My attention had shifted to the two men about to go head to head.

"You know damn well what I'm implying Boy!" "I'm sure your terrorist brethren had something to do with this, admit it you Al-Shibaab, Al Qaeda, Isis son of a bitch! Sharif simply smiled at the man, infuriating him even more. "You ignorant old fool, why do you perpetuated old dead stereotypes?" "Why do you spew out thoughts that have been buried for so many years?" "Are you so sad, so insecure in your own being that you choose to bring lies and poison to those around you?" "I pity you and those who have to share their ears with your vile, toxic words."

"That don't mean you goat marrying sons of bitches ain't responsible for this." Sharif was a calm man, but had his limits and they had been reached. He closed the door behind him and started approaching his adversary. The sly thin man had been in many of these situations, he had no plan on fist fighting the much younger, fixer Sharif. So he slowly slipped his hand into his pocket and reached for his switch blade. As Sharif came closer he held the knife tighter, he was just waiting for Sharif to get into range. He counted Sharif's steps waiting, ready to plunge the blade into his gut. Sharif was close enough to feel his breath the old man's rancid breath on his face. With a quick flick, the shinny blade came popping out of its case and the man lifted his arm in the air, the switch blade was long, about one and a half fingers length, the sadistic man had all intent in burring the whole knife into Sharif stomach.

"ENOUGH!" I could identify the voice without even seeing him, it was Mr. Smith our Landlord, The aggressive short man made his way through the pack. "You back inside." He pointed at Sharif and then at his doorway. Sharif stood firm not even taking notice of the landlord's presence. "Mr. Muhammad back inside." Sharif ignored Smith and kept his eyes fixed on the man across who had aggravated him to the point of snapping. Smith grabbed his wrist. "Think of your girls Sharif!" Eventually Sharif was released from his aggressive trance and turned his back while unhappily making his way to his apartment.

"As for you, you freaking piece of crap!" Smith turned his attention towards the man who started the confrontation. "Jacob you racist son of a bitch, if I ever ,I mean ever hear you speak about someone who lives in this building like that again it will be the last time you step foot in here." "Now get your ass back to your apartment, before I freaking end you!" Jacob smiled and got right into Smith's face. "I'd like to see you try little man?" Smith was certainly not easily intimidated, his years in the military had made him hard; he had seen more than his fair share of combat. He would most probably still be out there it was up to him. Smith had been deployed on numerous occasions to different parts of the world. He was a captain in W.U.F.F (World united freedom front) an allied branch of the U.N which was created to combat global treats and worked as a somewhat global police force. But he was no relief bearing, food brining truck driver for W.U.F.F. No Smith was sent into the pits of hell, he was sent into places no sane person would go, from fighting militias and rebel forces in the remote Congolese jungles to defeating terrorists groups on the icy snowy peaked mountains of Serbia; he took down many ruthless men and saved countless lives. But as these taxing jobs do Smith too was left riddled with emotional and physical scars and a suit case full of P.T.S.D. Smith smiled at Jacob, hoping he would try something.

"Or ill break those tooth picks you call legs and shove them up your ass." The men's eyes were poised on each other, like two testosterone filled bulls ready to lock horns. "If you say so, you the sheriff around these parts" Sarcastically Jacob raised his arms in submission then further mocked Smith by saluting him just to stop half way and give him the finger. Jacob then turned his back and walked to his apartment. "As for the rest of you please relocate back to your premises, turn on your computers and televisions and stay in your homes until we get further instructions." The crowd dispersed at the orders of Smith and not a single tenant disobeyed him. I was amazed at how quickly the place cleared out and in the creepy silence only this women and I remained. I picked myself off the cold concrete, realizing only then how numb my bottom was. We had been seated on the hard surface for quite some time. I then helped the girl up, there was still a slight shake in her hands, and her fear had not completely subsided yet. We started walking, she began gaining some composure but was still glued to my side as she gripped my hand tightly. Our shoulders rubbed as we walked down the passage. Not before long she looked down only than realizing she was holding a complete strangers hand. Immediately I could sense the situation getting very awkward. However I stayed calm and just played it off smoothly as if there was nothing weird about the whole thing. So we just kept walking.

"This is me," She said then she slowly and reluctantly let go of my hand. "Hope you feel much better now, if there's anything you need please don't hesitate to come give me a buzz." "I'm actually just one floor above, flat A61."She smiled again and opened her door

"Thanks ..."

"Cairo, my name is Cairo"

"Like the city?" She laughed,

"Yes like the city," I replied.

"Well Cairo, the hero, who just strolls around saving girls in distress, are you going to be a true hero and make sure I'm okay in here?" "Or are you going to leave me all by myself?"

Her flirtatious manner overwhelmed me, I wasn't ready for this. All I was expecting was a thank you at most a hug then both of us going our separate ways. So once again I found myself staring at her with no words, nothing but a lump in my throat and weak knees struggling to hold me upright. I tried my hardest to string a sentences together, but what came out sounded like the moans of a cat being castrated! She knew I was nervous and she knew I was not going to make a move, from there on she knew I would do whatever she wanted me to. She had me caught, hook, line and sinker.

"Oh and by the way my name's Layla.'

# Chapter 2

It had been around six months since the tremors hit the city and all of us were forced to go back to our lives answerless. Eventually people began losing interest, media outlets took up new relevant stories and the event somehow disappeared out of our interest. Conversations ceased and pretty much everything had gone back to the way it was, well for most people that is!

Truthfully those tremors were the best thing that ever happened to me, I must have been the only person in the entire city so grateful for that day. In a twisted coincidence the horror and terror of that day helped shape my life in ways I could only imagine. It's as if the universe had spun the wheel of fortune and I landed on the jackpot. I can only try my best in explaining how the events of that day turned everything so right for me.

Antonio the Head Chef of the Italian job decided he did not feel safe in the city anymore and moved back to a little village on the outskirts. The open vacancy had to be filled quickly and as the only appropriate candidate I got the promotion. The promotion not only gave me a salary increase but also gave me total control in the kitchen; I changed the Old style menu opting for something new and hip. I got rid of all the frozen, processed stock and introduced cheaper fresher methods of cooking. Things were going good and my boss was happy with the direction I was taking her establishment. But my career success was just the tip of the iceberg. My Bond with Layla blossomed from a friendship into something more serious. It started with smiles in the hall way as we passed each other by. Then we begin meeting up for the occasional cup of coffee at the café outside our building. Eventually we found ourselves nights after night binging series and failing asleep on my couch. Our relationship started gaining traction fast and soon enough Layla accepted my shaky attempt in asking her to be my girlfriend.

Layla decided to keep her place but basically lived with me, I tried convincing her to sell or rent her unit but she was fixed on her decision not to. This did not really bother me though, as we spent most of our time together. Glued at the hip our relationship was perfect, we liked all the same things and two months into our relationship I even took the risk to take her down to meet my family. We spent a whole week with my folks back home. She adapted easily and was comfortable in any surroundings. After a few days you could hardly tell she had recently met them. My parents felt a strong bond towards Layla, an enthusiasm they had never shown in any of my previous relationships. I remember them begging us to extend our stay so they could spend more time getting to know her. But with the new promotion and my big plans made it impossible, I had to get back to the city.

Once we got back home winter had crept into the city. You could feel the cold seep through your clothes, grip your bones and make you reconsider your current living location. A sheet of snow covered the roads and little icicles sat plastered across window frames. Vests turned to jumpers, salads turned to soups and the thin sheets over our bed had been replaced by thick blankets.

Other than work most of my time was spent with Layla, lying under the covers wrapped in each other's embrace. I would sit on the couch after work watching the clock, counting the seconds for her to get back. She would enter the door seven sharp every evening without fail, dropping her bags on the floor then run across the apartment straight into my arms. I knew she was the one, the women I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I wanted to create a family with her. These were the six best months of my life. Each day that went by was somehow better then the next and this was all because she was a part of my life. My father used to tell me, "we all have greatness within ourselves; it's just up to us to unlock it." Well I like to think she was the catalyst in unlocking my potential. I was more driven than before, striving harder to succeed. I was building a future for both of us. I was in love, so in love that I would do anything for her, and I felt she'd do the same for me.

I started taking extra shifts for the past two months. The restaurant was doing well and thanks to my new role as head chef I received a very lucrative increase in my salary. Layla sometimes got annoyed with my extended working hours but never made much of a scene and if an argument did arise, it was soon resolved in the bedroom. I hated keeping anything from her, but I had my reasons for my extended working hours. I had been saving up money and combined with my life saving, I planned on surprising her with our very own two bedroom house in the little suburban community outside the city. I had come across the house while delivering pastries to a very important client who lived in the same neighborhood. He was an account and had helped us get the restaurants books in order. The man had always been fond of me and every time he visited the restaurant we would end up on the back step, outside the receiving door having a smoke and a hot cup of coffee while discussing the politics of the country.

The accountant's wife was a realtor who was looking to get the small two bedroom house off the market. From the moment I saw the house I knew that it was the place Layla and I would start our family. A quaint little free standing house which was comprised of two bedrooms one bath room a back yard and single garage. It was the perfect starter home for us, and honestly I would never have been able to afford it if his wife had not helped me with the loan by standing surety. All I needed was the last three months saving to round out the deposit. It was an amazing area, just like you would see in the movies, Graffiti and urine free. Huge pine trees and large yards filled with green grass. Safe streets and even mail boxes shaped like big golf balls lined the drive ways. It was a Friday Night and I had just arrived home from work. I shook the snow off my shoulders and welcomed the warmth of the apartment. I hung up my coat on the coat rack and kicked off my boots. There was no sign of Layla though. I started calling for her, letting her know I was home. "Layla!" "Babe I'm home where are you?" Silence, I got no answer back. "Layla" I shouted again, this was peculiar; usually she was there to meet me at the door step on a Friday night, as she never worked weekends and anxiously awaited my return.

I approached the bedroom cautiously, I knew how she loved to jump out of little corners and crevasses and scare the daylights out of me. To her it was the funniest thing on earth when I would temporarily freeze in fright with my hands raised in the air. I continued to call for her "Babe you in here, hello...Layla are you home love?" Still there was no response. I sat on the coach wondering where she could be in this freezing weather. Then suddenly the lights went dim and our blue tooth speaker began flashing, '"When mountains fall and the day breaks, when my air leaves and the earth quakes, my heart bleeds and it's you I need.."

It was Sam Sundays Unconditional love, the same song I was playing on the day I bumped into her in hall way. The bathroom door opened and she walked out only wearing her red lace underwear and black stilettos. I smiled thrilled to see her, even more thrilled to see what she was wearing! "I've got something special planned for you Mr." She slowly and seductively walked towards me, I stood up from the couch and she pushed me right back down. She wrapped her legs around me and began running her lips up and down my neck. "Wait here" she ordered then rushed to the room. As she returned she hid her arms behind her back, then demanded I close my eyes. "Babe". "She placed the box she had been concealing behind her back into my hand. I opened my eyes, and then opened the box. Inside was a golden pendant with the engraving L and C forever. She looked at my confused face and jumped off my lap.

"You forgot! "How could you forget Cairo?"

"Forget what Layla?"

In a parade of rage and furry she stormed towards the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. I casually got out of my seat and began giggling to myself. Oh how I loved when she got angry, her nose would crinkle and her cheeks would redden. I went to my jacket pocket and took out my very own little black box. As I got to the door I began knocking softly "Babe please let me in." "Just leave me alone Cairo, this was so important to me, this was our sixth month anniversary." I could hear the disappointment in her voice...

"Babe I need to talk to you, what's the big deal it's only a silly sixth month anniversary?" "It's not like I forgot your birthday or something?" At this point disappointment had turned to fury and I could hear her marching from the bed to the door. She swung the door open the got ready to erupt, and found me on one knee. "Will you marry me?" Her eyes started tearing up, she pulled me off the ground wrapped her arms around me and said "Yes, yes of course I'll marry you!" "How could I ever forget babe?" I laughed and she thumped my chest then squeezed me tighter.

The next morning I woke up and found Layla awkwardly watching me as I slept. "Morning creepy!" She laughed then pushed my head aside. Everything was going well, I suggested we go get some breakfast then take a walk through the park. After that it would be a ton of posts on social media and pictures with her and the ring. I was so amped to let my family know. We had so much to do and so many people to call, on my side at least. Ever since I knew Layla we never spoke about her family she always shut the topic down and all I knew was the mother and Father died in a car accident and she had no siblings. But it was okay because my family would be her family now. I chose to keep the secret about the house exactly that, a secret. I did not want to get her hopes up until the transfer went through and the house was officially ours. We were so excited that before we knew it the weekend had passed and it was Monday morning and time to get to work.

It was such a slow day at work, there were a few customers who came in at lunch time but other than that nothing exciting. Finally I got time to relax, it had been a rough few months and days like this didn't come around often. Suddenly my train of thought was interrupted by a loud rumbling; I shouted for the busboy, he must have forgotten to turn the dishwasher off. That raggedy old thing would shake so much it would throw the kitchen into a violent convolution. But he did not reply he must have been in the front again, hitting on the bartenders. This Dam kid! I turned to shout for him again and realized the dish washer had been off the whole time. Then another rumbling hit, this time so bad I heard the staff and clients on floor scream in shock. The sound of colliding pots and pans mixed with the thudding of falling mortar from the kitchen ceiling created a deafening rhythm of fear. I knelt down with my hands over my head waiting for it all to come to an end. Layla! I had to find her; I knew how she broke down during the quakes. I had to make sure she as okay, so I buckled down and dug deep in an attempt to find my bearings, "Okay Cairo breath, just relax its all going to be fine." I started to count backwards, 4, 3, 2, 1. I took another breath, my body felt like an unresponsive jelly mush. I had to muster up all the courage I possessed. She was my responsibility I had to protect her; I had to make sure she was okay so I started running. The roads where chaotic a sense of desperation layered the city as people fled to the bridges in a futile attempt to get off the island. Havoc ran rampant as people left their cars abandoned in the backed up traffic, large crowds rushed through the streets stamping anyone who fell under their feet. Buildings capsized, burying everything in their path. It was as if the Armageddon had arrived. No matter what chaos surrounded me, I just kept running, past lost children and delirious bystanders, through large crowds and over dead bodies. In any other scenario I would be crippled with fear but she was my only priority and I was not stopping no matter what hellish sites I came across. After three blocks of running through the carnage I had reached our building. My chest felt as if it was on fire and my heart pounded like a drum, but I pushed through the pain.

As I entered the building my skin went pale and I covered my mouth in shock, I was not ready for the horrific sense in front of me. The friendly old Janitor Jasper lay sprawled across the floor in a pool of blood and dirty mop water. It seemed the poor old man had lost his footing and tumbled head first down the stairs. His wide eyed lifeless body still clung tightly to his mop and his caution sign had been ironically flung onto his chest. There was no time to mourn the old man I had to get to Layla, so I leaped over his body and sprinted up the staircase screaming her name, Layla, Layla I'm coming! Then all of a sudden the shaking and smashing stopped. Instinctively I stopped as well, my brain in over drive trying to contemplate exactly what the hell was going on around me. I continued to make my way towards her, I knew by now she would have been a wreck, scared and alone. Eventually after what seems to be a life time I reached my apartment door. Fumbling for my keys I eventually got the door open. Layla, Layla where are you?" There was no response, the apartment seemed empty. I ran to the room praying I would find her curled up on the bed waiting for me to come and rescue her. But standing in the room was not my fiancé; Standing in front of me was the last person I would have ever imagined.

Jacob what the hell are you doing here, where is she? "Where's my wife! I yelled at the tall scary looking man with no regard for my own safety. He smiled then smoothly responded, Easy there Kimosabi she ain't your wife just yet boy. I was immediately transported to the day he and Sharif had their altercations and honestly he scared the shit out of me. Before I could make sense of the situation I found my arms around his collar staring straight into his murky grey blue eyes. This was so uncharacteristic of me, I could not help but get aggressive when it came to Layla, I went crazy every time I felt she was threatened. "I'm not going to ask you again, where is Layla?" Jacob reached his hand around his back, "Now why you gotta go and do that hey lover boy?" His Southern charm where his tools of persuasion, arousing women out their panties and scaring men out of their skin.

Living outside the law like a renegade cowboy he did what he pleased and had not an inkling of compassion for anyone other than himself, or so I thought. I tried keeping my composure and steading my gaze, I did not want to flinch and show him any submissive tendencies in my demeanor. While trying to put on my tough act I got distracted and did not even see it coming. With one swift upward motion he drove his Beretta handle into the top of my forehead. On impact I dropped to the floor, I tried hanging onto my consciousness but slowly, my eyes began closing and eventually there was just darkness. My throbbing head quickly woke me, the pain was excruciating. In the corner I heard what seemed to be an argument, but I could not signal in on the voices, everything was still coming through fuzzy and unclear. What the hell was going on, where was I? Slowly it started coming back to me; I caught glimpses of his gun in the air and winced as if it was happening again. I opened my eyes as much as I could; all I saw was a haze, not able to make out clear picture just slight shapes surrounded by the bright light from the apartment. But there was something more peculiar than the strange scenario, my entire body felt bound. I tried moving my hand but they where constricted, tied together around what I presumed to be the kitchen chair.

"If that's the code why isn't the damn thing opened! " "Trust me it can't be anything else it has to be 21, 2, 1, 2." "I've tried twice and still nothing this damn thing is gonna block if we get that pin wrong again!" I could make out that there was more than one person in the apartment, but everything was still unclear. One of the voices was too distinct to miss, I knew Jacobs voice, he was loud, crude and unbarring but what's worse... He was angry! Eventually my vision cleared and I could see Jacob standing there with his back turned to me and another man by his side as they fiddled with my phone. His partner wore a hood over his head, concealing his identity. Jacob turned and looked me dead in the eyes he then turned back to continue on the phone, he didn't seem bothered that I saw his face. This scared me even more, I figured what came next.

Jacob approached me, squatted down and stared at me for a minutes or two, "It seems to me, Mr. Cairo you fancy yourself as somewhat of a tough guy?" "You don't just go around grabbing men by the collars screaming demands at them, I mean who does that seriously!" "You know why you don't do that Mr. Cairo? I did not reply, "I said do you know why boy!" He turned his palm and struck me with the back side of his hand; his large tacky rings widened the gash on my head, turnimg the trickle of blood from my fore head into a stream. "Why?" I replied to him with the last ounce of energy. I had to play his game for my own presentation.

"You just might grab a man like me, that's why." He smiled, amused at his handy work. Now I'm going to ask you one last time Mr. Cairo, I'm not as patient as I look so for your own sake please and let me just reiterate, please!" "Just tell us that damn pin code." "I can make this all stop, hell I'll even untie you boy, just give me the code." He flashed the phone in my face; He was in my banking app trying to open my savings account. I sat in a quite protest, I had worked so hard for that money. From the years of hauling fish at my parent's fishery to the long hours at the restaurant, No I would not just hand it all over to him. I remembered how my dad and I would wake up every morning six A.M sharp, by seven we were at the harbor already loading our first crates of fish, day after day. I grinded day in and out for that damn money now he wanted to just walk in and take it, what right did he have? Hell no, I would not succumb to this hoodlum; I was not just about to flush Layla and my future down the toilet. So I sat, not saying a word. He wrapped his large hand around my throat with a smirk plastered across his face '"Oh this is going to be fun!

"I want the 55K boy, now tell me the code and save yourself another ass whooping!" Wait how did he know exactly how much I had been saving? Only I knew the exact figure, had he been keeping tabs on me the whole time? "I can see by that ridiculous look on your face you trying to puzzle this whole thing together; well Kimosabi, that ain't your problem right now." "All you have to worry about is giving me what I want." Still I sat in silence. The frustration built and now Jacob was at snapping point. "Son, let me make this a little clearer, if you don't hand over that code I'm going to take this size 11 gator and drive the heel so far down your eye socket it's gonna imprint your brain! Shock and courage mixed within me, I had to ride this out and face the pain hoping someone would come to my resuce.

I could see the anger boil within him, he got up and paced back and forth right in front of me, then unbuckled his belt and wrapped it around his fist before asking me once again. This time calmer more passively. "Please give me the code." Still I sat in silence, "Remember before I do this, I tried" "I tried reasoning with you Cairo, I tried being civilized but I guess some people don't appreciate hospitality the way us folks do." He took a step back, and then swung the belt at my face, the buckle hit my cheek and split my flesh open. I could hear the bone crushing under the impact of the buckle, repeatedly hacking away at my face until all that was left was a bloody mess and deep gashes from cheek to cheek. He had left a crimson mask across my face and under the pressure and pain of the beating I was rendered unconscious once again.

The feeling of cold water surged though my body as he dumped the bucket over my head," wakey wakey rise and shine." "So have you thought about giving us that code yet sunno?" He came close, so I lifted my head, looked him in the eye then spat a spray of thick bloody onto his face. Now the demented man was even more furious, had I just thrown petrol onto the already lit wild fire. He wiped the blood and saliva from his face." You are one stubborn S.O.B ain't you boy, well hell that's okay I know how to deal with uncooperative mongrels like you." The glittering shine caught my eye, He drew his large serrated hunting knife and pushed the cold steel up against my throat, I could feel the blade pressing against my trachea. "You giving me that damn code, or I'm taking that uncooperative little tongue of yours Boy." Jacob forced my mouth open, I tried to scream but by this point all that came out was a gargling unclear soft yelp. Jacob just smiled then pried my mouth open with one hand and ran the tip of his knife across the surface of my tongue. "Oh well I guess you going to have to write those numbers down now because you can say good bye to your tongue , either way I'm getting what I came for."

"STOP", His partner screamed from across the room. A lady! He was a she and with such a familiar voice. "You said you wouldn't kill him." Jacob sarcastically replied, does he look dead to you?" "More dead than alive" she shouted. "How are we supposed to get the code if he can barely move let alone speak?" She turned towards me, instantly my heart dropped into my stomach, how could this be? Was I dreaming? This could not be real; she could not be here right now. I knew that voice to well, but my brain chose not to believe it was her until I saw her face. For a second I thought it had to be my mind playing tricks on me. Clearly this delusional state made me picture her presence. But then confirmation came that this was all real, when she replied.

"I'm sorry Cairo", she dropped the hood and I saw it was really her, there was no denying the fact that she was standing right in front of me. She walked towards me than gently wiped the blood from my face. She ran her hands through my hair. "Cairo, please, please listen to me" She placed her hands under my chin and held my head up. 'You have to give us the bank code; he will kill you if you don't." "I know the money was for me, for us, for our future, so if you love me and want the best for me as you always said you did don't let me have to go through the pain of watching Jacob kill you." "We can end this all just give me the code." I was so confused it made my head pain even more, not sure what was thicker, the blood which covered my face or my disbelief in the whole situation. Overwhelmed I tried to answer her, "But you let him do this to me, to me Layla! This can't be true, No I refuse to believe this, he's making you do this Layla, tell me none of this was your idea?" She could not look at me while I spoke, even in her response I could hear the sorrow and pain, or maybe that's what she wanted me to hear? "Cairo, please, the code."

I was done fighting, my mind and body could not take any more, I just wanted to slip into the darkness alone and away from both of them. What was the point of holding onto the money when there was no more us to spend it on. "12-2-2-4" My head argued with my heart, why could she manipulate me so easily I had to know why she was doing this, surly there was an explanation for everything that was going on. But before I had the time to ask what was actually happening, she shouted to Jacob, "Transfer complete let's go." As she exited the apartment she stopped and turned to face me, my view was soon blocked by Jacobs lanky frame.

"You don't get it do you, you really think she loved you?" "You pathetic little boy, you were a mark from the beginning." "What makes you think anyone like her would settle for an average life with an average man like you?" "Come on man, six months in and you already wanted to marry her, my friend that's just pathetic!" Jacob was not as savvy as he thought, I knew that look; I heard his tone when he spoke to her. She allowed him to think he was in control. She manipulated him the same way she did me. He felt the same way I did. I was certain he knew the truth, he'd do anything she told him to, and like a love sick puppy she had him in her pocket just as she did me.

"We played you sonno, you actually thought you had something special, awe how adorable." "No my friend you were just a victim of our little investment scheme, you invest every cent you own . . . and, well hell we take it all." "Enough!" Layla shouted from the door way as she tried stopping the persistent man, but Jacob just continued. "You sad, sad little man, The city isn't made for all of us boy, go back home, go back to your little fishing town where things are slower." "Go back to your folks and forget about this place. "He stood up, as a matter of fact rather...go to hell." I knew something was coming, I did not know what but I knew it was bad. Even though I felt this could have been the end for me there was one question that I could not get out of my mind. "The tremors, how did you know about the tremors?" He Smirked then replied, Well hell that was just lady luck smiling down on us." "We had an opportunity and we ceased it, call it a lucrative coincidence." "Anyways we got places to be and suckers to scam so I bid you a due Mr. Cairo, it's been a pleasure doing business with you." I kept my eyes fixed on the back of her head as she stood in the door way with her head down, she could not turn and watch it end. With one swift kick to my temple Jacob put me to sleep, a sleep I would have to endure for a very long time.

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## CHAPTER 3

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What the hell was that stench surrounding me, so thick it felt as if it was settling on my skin? The pungent, malodorous odur nauseated me to the point my stomach started churning. Everything was quite, my surrounding seemed so unfamiliar, had I woken from what seemed to be a perpetual darkness, only to find more darkness. The black abyss had consumed everything in sight, a strange feeling leaving me in a desolate unfamiliar place. The only thing which gave me the faintest sense of relief was the soft soothing sound of water as it slowly rippled downstream. A river or stream perhaps, but still my mind dwelled on figuring out what that terrible stench was? I was weak, delirious and petrified. Where the hell was I? Was I even still alive? Was this eternal foul-smelling darkness hell? Then it all came flooding back like fast flowing steam train of memories. No, I was not dead, I could not be dead, this had something to do with the two of them. What had they done to me, why was I so weak and where the hell had they taken me? Answers eluded my questions, leaving me completely blank...

Eventually I took control of my body and managed to move my muscles inch by inch. Slowly I lifted myself off the floor, but my balance resembled that of a newly born gazelle. I tried finding my footing but could not stop myself from stumbling back and floor. I stretched my arms out as far as they could go and was greeted by nothing but emptiness. My confusion brought me to only one conclusion, they were responsible for this. Jacob and that bitch did this to me! As I paced around trying to figure out where they had taken me, I soon found myself knee deep in some sort of rancid water. I guess I had figured out the origin of the smell. Disgusted and still quite delirious I had fallen off the embankment. This was clearly a canal transporting the foul smelling liquid.

Wet, cold and confused my anger now amplified. I screamed her name over and over, but to no avail. All that was heard were the echoes of my anger, flowing down the unknown passageways. "LAYLA" even though despondent I couldn't give up. I tried this time even louder, realizing now how sore and agitated my throat was. Like plaster around my jaw I had developed server cotton mouth and each time I screamed her name my lips tore apart from one another. Obviously signs of dehydration, my kidneys throbbed with pain, and my skin itched profusely. But giving up now would mean allowing them the satisfaction of having broken me.

My cries were soon halted as I realized that something wasn't right here, I rubbed my face. A thick scar ran across my cheek and another across my forehead. How was this possible? Had he not just slashed me open with his belt buckle, surly the wound should have been fresh? Then I felt a thick blanket of hair around my chin, this could not be, I'm sure I had shaved the day before. What was going on? My anger had turned into confusion, which soon manifested into full out terror. I screamed louder in Panic LAYLA! In the faint distance came a response, it certainly was not Layla, it was the voice of a man I would not have never expected to be part of this deceitful rouse.

"Keep your Freaking voice down dammit!" The man came closer and through the glimmering light of his lantern, I could see his face. "Smith is that you?" The scruffy, bearded man reiterated his gesture by placing his finger to his lips. He was an outline of the man I knew, his full bodied figure was replaced by a skinny, food deprived, lifeless form. His white tank top drooped off his skinny fame and was more filthy than usual. But why was Smith here? The situation was becoming more disorientating by the minute. Come with me, his actions where strong and I knew he wasn't the type of man who asked twice. Smith grabbed me around the waist, threw my arm over his shoulder and we proceeded down the passage. I tried to keep up, but my body kept collapsing underneath its own weight. Constantly the old man stopped, readjust and swing my arm back over his shoulder. We walked for approximately five minutes which honestly felt like five hours. I reached a few conclusions about Smiths involvement in this scenario, but each time however something did not add up. Had he saved me? Was he part of Layla and Jacobs plot in luring unknown young victims into their web of deceit?

We proceeded down a meandering passage way, on the left side was the water canal. I caught glimpse of the walls and saw graffiti tagged from top to bottom, the light was brighter in this tunnel as the narrowness of the previous passage gave way to a more open area. A creepy shadow of an abandoned shopping cart lingered the in distance of the passage, which made the already ghastly scenery that much more spine-chilling. Slowly I was making out exactly where we were, the dark tunnel ways, the foul smelling water, the large iron lids which hung over our heads. This could only be one place, the sewer system. My thoughts were interrupted, as the tunnel came to a halt, we now stood outside a thick large steel door. Smith banged his fist against the door three times waited about ten seconds and banged twice. The door creaked and slowly opened, the light shot out the room and brightened the dark passage. I made out a the tall dark man with few to no expressions on his face. He moved to the side and I followed Smith into the dungeon style bunker. But what was Sharif doing down here? He stood unfazed by my presence, like a watchman on guard duty. As I entered further into the bunker, I was taken back to a memory of the apartment building. The day when Sharif stood tall, proud confronting Jacob as his two little girls peered from behind his long legs. Fatima and Zara did just as that day, wanting to be involved in welcoming me into their home.

My attention was redirected from the girls, to the confines of this disturbing looking place I had just entered. I stood in the middle of the dark grey bunker which was approximately 30 square meters with a low hanging water drenched ceiling and dilapidating walls. The badly lit room had two candle lanterns pinned up on the walls. The floors were cold and damp; the walls were water logged. There was a large dirty mattress sprawled out in the one corner and in the other two equally dirty single mattresses at the other end. A wooden table covered in all sorts of camping utensils sat in the center of the room, it was it had steel cups, plastic cutlery, old magazines and if I was not mistaken what seemed to be a hand held mini cross bow. Two green plastic chairs accompanied the table, one in mint condition the other somehow had lost a leg but proved it could balance just as well as its counterpart, on only three. There was also a badly fashioned wooden book self, which held a bunch of mangled, old books and magazines. The strangest thing in the whole room though was an empty old bin which had a set of peculiar items peeping out of it. I was familiar with all the people in the room but one, a woman who sat on the corner of the mattress not paying any attention to my presence. She was short, curvaceous and had a cocktail of brownish red hair. The women was stunning and even in my confused state of mind I could see she was a real beauty. She was about my age, maybe a few years older. Her eyes the same color as her majestic looking hair. She had a sharp jaw, with a deep clef and the cold of the room helped amplify her rosy pink cheeks.

I felt a tug on my pants leg and as I looked down at Sharif's youngest daughter who stood with a tin in her hand, eat she gestured, still a bit delirious I was not sure what the youngster wanted from me. "Eeeaat" she shouted. It was only then that I had realized how hungry I was. All the questions I had stored up soon evaporated and were replaced by my primal instincts to firstly feed. With no time for utensils or eating etiquette I scourged down the food, driving my hand into the can trying to maneuver around the jagged edges.

As I turned the can for a brief second I caught a glimpse of the label, "Paws dog food, for a healthy shinny coat and extra strong teeth, a dog's best friend." I dropped the can shocked at what I had discovered. Was this some twisted practical joke? But no one seemed to be amused; frankly it seemed quite normal to them. They didn't even take notice as I spat the remaining residue out of my mouth and onto the floor. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand I went towards the quite tall man, hoping to get the answers which eluded me. "Please Sharif tell me what's going on?" "Are you real are we still even alive?" "Please help me, let me know!" Sharif stood up from the concrete block he had made into a chair. Only when we were face to face did I realize how tall he truly was. He stood about a head taller than me; he looked down at me and simply said, "Smith." The old man lay with his back on the mattress as he held Zara in his extended arm tossing her up and down. The ten year old giggled with joy, demanding the old man go higher. As I got to the mattress Zara went scampering away to her sister. It was time to get an answer now, I believed the time of beating around the bush was over, so I came out firm and direct to Smith, taking a chance knowing how volatile he could be.

"Where am I Smith?" "What is this place and where is that BITCH?" He immediately stood grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me to the back of the room. My eyes widened and my skin went pale, oh grate from one ass whooping I was about to land into another. In a cold soft tone he responded. "Firstly my boy, there will be no such language around those precious little angles do you understand." "Secondly you're freaking welcome!" What was he taking about, welcome for what? He figured out the puzzled look across my face and continued. "Before you black out for who knows how long again, brace yourself because I am about to explain everything to you." His demeanor changed, from anger to compassion, I knew something incomprehensible was coming. "It may seem overwhelming but unfortunately there is no point in complicating the truth." "What happened has happened and it's up to you to either believe it or fight the enviable truth behind the madness of our new existence." "So trust me Cairo when I say do not spend too much time wondering if it's true or not, take what I am telling you and embrace it as your new future."

Smith began... About six months ago I found you in your apartment, bloody and unconscious." "Someone had tied you up and left you for dead in the madness that was going on around us." "I wanted to leave you there, I did not know you and was worried about my own safety as the world crumbled around us." "However I knew I had to take you with me, every fiber in my body told me otherwise, to keep running, to think about self-preservation to not worry about a boy I barely knew who was most likely dead already." "But my heart said different, it is the most difficult thing in the army to leave a man behind and I guess you should be grateful those habits followed me back home." "So in the panic and chaos I picked you up and ran, half way down the stairs I met up with Sharif, his girls were sprawled out on the floor over his wife's lifeless corps." "While his girls lay crying on their deceased mother's chest, I knew we had to intervene." "There was no time to sit around and mourn his lost partner, we had to get out the building and find somewhere safe." So with you over my shoulder, I grabbed Fatima and demanded she did the same to her little sister, if I could not save their father who was stuck shock due to the death of his wife, Id save to save his kids." "We kept running until we got to the exit of the building, it didn't take long for Sharif to come chasing after his children." Smith paused as he took a long look at Sharif from across the room and remembered that dreadful day.

He shook his head and continued his story. "That was just the beginning boy." "Do you remember the tremors?" I nodded in acknowledgment. "Well that where it all began, It seems we were all wrong; the quakes were not coming from the ground, No they came from the sky!" "Fire and brimstone rained down from the heaven, destroying everything in its path." "Rocks in all sizes showered the city, some as large as minivans, crushing whatever they happened to land upon." "Others breaking up into sediments spraying down on the city like a chondroitin rain storm." "You see Cairo, the quakes where just the beginning, the first meteorites landed in the outskirt of the city, which in turn caused the tremors, the entire incident was pushed under the rug by the government we so trusted." "They hid the truth until the real destruction came months later and they could not hide it anymore." Still unconvinced about Smiths story I questioned emphatically trying to see where I could trip him up. "So you telling me that we were hit by a meteor shower of such emphatic proportion and no one knew that it was coming?" I could not restrain myself from laughing. Please Smith do not patronize me, how do you expect me to believe such a delusional fictional concept!" "Things like that only happen in the movies, we have people out their employed to warn us about those types of events, people in meteorology centers, people in NASA, come on Smith what do you take me for, a fool?"

Smith looked me directly in the eyes; I scooted a few inches back, I tried to move as subtle as possible, not wanting to spook him. He grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me inches from his face. "You think this is a game, you think we are playing some kind of trick on you?" "Look around fool, this is no game, for six months we've been down here, surviving by the skin of our teeth, not eating for days, fighting for our lives, seeing shit that should not be real." "I saved your ass boy; whoever wanted you dead did a good enough job and even if you survived that, you dam sure weren't going to survive what came next." "You have been in a coma for six months now, and it's only thanks to me that you are still alive." "Every day I dragged your ass out there to get some fresh air, every day I washed you, every day I made sure you got food and water into your system and every day I whipped that smelly ass of yours!" "So think wisely whilst throwing around these stupid comments, before you find yourself up there trying to fend for yourself." In an uncontrollable outburst, the old man stood up and pushed me to the floor. He walked away shaking his head in disappointment. Was he telling the truth, I mean he was so adamant to his point? There was no other reason I could be down here, I thought for a while then came to the conclusion, even if he was fabricating the truth, sitting down and hearing what he had to say would do no harm. I was still unsure of where I was and the involvement of these strangers, the last this I wanted to do was cause any tension in this uncertain environment. I apologized and begged him to continue, assuring him I would not interrupt him again. Smith gave me one last death stare then reluctantly continued

"As I was saying, people ran in terror, as they tried saving themselves from the meteors." "The rocks flattened everything in their path, Armageddon welcomed itself into our city." "Most people fled to the buildings for shelter." "But unfortunately soon found out it was worse as the large structures buried them.'' ''At least those people had the satisfaction of a quicker death, unlike the thousands which were still stuck in the high rise office spaces and skyscrapers.'' ''You could hear the crackling of flames followed by a thick cloud of smoke which was diluted by their helpless screams as they were consumed by gas and electrical fire. "Soon after you heard the disturbing thuds and crashes of those who chose to rather throw themselves out of the building then succumb to the painful death by fire." "A few brave first responders tried to restore control but eventually abandoned the people on what seemed to be a lost cause, it became every man for themselves as cops drove over pedestrians and medics stepped over injured bodies." "Mothers left children, husbands left wives and friends abandoned each other." "The terror was unbearable for most and some stood in shock as the rocks rained down on the earth and reshaped the existence of mankind in a matter of hours." "What about us?" Why are we still alive, how could we have survived any of this." I had been sucked into Smiths story and sat eager, awaiting a response. Smith had more vigor in his explanation, he was now standing not only explaining verbally but also charading the events which took place that day. "As we exited the building door, Sharif grabbed his girl's hands and began running behind me." "On the street I knew we stood no chance, we needed cover." I looked across the street and saw Mrs. Jenkins screaming in the chaos, trying to get the attention of her many cats, who had fled for their lives and left her behind." "I shouted for her to come with us, I wanted to try and get as many of us as possible to safety."

"Eventually I got her attention and she left her futile attempt at calling of her cats and began following us." "We ran looking for refuge as the rocks fell." "Then it came to me, what was wide and strong enough to shelter us from the impact?" "If buildings crumbled right in front of our eyes, what could save us from this rocky rain?" "I looked down the street then issued the group follow behind me and we headed for the manhole." "As we fled for our lives we were soon sent tumbling down the road when a mentor smashed into the ground just inches from us." The impact was devastating, I slowly recovered and it took some time to regain my bearings." "I got up and started making sure we were all accounted for." "You were thrown off my shoulder but you were still alive, and slowly Sharif and his girls also started getting up." "The only one I could not find was Mrs. Jenkins, Sadly she trailed behind while running down the street and the mentor had landed directly on her, all that was left was a her bright green E.T crocs." "We could not stop and check on her, No we had to keep moving." "With my remaining strength I scooped you off the floor like a heap of road kill and swung you over my shoulder." "Sharif looked at me then pointed at our destination, so we began moving again." "The sewers would be our salvation." "We unhinged the lid and descended into the cities dumping ground."

"Two days went by and all we survived on was the jerky I had in my pocket and Dummy gummies hidden in Zara's backpack." "Hunger and thirst drove us to muster up the courage to move?" " We were scared to leave the sewers but we needed to know what had become of our home." "Full of fear and questions, we chose to dig deep and ascended to the city, we needed to know what was left."

Suddenly my knees went weak and I dropped to the floor, I was in too much of a fragile state for all this excitement. I had just woken from a coma and now I had to deal with an apocalypse. I needed rest, I needed to reenergize before I could make any further judgments of this new reality. Smith helped me to the crusty old mattress and lowered me down. As I took my seat, Sharif's little girl Zara placed a pillow behind my back keeping me off the cold concrete wall. She smiled at me, her shyness slowly dissipating. I looked deep into those brown little eyes and realized that those eyes were not that of a normal girl of her age, they seemed full of fear and pain, heavy with sorrow and fatigue. Her skin dry and lips cracked, It was only then that I had realized the true distress these poor people where in. If the rocks had stopped falling why had they chosen to stay down here? Surly up top a better life awaited, there had to still be houses intact, grocery stores with food, water and most of all sunshine and fresh air. I asked Smith to continue, but the old man urged me to get some rest. I assured him I was okay, he smiled, shook his head agian and continued.

"The impact from the rocks did most of the damage, but that was just the beginning." "Annihilation would come in more than one package to our city." "Bodies lay scattered top side and the entire landscape of the city had been forever changed." "We managed to take as few trips up there as possible." "Lucky for us across the road is a small grocery shop, it stood fairly intact and has been our only source of previsions." "From food to toilet paper everything we have survived on has come from that shop." "Unfortunately our resources are depleting fast so sooner or later we will have to start looking for a new source." "Many days the silence in the air drove me to believe we were the only ones left alive in the whole city." "Occasionally the sound of a barking dog or squawking of a crow above brought back the faith that life on the surface was still possible, if the animals survived, there had to be hope that some humans were alive." "We needed to know if we were alone, if there was hope topside, even though the odds seemed so against us we would not give up in our search." "Day after day we went to surface, calling for people, searching the perimeters, leaving signs." "But there was never a response." "You see we thought we were alone long after our searches came to an end but that wasn't the case, no we were just the lucky ones."

"There were people still up there, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands." We were oblivious to their existence until one day, about a month after we arrived; we heard the screams of a woman far in the distance." "Not sure of the origin of the screams or what was causing them, instead we chose to ignore." "Night after night more and more screams echoed across the land, from men, women and children." "It was honestly the most frightening time in my life, and all we could do was hideaway in the bunker not sure of what was up there, hoping who ever or whatever was causing those screams did not find our location."

"See the rocks weren't just dormant bulks of stone, there was much more to them" "Once they had entered our atmosphere they released a mist, the gas started no thicker than light haze, but as time went by it became denser, until eventually it was as thick as smoke." "Now we never knew how to treat this foreign substance which lay spread across our streets," "so we kept clear of it as long as we could." "Until hunger got the better of us that is, one night as the girls cried from the hunger pains, Sharif reached snapping point." "He was not just going to sit there while his children starved to death, no he had enough." "Sharif grabbed a cloth, wrapped it around his mouth and without the slightest hesitation ascended into the gas." "We waited at the man hole for hours in anticipation of his return, but nothing." "Thinking he was dead I led the group back to the bunker, I was completely lost, unsure of what to do next, or how to explain this to his girls that now their father was also dead." "Lucky to my relief I would not have to have that conversation with them, Sharif came strolling through the bunker door like nothing had happened, as if it was a normal day and a normal food run."

Smith laughed as he remembered the events of that day. "We found out the gas was a little irritating to your skin and eyes, but not harmful to humans, or so we thought." "Sure the gas had no effect on us, but that was not the case for many of the people up top." "Those exposed to the gas started changing in strange of ways, weird things started happening to them, but the strangest thing of all was that it only happened to a select few." "Some survivors were completely okay, while others. . . well let me try explaining as bet I can."

"I remember the first time we came across them, Sharif and I had just finished raiding our little grocery store and as we exited we saw a man and women who had taken refuge in a beat up R.V just across the road from the grocer." "Fear and excitement caused Sharif and I to draw our weapons, which at the time comprised of a golf stick and screw driver." "The couple begged us not to hurt them so we lowered our weapons, and started talking instead." "They explained how they had survived by taking shelter under the east bridge which still stood intact A few miles down the road." "We begged them to come join us in the safety of the sewer, but they opted to stay topside, adamantly stating they would only be staying for a week or so before travelling further North." " However Week after week we found them still at the grocer, they had converted the R.V into their home and had given up on the idea of moving north."

"To cut a long story short, one day as Sharif and I went to get some supplies, I knocked on our new neighbor's car door to say Hi." "There was no one home, then I thought to myself, ah eventually those crazy bastards decided to take a chance and make the move, oh but I was so wrong." "From the corner of the store, I saw the women franticly waving her hands in the air screaming." "Sharif wasted little time; he drew the golf stick in the air and ran towards her." "The lady's companion was laid out on the floor, screaming in agony as his body convoluted, making him look like that dam possessed girl from the cult flick the exorcist." "We stepped back in horror as his face broke out in a red rash with hundreds of little blemishes clustered together, the pimples were filled with puss, some bursting under the built up pressure, releasing a watery foul smelling substance." "His skin became white and ashy, he looked pale and sick, and his screams intensified." "His gums bled exposing the red mess which was now his mouth." "The man clawed at the concrete, leaving a trail of blood and matted finger nails on the floor "Just as the convulsions stopped and we thought it was over, his pupils began dilating and then the formation of a milky white membrane covered his eyes."

"He started shaking again, this time the shakes more violent, more aggressive than the previous convulsions." "The man's body started contorting and reshaping I heard bone readjust and soon he was off his back and now face down on the floor." "We thought the man was dead, Sharif and I stood in wonder of what to do with his corps? What if he was contagious should we have leave him where he is?" "His hysterical girlfriend was now in a full out panic attack; she screamed tugging at his body, begging him to wake up." "She got her wish I guess, with one swoop leap he was up scampering across the floor like a wild cat, then he disappeared into the parking lot." "Sharif and I still disillusioned by everything we just witnessed stood frozen in place unable to move." Smith could see that I had escaped my doubtful ways and rather taken his story as exactly that, a fictional enjoyment. "You think that's bad boy, Ha!" "That was just the beginning; this thing was one of many, there were hundreds of them running around the city and I could only presume thousands more across the country." "These monsters, these husks of man had reverted to the most primal state." "Developing an unfailing aggression, a need to constantly feed, killing whatever walked in front of them, and when there were no more animals or humans to eat, they started eating each other."

"Yes Cairo, you freaking heard me, they became Cannibals boy, with limited brain function they killed each other to feed." "They still had a sense of humanity however." "Once they had figured out how their numbers were dwindling they started gathering together for protection from one another creating teams or packs." "None of us really understood the dynamics of these new creatures, but one thing we did understand is that we had become mere casualties of this new species in their primeval war, we had been diverted to the bottom of the food chain."

Smith stood up and walked towards Fatima, who had a hot cup in her hand, he took it from the little girl wiped her dirty cheeks and smiled at her. He passed me the herbal tea. I sat sipping it while I tried to register everything he had just told me. I could not fathom the idea of our new existence; clearly the old man had to be senile. But then what about the others? The situation was no joke, these people were gripping onto life by a thread, what he was saying had to have some truth behind it. The mark on my face, the beard, my lack of body fat, I obviously had been asleep for a while, he could be right, maybe I had been in a coma for six months, and what about the others I'm sure they would not choose to live like this. Something strange was going on. But then it hit me, no there was something wrong, something lingering in the air, I had not mentioned it yet, but would soon have my answers.

One thing on Smith's story made no sense, if I was in a coma down in the sewers with no life support, no feeding tubes medical equipment how was I still alive? I asked the old man and he simply smiled and said, "Stranger things have freaking happened boy, and shrugged his shoulders with no definitive answer. I knew there was more to the story; I knew he was keeping something from me. But I would not challenge him now; I would wait and get my strength back before I started looking for the answers that eluded me. For now he seemed to be the reason I was okay, if he was telling the truth he was the one that looked after me all this time.

Our conversation was brought to an abrupt halt by a loud bang coming from topside. All three adults simultaneously stopped what they were doing and we're now standing at attention staring up at the bunker ceiling in a trance like state. It was absolutely quiet, even the girls shivered in silence. Out of the blue Smith shouted, "Move, come on you lazy bastards, lets hustle go go go!" Like a drill sergeant he barked out his orders, "we have to make sure it doesn't get to the food!"

Sharif looked over at Sky and gave a nod, Sky ran for the bin. She grabbed the nail tipped bat and sent in hurdling towards him. I closed my eyes hoping it would not pierce through his hand. Sharif smoothly caught it with one swift grab, clearly he had a ton of experience wielding the crude, make shift weapon. Sharif took a knees at the bedside of his quivering young girls and began discussing something with them in a deep, low tone. Neither quarried their father's instructions, they just sat there huddled together in absolutely obedience. A silent understanding between both parent and child, As Zara and Fatima showed great maturity by not flinching under the pressure of the tense situation. As I redirected my attention to Sky, I saw her holding an old revolver in her hand, the 45 caliber colt was honestly more of a museum relic than a modern day weapon in 2030. Like a deer in the head lights I stood unsure of what to do as I watched the three of them scramble across the room, prepping for what seemed to be a fight. Smith pulled a machete from his belt, the dull blade glittered as it caught the light from the lantern in the room. The old man had concealed the blade so we'll it only became visible once he drew it.

The trio sprinted to the door leaving me clueless as to what was happening. My instincts took over and I hobbled after them, I wasn't sure if I should have stayed with the girls or if they wanted me to follow them, so I just kept running. As I made my way to the exit Sharif stood at the large door waiting to shut it, I ducked under his extended arm which held the heavy metal frame open. He looked over at his kids one last time, smiled then closed the door behind him. They raced down the passageway leaving me far behind. I mustard up all my strength and pursued the three figures which had become shadows in the distance. My body was telling me to slow down and take it easy, but interest in Smith's story drove me to push onwards. Truthfully now in the middle of nowhere, caught between the bunker and my companions, I had an urgency to reach them, insuring I did not become stranded in the long dark maze which was the City's sewer system. I saw light peeping from the bend and rushed toward it, as I reached it I found them ascending to the top of the street. The light shot into the man hole, temporarily blinding me, I readjusted my focus and continued climbing until I got to the top of the street. I readjusted my eyes again, this time not so much from the light but more from the shocking sight which stood before me. Was this the city I loved? Was this the place I had left my home for? A bundle of emotions filled with in me as I lay my eyes on the wreckage we once called home. Our well-kept roads where now cracked dusty pathways which hadn't felt the rubber of tires in months. Our parks were now jungles, filled with over teeming grass and weeds which consumed see-saws and swing sets. Our Buildings now architectural nightmares, crumbled, dilapidated and abandoned. But the strangest site had to be the enormous holes in the grounds and the large rocks which were scattered throughout the city.

My disbelief was broken by an ear piercing screams from the grocer. I saw what my mind didn't want me to believe. A man in a torn pin stripe suit with one shoe on shuffled around trying to figure out what constricted him. He screamed and shook like a wild animal and pulled furiously at the chain which bound his leg. I could see his skin was pale just as Smith had explained and those eyes white and soul-less, he foamed at the mouth but other than that he was still a man, an outline of a man at least. So Smith had been telling the truth about all of this.

The man or animal, whatever you could call that thing, stopped howling and turned his attention towards us. His screams were replaced by the sound of an eerie humming grunt, which turned to a purring noise. Before I could react the creature slowly started walking towards us, He picked up speed from a slow jog he to a full in sprint. There was a sudden jerk as the chain around his leg tightened and sent him whipping back, straight into the shop window behind him. Sharif had placed a trap right in front of the grocery shop door, making sure nothing would get to our food supply. He had looped set a bar trap, covered it with dry leaves and secured it with a thick chain with was wrapped around then padlocked onto the street lamp pole. It was simple and primitive, but did what he needed it to.

The creature slowly grabbed the broken window frame, slicing his hands as he pulled himself out the store. He got back to his feet and yet again came charging at us, thankfully the chain held steadfast and whipped him back to the ground. The large trap which dug into his leg did not deter him, this time he charged more furiously. There was a snapping sound and as I looked down I saw he had broken his own foot inside the bear trap, the appendage was left hanging on by only skin and flesh. There was no time to hesitate, Smith wanted to end it. He approached the creature hoping to drive his machetes blade into the center of its skull. But our tenacious new friend had other plans and reckoned he would have one last shot at reaching us. This thing was so explosive, so quick that it did not make sense how he could move that fast. I was a huge sports fan but never in my life had I seen fast twitch muscle reactions like that. Not from any of my favorite wide receivers, not from the most athletic point guards in the league and not from any of my mixed martial arts stars I followed. Sharif trap was strong though and its speed would be nullified by his ingenuity. One thing Sharif did not take into consideration however was the tenacity of these things when it came to feeding. Without any regard for self-preservation it snapped its foot clean off the bone while bolting towards us.

Smith jumped out the way just in time, as he fell to the ground he shouted, "SKY!" She aimed her revolver at the creature and pulled the trigger. But nothing, all that came out was a clicking sound and even I knew the old relic had jammed. Before we had time to contemplate our next move the creature was within reaching distance. It mowed down Sharif; both of them went sliding through the dust. Before Sharif could defend himself it drove its blunt bacteria ridden teeth into his arm. Blood poured from the wound, and the creature reared its head for another bite. Without time to think Sky scooped up Sharif's bat from the ground and swung it into the side of the creatures head. There was a dull thud and it went rolling off Sharif. The creature raised itself from the ground, half its head had been caved in and the bat sat glued to its temple, thanks to the four inch nails Sharif had crafted into the bat. Even the devastation blow did not keep it down for long, this thing did not want to die.

There was a sudden sound of steal rubbing against leather followed by a flash of metal which whipped past me and as I looked up Smith had drawn his machete from his belt and it stood risen in the air. As soon as the creature was close enough Smith drove the blade into its skull, the a sound of cracking bone accompanied a fine red shower of blood and thankfully it looked like he had been put the creature down permanently this time. My eyes stood wide and my heart raced. I looked to the floor and Sky was at Sharif's side tending to the wounded mans arm. What would happen now, only time would tell?

"Sky, stay with Sharif, you come with me." Smith took control of the situation as he ordered us into position, he knew being exposed was dangerous and wanted us underground as soon as possible. Delegating under pressure was not new to the old man, had been in similar circumstances many time in his military days. Smith was a natural leader; giving orders came easily. Smith was not shy to let us know in his role as boss through his elaborate war stories. Sure he had made some bad calls in the past, but he had learnt from his mistakes, and the best lesson he had learnt was to never second guess his gut. I would soon become too familiar with his favorite saying, "Cairo I've been deployed to places which are hell on earth, I've made camp in the devils living room, I seen bodies piled higher then hilltops but nothing compares to this desolate world, welcome to the divided." Smith was not shy about letting us know it was thanks to him we all survived. The old man was not wrong though, the combination of his experience, Sheriffs practicality and Sky's bravery was a big part in why the group had lasted this long. He knew that even with our lack of training he would have to be as hard and direct, as he was on his previous platoon. It was strange, the closest thing I could compare his contrasting characters to was a schizophrenic teddy bear, in the bunker so loving and calm, as he played with Zara tossing her up into the air and catching her ever so gently. To this man who now stood in front of me, ice-cold, a calculated controlled Reaper slayer.

Like sheep to a Sheppard we flocked to Smith waiting for him to lead us out of here and back home. Sky bent over Sharif's and examined the wound just as Smith had ordered. The bite was deep; it had broken the skin and severed through his flesh. Sky started taking care of the wound, the bleeding could be stopped, but the real killer out here was infections, with the bad living condition and limit to medical supplies your immune system would be in a constant fight against an array of different problems. Thankfully for us we had Sky and her vast medical knowledge. As she cleaned and dressed the wound she could not help herself from repeating her old instructor's methods. "Now remember class, the human mouth contains from 500 to 1000 different types of bacteria, most regular brushers have 1000 to 100 000 different type of bacteria living in their mouth alone." "What does this mean if you are..."Sharif grabbed Sky as he winced under the pain and tugged at her arm, gesturing she stop her repetitive annoyance. She immediately got the picture and continued dressing his wound in complete silence.

Smith was already bee-lining towards the grocery store; the old man was walking with intention. I looked across the street where Sharif and Sky sat, undecided where to go next. I felt I could not help Sharif and Sky and would be more of a hinderers if I stuck around, so I chose to hobble after Smith instead. We entered the automatic door of the grocery store, which now was only a frame, hopelessly sliding away as we stepped through. Smith began assessing the area, I could see the worry on his face while gratefully appreciating that his precious store still stood intact. It's at that moment I understood what the store truly meant to the group, how important it was for their survival. "Thank goodness for Sharif's sneaky little traps, seems like everything is okay here Cairo, lets head back, time to get our asses home." He threw his arm over my shoulder, turned me around and walked me towards the door, forgetting how weak I still was. As we approached Sharif, I worried about him, I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen to him. I never knew how to address the topic, the things I wanted to ask Smith sounded so ridiculous in my head, I could only imagine how crazy I would sound saying them out loud.

"So what's going to happen to Sharif, will he...you know?" Smith looked at me with a confused look on his face, "No I don't, will he what?" ''Well will he turn into one of those things; I mean it bit him quite deep and generally isn't that how this it works?" Smith turned to me and looked dead in the eyes, his nose practically touching mine and once again I could feel that rancid warm breath against my face. I was terrified even more so, after seeing firsthand what he could do with that blade. Luckily he burst into a hysterical laughter at my ridiculous question. "Turn into one of them, what do you think these things are kid, Zombies?" "No you don't turn into them, if that was the case Id be turned four or five times by now boy." "Hell I get bitten by more Reapers then spots on a Dalmatians." He pulled his shirt over his head, exposing the mark on his back, then he lifted his left pants leg, were there was another bite in the middle of his calve.

"Listen Cairo, these things aren't like any of those Fantasy living dead creatures, no these are much freaking worse." "Think of them as wild predators that walk upright, have opposable thumbs and extreme tenacity, let me put it like this boy, it's as if the most elite athlete you knew became twice as strong, twice as fast, three time more tenacious and all they wanted to do is hunt you down and pull the flesh from your bones." "They don't bite you and turn you." "They eat you while you are still alive." "They Work in small packs each with a leader or some type of figure they submit too." "these things are like the African wild dogs I had became accustomed to during my Namibian extraction tours." "Thankfully all we've had to deal with is the occasional stray, like our friend over there."

"A whole pack would obliterate us, we would not stand a chance, the only weapon we have against them is their degenerated brains." "Which might not always be the case, from what we have been gathering these things are adapting at a fast pace, becoming more coordinated and more aware of their surroundings each day." "So don't think some slow rotting corpse with their arms extended is going to come trotting up to you." "You have to be smart kid, work together and learn to think under pressure." "We have been doing this for a while and each time it feels as if it's my first." "Trust me we have become monsters in our own right, most of us weren't hardwired to be killers but we are creatures of evolution and have adapted to become hunters, hunting the same thing which hunts us."

We headed back to the bunker and were met by Fatima and Zara who were so ascetic to see our safe return. The happiness on their face was contagious and we all smiled and laughed as we settled in. I was in a cross road, having to accept this place as my new normal or fight back while trying to find the answers that eluded my many questions, for now though I would just rest my body and hope that the new day would bring new answers. One thing I did know is that no matter what was happening around me, I would find out if Layla and Jacob were still alive and make they paid for what they did to me.

### Chapter 4

It's been around three months since I've been down here. I've somewhat adapted to this new life. The adjustments have been tough, but luckily I am used to tough. My childhood was chiseled out by tough, All those years working on my dad's trawler in the deep seas hunting down schools of Tuna at such a young age have molded me. The sewers had become our refuge while also acting as our prison, like a concentration camp, we could not go the surface to smell the fresh air or take a walk in the sunshine, we were confined to the darkness of our new home.

The day's seemed so long, most nights even longer. I had waged war with a constant battle against boredom. The most irrelevant things now kept me entertained for hours on end. I would burn through hours by playing hand games with Sharif's daughters, or reading novel after novel, until I had finished all the reading material in the bunker. If it were not for my daily workout, I honestly think I would have lost my mind. I spent so much time sweating in the passageways, pushing my body to limits I had never reached, even before the comma. My body had taken a completely new shape, my muscle tone now denser, and my frame wider than usual. For some reason even though no one else in the bunker wanted to believe me, I could swear I had grown three or four inches in height. Something did not add up, but I had no intentions in slowing down or trying to figure out what caused it, I was just grateful at the results and even more grateful that I got my strength back.

One thing which helped suppress my boarding was creating interesting new training schedules. One had to be as creative as possible with the minimal equipment we possessed. This week's workouts consisted mostly of plyometric and body work. I then rounded off my routine with some skipping drills I had learnt from a box-fit class Layla and I used to attend back in the day. Lastly Id round off the work out ending with some bar Curls. Smith had made the bar for himself a while back, but had abandoned the equipment few weeks later. The crafty old man had fashioned the barbell together by emptying some old paint cans he had found in the Grocer, he then proceeded to fill them with cement. As the cement dried he placed a thick steel rod in the middle and allowed to set. Then presto, a perfectly functioning barbell.

Even though I loved my alone time in the passages, I was so grateful to have these people down here with me. We tried out hardest to make it as bearable as possible by supporting one another. The sewers were never made for sustaining life, and how we had managed for this long was a testament to our strength. The bunker was a complete shit hole, the walls were a morbid dark grey color, covered with mold; they acted as a blank canvas for the water stains which painted them from ceiling to floor, my lingering boredom caused me to stay up many nights depicting different pictures caused by the water stains. The low ceiling made the room feel claustrophobic, just a few inches higher then my head when I stood upright. The most unsettling site in the room had to be the weapons bins in the corner. Bats, machetes, spears, axes and the rest of the crude weaponry filled the large black bin. Initially I had seen a hand full of the weapons on my arrival, how shocked I was when I witnessed axes being pulled from underneath pillows and knifes being revealed from under mattresses. Smith always said you could never be too safe in the new world, and even with the safety of the bunker the group still stayed on high alert.

To match the crude ugly interior of the bunker we had a large gas burner which acted as our primary cooking source. Even though the burner was bulky and unconventional, the one consistency it provided was a warm meal every morning and night. However times were getting tougher with supplies dwindling and we were forced to eat more and more cold meals as our gas bottles depleted. Sky had taken the of cooking for the group. She was exceptional at rationing our food; she had a talent for pushing the boundaries of the canned cuisine. She added little touches here and there, trying to bring a bit more appeal to the bland tasteless food. Our staple had become oats, the bags of grain made up eighty percent of what we eat, Sky tried to spouse up the monotonous bland meal by adding sprinkles of cinnamon or dehydrated bananas, but at the end of the day it was still boring old oats. "As Smith would say, you can put make up on a pig, bit you would still be kissing a swine."

My favorite dish however was appropriately named "Sky high special" by Fatima and Zahra. The dish comprised of tinned pilchards on a bed of instant mash potatoes, soaked in a thick succulent sauce made from reduced apricot jam. During my first few weeks awake, our suppers were always accompanied by a side dessert consisting of preserved cherries and a sprinkle of cocoa powder, not now those luxuries were far gone. I did not share my previous employment with the group, Cooking had lost that je ne sais quoi, and the magic had died. I tried to blame the loss of my passion on the bland food but I knew the real reason, she was the last person I cooked for, she was the one I shared my passion with, I wanted to forget everything I associated with her. It was easier said than done though, cooking was in my blood and suppressing my love for it was tough. Oh what I'd do to whip up a bowl of Tagliatelle cooked al dente in truffle infused oil with a fair shaving of parmesan cheese. Or throw an A-grade matured steak onto the grill, medium rare with a healthy serving of sweet potato fries on the side.

For now I would have to make due of our basic dishes, even our repetitive lifestyle was tolerable for one reason. I was so grateful we had not seen another Reaper since the incident at the grocer. That's the name the group gave those damn death dealers. Smith spent hours explaining all the different encounters they had come across over the months. He explained how he never fully understood them; their level of intelligent confused him. He believed the group had underestimated just how smart these creatures were in the beginnings, that maybe they weren't as primitive as he once thought. But the most disturbing thing he told me about the creatures is that they had the ability to breed and were rearing their young at an experiential rate. He had seen Reapers sheltering small bald looking creatures, covered in a placenta like fluid; these things looked similar to human babies but stood upright and walked with no help. They developed so quickly that at a few months old they could already run and help chase down prey with the rest of the pack. The Reapers were a wakeup call, an introduction to the twisted reality of the new world. There were no rules and regulations up there any more, no civil order or first responders, no police patrolling the streets and no hospital or fire departments, no justice, just survival.

Some nights I'd sit in bed trying to make sense of the psyche of the Reapers, what went through their minds, did they even still have thoughts? What drove their unfailing hunger? Surely any creature had a consumption limit? But most of all I wondered what rooted their constant aggression? Why was this new species so violent, so bent on aggression? The interaction with the reaper at the grocer had opened my eyes to what really lurked top side. I was not the type of person who looked for unnecessary adventure. Even though at times the frustration would boil up inside me until it felt as if it would explode. I managed to control it; I'd rather be extremely bored down here than be up top and extremely dead! This tedious safe lifestyle was okay for now I guess. No matter how tough things got, we knew we all had responsibilities if we wanted to survive. Chores became a norm, and every day we rotated our tasks. Sharif made sure the girls pulled their weight and the rest of us took on our new responsibility with no qualms.

I entered the bunker at a leisurely pace after finishing my workout; I knew what was waiting for me inside. I dreaded the large pile of clothing in the corner, laundry day was such a schlep, I slowly procrastinated as I watched the others go about their chores. Sharif unpacked the remaining goods in perfect symmetry, not a can out of line, he then preceded taking stock of our remaining food. Smith mopped up the water that seeped through the ceiling of the bunker; if we missed a single day there would be a build up and our mattresses would get soaked. The girls made our beds, honestly speaking Fatima made the beds as Zara pranced around jumping and playing at her father's turned back. Sky began the day's breakfast, I watched as she took out the last remaining can of spam, if there was one dish I hated it was her spam casserole, the gelatinous meat did not sit well with me.

After finishing the loads of washing I returned to the bunker from the run off pipe, to find everyone done with their chores and seated awaiting my arrival so breakfast could resume. I closed my eye and just swallowed the baked bean and spam casserole, trying to evade the texture and get it straight into my tummy. While eating our breakfast I looked around the room at the six people I had created a new life with. We had bonded and become somewhat of a family. After my experience with the reaper on the surface I found out just how far they were willing to go for one another. The way they worked together was quite raw, but still very effective. These people, who were once complete strangers, had now become a family and at the same time a tactical, willing to die for each other at the drop of a pin. Each one playing their own vital role, Smith obviously taking role as leader, yet never relaying an important order without first consulting Sharif, who had become the adviser of the group, while Sky who was far from the motherly type had hung onto her strong feminist outlook and divided it with her new role as care taker for the young ones while simultaneously being the baddest, scariest Reaper slayer in the group.

Most of my days were spent with Smith, he would talk for hours about the event which had led us to our current existence. He explained the pandemonium which ensued when the rocks fell. He depicted different scenarios of that dreadful day and all I could do was use my imagination to picture the chaos. He explained how in front of his very own eyes he watched as people got flattened by the rocks. His stories were long and sometime farfetched, but I did not mind, honestly I enjoyed spending time with him. The old man had become somewhat of a mentor to me. I was close to everyone in the group but the bond he and I shared reminded me so much of mine and my fathers. My dad and I were not only father and Son, but also best friends. I strived so hard to make him proud, and I could see I was falling into the same pattern with Smith.

Sharif and I spent a lot of time together as well. He taught me dozens of survival tactics which he had acquired from his brother when they were kids trying to escape the Refugee camps. Sharif older brother was his role model, he had a special place in his heart for Akil. Sharif would explain how his brother was the reason he had survived the harsh terrains as they fled Egypt. He explained how Akil carried him on his back as they crossed Mount Uwaynat while fleeing the country. His brother made sure they always had water as the crossed the Libyan desert in the burning sun, and had a fire to keep them warm in the freezing desert nights. At only sixteen Akil did everything he could to ensure his six year old little brother made it out alive. He taught Sharif just as their father taught him, how to snare little mole rats and lizards, how to dig gypsy wells to purify stagnant water, how to create bow drills and how to fashion fishnets from river read which grew on the banks of the Nile.

Sadly Akil did not make the journey, as they planned to sail from the Coast the fairy man who would illegally take them across the sea, insisted he only had enough room for one more person on the overly crowded Dingy. Knowing this would be their last chance Akil hugged his brother goodbye and pushed Sharif onto the boat. Sharif told me how he screened and kicked as the boat sped away from the banks. He said he had never felt a sadness that deep as he was forced to watch his brother wave from the shore. Their Aunty Latica had gotten out years ago and she was supposed to fetch him and his brother as they entered the country. He begged Latica to go back for Akil, but after three days he gave up knowing his please fell on deaf ears. When he was older he went back in search of his brother, First at the age of eighteen, then again when he was twenty five, but sadly he never saw his brother again.

Akils memory lived on through Zara, Fatima and the knowladge Sahriff now passed onto me. Sharif laughed while telling me how funny his brother would have found it that a non Arabic, non Egyptian boy with the name of their Capital city was now learning from an Egyptian. I reciprocated the laughter as I explained the origins of my name came from my mom's obsessive love for ancient Roman and Egyptian Romance Novels, her favorite one being – Cleopatra and Attorneys Love on the Nile by Jessica Waltz. Sharif showed me how to make a fire in with a bow drill and old birds nests, we practiced day after day deep in the sewer passageways. He also took his time explaining the anatomy of the reapers, were they where most vulnerable. However the greatest tool he shared with me was improvisation. He could fashion about anything into a lethal weapon and even though I never dared to ask I knew he had experience in killing before.

Sky and I barely spoke, she was too occupied with the children or cleaning her weapon. When we did get the time to talk it always seemed to be about gathering water or cleaning pots, some trivial task which needed to be done. We hardly had a conversation just for the sake of speaking, she believed the privilege of relaxing had been lost when our world fell to pieces, now the young women only focused on survival. I wondered how Sky fit into the picture, were was she from and how did she meet the others? One day while sweating away as I spun the bow drill. I stopped to ask Sharif about the mysterious women origins. Sharif and Sky seemed to be closer than anyone else in the group, so if anyone could tell me about her it would be him. "As you know Sky was a paramedic on the Upper East Side, her paramedic job in Fogworth was her true passion, but she was equally as passionate at target shooting, which had started off as a hobby but eventually became an obsession to her." "She was so talented she won two national championships in long range target shooting and had won trophy after trophy for the numerous hunting competitions she regularly competed in." "let me put it like this Cairo, if she had a proper weapon that day we ran into the Reaper, we wouldn't have broken a sweat, that creature would be led drenched, dead on the floor in a matter of seconds"

"Back to Sky... when the rocks fell, she was in the grocer across the street buying a cup of coffee before pulling another double shift." "She stood at the counter paying for her beverage and then suddenly it all came crashing down." "The petrified cashier sprung over the counter in one leap pushing her to the floor, he fled the store like a madman screaming the end is here." "She ran to the store room and hunkered down under a large oak table, staying calm like only she could." "Sky told us the madness topside did not end for a whole day and the sounds and shockwaves of the crashing rocks were almost unbearable." "Once the Rocks stopped falling, the screams of the Reapers began, from both people Transforming and those being hunted down." "Sky sat in the store room for a week, able to survive on the over stock that had not been shelved in the store yet." "On mine and Smiths second food run we bumped into her peering out the storeroom door." "Sky came diving out the door with the old revolver which the Cashier kept in there; she aimed it straight at our heads." "We both began explaining we did not want to hurt her, we just needed some food and would be on our way." "That was our first encounter and, well the rest is just history."

I felt so sorry for her, I could imagine how alone and confused she must have felt, I thought to myself for a glimpse of a second, maybe Layla made it out alive also, if Sky survived there was a chance she did as well... I stopped myself immediately, why was I even thinking about her? Why was that evil, deceitful, toxic excuse for a human being on my mind? I should not have cared if she died, honestly that's what I hoped for, or so I told myself. I turned my attention back towards Sharif. But he had already gotten up and without warning was in his way back to the bunker. I guess this meant Id have some more alone time. So I sat poking at the fire, falling into a trance like state as I watched the dancing flames move against the black backdrop of the dark passage.

After two hours alone in the passageway trying to fight back the chilling breeze, I decided to head back to the bunker. My fingers felt like they were about to freeze off, not even the warmth from the little toasty fire was strong enough to keep the cold away. It was a cold day, colder than any day I had experienced since being down here. As I opened the door I could feel the tension in the bunker lingering around like an unwanted presence. Sharif and Smith sat in the corner conversing and Sky stood right next to them. Something did not feel right. "You don't understand Smith." I heard Sharif raise his voice then regain his composure and reduced his tone, he then started speaking in a calmer manner. I walked towards them and took a knee where they sat. "Glad you could finally join us Boy." Smith grabbed my shoulder and squeezed, the old man had started doing this every time he saw me and I had become accustomed to the gesture, but today was different, the gesture felt more intense then usual. "What's going on Smith?" Our fierce leader had a worrying look upon his face, I knew it was something big; this was not your typical morning squabble

"Supplies are down boy, we need to start scouting the surface for new stock and the closest reliable source we know of is the SS mart about twelve miles down the street." Super Supplier Mart was a huge wholesaler, they stocked everything. From garden utensil to Hunting equipment, food to toiletries they had it all. "We need to restock; and SS mart would be our best bet." Sharif was not pleased with Smiths plan though, his intentions were clear about travelling such a long distance top side. "It's too far Smith, we would be too exposed on the surface, it's nothing less than a suicide mission!" Smith threw his tin against the wall in an outburst, oats splattered across the room. "Opposed to what Sharif?" "What do you suggest we do, stay here with no food, no gas as you watch your children wither away in front of our eyes?" Sharif also stood, matching Smiths intensity. "Do not use my children as justification for your suicidal plan!" "You want us all to go, tell me Smith what will happen to them once we are all torn to shred on the top?" "What will happen to them when a pack runs through us and they are left to fend for themselves, how will they survive on their own down here?" The argument was getting worse and worse, these two were about to go to war and I knew I had to try deescalate the situation. "I'll go." Both men took their attention off one other and focused on me. "Look guys I know the street I used to walk past the SS Mart to work every day." "I can do this, trust me I can make it." Smith shook his head, "No way, there's no way I'm letting you go." "You may know the way but you don't know the reapers well enough." "I'm not sending you to the slaughter, you will stay here with the girls as Sky, Sharif and I go" Smith wanted the family to go as a unit, he needed all three adults on the walk and as much man power as possible, and that would mean leaving the girls down here with just me as protection. I understood both of their perspectives, Sharif was right in saying that just me as protection was not enough for the girls if anything had to happen to the rest of them. However Smith was also right in a sense that all three of them would be needed if they ran into multiple Reapers on their excursion, let alone a while pack!

Then spontaneously Sky spoke up," I'll take him, he knows the way, I know how to handle the Reapers." She was fearless she knew she had to risk it all to survive, she was not concerned about strategies or protocols. She would do anything for the health of those kids. Sky may have only been twenty seven, but she had matured almost instantly, due to this new role she had gained as protector of the girls. Smith was now upright marching back and forth waving his hands in the air as he shouted, "Both of you are clearly insane if you think I'm going to let you go." "As I freaking said earlier it's a freaking job for the whole freaking group!" "Your insane if you think I'll let you go by yourselves." "Look boy no offence but do you even know how to hold a gun?" I sat in quiet shame, as Smith continued "Exactly what I thought." Smith had no interest in listening to our reasons his mind was made up. "Its final tomorrow we will continue this discussion but I highly suggest both of you get that ridiculous idea out your heads." Sky backed off without hesitation, to my surprise I thought she would have put up more of an argument. But she just turned her and headed back to the girls, I was so confused, where was her strong no nonsense demeanor when we needed it.

As Night came we all lay in bed, none asleep but all ever so quiet. The only sounds heard were the chatters of the children as they lay next to each other quietly playing hand games, while trying to ease the hunger pains. The sounds of their giggles which usually helped me fall asleep were replaced by groans and complaints of hunger. I knew Sharif was scared for the consequences of the journey, especially after the death of his wife. He had become so cautious, so aware of danger and uninviting of any risk. But surly even he had to see the current situation was far from working and we would have to do something drastic if we wanted to Survive. As for Smith why was be so adamant that all three go, from what I saw, he and Sharif could handle themselves against Reapers, and if the stories they told about Sky were true neither would be needed if she was there. Was a pack truly that strong?

"Get up get up Cairo, Wake up." I turned to my side and wiped the sand from my eyes. Sky was over me, trying to quietly wake me up. "It's time, you and I are going to the SS mart." I knew it! I knew she would not give up that easily. She had the whole thing planned from the beginning. I sprung up and started getting ready. Sky waited patiently bidding her time, fully aware of how she was going to do what she felt was right. Sky never waited for any ones approval, she was head strong and chose her own paths in life. I grabbed my jacket, slipped on my boots and slowly made my way to the weapons pile, Smith might have been right, I had never held a gun before but I'd be dammed did not try to help better our terrible living situation. I reached in and pulled out the first weapon my hand touched. A large Ax, sturdy, heavy and long... Sky did an ammo check then placed her revolver into its holster around her hip. She then slid her large hunting knife into it pouch on the opposite hip.

"Let's move" she signaled. Quietly we made for the man hole. Avoiding the tired bodies around us. As we tiptoed past the children, I caught a glimpse of Zara's innocent face and almost instantly all my fears were replaced with responsibility. These kids were no longer just Sharif's kids, No, they become all of our responsibility now and I had to do my best to ensure they stayed as healthy as possible. They had been through enough with the loss of their mothers death and the craziness of the new world, I wanted to make it all a bit more bearable.

Sky and I walked down the passageway in complete silence hoping our echoes would not be heard back at the bunker. Nervously all I could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other knowing we were approaching the man hole. This meant we would soon be vulnerable out of the safety of the sewers. Sky lifted the heavy lid and moved it aside. As I looked up all of my anxiety about the trip dissipated at the first glimpse of the rising sun. The beautiful warm ball of hope slowly crept out of the shadows, symbolically just as we were doing as we ascended from the darkness of the sewers. We had a long walk ahead of us, and time was crucial, the longer we spent topside the higher the chances we would encounter Reapers. There was no time to stand around and enjoy the scenic view, we had to keep moving. The further we walked the more torn down the city looked. In the dark it was hard to see the extent of all the destruction around us but as the sun rose we were welcomed to the new baron wasteland. The roads were covered with dust and through the cracks tuffs of grass burst out, welcoming themselves to the new world. Weeds wrapped themselves around abandoned cars, making the motor vehicles part of the creepy new scenery. Street lamps were now rendered useless, only serving as a nesting place for the occasional crow. Buildings stood abandoned with shattered glass and broken walls. The rocks were still scattered across the city, standing as monuments for the reshaped landscape. My mind wanted me to believe there was city people hiding somewhere in the city but I knew the reality, we were most likely the only ones left. The Reapers did not even leave there victims' bodies in the streets, all there kills were dragged to their dens and ravished by the rest of their packs, Smith called their dens "bone beds" as he had once seen the huge heaped pile of decaying bodies outside a Reapers den. I had to keep my mind from wavering, I had to bench my fears and focus on the task at hand. So I figured this would be a better time than any to get to know the women I shared so much time with.

"So where exactly are you from?" I attempted making small talk with her, not knowing which angle to take or even where to begin. We were complete opposites, she was direct and to the point. She wanted to focus more on her surrounding and not have to worry about my pestering questions. I knew absolutely nothing about this quiet, dangerous woman. But my uncomfortable up here made me push on with the conversation, trying to bridge the gap between the two of us. "What about family, what happened to them?" She stopped dead in her tracks. "Listen, I know it seems like a good idea to chit chat, try settle your nerves, try ask the vulnerable girl about her past." "But there's no time for that shit, stay focused and keep your emotions in check, or ill leave your ass as a Reaper snack pack, you got that!" Like a scolded school boy I nodded, recomposed myself and continued walking in silence. I knew she was right, and her intensity was at that level for a reason, she had been in reaper territory before and was aware of all the dangers which lay all around us.

Thankfully the supermarket was in site and this awkwardness would come to an end. The light green building was unmistakable. The SS mart was the pulse of the city. A place each citizen would visit, now that I think about it I had not met a single person in the city that did not possess a green SS Mart membership card. Honestly you could get whatever you needed in the convenience on one space. Torn by the conglomerates presence, in one hand it reminded me how easy and convenient they had made shopping, yet in the other simultaneously reminding me of the destruction it the monstrosity brought to so many small businesses like my granddads little detergent shop back. The days of Mom and Pop stores had come to an end and now wholesalers like SS Mart now we're scattered across the country. The SS marts windows had been smashed by the rocks, the few that were left had been painted a dark grayish color from the accumulated dust. A huge SS sign which once hung proud in front of the stores entrance now swung lop sided holding on for dear life. Shopping carts where scattered across the parking lot, some eerily moving by themselves as they were pushed by the wind.

Huge signs sat in the center of the store, they customers helped navigate their way through the endless landscape for the store, guiding them to their respected isles. Food, Hunting and Camping, Gardening, Tools, Toiletries, everything had been marked for your convenience. Sky pulled out a crinkled piece of paper and slapped it onto my chest as she walked past. I pulled it off and began going through the list. From clothing to food supplies it was precise, she did not want to waste space or time and knew whatever we took of the shelves we would have to carry back with us. With me on shopping duty there was only one place I could imagine she was headed. I would not even have to ask her, I knew she was excited to get her hands on some decent fire power. She proceeded to the hunting and camping section hoping there would be some weapons left by the looters. I grabbed one of the SS mart shopping carts off the floor and headed to my section. As I pushed the rusty cart, the ominous silence was broken by the sound of its squeaky wheel, to think even in the damn apocalypse there was nothing more irritating than the sound of squeaky SS Mart shopping cart. The store was in shambles, shelves lay broken, tins scattered through the aisles and rocks as Far as the eye could see. Shopping in the behemoth was hard enough, now with all the disorder it would be near impossible.

Eventually I found the food aisle, a large rock sat in the entrance, blocking my access to the good. How the hell was I supposed to get over this monstrosity? Annoyed by the hindrance of this large boulder I kicked at rock in frustration. The Rock rolled a couple inching and was stopped by the side of the isle. What I had I just done! This could not be possible, no way was this way right. Not even if I had the best of both Smith and Sharif would we be able to move the two hundred pound, four foot Meteor. This was not the first oddity I had encountered though, the changing of my body, the newly developed strength I possessed, the rapid healing of my scars. I was scared and confused, I would have to keep hiding all of this from the group, knowing very well t would not be long before they found out something was happening to me.

I heard Sky shouting from across the store "ten minutes, stop messing around you only have ten minutes left!" Maybe the material make up of these mysterious rocks was not what we thought, maybe they were disintegrating after time, making them lighter then they looked? I was not about to confuse myself anymore then I already had. So I chalked the incident up to delusional grandeur caused by the lack of food and proceeded onwards. I knew time was limited and I could rather dwell on the incident once we got back to the safety of the bunker. For now I had to keep moving, so I grabbed my Shopping cart and continued to the opposite side of the aisle.

I began my inventory check, hoping I would have the time to get everything on Sky's list. "Let's start with canned goods, Pilchards in tomato gravy check, Tuna check, spaghetti O's check, Spam, jam, sweet corn check, Butterbeans check, Rice, canned fruit, dehydrated potatoes, coffee and coffee creamer, canned soup, canned cocktail sausages, canned carrots, cherries in syrup and last but not least canned peas." After rounding off our preserved cuisine I continued to the hygiene products. I thought to myself how much easier life would be now that we had the means to take care of our hygiene. How nice the fresh smells of properly bathed bunk mates would be. "Okay so most importantly, soap, body lotion, antidandruff shampoo and conditioners, women's hygiene products, a bunch of tooth brushes and toothpaste, more soap, bubble bath just because and let's not forget deodorant." With the shopping cart full I had no time to individually go through each person's clothes, I just grabbed as many different garments, shoes and jackets as I could, hoping the sizes I chose were correct.

Sky shouted once again "Two minutes Cairo." I had to rush, my shopping spree was far from over. I still had to collect all the medication on the list at the pharmacy and also get something for each of them, something special, a token of my appreciation. So I began running, first and foremost was the girls. I searched through the broken toys which were mix in-between the rubble and debris on the floor. Then I spotted her, she was standing ever so proud, with the long jet black hair, huge bottle frame glasses and long fangs, still in her box tightly sealed. I grabbed the "Monster mash up" doll so quickly you could have sworn it was black Friday and I was a narcotic soccer mom trying to get her baby the last doll on the shelf! Zara would freak, she loved the collection, nights after night she would tell me about all the different characters and their paranormal back stories. "Ghastly Gail the ghost, Wendy the werewolf, Miranda the Mummy and her favorite of all, Vanessa the Vampire and I had managed to get last Vanessa the vampire doll in the store.

Monster mash up dolls would not do for Fatima though, the mature young girl would need something more stimulating. She loved to challenge her mind and had burnt through all the Sudoku's, crosswords and quizzes in the magazines we had stored in the bunker. I knew I was definitely in the wrong section if I wanted something she could really appreciate. I headed down the aisle where the puzzles and games were stored. I knew what would keep her busy and stimulate that little mind of hers. I knew they joy a game like scrabble would be for her, and honestly speaking all of us could benefit from a family game night.

When I had finished with the girls it was onto gifts Smith and Sharif girts. What would be more fitting than a brand new machete for Smith, I diced over to the gardening section and found a bunch of them, I grabbed the best looking one and threw it into the shopping cart. For Sharif, I chose a book, he had told me about his favorite series Joe Williamson, London lawyer. He loved Joe Williamson for his righting style and the cases the main Character Martin Pipers would represent as he wound his way through corporate espionage and business take over's. The fictional advocate meant a lot to Sharif, while growing up his father would read Pipers adventures to Akil and Sharif in an attempt to better their English.

Lastly was a gift for Sky, I wondered to myself what was the point; it would most probably end up in the trash. I did not know her well enough, nor did I know what she liked or disliked. So I came to the conclusion that a book would be a good enough gift, either way I was in the section and time was running out so it would have to suffice. I grabbed the hard cover classic "Call of the wild" and slowly swept away the dust with the palm of my hand. The dust cloud covered my face sending me into a sneezing frenzy making me drop the book onto the floor. As I grabbed the book I saw something glittering from underneath the pile. I moved the books aside and saw the most beautiful bracelet with diamond charms shaped as little half-moons and suns shines. I had to get the bracelet for Sky, I could not let the exquisite piece of art collect dust on the floor never to be worn again. Giving it to her would be the perfect excuse to preserve its beauty. I pulled the bracelet from the reminder of the books, it was really jammed between the large pile of books. As I swept away the books it became clear that the bracelet was not alone, it was still attached to the arm of its previous owner. I held my breath, why I have no idea, there was not even the faintest of smell. I then grabbed the arm which looked as if it had been gnawed clean off the bone and unclipped the beautiful bracelet. In excitement I punched the air like a young kid after scoring a winning goal only to realize," O shit I'm holding someone's chewed off arm.

Sky shouted "And we out of here, let's go!" she was on her way to the exit as we met in the middle of the store. Her shopping cart was filled with a much different content then mine. She pushed around a small arsenal, like an overly excited kid she began explaining her little wagon of destruction. She pulled each guns as we walked "Benelli M3 twelve gauge pump action, this baby can stop a reaper dead in his tracks, separate its head from its neck in a single shot, .308 Winchester long range Riffle, cameo pattern of course, 204 Rugar brown sealed, TriStar hunter Ex single barrel with buckshot, you always gotta go with buckshot!" "Lastly and most importantly Glock 19 9mm, I got two of these bad boys." "I also threw in a Jex compound bow with serrated steal heads, it's no 12 gauge but it has its uses." When it came to guns Sky did not mess around, she relished the mechanical engineering of the firearms as much she did the actually shooting them. By far this was the most emotion I had seen her show since we had met. She was smiling from ear to ear and I could see a sparkle in her eyes, I presumed it was not just the guns that bought her joy, but the reminder of the past. Sky had also gathered an array of sleeping bags, tents, gas bottles and many other camping utensils.

We pushed our shopping carts side by side through the clutter which lie at our feet and dodge the huge rocks scattered across the store. We had fallen into the previous routine and once again not a word was said by either of us. Then the silence was interrupted by the sound of slight groans coming from the corner of the sporting ailse, under hockey rack. From the darkness faint moans of what sounded like trapped animal eerily echoed in the store. I slowly started approaching and Sky suddenly grabbed my hand, she shook her head protesting my curiosity. I removed her hand, the poor thing must have been so scared and alone. I slowly crept up to the dark corner and locked eyes with the creature.

I softened my voice and called for it to come out, hoping it would exit the darkness. Suddenly the animal reacted and moved a few inches towards me, placing it in the light which beamed into the store through the front windows. Was it, No it could never be, I had to be seeing things! But then I saw it again, there was no mistaking that was no animal, that was a human child. But how did a child survive all this time out here alone? "Hey there little one, come out, it's okay we won't hurt you." Once again I put on a soothing tone hoping to lure the young one out of the dark rank corner. The child just lay there cloaked away in the abyss, sheltered behind hockey sticks and goalie leg pads. I crouched down and slowly approached her, The child crept towards me on her hands and knees. She had blonde little locks, pale skin and....Then it struck me, the pale skin, the murky white eyes, the dried red ring around her mouth that was no normal child. My emotions had once again gotten the better of me.

"REAPER!" I screamed, turning as I scampered back to Sky. My attempts at getting back were futile, the creature was so quick that in a single leap it had pounced on top of me. It sat on my chest gnawing down as it tried to chew off my face. I held her back with a hockey stick which I had thankfully fallen by my side. The stick was jammed against her throat, but the creature did not care she just kept pushing down, trying to bite at me. I started panicking as I heard the cracking sounds of the fragile wood from the weathered sporting equipment. Her Thick rancid Silva ran down my face and into my mouth as I shouted for Sky's assistance.

Sky yelled, "Stay still or I won't get the shot" how the hell did she expect me to stay still with this dam thing on my chest. I had to try my something though, there was not much time left as the fragility of the hockey stick began to give way. So I bucked my hips and pushed the broom as hard as I could against her esophagus. With a strong push and a heavy upward thrust, I launched the creature into the air. This was her chance, if she missed the Reaper would fall back on to me and with no protection now I would be torn to shreds. Without hesitation Sky cocked back the pump action and disintegrated the little Reapers head with one shot.

Divided between delusion and disgust I quickly tossed the Reapers lifeless corps aside. Then wiped away the blood and brain matter which had splattered across my face. To think this was once someone's daughter, some ones grandchild, someone's friend. Now reduced to a memory, a pile of flesh scattered across the supermarket floor. I tried holding back the tears which swelled in my eyes. "Let's keep moving" clearly Sky was not affected the same way I was. The harsh tone in her voice showed anger towards the girl rather than sorrow. Sky had taught herself how to remove the humanity when it came to dealing with Reapers. She had been in this type of scenario way too many times to let emotion blur her judgment, and she knew it was either kill or be killed. An important lesson I would have to learn.

Blood drenched, I turned to Sky waiting for her to explain the situation, or at least offer a sympathetic hand. I should have known better, that was not her style. She simply turned and started packing her shopping cart as if this was all so normal to her. As she walked to the exit I followed, pushing my cart, dripping blood across the concert floors. I wondered why she was so cold towards me. Did my presence offend her so profoundly, that she was unwilling to even show an ounce of remorse? When Sharif had his incident with the Reaper she was by his side helping him tend to his wounds. Me, well all I got was a, "Let's keep moving!"

Undaunted by the brutal slaughtering of the little Reaper, Sky led the way out of the store. As we exited the doors I felt the contrasting heat of the Reapers warm blood against the cold air. The breeze chilled her blood in no time, instantly creating a red crusty mask across my face. I may not have had the experience of the others, but one thing I knew is that the weak did not survive out here, I had to make this my new normal as well. The group could only hold my hand any longer, I knew I would have to toughen up and prove my worth. Even though adapting was tough now, I would not have to lean on the rest of the group for much longer, we would switch roles from protected to protector. I would find my place in the group, but in a way none of us would have ever expected!

All that would come at a later stage, for now I was still an emotional car wreck still compartmentalizing the ordeal I had just endured. The best thing I could do now was blindly follow behind Sky, In a Zombie like state, no pun intended. I was too deep in thought to take in the scenery of the city this time round. Before I knew it Sky snapped me out my trace like state as she lifted the heavy manhole cover. We had reached the Sewer and immediately my mood changed, I had been released from the gloomy mental prison trap of the brutal killing. I was ready to see my family. Sky slipped down the long metal ladder with ease, she hit the ground ordering me to start lowering down the items one by one. I unloaded every can, box and gun until the shopping carts were empty, then I joined her at the bottom where we filled up our rucksacks and continued forward.

The bunker was insight; I saw a faint light shining from the crack underneath the large steel door. In an instant a feeling of appeasement subdued me, leaving me motionless as I stood smiling, so happy to be home. However my happiness would be short lived. I knew what came next, what awaited me on the other side. Smith was going to kill us for disobeying him, I was terror-stricken as I thought about the consequences of my actions, and even though I worried about the ass whipping I was about to receive, I was more concerned that I had broken his trust. Smith had saved my life and in my eyes I owed him everything. I would be completely shattered if he lost all trust in me. Perhaps I was an approval seeker, who knows. One thing I did know is Smith was not just going to let this go. As I thought about what I was walking into, being top side sounded much more appealing right now. Sky reached for the bunker door, just as she was about to knock I grabbed her hand, instinctively she gripped the handle of the guns tighter. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bracelet, I looked at Sky and her eyes gave me the permission to continue, so I unbuckled it and clipped it onto her hand.

"I know you may think I'm some kind of loser Sky, you think I'm a hindrance to the dynamics of the group." "But I hope in the future you will come to know how much I care about every single person in that room, you included." "You may think of me as weak and soft, and that's okay, maybe I will never be the strong renegade warrior you, Sharif and Smith are, but I promise you, I'll try to do my part and always give the best I can." Sky was about to speak when I stopped her dead in her tracks, "This is a little gift, call it a peace offering, a thank you, or a promise to show you I will work harder, I will do better." She stared at it then looked at me without saying a word. Sky removed her hand from mine, and then slowly ran it across my cheek. I could see the guilt across her face, she knew she had been tough on me.

"It's not that I want you to be tougher, I just..." She paused, as she swallowed her pride, then continued, "I am just not good at this the whole affection thing." "Smith and Sharif have been with me for so long they are like family, they know the type of person I am and the girls well, they are something special to me." "What I'm making a poor attempt of saying is, trying to be tough out there will either get you hurt or killed, don't let my actions affect who you are." "You're perfectly fine just the way you are, you were brave enough to risk your life to help the others, that's a renegade ass kicker if you asked me!"

"You need to understand Cairo, that you don't know everything about this new world just yet, there is still so much you need to find out." "Sometimes people have no choice in what they become, because this environment chooses for them." "In Time you'll understand what I mean, but all I can do now is let you know that trust out here is not something that can only be earned, trust comes with time, it comes with the evaluation of and most of all patients, let me give you a piece of advice Cairo, never drop your guard, no one can be fully trusted in this place."

As soon as the bunker doors opened Zara came scampering out, darting past her father's legs and into Sky's arms. She dropped everything to the floor and wrapped her arms around the young girl. Sky squeezed Zara, whispering in her ear how she missed her. Anxious little Zara had other plans though, she broke free of Sky's grip and began jumping in excitement, "What did you get me, did you bring food, did you see any Reapers? A thousand and one questions at a time, the young girl could not control her excitement. She was running circles around us searching our pockets in attempt of finding anything edible. But before Sky could answer, Smith appeared at the door.

With a stare which pierced through my soul, I braced myself for what was about to come. Smith walked up to me, and raised his hand into the air, I closed my eyes in anticipation of the stinging sensation I would soon feel across my cheek. The old man stopped, he could not find it in himself to strike me. Looks like age was catching up to him, he had become much softer over the years. Unsure of how to express his mixed feelings of anxiety and panic brewing inside him during our absences, he began doing what he did best. He shouted at the top of his voice, telling us how inconsiderate we were, how foolish leaving the bunker without him and Sharif was.

Smith was right though we got lucky with the little Reaper, the situation would have been much different if Sky had not reacted as quickly as she did. We took a gamble leaving the safety of the bunker by ourselves, and after being able to bring back the amount of good we did, it was totally worth it. Once Smith saw the amount of fresh food, medication and toiletries we brought back, I knew he would soon calm down, forget about the whole thing and just enjoy the rewards of our hard work. Eventually after the old man's anger dissipated enthusiasm replaced it. He was so interested in seeing what we had brought back with us. Everyone was around the pile of goods scratching through them like excited children in December under the Christmas tree. Smith shouted, "Tonight we eat like kings!"

I started handing out all the gifts, obviously starting with Zara, her excitement was uncontrollable. So I called her over and told her to close her eyes and stick out her arms. I placed the Dolls box into her hand and told her to open her eyes. Zara flipped out, she began running around the room holding the box in the air, screaming at the top of her voice, "Vanessa the Vampire, Vanessa the Vampire, it's a freaking Vanessa the Vampire." Sharif yelled at Zara, scolding her for the use of such inappropriate language. Smith sat giggling knowing exactly where she had picked up the word. I passed the old man his Machete he seemed more excited than the little girl, waving the blade around until Sharif asked him to please console the weapon. Next was Sharif, I slid the book across the floor, his reactions so quick he did not even have to look down as he stopped it with his foot while simultaneously reading the label of the can he had in his hands. "Good read my friend, hope you enjoy it." Sharif cracked a smile in appreciation of the gesture.

"I'm glad to see you all enjoying your gifts, hopefully they will keep you busy and out of my hair." I laughed at my own lame joke, and then felt a slight tug on my shirt. Fatima was standing at my side wide eyed and confused, unsure why she had been left out. "Yes sweetie, is something wrong?" The Confused shy little girl just put her hands out waiting to receive her gift. I grabbed my rucksack and searched through it. I showed her there was nothing left. She sunk her head and started walking back to her bed. I laughed at the prank remembering the night I played the similar one on Layla on our engagement night as I pretended to forget our anniversary. I purged the thoughts out of my mind, I would not spoil this wonderful occasion with thoughts of her.

I told Fatima to come back, reluctantly she walked over to me. "Do you think I could ever forget about you?" "You know you my little Einstein rock star." Before I got the scrabble box completely out of Sky's rucksack, she pushed me aside and pulled it free. She ran to her bed and eagerly set up the board, knowing she was going to coax all of us into a game after supper. Fatima turned around, ran back to me and gave me a warm hug; I could see how much this meant to her. I loved little Zara with my whole heart and soul, but Fatima and I shared a unique bond. I suppose since everyone else always fussed about how cute little Zara was I felt obliged to shower Fatima with extra affections. She and I would sit for hours each day talking about the old world, she missed it so much. Mostly because she missed her Mother, in a way I could relate, I missed someone to no matter how much y mind told me not to. But I was not oblivious that the sorrow I went through was nothing compared to her, losing a parent had to be one of the hardest things on earth, especially at such a young age.

Zara asked me, "What about Sky, why did you not get anything for Sky?" I told her Sky was a very special Lady so she got a very special gift. Sky walked over to Zara and showed her the beautiful bracelet around her wrist, then said, "He got quite good taste don't you agree?" This was the first time I saw Sky blush, her cheeks went rosy pink as she tried hiding her smile. The mood soon changed though, as Sharif caught a glimpse of the bracelet around Sky's arm. He walked up to her and furiously asked where she got it. I intervened and explained how I found it and gave it to her.

Sharif stormed across the room and took a seat opposite the new guns which he furiously began loading. I was about to walk over and find out what I had done to upset him when Smith stopped me, telling me to let him have his space. Sky walked towards the frustrated man and sat beside him. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair, while she whispered reassuring words in his ear. That's when it hit me! It wasn't the bracelet, it was the gesture. Sky and Sharif had become more than just friends. The two of them had developed feelings for one another. I had noticed they had been spending more and more time together but I never put too much thought into it. It was so obvious now, all the hours they spent in the passageways together. Silly old me thinking they were just training or scouting. I wondered why they kept their relationship so under the wraps, but honestly I felt a sense of happiness, they seemed perfect for each other by emotionally and physically.

Sharif had a rugged good look to him, tall and tanned with his thick black beard and long dark hair tied in a man bum, it was not hard to believe any women would not find him attractive. Sharif deserved happiness, he was an excellent father and I'm certain he was an excellent husband to the girl's mother. He did not look to replace her, but after six months stuck down her in this new strange place, him and Sky developed a bond beyond their control from bunk mates to Friend's, to a shoulder to cry on as he grieved his loss, to eventually what they were. I believed with the new times came new ways of living and if they did not feel ready to label or publicize their relationship it was their prerogative. Maybe it was circumstance or maybe it was real love, who knows either way it was not for me to judge. I left the two of them alone, they would have to squash their quarrels, which I presumed was not just about the gift but also had allot to do with Sky just taking off without letting him know.

Our celebration was short lived, I had to get out of the bunker in a rush, all this commotion had my stomach bubbling and I had to get to our homemade bathroom ASAP. I felt awful and was sure I had contracted a stomach bug from that disgusting Reapers bloody fluids. As I got back to the Bunker Sharif approached me and tried to apologize for his reacting. I was so delirious I could not hear a word, all I saw were his lips moving and gibberish leaving his mouth. Smith asked me if I saw okay, I looked at him and just saw a blur, I waved the old man away not wanting to talk, then collapsed onto my bed. Sweat run down my face, soaking my pillow. I was burning up with a fever but felt bone chillingly cold inside, my teeth throbbed and my back was riddled with pain. All of a sudden a bubbling sensation in my gut came back, I had no time to run outside, or even ask for a bucket, before I could think projection of puke was being sprayed across my mattress.

Sky rushed over and began checking my fever. I felt embarrassed yet to weak to do anything as I lay completely covered in my own mess. Sharif told Zara to get a wet cloth and he started wiping the throw up from my face. Smith stood panicked and unsure of how to help. Sky ordered he give me some space as he nervously leaned over. Sky grabbed the medication we had collected from the SS Mart and immediately started administrating. She tore open a packet of electrolyte powder poured it into a cup of water and slowly helped me sip the mixture. She then gave me some black charcoal tablets and an antibiotic, Ordering Sharif make sure it all went down my throat as he held up head up right. Sky presumed it was some type of food posing, or so she said. There was no point in her racking her head around the diagnosis as she did not know my symptoms and could only speculate at this stage. All three of them stood by my mattress until I blacked out.

Morning came and instantaneously I woke to a strong familiar aroma, I had not smelt the beautiful secant of herbs and spices being sautéed in so long. The smell of rosemary and a blend of steak spice filled the bunker as it gently flowed across the room, tantalizing us with its lingering presence. The pungent fragrance was accompanied by the bold smell of brewing coffee, a delicacy we had run out of weeks ago. Today was going to be a good day, even though life was tough down here you had to acknowledge the small victories and hang on to them, thinking about the future could cripple your spirit. I chose to take it day by day, stacking up the small wins and being grateful for the most irrelevant successes. The new supplies would be the motivation we all needed to get us to the next day.

Once again I woke up to find everybody already going about their day. I was the last one to get out of bed and struggled to stand wincing under the pain. My stomach still felt as if it had been passed through a shredder. My optimism was short lived as all the pain came flooding back. I felt a sharp sting run down my side, which sent me crashing to the floor as I buckled under the agonizing torment. Smith ran to my rescue and pulled me from the concrete floor, the old man helped me to my bed and demanded I do not leave it again. Sky scolded me as she explained that I need to rest, she brought over a cup of coffee hoping I would keep the fluids down. The coffee was accompanied by a bowl of diced cocktail Winnies and tomato gravy, having had to eat oats all day for the last three weeks this way a five star meal. The day was spent in bed, whatever this sickness was had me clinching on for dear life. I was worried, I saw the anxiety on Sky's face as she tried nurse me back to health.

Three days had passed and I was still not making a recovery. Bound to the bed, only moving around with the assistance of Smith as he helped me to and from the bathroom. I lay there. Night after night my bunk mates stayed up with me, trying to help me recover. Fighting the decline of my condition seemed pointless but they never gave up, each day they tried to help and never lost hope.

My gut began twisting and my back stared cracking. What was happening to me? I rolled onto my knees and screamed in pain. This was definitely something worse than Sky's original diagnoses of food poisoning. My blood curdling cries woke the rest of the group and they were circled around me trying to figure out what was wrong. Smith tried picking me off the floor but I pushed him away, the pain was too intense. He stepped back not knowing what to do, none of them knew. Sky could not just sit back her medically duties as a paramedic obliged her to intervene. She grabbed my arm and tried to get me back to the bed. Unintentionally I gripped her leg and sent her flying across the room. Then everything fuzzed out, the pain muffled my senses and sent my body into shock. I started convulsing on the floor, and then it began!

### Chapter 5

Cracking and twisting my body began reshaping, contemptuously contorting to its own rhythm. Now Left on the outside looking in, all I could do was sit back and be taken on the torturous ride. My screams were futile, muffled out by a wet bloody cough. The misty red spray covered my hands as I knelt on all fours hacking towards the floor. My body was breaking down, getting ready to rebuild itself. In to what I did not know, but would soon find out.

I felt as if the transformation had personified, like a psychopathic serial killer, tearing me apart for its own amusement. The physical toll should have left me for dead, there was no way I should have been alive. I hoped to succumb to the pain and embrace a death that felt so much more appeasing? However I was not that lucky, Death would have to wait; the transformation needed my time.

I had become a victim as it molded me into the image of what the new world perceived. It turned me from weak to strong. It peeled away my vulnerable shell and exposed the beast, welcoming it to the new world. Allowing it the taste of freedom. The anatomic transformation was not the only aspect happening. A huge challenge would come mentally, I would have to try and control this thing. If I did not it would consume me. Now left a phenomenon, a terrestrial, an unknown, just like so many unexplained aspects of this New world, I could choose to embrace the beast or lock horns with it, in a constant battle of suppression.

I had to control it, not only for myself, but for the sake of the entire group. I could not let it hurt my new family; I could not let it endanger the girls. But would I have the strength to do so, and even if I did manage to bridle the beast and keep it at bay, would my family accept this creature that stood in front of them?

My spine began bending and my vertebra expanded, causing a ridged pattern from the base of my neck to the end of my back. My shoulder blades dislocated, without warning both arms simultaneously popping out of their sockets. Cells divided and expanded as my arms doubled in size, so large now that my knuckles dragged across the floor. Sharp stabbing pains ran across my neck as my trapezium muscles began tearing off the bone as they grew at an accelerated rate, so thick that my shoulders and neck seemed fused as one. Odd keratin spikes began protruding at the bases of my elbows, the thick grayish deformities tore through my flesh as they hardened when exposed to the air. As my bones grew, clusters of arteries and veins crept up the newly developed form. The map had been laid out, now it needed covering. Muscular tissue started expanding and fibers fused together, my skin became denser, now resilient leather like texture. My finger nails began falling off, exposing the raw flesh were they once sat embedded in my fingertips. Suddenly soft keratin began replacing them, the texture was similar to that of the spikes on the tips of my elbows. Once the fibrous protein had reached around four inches long it started hardening.

My hips began breaking, separating to support my large legs which doubled in size. The pain was excorticating as my meniscus tore to shred; my ACL and MCL blew up like small explosions in my legs due to the restructuring of my knee caps which dropped four inches due to the lengthening of my femurs. Even though I was now so top heavy my newly formed muscular legs were strong enough to support the large torso of the Beast. For a brief second the pain subsided, relieved I thanked the lord it was over. Oh how wrong I was, this perpetual voyage of torment was far from finished.

My rib cage reshaped and shifted as it made room for my newly expanding internal organs. A membrane similar to that of a crocodile submerged under water now covered my eyes. My jaw expanded as my gums bulged outward, separating my teeth from their roots and sending them falling to the floor. Simultaneously the same keratin material tore out my gums, leaving sharp spiky what I could only refer to as fangs. Standing ten feet tall, weighing in at around eight hundred pounds. I was a living, breathing gargantuan. Eventually I mustered up enough strength and was able to lift myself from the floor. The others had become dwarfed underneath the enormity of my goliath frame. I stood looking down at them as if they were children.

This could not have been a sickness, no way could this be food poisoning, this was something unexplainable. For a brief second I thought, the only logical reason was infection. I was becoming a Reaper? The blood or spit of the Reaper which attacked me in the SS Mart must have been infectious. But that theory did not add up though, what about Sharif. He had also been attacked; he was also exposed to Reaper fluids when he got bit outside the small grocery store. However he showed no strange symptoms and he dam sure was not turning into whatever I was! I remembered hearing Smith's long explanation on how the creatures were not contagious. So if I was not a Reaper then what was I? Maybe a Reaper hybrid, a new form of the obscure creatures. Or maybe something new, something completely different.

Blood trickled down my face as I had cracked my head open on the bunker ceilings. Bent over and confined to the small area, each time I moved something came crashing to the floor. The beast had to get out, I could not afford to hurt my friends. I smashed through the metal door and began running down the passage ways. I did not want to wait for a reaction from the others, I did not know where their head were at, what if they came at me like they did the Reaper top side? What if the group turned on me? Even worse what if I could not control this thing and I ended up hurting one of them, No! I would not let any harm come to them. There were so many questions, to many variables, the best thing I could do was get away and try make sense of the whole thing.

Confused and out of breath, I had to stop and figure out my next move. This form was so hard to maneuver, the bulky structure made running near impossible. All that kept me moving was a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety. Eventually I had to stop, only a mile down the passage and already the beast was out of breath. I felt lost in this form, all my physical attributes had been disheveled. What had happened to my endurance, usually I'd do five miles without a problem, now after one I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest. So I stopped, after all running blindly down the passageways was not going to help my situation. I bent down near the water canal and made an attempt at wetting my face. The menial task seemed near impossible thanks to the large gaps between my fingers. I looked down into the canal and caught my first glimpse of the beast reflection.

This thing was so large, so hideously out of proportion. It reminded me of Ogres from the fairytales my mom would read to me as a kid. I slowly turned its hand, inspecting the ginormous appendage. Even though I was petrified, I would be lying if I said I was not a little bit intrigued. I balled my hand to a fist and drove it straight into the floor. The concrete shattered, leaving a round bowl shaped hole in the hard floor. I dusted of the cement powder away from my hand. Amazingly there was not an abrasion or marking left behind. Intrigued in the other capabilities I posses in this new form, I stood up quickly, ready to experiment. My experiment would be short lived though, blood rushed to my Brain and I felt weak. I did not know how to control the form yet, I did not know it's limits. The adjustment from human to beast would take time and practice. So once again I found myself wobbling before smashing to the ground and again I was out cold. This was starting to become a very annoying pattern in my life.

I felt a nudge at my side but paid no attention to it. Persistently it did not stop, thinking I was in the bunker fast asleep I waved off Zara as I thought it was her kicking the mattress while practicing her Pllé and Pirouettes. The youngster practiced every morning, never missing a day, making sure we all woke to her ballet recital. When I opened my eyes to scold her I found a shotgun in my face. I quickly realized I was not asleep in the bunker, and this was not a dream after all. Sharif stood with the twelve gauge pointed at me with his finger shakily plastered on the trigger. Smith appeared from behind him, I sat with my head lowered ashamed to look him in the eyes. Subconsciously I guess I felt like I had let him down by becoming the monster. If I had just listened to him that day and not gone to the SS Mart with Sky maybe none of this would be happening. As he advanced I acknowledged the consequences of my action. The more he approached the faster my heart pounded. Even with all this power I still shivered in the presence of the old man, and no matter how much I told myself I could crush him like a bug, there was still some type of authority he possessed which even kept the beast in check.

Smith grabbed the towel which was over his shoulder and threw it at me. Nervously I caught it and wrapped it around my waist, I had gone back to my human form and had no defense against the old man's rage now. Smith said nothing, he scanned me up and down. Then made circles around me as he inspected me. He quietly examined me like a test subject, and then eventually broke the silence.

"Tell me kid what do you think family is?" I stood in silence unresponsive to his rhetorical question. "Well one of the dictionaries definition of family is all decedents of a common ancestry." "My definition is a little bit more relevant to our situation, I like to think of family as a group of people willing to die for one another, a group of people who have come together by circumstance and have developed a bond as thick as any mother and daughter, or father and son.'' "That's what I like to think of family as." "I may get mad, I might be unbearable at times but I'll never abandon you." "You Cairo are family, and I never leave my family behind!"

"I know you need answers, I know you are confused Cairo." "I will explain what I know but before I do please don't think I have all the answers, I'm not ignorant to that fact that I hardly know what's going on in this new world so I suggest you do the same and accept the fact that not everything up there is explainable." "One thing I do know is that I have never lied to you boy, so please understand why we had to do what we did, and why we kept it from you." As Smith continued his speech I got flash backs from my old life, those words, that apology reminded me of Layla's empty excuse of an apology as she left me for dead. Had I just been betrayed again? At this stage there was nothing I could do, I had to listen to his reasoning and take it from there. So I let him continue, hoping some of what he said would make sense.

"You see Cairo, we have been monitoring you from the day we brought you down here." "You were supposed to be dead son, the injuries you sustained were beyond fixable." "Week after week we tried to stabilize for condition, but you were declining rapidly. " "Soon Sky had joined us and after she inspected you she told us to prepare ourselves, she said you did not have much time left." "We just didn't have the medical resources to sustain your condition."

"But somehow you did not die; in fact you started healing at an experiential rate." "From almost dead to fully recovered over night." "Unexplainably you seemed perfect, even moving your fingers and toes, some nights talking in your sleep." "We hoped you would wake and join us, but you never did." "Then you woke, well partially at least." "You see Cairo it's not the first time we saw the beast." "One night as you started screening in your sleep, fighting an internal battle we were left numb, unsure of what was happening." "Eventually for a minute or two the transformation began, just in face that is." It only lasted a few seconds and was gone almost immediately; somehow you had managed to suppress the monster in your comma."

"We debated our safety for days, wondering if it would be better to kill you right then and there." "I mean to our knowledge at the time you were basically a Reaper, how could we know differently?" "But that was not who we were, it was hard enough killing Reapers, to kill you would make us the monsters." So we needed to reach an agreement, the best we could come up with was to take you topside and leave you there with what we thought to be your kind." "We could not keep you down here thinking you were a Reaper, we had seen what those things were, it was too risky for the group's safety, we had to make the hard choice."

"Then a few nights before we were about to take you to the top, we met her and everything changed." "I'll never forget that night, my mind was racing I did not feel right with the fate we had chosen for you." "But what choice did we have, we could not keep you down here, it was far too dangerous." "So I sat praying for alternatives." "I guess a miracle came through instead, far from what I was excepting but nevertheless a chance, and that's all I needed for you." "In the distance on the east passage I heard a noise." "Wearily I got up, grabbed my machete and slowly approached the east bend." "The noises became louder, morphing from a slight moan to a deafening growl which shook the passages ways as it echoed through the tunnels."

"Then I saw a shadow, not human or Reaper." "That shadow only belonged to one thing." "How the hell did a wolf get down here and more importantly how was the freaking thing so big!" "I knew wolves, I had spent time interacting with wolves while deployed on my missions in the Serbian Forrest's." "This thing was twice the size of any Grey wolf I had ever seen." "What's stranger was, it sported an orange reddish coat, not matching the fur of any Caine I had seen before." "The creature took two more steps then collapsed to the floor." "Unresponsive it just lay there, while it's rib cage expanded and contacted as panted heavily." "I approached it, just to be instantly stopped in my tracks, as it started moving again."

"It violently shook and started convulsing, then it hit me." "These were the same symptoms you showed when you changed for the first time." "In front of my own eyes I witnessed as it twisted and reshaped." "It hair fell out and it's front legs absorbed into its body." "Its hind legs started taking on a human shape and its shoulders become more human, more viable while its arms re-grew." "Its snout shortened until eventually flat to its face." "In less than a two mintues there was a naked lady laying on the floor were the creature had been." "She had ginger hair and light blue eyes, same as the wolf."

The women opened her eyes and lifted her hand." "I ran to assist, as I held her I saw four large bite marks across her back." "I knew it had to be Reapers, their blunt teeth had ripped out sections out of her flesh." "She was dying in my arms, there was nothing I could do to save her, I knew the plethora of questions I had would go unanswered." "With her last breath she mumbled...A-Pex, New Port." "I begged her to hold on, as I screamed for Sky's assistance." "I repeated her words back to her, A-Pex what's an A-Pex, where is this New Port?" "Sadly I would not get any answers as she faded away into deaths embrace." "Sharif and Sky arrived and found her lifeless body in my arms, I tried to explain the story as best as I could, tripping over most of the details." "Even though I understood so little I did understand that you Cairo, were not human nor Reaper, you were something different." "I knew there was something special about you." "You may not have looked like the wolf in the tunnels but somehow you guys were connected." "We had to find out what you were." "Sky and Sharif promised they would help me figure this out if you were somehow connected to the wolf lady?" "Were you all somehow connected to the Reapers?" "Were there more of you topside, and could you all control your new forms like she had?" "She may not have been able to answer all my questions but someone soon would."

"The women would not be our last guest" "Three days after her death we heard the alarm go off in the grocery store." "Sharif had set a trip wire and if anything stepped on the long rope, we would hear the bell ring above." "As the bell starting chiming violently we knew our food source was in jeopardy" "We could not afford to lose any of our food supply to stray dogs or unwanted guests, thieves would be met with aggression and violence." "We approached the grocer with caution, weapons drawn and ready." "We saw the intruder crouched over in the corner scratching through goods on the shelves."

"The crackling of an empty crisps packet under my foot alerted the stranger of our presence." "He stood up and slowly turned around." "The man in front of us wore a pled button up shirt, a long white lab coat and the ugliest brown pants I'd seen in my Life." "He had on thick glasses and a stadium shaped hair cut with a bald patch in the center, worse than mine." "He begged we please don't hurt him, he was just looking for food." "We slowly holstered our weapons not wanting to spook him any further." "To this day I am still amazed how he survived up there all alone." "He seemed as if he was built for the lab, not the wildness of the new world." "He told us he was headed to a place where he would be safe, a place free of Reapers, a place people were regrouping in numbers." "He was on his headed there before he lost his way, the eventually decided he would return to the safety of his home." "He told us his name of the so called sanctuary he so desperately wanted to find." "That name, I heard that name just days before" "The same name the women had mentioned...Newport." "I knew we needed to know more about this place, the second time in three days I had heard this name, this could not just be a coincidence." "So I introduced myself and Sky, then begged him to please come and spend the night in the safety of the bunker with us before he continued his journey." "Cautiously at first, he opted to rather move on, saying he needed to regroup and try for New Port again. "Our promise of a hot meal and warm water for a bath soon persuaded him to change his mind."

"In the safety of the Bunker and with the little girls playing around him, the professor eventually dropped his guard." "He introduced himself and allowed us to do the same." "His name is Baxter Ulrich." "He worked at Union Gardens University, ironically his specialized field was in genetic sciences." "We came to know the man as Prof. and soon replaced his government name with his tile." "Prof. rambled on about his deduction of the Reapers, in particular how they had been genetically modified by the gas." "He believed the transportation was a way in which the extra terrestrial rocks ensured the sustainability of life as they terraformed their new host planet." "Labeling his theory "The Gastro Genetic modification theory". "As he drove into the theory I stopped him, explaining I was just an ex soldier not a scientist and was lost in all the scientific jargon he was using." "Either way all of that was irrelevant to me, I wanted to find out about the women in the passage way" "More importantly I wanted to find out about you, and how we could fix you." "I took him to your bed side and begged him to help us." "Then I told him about the women and about you that night we first saw you change."

"Calmly he sat nodding his head, as he absorbed all the information in was relaying." "Without saying a word the professor took of his glasses, folded them and put them into his pocket." "He then got up and mumbled as he walked towards the door." "As he got to the exit he turned and took off his white coat." "Prof. folded the coat while exposing his unfashionable pled shirt which had large tears on each side." "Sharif, Sky and I stood watching this odd man, unsure of what he was doing." "Sky moved the girls behind her and slowly reached for the revolver."

"The professor began sweating, his face reddened and his breathing accelerated." "Instantaneously two growths started developing underneath his arms, just above the gap between his ribs." "The growths grew rapidly until they had reached the length of his existing arms." "These newly developed obscurities then started separating at the ends and believe me when I tell you, small weird appendage like extremities started forming on each one." "After growing a bit longer they had become fully functional hands with finger nails and all, no different to yours or mine!" "The transparent set of arms glowed, a pinkish red color underneath the candle light, and I stared in wonderment as I watched each vein, artery and bone fuse until the final layer of skin coated the limbs signalizing the conclusion of the transformation."

"Where is he?" I shouted at Smith, interrupting his story. The old man stood in a quite protest not wanting to give up the Professors location." He begged me to think rationally, telling me I was not ready to go searching topside for a man who was most dead or out of the city." "He urged me to calm down, telling me I needed time to get used to my new form before taking it into the field." Smith begged me to stay, saying the journey was too long to the professor's location.

What would my next step be, so much information crammed into such a small amount of time." "Canine women, Beasts, Four armed professors, either I had stepped into a Quincy Karl Sci-Fi Novel or my new reality had been reshaped into a fictional nightmare."

CHAPETER 6

_They say all wounds heal in time, but what if the scars left behind are so deeply embedded into ones psyche they play as a constant reminder to the distrust inflicted. What if pain is all you see when you look into their eyes, what if people you held so close to your heart are now as estranged as the ideas of happiness in this distrustful place? Is that what it had eventually come to; was it truly every man for themselves? Or could I believe they did what they did, knowing it was for my own good, they hid what they hid thinking it was the best way to keep me safe._ _Now left in a predicament I had to choose to trust these people who once wanted to leave me at the Reapers mercy._

_From Layla to Smith, I was running out of people I could count on. Were the drastic choices made for the preservation of every body's safety? Or did they just panic in the presence of the unknown? What would happen if the beast showed up again, would they embrace the new me or choose to attack every time they felt threatened._ _As I contemplated the different scenarios, I knew there was only one way I would get the truth, I had to find this Professor._

But as time does, it dragged on and I found myself still trapped down in the bunker. My request to find the professor had continuously fallen upon deaf ears, as Smith hid his location from me. Explaining that when I had mastered control over the beast he would personally take me. This rattled my thoughts even more so. Some nights I think he really cared for my safety others nights I think it is all just a lie.

Two months had gone by, and even though things felt exactly as they did before, I kept my guard up, still unsure of the group's motives. They had built their new lives around the beast. Making me a weapon, protector and an all-round insurance policy. We trained hard and long but no matter how many hours I spent with them I could not shake the fact that they kept these secrets from me. I will make the journey in search of the professor and of the truth, with or without their approval.

"Steady yourself Cairo, keep your head clear, concentrate, don't let him overwhelm you, show him you are in control." Sharif guided me as I focused intensely while trying to control my barbarous counter-part. His methods were sound and his teachings were effective. He helped me smooth the transition from human to beast. My body would soon become accustomed to the pain and somehow numb itself from the transformation. Thanks to Sharif's guidance I could now almost transform at will. "That's it Cairo!" Enthusiastically he jumped out of his seat, elated by his work. Like a proud coach rejoicing in their athlete's success, he was over whelmed with the results we had both achieved. I grunted, trying to show him my illation. Unfortunately my communication was limited, vocally I was impaired to grunts and roars.

Even though the training was all well and good. I had not forgotten my main goals of finding the professor. I took advantage of the lessons I learned, the beast would be the only way I could safety get to him in a land full of Reapers. Yes I had not fully regained my trust in the group, but what was my alternative? I tried looking at the brighter side of the situation by talking what he taught and using it to my advantage.

I guess the good out-weighed the bad. I could do things that I did not even think possible a few months back. The physicality I possessed in this state was tenfold that of my human form, the possibilities seemed endless. The raw power that surged through me felt as viable as the blood which pumped through my veins. I felt indestructible, like a freight train at high speed, I reckoned not even the Pack could stop me. This made me eager to put my new abilities to the test. Now that I had more authority over the transformation, I wanted to push the boundaries as far as possible. Unfortunately down here in the limited space of the sewer it was hard to do.

Sharif's temperament while tutoring me was calm, his soothing tone helped me focus my attention. Even though his lessons became time consuming and repetitive, I hung in, absorbing as much as possible. Knowing I was not only prepping my mind and conditioning my body for the transformation, but using the teachings as a temporary escape from the constant questions which bugged me. My lessons with Sharif where broken down into three parts. Firstly, using meditative techniques to help me deal with the physical pain which was caused by the transformation. Secondly, I was learning the most efficient and effective way to transform from human to beast. Lastly, finding calm in my mind and coming to terms with what I had become. I had to accept that I was not just Cairo Goodridge any longer, but now had two identities of both man and monster.

Some days he would make me change back and forth until my clothes were blood stained and dozens of teeth lay like a box of spilt tic-tac's at my feet. In the beginning I wondered what his intentions were, what was the point of all this. But soon I realized that each day I was transforming faster and faster and it was almost painless every time I turned. Sharif's primary intentions were to insure the readiness of his newly developed weapon. I would be his new battering ram used for the safety of the girls. He understood being in the transformed state was the easy part; speeding up the process of the transformation would be much trickier. It may have sounded a bit selfish, but I understood where he was coming from. I was basically only a glorified uncle to the girls but would risk my life for them. So from a father's point of view insuring his babies safety was the number one priority, even if it meant using his friend as the object to do so.

Sharif continued preaching his cognitive lecture, trying to make sure I was in a serine state of mind as I started the transformation. I constantly grumbled under my breath, tired of his instructions before obliging then repeating the tiresome procedure. The exercises were becoming painfully monotonous, but I had no other choice than to compose myself and being once again. At first I could not get enough of turning into the beast, but now all I wanted to do was go collapse on the mattress and spend the rest of the day sleeping in the bunker or chatting away aimlessly with the girls. "Again Cairo breath," Sharif was insistent; there was no point in pleading my case, he was not the slightest bit concerned about how tired or sore I was, all I could do was succumb to his persistency and do as he said.

I took a deep breath and began listening carefully to Sharif's instructions. "That's it Cairo, now slowly inhale through your nose... pace yourself boy!" "Good work, take three second intervals and exhale through your mouth." I did as I was told. "Clear your mind; you are a blank canvas about to paint your own serenity in the vast openness of your mind." "Picture the one place you felt most at ease, the most desirable place you could be in." "Think of a time when you were at your most happiest and mold the two scenarios together." "You are in complete control of your surroundings, your head is free of everything else, and you are entirely secluded in that moment." "Good, don't stop breathing!" I gritted my teeth from the pain and heard him shouting, "Stay in your serene state of mind, think of only the place you are in and don't forget to breath!" As I focused on Sharif's instructions a picture of my apartment appeared. Almost immediately I felt as if the pain subsided in this pretend world that Sharif had made me conjure up. I floated away in my own dreams as my body took over, transforming without my acknowledgment. I took a journey into my subconscious mind and found this harmonious paradise Sharif had sent me in search of.

I could see myself in my apartment on my bed, but I was not alone. I felt strange, many times Sharif and I had gone through this exercise, usually I would picture myself on a beach in the warm sun or alone in a quiet green meadow. This was the first time I saw myself at back home. But I was not alone, she was next to me. We lay on my bed laughing as if it was any other Sunday afternoon back in the old world. Conflicted about her presence I wondered why she was here. This was neither a happy place nor a happy moment. So why was my mind portraying these images of this love tyrant known as Layla. The sensation felt so real the images so vivid, I could swear I felt her breath on my face and her touch on my skin. The heightened sense from the transformation made everything more existent, making me fall further down the rabbit hole into this illusory scenario. I could see each crinkle on her nose as she laughed, I could see the glitter in her eyes and feel her soft hair as she nestled her head close onto my shoulder. But as the dream went on she started disappearing, I tried holding onto the images. I should have let go after what she had done to me, but I had no control. The heart wants what the heart, and I guess the beast wanted Layla.

"Well done Cairo, two minutes, thirty seconds." "You shaved off a whole forty seconds from last week's practice." "If you keep this up I'll bet you by the end of the week we'll have you another five seconds down." "I'm proud to call myself your tutor, your ability to absorb everything I teach is outstanding and in time I am sure your capabilities will be astronomical." As I looked at the pride which oozed out of Sharif I began withdrawing my guard and regaining his trust. If he had any malicious intentions, he was doing a dam good job of tricking me with the affection and positivity he showered me with.

I was done with one lesson just to get ready for the next. Some days I felt like a lab rat constantly being tested in a perpetual circle which seemed to have no end. There were so many days I felt like all this, what was the point if I was going to be trapped down here unable to put my abilities to use. I mean I could be doing so much good for the entire group. I could eventually protect us from the Reapers and give us somewhat of a life back. Looking back I guess that's what Smith was trying to do, but these simulated drills felt pointless, I wanted a taste of the real thing. I wanted to be released on the Reapers

Smith and I started our next lesson at the end of the Sewer passage way. In an abandoned construction site, which was filled with uncompleted pillars and large scaffolding beams which lead to the roof. The previous constructors had been drilling and were about to extend the Sewer tunnels, before the rocks fell, they had unintentionally created the perfect train grounds for me. As I walked into the dimly lit room, I saw Smith already waiting. He patiently sat beside a broken down pillar, sharpening his machete on the corner of the dilapidated concrete slab. With my arrival, he placed his blade on the floor, approached me and with no hesitation my lesson began.

Smith was the local boxing and jujitsu coach back in the army. He loved competing, and even though his days in the ring were far gone, he loved passing his knowledge onto up and coming young fighter. He took the same foot drills and movement sequences from back then and implemented them on a much bigger scale for me. He also had me smashing through pullers, lifting 200 pound slabs and shadow boxing, which helped me get used to my new anatomy. He understood that he would have to implement new strategies, he understood the importance of close combat fighting. He Knew the Reapers were to quick for me, they were too agile to stick and move. He new I would have to get my hands around them. So he implemented new moves which heavily focused on Sambo and Greco Roman wrestling. Slab after slab I supplexed through the pillars. From high throws to arm locks, Even implementing the devastating art of Judo to the beasts' arsenal.

"Exactly as we practiced Cairo," He screamed out his instruction... "Now!" With that I knew my cue and took off on a collision course with a pillar Smith had hacked a large X across. I exuded with confidence eager to impress him as I galloped towards the target. I smashed through it with ease. Now I had to stop myself before running into its counterpart which stood directly behind it. So I threw my left hand to the floor, immediately slowing myself down before coming to a complete stop. Smith came running toward me cheering, he was ecstatic with the progress. I dusted the rubble and concrete sediment off my enormous chest while stepping away from Smith, before returning to my human form. Thank goodness for the black spandex tights we found in the grocer. I was ripping through clothes at a crazy rate until he gifted me with the stretchable pants. As Smith ecstatically hugged me I was not eager to replicate the affectionate gesture. Yes because I was still angry at him but mostly because I knew I would have to break his trust once again. I was leaving in search of the Professor. He had the answers I was looking for, he was the only one that could help explain what I was and how this happened to me. Even though I had made peace with the beast, there was an internal curiosity growing inside me. Yes the origins of this new form intrigued me but I believed the main reason I wanted to find the Professor was to see if this place New Port existed. I was already claustrophobic of the Sewers, but now as the beast it was worse, this creature was not meant to be trapped away.

As Smith and I walked back to the Bunker I took advantage of his good mood. I told him I would be leaving in the morning in search of the professor. Smith's mood immediately changed, he began yelling, cursing and throwing his hands in the air. I did not budge, my emotions stayed cold, his usual scolding was not going to work this time. "Think what you like, I'm not giving you his freaking location, you are not freaking ready Cairo." I stayed composed, we walked in silence, for the first time the tables had turned and it was Smith who anxiously wondered if he had upset me. Just before we entered the bunker I grabbed his arm and told him. "If you do or don't choose to give me the location it will not change anything, tomorrow morning I'm leaving, I'm done being trapped down here." Smith said his usual lines when he wanted to put an argument to bed, "we will discuss it further in the morning." But I was not waiting for the morning and I was dam sure not waiting for his permission any more. As we entered the bunker I grabbed my boots and jacket and was heading out the door. Sky could see something was up she rushed in front of me and blocked the exit. Sharif also tried to intervene and find out what was the matter. Smith frantically explained the situation, telling them how reckless I was being. I did not care, basically I was just waiting for his rant to end then I would proceed forward, like a duck in the water his words ran off my back. I was done waiting for his permission; I was done waiting for any of their permission.

"He's right Smith" eventually their their argument caught my attention. Uncharacteristically Sharif did the unthinkable and agreed with me. Confused Smith looked at him if he had lost his mind. He explained his reasoning, "The boy has made his mind up Smith and honestly none of us could stop him if we tried, he has a right to find out what he is." "He will be safe, he has trained hard for this journey and besides I'll be with him the whole way." Sky pushed me aside as she walked to Sharif, she protested his choice, demanding the girls needed their father, rather she goes then him. But Sharif was adamant; he explained to the group his rash decision. "A while ago I shut down the idea of going to the SS Mart; I believed it was an uncalculated uneducated risk." "I thought it was not worth losing your life over." "The two of you bravely went any way, and you returned with a second life line for me and my girls." "I saw the joy you brought them, I witnessed as my girls went to sleep on a full belly with smiles on their faces." "I watched their humanity shine through the struggle as they had a reason to keep fighting." "Mostly I saw the way they looked at the two of you as heroes." "I never want them to think their father is a coward, I never want them to live a life of suffering because they were scared to take risks." "If there is even a slight chance this New Port place exists, it's worth a shot." "I would do anything to see my babies; my new brothers and my amazing partner live the rest of their lives in the place where they can run in the grass with the sun on their skin." Cairo this thing you are, whatever it is has to be a blessing." "We have to take advantage of it to help regain the lives we lost" "If it means searching topside for the Professor so be it, count me in."

Sharif grabbed his blade and his jacket; he kissed Zara on the fore head and told her he loved her. He looked at Fatima's eyes swell up with tears. The young girl new the dangerous her father was going to face up there. He wiped them away and told her she must stop crying. He promised he would be back in no time. Angrily she burst out, "Don't say that dad, you don't know that, you can't make a promises like that." She ran to the corner of the room and carried on weeping. Sharif went to Sky and held her tight, he asked her to please keep them safe. She tried fighting his decision, begging to take his place. He kissed her and told her again, please take care of them. We exited the door; he turned to them and shouted I'll be back before you know it.

Sharif and I arose from the sewers into the crisp fresh morning air. I loved being up here, there was something magical about this blue and green marble we called earth. Only after what we had endured, did I understand the preciousness of life. Only when it's stripped away do you see how coincidental it all seems. Just the fact that I was a living breathing human is a game of stacked odd was coincidental enough. I'd think to myself how much had to line up for me to be here. How an atom had to split, how a Cell had to be created, how a plant had to grow, how a fish had to swim, how we had to evolve from chimps. How that one magical sperm cell had to cling onto the right egg at the right time against all odds. How my great-grandparents had to meet, how my grandparents had to meet until eventually, how my Mother had to fall in love with my father. What's more is how I survived Layla and Jacob, how somehow my body chose to change to the beast instead of just stay in its human form and how my chemically compound saved me from changing into a Reaper. My thoughts were abruptly brought back to reality by the sight I had hoped to see so badly down in the sewers. Not even an hour topside and the dangerous of this place reared its ugly head.

Two reapers knelt over a dead dog's carcass as they gnawed at its bones. Trying to get every last bit of marrow from the deceased animal. The Reapers noticed us and lost interest in the dog, fresh meat was always the preferred option. The creatures wasted no time and began running down the road straight at us. As quick as I could I pulled my shirt off and did the same to my pants. As I struggled with my boots I realized the creatures were getting close, there was no more time left. Sharif tried calming me while he got his knife ready. He was not oblivious to the fact that if I did not manage to change in time he would have to intervene. This was the first time I would use my powers out in the field.

Luckily Sharif training would come to fruition. Within twenty seconds I had fully transformed and stood waiting for the Reapers. But something was not right though, something felt different inside. I felt as if I had lost control, as if I was a bystander watching from the outside as the beast propelled forward in a blind rage. I started running straight at them, an animal instinct had taken over and fear was quickly replaced by anger. I was at full speed when I collided like a freight liner into the first Reaper. I landed on top of her, she scratched and growled and tried clawing at my face. Clasping her arms in my large hands. I looked her in the eye and began pulling. She screamed and squirmed as she tried free herself from me. I centered my weight on her chest, making sure she could not get away. Slowly I felt the tissue tearing and heard bones leaving their sockets. With one last pull I ripped through the ligaments and skin which were the only thing left attaching her arms to her torso. Both limbs dangled in my hands, dripping with blood. The Reaper squealed in pain as it hopelessly wiggled around while bleeding out. What was this savage nature, the beast had never gotten this out of control before. Never before in any of my transformations had I felt so violent, so primal! I was confused with this new power and strength. I lifted my head and rolled back my eyes, the sensation was like a drug, was this what I had become? A mindless animal bent on killing for amusement. I was no better than the reapers; maybe even worse at least they had the excuse of killing to eat. Behind me the other Reapers stood ready to pounce.

We stared each other down before engaging. The swift reaper dogged as I swatted at it with my claws, it danced around my strikes clearly way more agile than me. Before I could react again it was on my back. It bit down on my neck trying to Peirce through my thick skin. I grabbed its legs, tightening my grip; I squeezed then threw myself to the floor. We landed hard, all my weight fell on top of it. I turned around stood up and began pounding at its face, my claws dug out Chunk's of meat.

"Enough!" Sharif intervened, he put himself in-between me and the mangled Reapers. He grabbed my hand in an attempt to stop me from going down a path of savagery and self destruction, which he feared I would not return. But he was too late, the beast had reared its uncooperative head and there was no turning back now. I growled in an annoyed rage, this did not deter the persistent man however. The creature was faceless, dead on the floor. Sharif was not bothered about the Reaper, he too had his fair share is dismembering Reapers in the past. He was worried that if I went down this primal pathway, it would be impossible to return. With all that power he understood the conciseness of letting it take control even. But his actions had consequences, he was not pushing around Cairo, this was something else. He had gone to far, he had pushed too hard both literally and figuratively and now this uncontrolled force wanted to push back. I looked into his eyes roared in anger then swatted him to the floor. He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, his head bounced off the hard tarmac. He stood up slowly in pain, instantaneously the side of his face turned blue, the back of his head trickled with blood yet he still did not believe it was too late to help me. Shocked at what I had just done he slowly backed away. But I was not done with him yet, I grabbed Sharif by the shirt and sent him flying across the dirt. He kept rolling in the gravel until an old mesh fence ceased his momentum. As he tried to stand he fell to the floor, unable to hold himself up on a severely sprained ankle. Sharif sat back down in the dirt like a wounded animal. I was approaching like a blood thirsty predator about to finish my kill. I lifted my hand to the air and sent my claws ploughing down towards his head.

Sharif's words began persuading me as he pleaded his case, "You know you are better than this Cairo, this mindless thing is not the boy." "You have to control it Cairo just as we have done a thousand times over, remember he is you and you are him, don't let him bully you, stay calm and composed remember who you are Cairo." "You are not a Reaper, oh no you are special, you will be the one who save all of us." " Your mind is as strong as your body so stop this childish behavior and remember who the hell you are!"

What had I done! My friend, my tutor, I had left him battered and brokers in a pile of dirt. What if this happened again, how would I ever tell the girls I killed their father? This was too dangerous; I was in denial thinking I could control the beast. Smith was right I was not ready to be up here. I should have taken more time, I should have focused more. Even though all I wanted to do was quit this mistake of a mission and return to the bunker, I knew this was not about me anymore. I had to continue and find out about New Port. But I had to do this on my own. It was too dangerous to go any further with Sharif.

Even though it was nice to know that he had my back up here. I could not ask him to continue any further. This burden was mine to bear, and asking him to share the load would be selfish. I refused to put him in such a dangerous situation again, what if next time I did not have the power to control the beast? I retracted my claws and stomped off, then fell to my knees ashamed and confused with what I had become. Roaring in anguish I wished all of this would go away, I never asked for this curse, I never asked for any of this. For a brief second I wished I had never woken from the coma, at least that way I would've never had to fell the pain I felt from Layla's betrayal, of deal with the anguish we had to endure living in the sewers, or put up with the horrors of this new world and most of all I would not have to share my existence with my sadistic counterpart!

I felt the reassuring touch of Sharif's hand as he placed it on my shoulder. "I am here for you Cairo; I always have and always will be; you don't have to do this alone." A sense of relief took over, knowing I was not completely alone made things a bit easier and at least one of the questions had been answered. I could trust Sharif; I could trust my whole family. What had happened in the past would stay in the past, they chose to save me, they never abandoned me. They nursed me back to health and even though they never told me about the transformation they had always treated me like I was one of them, like I was a part of the group, like I was family.

I slowly began changing back to my human form. Sharif stretched out his hand as a peace offering. I grabbed it and he pulled me out of the dirt. Sharif was a strong man, he was with me till the end, he wanted the news about New Port just as badly as I did and a few minor injuries would not deter him from his goal. So he slung his arm over my shoulder and the two of us hobbled onwards in search of the professor.

Sharif knew the area where the profession resided. He did not know the exact location but remembered some of the land marks which the professor spoke about during his stay at the bunker. From what he recalled the professor was squatting on the tops of a metal frame construction site which was supposed to be built into a Factory only to be let abandoned as a high rise protective penthouse for the Professor. He said it was the safest place for him as the Reapers had problems scaling large structure. The factory was in the Delton Industro. A large industrial area, which housed hundreds of these structures. The professor joked about a yellow Post Prime billboard that was unmissable even from Mars. He resided adjacent to the yellow advertisement, on the reddish metal structure. The Professor assured them that if they ever cam looking for him, all they needed to do is look to the billboard as a compos, this would help them find their way.

As we entered the Delton Industro, the neon yellow billboard was unmissable. I laughed as Sharif pointed and reenacted the professor's explanation about the board, "It's so bright that even the three blind nice could spot it." We were on track, I was sure we would find his home; this did not cross my mind. I would keep looking until I did, the only thing that bothered me was, would he still be alive if we did?

We found the Reddish Factory, this had to be the Professors residence. While circling the structure, we saw a ladder dangling from the top. The sketchy ladder was made from two long link chains on either side with iron bars welded in the middle a foot or so apart from one another. It was held at the top by some ropes attached to a steel pillar and ran all the way down from the second floor to the ground. The ladder was confirmation that we were at the right place, the Prof described how he had to use the ladder to isolate himself from the Reapers by pulling it up every time he was home.

As we climbed the suspect ladder started swaying left and right, and I looked down as I held on hoping this thing would carry both of our weight. At this point we were already one floor off the ground and had another to go. Sharif was directly underneath me, he saw my hesitation as I hung on for dear life. He demanded I just look up and keep moving. Easier said than done, I was paralyzed by fear. Sharif started, "Cario clear your mind, picture a." I shouted back "Not the time, not the time for your guru nonsense Sharif!" He laughed to himself and nudged me along as I started ascending once again.

As we entered the room on the fifth floor we knew this had to be his home. This was the only floor which showed previous signs of human inhabitance, messy inhabitance, but none the less inhabitance. The first thing which caught my eye was the old ragged mattress in the center of the room, it reminded me so much of home. For a slight second I was taken back to the bunker as I thought about how the others must have been spread across the room sitting on the similar looking sponges wondering if Sharif and I were even still alive.

Right beside the mattress was a rusty looking bucket which I presumed was used for....well, you know! But the main focus of the room, was the make shift Frankenstein looking laboratory the professor had set up. There were two white foldable tables which sat underneath a mess of decrepit, out dated science equipment. This was definitely not University grade equipment he was used to, no this was more like c grade basic high school equipment which had been standing in the kids lab for decades. Old fashion paraffin Bunsen burners, Rusty Clamps and Tongs , dust covered Petri dishes, cracked beakers and test tubes. The equipment might not have been in the best shape but it all looked functional. This was still bearable, what made the set up look like a 1900s operating table were the large glass jars filled with different Reaper body parts. One had a foot, the other a kidney, one had a heart and the last and most disturbing was a small Reaper fetus. I wondered to myself how the hell did he get his hands on one of those? I turned to tell Sharif about the obscure looking experiments and found him standing, stiff as a statute with his hands raised high above his head. Sharif singled only using his eyes that I look to the left. From behind an untidily hung curtain I saw the barrel of a shotgun peeing out at us. Slowly more of the gun became visible as the man holding it moved forwards.

We had to be in the right place, the description of the man holding the gun was identical to that of Smith's. The man adjusted his glasses and lowered the barrel, "Sharif is that you?" The professor waited for a response. "Yes Prof it's me, long time no see." ecstatically he started waving the gun in our direction as he ran over to greet us. Both Sharif and I jumped out the way; not wanting to be aimed at with what we presumed to be a loaded weapon.

The professor saw our concern and dropped he gun to the floor. Both of us winced hoping a shot would not go off, he was definitely not used to handling firearms. He grabbed Sharif around both his arms and hugged him tightly; you could feel his excitement for human contact. The uncomfortable embrace ended as the professors curiosity was turned towards me. Who's your Friend Sharif, I don't remember meeting him down in the bunker." Sharif explained that I was the kid in the coma, the one Smith had told him about."

"Mr. Cairo, yes, yes how could I have forgotten!" "The night I spent down in the bunker Smith had you tightly wrapped up in blankets, he left you looking like a descendant of Ramses or Tutankhamen, while trying to brake your fever." "This is exceptional news; it's so nice to see you up and about." The professor stopped talking and you could feel the cogs in his head spinning as he scratched his goatee and broke down the situation." "ah-hah but of course your mutated cells must have been lying dormant keeping you alive, that is the only way you could recovered from such a traumatic event in such a short period of time." "Due to the transformation you have been preserved my boy, truly incomprehensible!" "Come, come both of you please follow me, we have so much to discuss."

We followed the Professor to an open area which had no covering from the elements. The roof had not been completed and the walls had not been erected. However the area had a charm to it, like an open patio you could see the sun set in the distance and enjoy the scenery without having to worry about Reapers. Sharif and I sat on two fold away chairs. The Professor put a pot of water over his Brunson burner and began boiling it. He added two tea bags to the water than brought us back the soothing, warm beverage. He wanted to know the purpose of our visit, making it very clear he was appreciate we had come but baffled about the reason we would choose to journey so far from our home. In a nervous reaction he panicked while asking about the rest of the group. He interrogated us about the safety of the others. Sharif assured him that every one was in good health and the main reason we came was for me. So with that he gave me the floor and allowed me to ask any questions I needed answered.

"I need to know what I am Professor, why am I like this, why do these primal instinct take over?" "I need to find out how to suppress this thing inside me." "Yes at times I am happy when it allows me to briefly take over and somewhat pretend I'm in control, I know the benefits of the from and appreciate them." "But the Burdon is becoming to grate; I feel the weight of this monster on my shoulders." Sharif looked up at me, puzzled about my statement. "Cairo, I did not know this, why did you not speak up?" "I thought things were going well and the training was helping you gain control?" I shook my head, "Don't get me wrong the training has been great, it's helped make this experience all manageable but the fight to hold the beasts rage back is getting harder each day." I redirected my attention to the professor. "Look I know I'm different now, I can feel it in my bones." "I'm okay with that, honestly it is exhilarating knowing the power I posses, However excepting does not help me understand how to control it."

The Professor came and stood uncomfortably close to me. We were now face to face, the tip of his long protruding nose was now awkwardly touching mine and he inspected my face as if I was one of the specimens in his jars. "There's an old saying way before your time which went, the eyes are the window to the soul." "Now take a good look into my eyes Mr. Goodridge and see how relevant that quote is to your debacle."

Unsure of what this crazy man meant by his old school psychosocial quotes, I just blindly did as he said, after all I had come all this way. I looked into his eyes not knowing what he expected me to see. He pulled me even closer and reiterated, "look deeper Mr. Goodridge" Than I saw it, the faint red ring around his pupils, similar to that of mine. He released me and rocked back.

"You may regard this so called beast which is trapped inside you as a deformity with its own identity." "But this is not the case, he is you and you are him, there is no demon or embedded entity within you, no Mr. Goodridge what's happening to you is evolution." "I know it feel foreign, trust me I understand the metal toll it takes on your psyche." "Don't think I have a quick fix for this, it will take time to come to terms with what you have become." "One thing I can promise you is he is you, you just need to control the overwhelming feeling of your transformed state and not let your mind slip into a darkness which is so hard to control. Get the though of you and it out of your head, stop believing he is something separate to you" "Mr. Goodridgee we do not merely turn into these phenomenal beings and watch as they have their own agendas." "We are them; we need to learn to control ourselves." "So stop thinking negotiate about the hand your been felt, work at it like an athlete does to enhance their God given talents." "Its not doom and gloom there's a silver lining what you have been given and it happens to be that behemoth sized Reaper killer inside you."

"I understand you did not come here for a pep talk, you want my professional diagnoses." "Let me just start with this, you are just like me and hundreds of others roaming around the city." "We are now related not by blood, but by something stronger, the fascinating hand of evolution." "Our genealogy is what makes us important." "Just as we had categorized Homo sapiens into the generous homo, we too would have to be included into the specimen table, however not as humanoid, no my friend we are far from that, we are the next evolutionary step." "In our regard though it's a bit different, we are all technically still homo sapiens when we are in our human form." "But when we change our specific genetic traits make us a completely different species." "What's even more bizarre is Darwin's theory of biological evolution becomes irrelevant in many of our cases." "You see in a nutshell Darwin stated that evolution occurs due to natural selection, the strong survive and mate with the strong in turn passing on strong physical attributes to their off spring, this leaves the week to die off with their weaker attributes." "However these are all biological, from what I have come across some of us are evolving from outside interference and some even more peculiarly are evolving due to physiological state of mind." "In very rear cases the time people are taking the forms their minds had created when gas was introduced into our atmosphere, be it from fear, excitement or pleasure their biological make up has been changed by their mentally state."

"Let me elaborate by using the women Smith found in the Passage way." She is the perfect example of genetic interference from an out side elements" "He said when he found her she had a Union Zoo key card hanging around her neck. The badge and photo I.D on the card said her name was Ayanda Mentza and she worked in the Grey wolf exhibition." "Now why would a person who has no Canine DNA be able to transform into something so strongly resembling a wolf?" "The only logical guess I could take was this is due to circumstances." "See if the women interacted with the wolves, if she fed them, played with them and let them lick her face like many animal care takers do, she would be covered in their DNA" "My guess is the gas which changed us, somehow fussed her and her furry companions cells, creating the genetically modified wolf hybrid Smith encounter."

Was the professor right? I was not an animal guy and had no pets. If anything the only animals I encountered was the dead live stock in the kitchen back at the restaurant. But he did also say the change could be due to your physiological state. Was that the reason for the beast? Was he created from the anger, the hate I felt for Layla when the rocks fell? Was he birthed from the weakness I felt as they had me tied up. Was his strength created to keep me alive?" "I composed my thought, he had so much more to explain and I was eager to learn it all."

"We are the new breeds of this world, Apex predators scattered across this great city. As we come to terms with our new abilities we will stop hiding like dogs and take our place at the top of the food chain." "In theory it all sound amazing, but let's not forget that we are still human and having all this power will come with serve consequences." "Wars will be fought, people will die and chaos will come as it always does when man obtains news levels of power."

"Let me try and explain the reactions happening with in you Mr. Goodridge." "The gas molecules have somehow intertwined with our genetic codes, endowing them with a certain strand of chromosome" "The gas has allowed the modification of every cell in your body, which in turn has left them working harder, faster and at a more ferocious and efficient rate than your previous human forms." "You see the elements which spike the transformations hide dormant waiting until needed, it's up to us to release them." "In my case fright activated mine" "In time though I learned to control it, my brain began understanding the transformation, just as it understood when I walked it needed to relay the message to raise and drop my legs." "Take for example your dense skin, I could only presume your ectodermic tissue is being developed at an exceptionally fast rate, each time your brain sends the messages to your body that the transformation beginning, your mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm's egg cell fertilization speeds up causing rapid cell separation which... "The Professor shifted his glasses as he squinted at me. He could see he had lost me after mesoderm. He knew I would not understand the genetic jargon. "Basically what I'm telling you Mr. Goodridge is that when you transform its not magic, no good sir, its science.

"However I have a feeling that's not the only reason you two came looking for me is it?" The professor smiled anxiously, hoping the question would be about New Port would be brought up. Without giving us the time to respond he ecstatically ran to his mattress, lifted it off the ground and pulled a large paper from underneath. "Come closer and take a look at this map Cairo, you too Sharif please-please come forward." "What do you see right there?" I knew island the professor was pointing at, it was a couple miles off the east shore. The island was used as a prison decades ago, but then more recently turned into an amusement park. The island was about four or five city blocks wide. I had never visited the island but had heard about it extensively, as Layla would tell me about her escapades to the amusement park when she was a little girl. She told me how she would hide on the fairy before it took off, as she never had enough money to pay for the fee. She said she'd grab onto strangers hands as they crammed through the gates just to get past the payment stations. She said it was her one escape from the poor down trodden life she had in the city. But this was not the time to think of the past, if the professor was about to say what I hoped, the future would be my concern.

"Well that there my friends Is our safe haven, that there is New Port." "One day when I was relaxingly having a cup of tea, looking at the Sky, reminiscing about the past." "I heard the faint buzzing sound of a plane engine, at first I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me." "Then I saw it, the little red rocket had a banner waving behind it." "The banner said Maccony Island is safe...people gathering... food and shelter... all welcome to our New Port... area is sick free" "Which I presume they meant to be what you and your group have labeled as Reaper free." "I knew I had to take a chance, if there was shelter and safety I had to try." "As I prepared for my journey I saw the plane fly across the city day after day, this emboldened my decision, someone was really taking the time to make sure people knew about the safe haven."

"Alas Attempt after attempt I came short, having to turn back many times." "From Reaper attacks to lost directions and food shortages I never reached my safe haven and have been stuck here since." "But now you are here Cairo, we can all make it there, we have to try, you can protect us as we head to New Port." "So Mr. Goodridge, I have one question for you." "Now that you have gotten what you came for, and understand exactly what you are, what do you intend to do with all that power you wheeled?" "If your answer is crawl back into the depths of the deserted sewers, by all means please let me know and I will not persuade you any further." "But if you chose to dream bigger, if you are willing to take a chance, we might have a future worth living after all."

"Tell me Sharif where do you think someone like you belongs?" "Living in the bottoms of a sewer system or in the world helping us rebuild?" "Do you not think those precious little girls of yours deserve a better chance, a better life?" "Would you not risk it all for the slightest chance that they would have some resemblance of the world they lost?" He turned around and grabbed Sharif's arm. "Trust me when I say the Reapers will not be your only problem." "Soon you will see what I have. Both of you don't understand what is really out here." "The Reapers will be like fluffy kittens compared to the real monsters in this place." "You have not seen the real evil which lurks across these lands." "There are things out there that feast on reapers; things that make Reaper packs scatter for the hills." "The sewers will not always be safe, and when they find you trapped down there it will be a blood bath." "The only chance any of us have is in number, we need to get to Newport, and we need to get out of the city."

Chapter 7

When I was younger and out at sea with my father he would constantly repeat a quote he held dear to his heart, "Failure shall never overcome you Cairo if your determination to succeed is strong enough." At the time I could not understand what he meant by this. But As I grew older I realized, he wanted me to strive for greatness, he did not want me to give up on my dreams. He did not want me to be content with the repetitive lifestyle. No, my father truly believed I was destined to be a powerful man.

In a way I guess I had lived up to my dad's aspirations and had become powerful in my own right. Not in the exact context he envisioned, but I had become great and important to the people around me. I was their life line, their protector, even though I was still coming to terms with my new role, I knew one thing. Failure would never overcome me, when I had such precious cargo on the line. I would have to insure I became the biggest, baddest, creature out there. My role of chef was over; my place as a comatose victim had come to an end, the frightened boy scared of the new world had taken a back seat. Now I had one responsibility, I had to get these six people safely to Newport. It was time for me to become one with this monstrous behemoth, it was time for me to release the beast.

The journey home was tough; our battle with the Reapers had left us battered. We had no time to waste; explanations would be done on the way there. We gathered the group, packed lightly and took off for our new home. Smith led the us across the newly shaped lands, Zara sat firmly on his , trying to process it all in her little mind. Sky walked behind them, with her 9mm in her hand and a large pack filled with weapons on her back. Sharif walked behind Sky, tightly clutching onto Fatima's hand, the poor girl did not complain as she marched on burdened by a heavy bag which was filled with canned goods and strapped to her shoulders. Behind them was the professor, who lugged around an award suitcase, containing all his science equipment, the clattering of his beakers and jars orchestrated their own sounds as the case tumbled across the uneven grounds. I took the rear, it was best to have the beast at the back in case any threats arrived unnoticed. Our march was slow yet methodical, we all had our eyes on was the future. Nothing was going to stop us from reaching Newport.

The journey was too long to do in a day, we needed to rest. Smith Figured the best place to take shelter for the night would be the police precinct across the road. Entering the building left chills across my spine it had a creepy haunted feel to it. We need to get out of this madness; we need the kids away from all this sorrow. New Port had to be there, this was a one way trip. We found the police wreck room and made it our campsite for the night. Sharif started a fire in the middle of the room and Sky warmed up a pot of baked beans and canned meat ball. The room was dirty and had an odd smell, but we were used to these types of surroundings, it's not like the Sewers were the four seasons

Around midnight I slowly got up, picked up the candle stick and walked to the door. I looked around the room to see the family contently sleeping the night away. The journey had taken it out on all of us and we would need as much rest as possible for the second leg. I wanted to do a sweep of the building before I put my head down for the night. Everybody was already asleep so I just needed to make sure we were safe and there we no unwanted guests nearby. As I passed the police chiefs office I saw a flickering of light through the stained glass. When I pressed my face to the glass I saw silhouettes moving in the darkness. It was Sharif and Sky. She was wrapped around his body, her thighs clinched tightly to his waist, He held her up with all his strength. She slowly ran her lips down his neck. I pulled my face from the glass and awkwardly walked back to the room, privacy was not a luxury the two of them had back in the sewers and they had every right to enjoy each other's embrace without my disturbance.

Morning would soon come and I needed my rest, this would be easier said than done as excitement boiled about the potential possibility of our new home. "Cairo, Cairo, Cairo wake up!" Zara jumped up and down on my chest, her enthusiasm bubbled out. "Okay, okay small fry, I'm up, I'm up." I grabbed her around the waist and placed her on the floor, the little girl scampered off before her feet hit the ground. Everyone was already awake; an aura of excitement filled the room. "Let's go, let's go people, the sun is shining and the birds are in the sky, if we don't move now . . . I'll surely have to cry" The girls laughed at Smiths silly rhymes, Fatima rolled her eyes and sarcastically said "Talk about dad joke 2.0" Smith grabbed her by the shoulders and gave a big kiss on the top of the head.

Once again we were on the road; Smith whistled tunes of pride, sorrow and honor. A Song he sang with his platoon in their days on the battlefield. Zara tried to mimic the old man but was completely lost and eventually opted to make her own rhythmic version of the song. We were half way to the bay which we would have to cross over to New Port. The girls began complaining, their feet ached and they were hungry, Smith suggested we rest in the nearby park for an hour or two. The luscious green paradise would be the perfect place. The soft grass would make a relaxing bed and the scenery was to die for. As the group scattered across the park it brought back some resemblance of normality. The kids competed who could go higher on the rusty old swing. Sharif lay in Sky's lap looking up into the clouds. The Professor sat with all his notes sprawled out on the grass as he continually worked away. Smith laughed at Zara as she shouted for his attention, begging him to watch her touch the sun. Everything seemed perfect.

Then From the south side of the park, a huge bang cut through the calmness. Smith immediately pulled out his machete. Sharif jump out of Sky's lap and ran to the girl's, he grabbed the Rifle around his back and began pointini in the direction of the noise. The professor stumbled over his papers while running to the safety of Sharif. Sky drew both 9mm pistols and went towards Smith. She tapped him on his shoulder and in sync the two started progressing forward as a single unit. I stripped down to my tights, ready to change if need be, the beast was looking for any excuse to be released, I had to hold back, waiting for the threat.

Smith as Sky circled around the large statue in the park but there seemed to be nothing. He shouted from down the park, "false alarm it's all good, must have been a squirrel or something." Sky laughed as she walked back, "A squirrel making such a loud noise Smith, seriously." Luckily the noise was just that, a noise. There was no threat or trouble around. Smith continued sitting by the statue, he pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket. He found the box in the police department. He wasn't the biggest smoker but loved a cigar now and then. Smith lit the smoke and inhaled, I could hear him laugh and say to himself, "Head rush." He was in a blissful trans, high from the nicotine as it hit to his brain.

Without warming from behind the structure a Reaper came charging at Smith. Before he could turn to face the creature, it had tackled him to the ground. Sending him hard to the floor as the cigarette flew into the air. The Reaper raised its head as it pinned the helpless old man to the floor. But Smith was not about to just lay there and give up, he turned and eventual was face to face with the creature.

The Reaper bit down but Smith managed to lodge his blade between the creatures mouth. This did not stop its ferocious onslaught; it tore through its own cheek meat as it tried to get to Smith's face. Smith held fast, not letting the creature get to his face. Pinned down the old man could not protect him selves from the Reapers claws. It sliced across his face, tearing through is eye. Smith winced under the pain and ever so slightly released his grip. This gave the Reaper its chance, it bit down on his neck, ripping off a chunk of meat as it raised its head. A fountain of blood started shooting out of Smith's neck. At this point I was already running to his rescue, I heard a shot Wiz past my ear, then another and another. It was Sky; she aimed for its head from across the park, only managing to hit it in the shoulder.

I tackled the reaper off Smith; the creature went tumbling through the grass. I stood up and circled the downed Reaper. The creature pulled itself out the dirt and tried limping away. I turned back to see Smiths body covered in blood, I was fueled by that uncontrollable anger once again. I grunted and roared, then walked towards it. I smashed it to the ground, the grabbed its head and planted my foot on it chest. I pulled, as hard as I could. The creature screamed for a few seconds and then there was silence. I held its head in my hand its spinal cord still dangling in the air. I stepped over its headless body and ran to Smith's Side.

Sky was already administering care to the old man. Her attempts were futile though, the blood streamed from his artery; soaking through the bandages she tried wrapping across his neck. Her hands filled with blood as she applied pressure. This did not slow her down though; she kept wrapping the wound tighter and tighter. But the pouring was relentless .I looked into the old man's eyes, he gargled on his own blood, smiled and managed to build up enough strength to say... "Newport, get you're freaking asses to Newport."

Sky tried reviving him; it was no good. She placed her head on his chest and wept into his shirt. Sharif held the girls and turned them away from the old man's lifeless body. I fell to my knees and pounded his chest, simultaneously screaming, "Wake up, please I beg you wake up I can't do this without you!" Tears streamed down my face and my heart pounded a thousand beats per second. The Professor and Sharif pulled me off Smith's corps. I looked at Sky who still sat next to him in with her blood drenched hands on her knees and disbelief in her head, the whole thing seemed so unreal.

We had lost the head of our family, how would we make it now? Who would keep us together? Fatima broke free from her father's grip and ran to Smith. She knelt beside him and began crying begging him to wake up. "Please Smith don't leave us, please, first my mother and now you, it's not fair." We had lost our glue, our support system, we had lost our friend. What was the point of fighting on if it meant loosing the ones we loved. Maybe succumbing to the madness was the only way. Maybe the Reapers had it easy, not to having to deal with their emotions in this harsh new world. I did not mange to protect him, I promised them all I would protect them. What was the point of all this power if it could not even keep the ones I loved alive? I was a failure, I had failed Smith, I had lost my mentor, I wanted to give up. But AI could not I had to cling onto his words. If not for myself for the rest of them. Sorry, pity and self loathing would have it's turn only after I got them safely to New Port. Smith's words would have to live on; his death would not be in vein. We owed it to him to let his name live on. This was not the life he wanted for us, we had to get to the safety of New Port.

Part 2 coming soon...

