Amber Waves (Pt. 6) (502 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 2 on 15 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <ksj3888.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2007-11-27 04:08:14 EST
It took a few odd minutes to reach the old Metro station. Wheat had overtaken the bus lot and sidewalk, giving the entrance the look of an old, hidden cave. The old stops were cracked and webbed with gunfire. Worn and scarred, a black obelisk stood baring the station's name:
"Columbia Heights..." Whispering smoothly, Amil looked at the battered sign, as if in a fit of nostalgia.
"We have to stop his bleeding Amil."
The trio stopped. Faint breaths passed through Skelly's lips.
"We can do it inside! Come on, we'll go down there, patch him up and keep it movin'."
Standing black and unwelcome, the entrance to the subway beckoned like a black hole. It was the mouth of a monster. "We're going to die down there"
"Or we could die up here for sure. Let's go."
Blood stained the golden grain spread on the sidewalk. They kept dragging Skelly, who was now mumbling incoherently.
"rats...black..."
"I know bruh. I know..."
Swallowed into the darkness, the three started down the immobile escalator, which was carpeted in grain. Stale air sat still and fetid. It smelled of stagnant water and feces. A dim flame came from Amil's hand, meagerly lighting their path.
"That lighter won't be enough for the whole way."
"Obviously. I got an idea for a better light, but we gotta get to the bottom first."
"I can't even see the damn bottom. There's no wheat here either."
"Ain't no light for it to grow. The government shoulda' blocked the sun. Would of stopped most of this mess from happening."
"The smoke already does it."
The light was low, but it was enough for David to see the look of confusion on Amil's face.
"That's why it's so cold. Half the Midwest is on fire. There so much smoke it's damn near blocking out the sun on the continent. Like a nuclear winter, except with wildfires"
"Those fires ain't wild. It's from all this damn fighting. We hurtin' ourselves more than any wheat or winter. Let's put him down."
They stood at the end of the escalator and laid Skelly down. Something was moving further inside, scratchy scurrying in the black blanket of darkness. It echoed throughout, with no discernible origin, just further down.
"It's the rats," Amil was busy going through his back pack, pulling out objects. "I don't know bout' where you been, but they're big as hell here. Like cows really. Ay where's that medicine you had."
Rummaging through his own sack, looking for the penicillin, David kept speaking. "Cows? I've seen one maybe the size of a pig or a old house cat, but a cow?"
"They was always big, but the wheat was like a open house for they nasty asses. They kept gettin' bigger. The cats did too, prolly' ta hunt the damn things. Hell, I saw a cat take a deer down in the park. Looked like a lil' lion."
Producing the anti-biotic from his pack, David held them like a grail. "Here." Amil took them and placed them next to the items he had removed from his pack: a worn Louisville Slugger, two rags and a bottle of some liquid.
"Since they so big, and there ain't much else meat except the odd deer, we hunt em. They gettin' a lil rarer up top, but they rule down here."
The scratching in the distance was getting closer. "What's that you got in the bottle Amil?"
"Liquor." He wrapped a rag around the baseball bat and doused it in alcohol. "Gimme' your lighter."
With a look of dawning recognition, Skelly handed Amil the lighter who then set the makeshift torch alight. Its glow surrounded them, with much more power then their previous light.
They were by a set of old, inactive fare machines, embraced by dust and grime. The roof was a patchwork of webs and dirt, cracking from years of neglect. "Iight Skelly, it's gonna' be iight..." A weak scream brushed the sleeping air. Amil had poured some of the liquor on Skelly's wound, burning the weary man. Pale and cold from the blood loss, the feeble scream would likely be the last testament to Skelly's life. Amil wrapped his leg with the second rag, which he also had doused in alcohol.
"He's cold."
"...He might not make it. We shoul-"
"Shh!"
Amil raised his twelve gauge down the passage, towards the remarkably close sound of claws dragging across concrete. Swinging the torch around, the two men were met with quite a sight.
"Like cows man?!"
"Tol' you they were big. They bite too."
User Reviews
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2007-11-30 16:18:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Lib (user info) at 2007-11-28 12:03:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2007-11-27 22:02:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Spacegrass (user info) at 2007-11-27 16:41:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ksj3888 (user info) at 2007-11-27 16:06:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Thanks everybody. Orphelia I have no intentions of stopping. And Drogo, Brkn etc. I don't eman to end the segments so short or always on cliffhangers, but it's more of me writng a lot then only editing a little. Then I just feel like posting. Plus it keeps you reading...
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2007-11-27 14:34:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by BlazinBull (user info) at 2007-11-27 14:26:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Keep it up.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-11-27 13:17:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent, as usual.
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2007-11-27 13:05:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Should have way more hits and reviews. Keep on regardless, please?
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2007-11-27 12:15:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by EatMeCompletely (user info) at 2007-11-27 11:44:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-11-27 05:35:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Mt only issue with these is that they could be longer. I kind of get into it then it stops. But i guess that is the point. Leave them wanting more.
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I agree.
Submitted by Flak (user info) at 2007-11-27 12:05:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
Submitted by EatMeCompletely (user info) at 2007-11-27 11:44:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-11-27 05:35:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Mt only issue with these is that they could be longer. I kind of get into it then it stops. But i guess that is the point. Leave them wanting more.
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I agree.
Submitted by livEvil (user info) at 2007-11-27 09:45:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2007-11-27 06:46:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-11-27 05:35:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Mt only issue with these is that they could be longer. I kind of get into it then it stops. But i guess that is the point. Leave them wanting more.