Future, Earth
written by: Maria Lorenzana
The sky was darkening; the wind was picking up. They needed to find shelter. Talia longed for home.
The bombing had started two days earlier, destroying all they knew. Now she had to find a place for them to hide for the night. The moment the sun set, they would come. The streets were too risky.
“Marc, we have to hurry.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Me too but we have to hurry.” She said taking his little hand and rushing down the street. They headed south to the Science Campus. Their mother had been clear, arrive by noon the next day.
Marc, barely eight-years-old, had to jog to keep up with his big sister. She considered carrying him, but he was too heavy for her twelve-year-old body. Instead, she slowed a little to give him a break, though the slower they went the more scared she became.
The sun dipped behind the last of the standing buildings. Desperation rising in her chest. That’s when she saw it.
The storefront, glass still intact, the door ajar, but still a door. The small structure was tucked between what used to be two high rises. Possibly the reason why it escaped further damage.
She picked up Marc and ran as fast as she could. They were coming. Their howling and screeching growing louder, closer.
Marc bit down on his lips, closed his eyes, and tightened his grip on Penny, his stuffed bunny, as he bobbed up and down on Talia’s shoulder.
They made it inside and pushed the door closed.
As they dove behind the battered counter, hundreds of wings flapped past the window.
They huddled together.
Tears streamed down Marc’s cheeks, spilling onto Penny.
The sound, so loud they had to clamp their hands over their ears. Then…
Silence.
Talia looked through a small gap at the back of the counter.
The street was clear, and she was about to say something when a straggler came into view. It stopped in front of the store, looked through the glass, the bottoms of its enormous wings nearly scraping the ground.
Talia put her finger to her lips.
Marc curled into an even tighter ball, Penny tucked between his knees and his chest. Eyes locked on his sister.
Talia, frozen with fear, could not take her eyes off it. This was the first time she’d seen one. As tall as a full-grown man, scaly skin, eyes protruding from its head.
It moved closer to the window and sniffed the air.
Talia’s struggled to stay quiet.
It put its clawed fingers on the glass and looked directly at her. Or so she thought.
She nearly gasped but held it back, shaking with the effort.
After an interminable second, it turned and flew away. The full spread of its wings encompassing the width of the window.
Once she was sure it as gone, Talia collapsed around Marc. “It’s gone.”
“Really?”
“Yes… Let’s see if we can find something to eat. I’m sure Penny could use a snack.”
“And water. We’re very thirsty.”
They looked around the store. A layer of concrete dust covered everything. Broken display cases and knocked-over shelves littered the interior of the small store. During the early days people panicked and began hoarding supplies. There was little chance they would find anything.
Marc crept to the back of the store, to what may have been an office.
Talia followed slowly, looking around, still hoping she might find something.
“In here!” Marc called.
She rushed over.
He was holding a box of Ding Dongs.
“Score!” she said, high-fiving him.
She searched through the rest of the desk drawers and found a metal water bottle, a Coke can, and a lighter. She pocketed the lighter, shook the bottle, half full. She opened it, sniffed it, and poured a little out. Water, clean. She handed it to him. “Drink slowly. We need to save as much of it as we can until we get to the Campus.”
Marc had ripped into the first package of Ding Dongs, Penny hanging over his left shoulder. With a full mouth, he asked, “How long will it take us to get there?”
“If we leave as soon as the sun rises, we should get there in time.”
“Will Mom be there?”
Talia swallowed hard, she knew the odds were not on their side, “I hope so.”
Marc looked down and pulled Penny further into the crook of his neck. “I hope so, too.” He said softly.
They quietly munched on their Ding Dongs and shared the soda can.
***
Talia woke to a beam of sunlight warming her face. She blinked her eyes open, and the peaceful look of a sleeping child immediately left her face. She sat up, unsure of the time. She had meant to stay up all night so they could leave as soon as it was safe.
“Marc! Wake up!”
“Five more minutes.” He begged.
“No, Marc, we have to go! You can sleep when we get to the Campus.”
Marc rolled over, Penny in his arms. “But I’m so tired!” he moaned.
“I know, but it’s late.” She said, trying to pick him up.
Marc went limp.
“Marc!” She yelled, “I need you to help me here!”
“Stop it!” he cried. “I’m tired!”
A scraping sound from outside.
“Shh!” She ordered.
They waited.
Marc’s eyes grew wide.
Looking at him, she put her finger on her lips.
He nodded.
Talia crept to the window.
The sound again.
She ducked.
Marc crab walked back under the desk.
They waited, looking at each other and listening.
Nothing.
She stood to sneak a peek.
A pair of rats was gnawing on trash piled up outside, under the window.
She breathed out, “Just rats.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Talia couldn’t help but laugh. He sounded like a tiny adult when he said things like that.
Then more seriously, she reminded him, “We should go.”
“Yes,” Marc said as he climbed from under the desk, collecting Penny, and the leftover Ding Dongs.
***
They walked as fast as Marc’s little legs would allow. He was tired, Talia could tell, but he was going as fast as he could. She loved him so much.
They were just a few blocks away from the familiar compound. Their parents had met working at the Science Campus. They were working on the same top-secret project. All Talia knew was it would help people, and they had been working on it for years.
But when they arrived, a chain-link fence and armed guards surrounded the Campus.
A group of people waited to check in on one side of the guard shack.
Talia and Marc walked up to the other side.
“Stop!” A guard yelled, pointing a rifle at them.
Everyone turned to look.
Talia stopped so fast Marc ran into her. “Wait!” she yelled back, hands in the air, “Our mother works here!”
Another guard stepped out of the shack, carrying a clipboard.
“Stand down.” He said to the first guard and pushed his gun down.
He approached Talia and Marc. “What is your mother’s name?”
“Marcella Durand. She told us to come.”
“What are your names?
“Marc and Talia Durand. She told us to come.” The desperation in her voice making her sound like the child she was.
The guard, Sergeant Jones, looked at his clipboard. “Marcella Durand, yes. Daughter, Talia, twelve years old, son, Marc, eight years old.”
He looked them over. “And who is this?” He asked, pointing at Penny.
Marc looked at Talia, she nodded.
“Penny. She’s a very important member of our family. She has to come with us.”
Sergeant Jones, smiled, “I understand. I’ll just add her to the list.” He pretended to add her name.
Marc smiled back at him. Relieved.
The Sergeant turned to the other guard, “Clear!” Then to the kids, “Come with me.”
They climbed onto a jeep, and Talia finally let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding since they parted ways with their mother.
“How did you get here?” Sergeant Jones asked.
“We walked. Our mother was able to get us to the city center. We have been on our own since then.”
“A brave woman.”
Talia looked at him, knowing it was true but unsure why he was saying it.
“Her work is the reason we can get so many people out before the final bombing.” He continued.
“Is she here?” Marc asked.
Sergeant Jones looked down the road and said nothing.
“She isn’t.” Said Talia, putting her arm around Marc. In that instant, her heart broke. She had known their mother wouldn’t be there, but she hadn’t fully accepted it. Their mother had gone to do what she needed to do to save as many people as possible, including her children. In exchange, she was giving up her own life.
They pulled up to a large hangar.” This is you.” Sergeant Jones said, “They’re expecting you inside.” As he was about to pull away, he said, “Your parents have made all the difference.” And then in a very formal tone, “I am sorry for your loss.”
Talia nodded and, taking Marc’s hand, they walked inside.
***
Marc held Penny to his chest. Talia used to think him too old for that sort of thing. And herself, too young to need to be brave. Still, she held him as they watched. His head rested on her chest.
“Will it hurt?” Marc asked.
“I hope not.”
He looked up at her. “Are you scared?”
Talia stared at the view screen, the explosions on the planet’s surface lit up their quarters. They had the whole place to themselves. Only a few had made it to the Science Campus. The ships had narrowly made it off planet before the nukes were set off, the only way to destroy the monsters, and to ensure humanity’s survival. They were alone now. No father, no mother. Everyone they’d ever known was gone, so she thought the truth was best. “Yes. I am.”
He looked back at the view screen. “Me too.”
They watched quietly, faces illuminated by the explosions below.
“It’s pretty,” Marc said. “I wish mommy was here.”
Talia kissed his head. “Yes, but she had to help.”
“I know, I just…”
“I know…”
***
Debris surrounded two small bodies still holding each other, floating, frozen in the silence.
The End
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