The Chronicles of a New World
Rejoined
Part I
Excerpt 1: 2010
It didn't start like this. This renaissance. This revolution. A new generation, where people could start over, or, where experienced ones could start over. We were too much trouble, we weren't right. The experienced ones fucked up as they would say. They would have to start over, and this time they could raise us right. Without video-games and movies and iPods and rap. Where the world could live peacefully. The experienced ones could raise us to run the world the as they would want it later. The ultimate routine. We were just mistakes. The experienced ones, or, the adults, would start over fresh. It would be the beginning of the perfect, new world.
New Orleans: 2011
Erin led the group through the old, molded coffee house. Down those fragile stairs only able to support 200 pounds or so. Shelby followed close behind with about 4 or so people. It was 15-o-clock so the group had to move fast. In about an hour the tanks would be sweeping the streets of Carrolton, looking for exiles.
"Where now?" Shelby had never been on a run before. She was doing surprisingly well for a first timer. Erin's answer didn't come immediately, he waited for a second at the bottom of the stairs with his hand raised, signaling for a temporary stop. Then he turned.
"This way. We follow Carrolton down to Plum St. Then we sprint down until we reach the school. There, we hide out for the night."
None of the group hesitated to comply. Shelby especially didn't agree with these terms. Traveling down Carrolton was the worst idea possible in her mental image. Tiger tanks swarming the streets were a literal nightmare. She hated thinking about it.
"Erin, I don't think we should. It's too-," Shelby was cut-off by Erin's insistent hand in her face again. It was like he heard things the other kids didn't. Shelby didn't interrupt. After all, he was the expert at this.
"Come on. If we don't go now, we'll have to stay here tonight. And if that's the case, we won't survive. This building's too small. We'll get caught."
"Erin, I-I don't think-," It was not Erin's hand this time that caused Shelby to stop this time; it was the fact that Erin started running. "Come on!"
Erin burst through the door and ran like a bat out of hell. Shelby wasn't far behind, along with the 4 followers. Cars were totally destroyed along the apocalyptic avenue. Few houses still stood, most were leveled by tanks and bulldozers, because the adults figured children were inside of them. They made it half a block when Erin veered right and ran through the neutral ground, where street cars used to ride on their pre-determined course, much like what the adults were trying to do. See into the future, sort of.
The line of kids ran past more leveled houses and shelled cars. Dipping in and out of miniature craters and dodging charred junk in the streets they began to run down Plum. The worst thing that could happen, in Erin's mind, was if a solo pathfinder or tower guard or someone like that spotted them. The guard would pick off one or two of the kids, probably Erin, then call to the nearest tank. Erin's nightmare had just gotten even worse, but on a different scale.
Sprinting pass Brudette St. Erin spotted a Tiger tank 25 feet away from the corner they were heading past. The panting from everybody's lungs stopped. They began to run faster then anyone could possibly conceive. An unnatural silence except for deep breathing and the creak of the tanks runners. It wasn't about whether Shelby or the others caught up to Erin. He just ran as fast as humanly possible, only thinking about survival, and when the boom of the first shell sounded and where it might hit. He just kept running. Shelby was falling behind the 4 other kids. She couldn't run much longer, the creak of the tank sounded so close that she thought her heels would hit the bottom of the tank's rutter and she would get squished under the huge behemoth Tiger. She slowed down; her legs wouldn't let her go any more. Erin glanced back while he turned the corner to Lowerline.
BOOM!
Erin felt as though his back was sprayed with water, even though it was blood. He fell flat on his face a mili-second later from the blast. Smoke was everywhere. The crack from his nose caused so much pain he almost thought of just laying there, waiting to be shot, so the pain would end, but the sound of the next boom pulled him back into reality, and his will to live.
Shelby had quite the different view of the shelling. She saw a shell hit 10 or so feet behind Erin. By then smoke was covering the street, so she stopped. Shelby leapt to the curb and covered her head as she knelt down quivering. Another shell went off much closer to Shelby. Her legs shook furiously, but she had to keep running.
Erin only got 5 feet from where he fell and heard another shell go off. It was as though he was running through pitch black, which essentially he was, but with the addition of his lungs failing every other second. He tripped over something long and cylindrical. He fell forward again but took the fall on his side to avoid further injury to his nose. His stomach was hot. That feeling you get when you're so pissed because of something, you feel like murdering the closest person to you. Erin wheeled around and searched aimlessly for that something he tripped over. He felt a hot rough texture with a hard jagged piece wrapped inside. It was an arm. Erin understood what he tripped over, so he ran back into the dark, towards what he hoped to be the school. The shells didn't stop.
When Shelby got up to run a rock about the size of a cabbage hit her across the back at an incredible speed. She fell again, but still managed to gather herself and head towards their destination. Shells continued to sweep the area, causing Shelby to trip and fall and tumble over and over again, each time making it harder to get back up. Her ears were ringing noisily, blocking out the sound of incoming shells, which worked against her because it didn't allow her to know when the next bomb would hit. She just kept running. Tripping and running until she hit something. That something was a chain-link fence. The same fence surrounding the school she figured. For the first time in 10 minutes, Shelby felt relieved. The infinite sound of shells weren't a problem any more. Shelby knew her way around the school, she could finally stop running.
The blanket of smoke cleared to reveal a street covered in so many craters Erin thought he was on the moon. From the school's balcony he could see the whole street. When he searched the school Erin didn't find anyone. But it wasn't like he searched the whole thing, just the first hallway he had to run down. He couldn't scream either, that would send the tank this way. Erin could only hope that someone survived, though he couldn't see how.
Erin couldn't even explain how he was still alive. He had encountered a tank before, but only in a close encounter. That, Erin remembered, was the first time he killed a man. It was a memory that would haunt Erin for the rest of his life. That was six months ago. A Rhino tank was strolling down Beauregard Ave. while Erin and five other boys were hidden in Bayou St. John. A grown man with a sub-machine gun stood perturbing from the tanks open top. When Greg, Erin's best friend, shot the man from the water's surface with his 22', the tank abruptly halted. That was Erin's cue to rush the Rhino and toss a grenade into the opening. He remembered it so well; rushing up to the tank, grabbing with one hand the tank's opening edge, arm ready to chuck the grenade done that pit. That was the first time Erin had broken a bone, for one of the men smashed his fingers between the butt of his rifle and the tanks metal edge while he attempted to toss the grenade. Erin remembered falling back and hitting the pavement. He remembered the man rising from the pit with his gun with it ready to point at Erin. At that point Erin refused to see the memory within his head.
Then Erin saw something he never would have believed crouched on that balcony. Shelby was running down the street faster than Erin sought possible. But the hopefulness soon faded when Erin saw the look on Shelby's face and the noise rattling not far behind her. The Tiger was chasing her at a very close pace. Too close to fire but close enough to trample her. Erin rose and shouted for her attention.
"Shelby!"
She looked up immediately and changed directions towards the school. Erin regretted this. The tank was so close it would easily notice Erin and begin fire upon the school. He was right.
Shelby had already entered the school and the Tiger's barrel was pointed toward Erin's balcony, or very close to it. Erin didn't bother running, he simply braced himself for the impact, and the pain would only last a second before he passed. He heard the boom and everything suddenly moved in slow motion. Erin felt the ground under him collapse and smoke fill his lungs. Erin shut his eyes. A hot wave followed by rocks and debris flew from underneath him. And then the gentle grip of someone's hand on his wrist as he fell forward towards the frozen, concentrated explosion, waiting for him. Erin had been saved.
He fell back onto Shelby who had wrapped her arms around him tightly. Erin's gravity was warped. Falling one moment and still the next without landing was a very strange feeling. But this was no time for fuss, Erin stood hurriedly, holding onto Shelby's hand. They ran to the back of the school. More and more shells hit the foundations. They ground they ran upon barely held them up. Erin and Shelby reached the end of the school's walls. If they were to jump the fall would hurt them greatly because they were two stories up. Another boom and the Main Hall was fogged with smoke and ash. Erin punched through the window and crawled out until he was hanging 10 or so feet from the ground. Shelby looked at him form over the windowsill. She looked worried and panicked for the building behind them was disintegrating every second from oncoming blasts.
There must be three or four by now, Erin thought. And it wouldn't be long before they surrounded the school. So with one last look, Erin dropped the 2 stories and landed with a thud. His hands had glass in them from the landing but otherwise he was okay.
"Jump Shelby! I'll catch you."
Shelby didn't hesitate. She put one foot on the windowsill and leapt out of it like a humpback would from under the surface. Erin caught her and fell back in the process, landed on his back.
Before they could even get up a Tiger rounded the corner and crushed the gate bordering the backyard. Erin sprinted towards the tank, zigzagging and slowing down every once and a while. Shelby, on the other hand, ran to the old girls bathroom on the west side of the yard. The Tiger did not focus on Shelby at all, but instead the seemingly mad boy running toward them so unusually the barrel had no target to direct to. It stayed still while someone tried to unscrew the top for a better view.
The unshaven man stared around with his AK47, searching for the child. Erin could see from where he was, which happened to be crouched next to the back runner chain that barrels were sticking out from the little slide windows on each side of the tank. Erin had encountered so many of these before he knew all their blind spots. The man kept looking around, not daring to show more than half of his chest. Then, when the time was right, Erin jumper from his spot in a catlike way and grabbed the man's gun barrel. Erin attempted to stab him with a piece of glass he had in his free hand but couldn't. The man was putting up a good fight over the gun. Erin could hear the men underneath them rustling around, pondering whether they should shoot through the man to hit the boy. That's why Erin made sure to keep pushing and pulling vigorously so the men couldn't get a clear shot. Erin's hand was frozen in the position of holding the barrel, trying his hardest not to let the man point it at him. The glass in his hand was stabbing him because he had to hold on the barrel with both. Erin just kept pulling and pushing. Then the man began unloading his clip next to Erin's head. The barrel was scalding hot and his ears were temporarily deaf. Erin had to stop this very soon or he gun would be useless to him. So he fell on his back and let the gun be pushed against his chest horizontally, with the barrel facing away from his body. Then he freed his hand holding the knife and dug it as far as it would go into the man's hand. He screamed for his life, letting go of the trigger. At that point, his chest exploded from inside out with small holes. The men below shot him in the back. They dragged his body back into the tank and came out themselves. The first man was killed instantly by 4 rounds to the head from the gun Erin grabbed. The other's shot out the top, letting rounds fly up. Erin took this time to slide done the front of the tank and jammed his barrel into an open window-slot. The bullets echoed in the tank, ricocheting off walls and piercing bodies. The ammo ran out after about 10 shots. Erin crawled away from the window and back to the top, where he waited for anyone to come out incase they hadn't been killed. One man, with blood across his face in a splattered pattern, came out with his hands up. Erin slammed the gun's stock into his face. He felt something break under the force. The man fell back into the tank and was quickly joined by Erin, who jumped in after him. A minute of silence, except soft muffles occasionally, until Erin rose from the tank's top; bruised and beaten.
He ran to the center of the backyard and looked around for Shelby. He had grabbed two AK47's for them, but this was no good if Shelby had run off. Then, Erin heard a scream, a happy scream from the bathroom doorway where Shelby stood.
"Erin! I thought you would die so I ran and then I was-,"
"Shut up and come on!" Erin had no time for talking, there were still tanks around them. And soldiers would come soon too. He handed her the AK and they ran back to the tank together. Erin had to clap his hand over Shelby's mouth to prevent her from screaming when she saw the dead bodies in the tank.
"Stay in that corner Shelby. And keep quiet. They're looking for us."
The thought itself sent chills down Shelby's spine. But it was true.
"And if I ask you to do something, like hand me your gun or one of these guys', you have to do it immediately. Okay?"
"K,"
Erin would rotate around each peep hole, observing their landscape. Making sure to search every inch, so he wouldn't miss anything. One his third rotation, he stood for 20 seconds at one window.
"What do you see?" Shelby whispered with a terrified tone.
"A dog,"
Shelby sat confused for a second.
"He smells the blood from my hands where I landed. He's wearing a collar. That means somebody sent him. He'll find us soon enough."
Erin looked around the tank desperately for something. He wasn't sure what, but he had to find it fast. He spotted a gun with a silencer in the hands of one of the men he shoot. When he grabbed it and went back to his post, the dog was heading his way, barking wildly. Erin shot three rounds at the dog. The first hit the cement to his left, causing it to jump. The other two hit dead on. The dig fell and did not get up. The only way anyone could have heard those shots were if they stood less than 5 feet away.
After the shots, Erin ducked back into the tank. He waited a moment then checked the other windows. Shelby sat forever motionless. Shivering and scared. Erin went back to the window where he shot the dog. And to his surprise, six men with military gear were leaning over the dog, examining the body. Erin stared. He had never felt so scared.
Shelby didn't dare move. She could see the sweat beading down Erin's face as he stared out the window. Then Erin jumped. Shots were fired at the still tank. Shelby screamed and Erin ducked. In the midst of fire, Erin shoved his AK barrel through the window and returned fire. The shots sounded 10 times louder from inside the tank, echoing off the titanium walls. Shelby kept screaming.
"LOOK OUT THERE! IS ANYONE COMING?" Erin yelled to Shelby over the gunfire. She hit the floor and crawled to the window. She barely pushed herself to look through.
"THEY'RE OVER HERE TOO!"
Erin took a deep breathe. He wasn't himself in this moment. Shooting, ducking, killing. It was a rare thing for a 14 year old. He took a millisecond to glance in the tank and found what he wanted.
"SHELBY! GIMMI THAT!"
He pointed to a grenade attached to a dead man's belt. Shelby jumped on the floor again to get the grenade. Shots were now coming from every side of the tank; some were making it through the peep holes. Those would ricochet off inner walls and cause more destruction.
"HERE!"
She handed him the grenade. Erin grabbed Shelby's hand and wrapped it around another gun.
"KEEP SHOOTING!"
The floor of the tank was covered in blood and bullets. That image would stay with Erin forever. But he pushed that aside and focused on what need to be done. He looked through the eastward peephole and saw men setting up a Javelin. Erin took a chance and stood up. His head poked out the tank top for a second while he chucked a grenade out. In an instant he dropped back in to see if the grenade hit. The men tried to scatter but were not fast enough. The blast left nothing but charred cement and body parts.
He swapped places with Shelby again and saw through the peephole that a tank was heading towards them with 10 or more men. He refused to die without killing these them. He turned around and saw Shelby shooting through the east peephole. He was proud, but had no time to register it. He grabbed another grenade and sent it soaring out the top. It hit no men.
Shooting continued and more grenades were thrown for 30 seconds more until a grenade landed in the tank. Erin flung himself towards it and threw it straight up. The grenade exploded in the air, sending metal fragments everywhere. Then Erin was shell shocked. He couldn't hear anything or feel anything. His hands and face were lying in 2 inches of blood. Shelby screamed noiseless requests. He could see bullets flying though the peephole he once stood in. They hit nothing but the wall on the other side. The sky above them was bleak and gray. He remembered his first murder. The man hitting his fingers. Him falling back, hurling the grenade at the threatening man. It hit him in the face and fell straight into the tank. Then the man blew up from bottom up. Guts, blood, and smoke flew out the windows. Greg and the others cheered. Erin just sat there. He had killed his first man then and killed over 50 more since. Perhaps this was his time.
Erin looked around for a moment as his hearing gradually returned. Shelby was screaming and shooting. He got up, and the realization of the particularly disastrous situation they were in became so much simpler. Erin and Shelby were in a Tiger tank. A top of the line Tiger tank. And Erin, having gone through proper training and such, knew how to operate one. He got up, shut the tank's top, and reassured Shelby that they would be okay. She looked at Erin like he was out of his mind, but saw a sparkle of hope within. Shelby no longer screamed and cried, she focused and held her gun straight. She trusted Erin.
Clicking switches and flipping knobs, Erin got the tank running. Faster and faster the tank revved away from the enemy. Erin would have liked to rotate the tank's top half behind them so he could fire back at the oncoming soldiers, but the bullets he formerly shot into the tank hit some control panels. When they left the schoolyard, Shelby yelled to Erin that tanks were following. This was not good; they could fire on Erin from a mile away if they wanted to. He would have to steer the tank into different directions.
"Shelby! Switch spots with me. All you have to do is hold on here and push there." He tried to make driving this tank as simple as possible. "If you need help, call me. I'll hold off the others."
Erin peered through the back window and saw men and tanks alike chasing them. The tanks didn't follow very long before they stopped and took aim.
"Turn left!" Erin screamed to Shelby. The tank turned left at about 12 degrees. Erin stared back through the peep hole. He had taken care of the men, but those tanks would be firing any second. They weren't turning fast enough. He though for a second, which was awfully hard due to his heart beat pounding against his head. Think, think. But suddenly, Erin was thrown back onto the floor and smoke filled the caved tank roof. A shell had hit the tank's roof.
Their tank stopped. Erin had very little room to move around because the tank's roof had caved in one them. Shelby was quivering within the little room she had. Erin's hands could touch the ceiling without reaching more than a foot.
"Erin? Erin?"
"Can you move at all?"
"Yeah, I'm coming to you. The tank won't move anymore."
Erin had to find a way out of this. But with vision out of the picture, that became much harder. Then Erin saw it. A ray of light coming from a crack in tank's top. He leaned back and pressed his feet against the top. And with one hard kick, practically breaking his heels, Erin busted the top open to reveal sunlight.
"Hurry," Erin grabbed Shelby's hand and lead her out of he tank. Smoke still covered the street so Erin didn't have to worry about being seen by the other tanks. But that didn't mean they would stop firing. Another shell went off on the tank, rendering it completely useless.
Erin and Shelby wandered 10 ft or so before they hit the sidewalk. With more and more shells going off, the two children had no vision beyond 4 feet in front of them. This worked for and against the tanks that fired the shells.
Erin fell onto his knees and started crawling around, looking, in hope for something he was pretty sure wasn't there. Shelby followed him, not daring to interrupt his vigorous search. Then Erin yelped, "Ah-ha!"
"What is it?" Before Erin needed to explain, she caught glimpse of what he saw. A spray-painted 4-7 on the sidewalk. This was a simple the surviving children used to show them where the nearest hide-out was. The 4-7 meant that 7 sidewalk squares from where they were, which was the 4th from the right sidewalk square, was a sewer drain. There, they could climb down into the drained sewers and follow that to anywhere in the city.
They crawled to the drain and lifted it up. A ladder was screwed to the inside wall.
"You go first," Erin looked out while Shelby went in.
After they both jumped in, Erin slid the drainage top shut. Darkness never felt so good to Erin. They were safe.
"That," Shelby began, "was the worst 15 minutes I have ever had."
Erin nodded in agreement, and without walking more than 10 steps, sat down against the sewer wall, clicked off his flashlight, and wept for the longest time.
A child is not meant for war, but will certainly fight one.
Excerpt 2: 2010
When world-wide agreement was settled for this renaissance, children everywhere resisted. Mass destruction swept places where children would reside. After just 2 months past the decision, an estimated 3.5 million children were slaughtered. Most flocked to abandoned cities, where they attempted to rebuild there own civilization. But none lasted over a week before the military nuked them. It was an idea most thought of in dreams and movies, never expecting humanity to loose course like this and make nightmares reality. A complete neo Holocaust of children and youths everywhere. But there was hope for some. A small group of fifteen or less children in the New Orleans metro area rebelled early into this stage before the idea even became public. This group convinced their school to rebel as well, causing hysteria throughout the city. Children everywhere heard of this and foraged for hideouts of their own. That is why the city of New Orleans is the only city known to have a youth civilization. Completely unknown to the government and adults everywhere. They were slowly growing into an army of their own, willing to kill to reclaim the city they once lived in.
Sewers of New Orleans: 2011
Erin and Shelby had walked for a day through the underground passages of New Orleans. Neither was exactly sure where they were. If only they could look out into the city for a second. But that risked too much. What if a soldier was standing next to that drain when they opened it? Erin didn't enjoy thinking about what would happen if they did that.
"Where are we even supposed to be heading?" Shelby had no idea from the start. Erin never told her or any of the others.
"The lake. We were supposed to meet Greg and the others there. Then we would all take a boat across it during the night."
"Why?"
"To search for other survivors. It had to be done at one point."
"Why weren't we told of this? We thought we were delivering a message from Monticello St."
"If I told you and the others that yall wouldn't have wanted to come. We just picked you guys because yall were the strongest."
"That's really unfair you know."
"No, what's unfair is that everybody besides us got killed in that shelling. And now I'm stuck with you and your bitching. That's unfair."
Shelby refused to talk to Erin after that. She knew he was right about how the other died and all, but he had no reason to call her a bitch. That's the way Shelby viewed the situation.
Another day of no food passed. And for all Erin knew he was walking away from the lake. He decided it was time to look up into the city. So the first ladder he passed, he jumped on and began to climb up.
"No, don't Erin." Shelby snatched his ankle and tried to hold him back.
"Shh! Let go." Huger drove Erin to look out.
He pressed his ear on the drain's bottom and listened for anything. After 5 seconds of deep consideration, Erin unscrewed to drain top and pushed it to the side. The sun forced Erin's pupils to shrink down to ballpoints. But a whiff of fresh air made up or the visual pain. He looked around.
A cloudless blue sky with strong winds felt wonderful to Erin. The streets were unfamiliar at first glance, but he recognized them after a moments thought. He was on Causeway Blvd. A huge Infiniti dealer to his right gave it away. At that point a smile spread across Erin's face, the lake was right behind them. Causeway Blvd. led straight to the Causeway Bridge that crossed Lake Ponchartrain. They were so close. But then Erin thought about whether Greg and the others would wait two days. That didn't matter yet to Erin. He closed the lid and jumped back into the sewer.
Erin stared running.
"Where are you going?" Shelby began to follow him.
"To the lake!"
Less than a minutes run brought them to the sewer line's end. The lake must have been right in front of them. Erin ran to the ladder against the wall and climbed to the top. He pushed open the lid without hesitation. The sun shined on him yet again. He poked his head out and spotted the lake less than 20 feet away. Then Erin saw something less promising, a soldier guarding access to the Causeway Bridge. He was sitting in some booth, listening to a CD player. He had an M16 rifle propped up on his desk. This was a much more dangerous gun than the AK's he encountered earlier this week.
Erin held his finger down so Shelby could see it. He gestured for her to wait. Crawling out of the hole, Erin didn't have to worry about being heard. The man's music was so loud Erin could hear it. When he was completely out of the hole, he poked his head back in and told Shelby to stay put.
"And don't come out unless I come and get you."
"K."
Erin shut the lid on Shelby. Now he was fully exposed in the street. He hastily ran to the nearest building, throwing himself onto its walls. Now he had a chance to scan the whole area. 2 snipers chatted a little ways back from where he was. If they paid better attention, they would have seen him. They were on the roof of an Entergy building. Then there was the man in the booth. Erin was far out of his view from where he was now. But earlier he could have been seen as well. The only people Erin could see now were the men he assumed were on the many Coast Guard ships afloat on Lake Ponchartrain. Erin spent 10 minutes planning how he would kill the three men he saw. He thought about crossing the street unseen and walking to the top of the Entergy building to take care of the snipers physically. But the crossing the street part turned him away. So he devised a plan to sneak up on the booth man, kill him silently, take his gun, and kill the snipers. It wouldn't be easy, but Erin had confidence within.
Erin ran to the nearest booth adjacent to the man's. From there he got a better glimpse of the rifle he would very soon obtain. It had a custom scope it seemed, and a handy silencer for quiet takedowns. This, Erin decided, was the perfect gun. Especially for killing those snipers. Erin ran to the next booth. He was now one booth away from the man. Erin could also see the snipers more clearly from here. Neither were doing their job well. Erin was basically in plan sight of them. Before he killed the man, he had to decide how. He searched the booth madly, looking for a weapon of some sort. He found a large knife in one of the drawers that looked fit for the job.
Erin was no longer running or hiding. He was stalking the very people that chased him for his life. The tables had turned, for now.
Quickly, Erin ran to the booth where the man was. He was now directly behind him, holding a knife that would kill this monster. Now or never Erin thought, and he stabbed the man right in the neck. The man fell out of his chair and jumped like a fish out of water across the booth's floor. His fingers stood straight out, wanting something to hold onto. His knees were bent as much as they would bend. Erin found this rather unpleasant. Seeing a man who knows he's dieing and can't do anything about it. He was in limbo. Not alive, yet not quite dead. Just squirming there on the floor, wondering what he did wrong. The way his body moved alone made Erin shake. He never saw a man struggle for life such as he did. Erin only saw men fall after being shot. Or vanish out of thin air when a grenade went off. But never this.
Erin couldn't bare it anymore. He grabbed the rifle and ran back to his hiding spot. He prayed for the man to die soon. But then he realized what was keeping him in limbo. The knife wasn't letting any blood out; it was just causing him excruciating pain while it sat there in his neck. Erin's knees shook on the run back to the man's booth. He saw the man still flailing across the floor. His desk was now tipped over and the man's eyes were white as glass. This was quite possibly the worst image Erin had ever witnessed. What would happen when he pulled the knife out? Would his head explode or something? Erin feared every bit of this. Finally, he took a deep breath in and grabbed the knife's handle. Erin regretted this immediately, he could feel the pulse of the man's blood beating rapidly against the knife. But it had to be done. So Erin thrust the knife out. The helpless man was shot across the booth by the pressure of the blood that sprayed out of his neck. Erin shut his eyes and cried in the manner of a 4 year old. He was being sprayed by blood from an already dead man who experienced pain worst than anything Erin had ever experienced. The sheer force of the blood stung Erin's back while he tried to crawl away. His body would barely let him move. When he was out of the blood's limit he lay on the grass and cried. Slamming his fist down so hard until it hurt. Erin was a demon inside now. What he just did was beyond evil. He was one of them now and he couldn't hide it. Nobody deserved to die like that. He could never let anyone know about this or they would surely kill him. God how Erin hated himself now! It was the worst thing he had every done in his life. But he had to.
After a minute of calming down and letting everything out of him, Erin got back to work. He raised the rifle at the chit-chatting snipers and put two in their head. From now on, Erin would kill people the fastest and painless way possible.
After Erin retrieved Shelby from the sewer, they made way into the Entergy building. He took the two snipers' guns and other accessories for themselves. Then they found a cozy room in the building and slept.
The following morning, soldiers had replaced the others and men now occupied Causeway Blvd. But the worst thing Erin saw was that men were now searching the sewer lines. They had left the lid open, giving away their prime source of mobility.
"How long are we gonna have to stay here?" Shelby worriedly asked.
"Until we find Greg and the others. Are mission is still to cross the lake."
For the next couple of days, Erin and Shelby lived off vending machines occupying their floor. Anywhere else in the building was too dangerous to search. Their floor was mostly cubicles and offices. They had access to a fire-escape but not much else. And candy bars wouldn't last them forever either. They couldn't even risk using the toilet because it might make to much noise.
During this period, Erin and Shelby grew close friends. They had both saved each others' lives numerous times within their last week together. But sometimes, because of the situation, they got angry with on another and had to spend a day apart in different offices. One occasion led to drastic measures. No the fight itself, but what happened after the fight.
Shelby stormed off into her office. She had become very fed up with Erin. All he did in her opinion was terrify her with different scenarios. He always contemplated how they would get out of certain situations. She found it extremely uncomfortable.
Shelby was doing nothing but listening to a CD player she found in one cubicle when she spotted a soldier wandering her floor. Her stomach and other organs seemed to jam into on tiny spot. Her throat clogged up. She was utterly horrified. The soldier looked as though he was listening to something faint and now searched for it. Shelby quietly backed herself in a corner, out of sight of the soldier. She couldn't hear where he was because of the music in her ears. Shit! Shelby thought. It was her music. She had it so damn loud he could hear it. And now he was following it. She though about turning it off but that would give herself away. So she turned the volume down slowly. Very slowly, until it was completely off. The soldier's foot steps were now able to be heard. They sounded as though they were right outside her office. Then the footsteps stopped.
A static sound came from the other side of Shelby's wall. Then voices:
"Did you find anything?" The voice must have come from the soldier's walkie-talkie.
"No. The noise I heard stopped all of the sudden." This was the voice of the soldier right outside the office.
"Are you sure you heard music?"
"Yes I'm sure smart-ass. It just stopped though. I don't get it."
"Well, if you're sure you heard something then keep looking."
"I will."
The static stooped at that point and the soldier set one foot into Shelby's office. Then he fell forward right in front of Shelby. She covered a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. The man had a bullet in his head. After 3 seconds, Erin walked in the room with his gun, two backpacks, and another rifle around his shoulder.
"We're leaving." He said.
It was week from their departure at the Entergy building. Erin and Shelby were living off candy and animals crackers. They walked down back streets and only at night to avoid being seen. They both agreed that heading back to Monticello was the best idea. Everybody most think they're dead by now.
Another week passed. On a normal circumstance, it would only take a day to cross New Orleans, but only being able to travel by night and constantly having to change directions slowed the process dramatically. The sewers couldn't be used either. Erin and Shelby didn't talk much. They were both so tired the only thing that would come from talking is an argument. In another day, they should reach Monticello St. That's where the water treatment plant is, and also where the surviving kids are. Its where Erin and he others started at before this whole mess. Before he was chased by tanks and soldiers. Before he ruthlessly killed a weaponless man. Before he even began this mission. But now, he was stuck in the open, trying to make it across a relatively small city in less than a month. All he'd eaten lately was chips and other junk food. Erin and Shelby were miserable. But Shelby had an even greater reason to be mad. She didn't even know what they were going for until it was just her and Erin. She didn't ask to be on this mission. But at least she was still alive.
On their third week from leaving the Entergy building, they were only at the Fairgrounds. It was pitch black while they ran through the field towards the main building.
"Think there's food inside?" whispered Shelby.
"I hope so."
They reached the front entrance. It was a large glass frame, already smashed of course. The two entered the room. It was similar to a train station almost. High ceilings and counters everywhere. This was where horse races were held. They ran up the flight of stairs onto the second floor. A concession stand stood fine at the end of the hall. Erin and Shelby raced there despite their worn legs. They would finally taste some food besides candy. Erin was 5 feet from the counter when he was tackled to the ground. Shelby screamed. A boy, not much older than Erin, was on top of him. The boy swung punches at Erin's face. Erin was overwhelmed with terror. He was overpowered and being beaten against the floor. He saw the boy's eyes, filled with hate and rage. The hits landed hard on Erin's face. He felt blood in his mouth. Shelby pushed the boy off of Erin. He boy recovered quickly and pulled a knife on Shelby. Erin lay unconscious, helpless to support Shelby.
"What do you want!" Shelby screamed for her life.
"Go away! This is my spot! Leave!"
There wasn't much Shelby could do. She had no chance against fighting him. He was larger than her. Shelby grabbed Erin's wrist and dragged him away from the boy. He was as much a monster as the adults. Had he forgotten that the kids needed to stick together to survive? Shelby cried over Erin's body as she pulled him away. Tears hit his face. When she reached the staircase, the boy was still watching her from down the hall. All his features were hidden by the darkness.
"Wait!"
He ran towards Shelby. She cowered down the stairs, leaving Erin's limp body at the top. The boy reached Erin and bent over. Shelby had no idea what he was going to do.
"Pl-please don't kill him." Shelby begged under her breath.
He didn't answer; he just bent over Erin and started taking his guns and packs. He was having trouble getting the gun strap loose because he was holding the knife in one hand. Shelby slowly backed down the stairs. Her life was in the boy's hand now.
"God-Dammit!"
The boy through the knife down so he could unbuckle the strap. Then, as if a miracle, Erin gripped the boy's neck in an instant. He was awake.
The boy was thrown back. Erin and he stood up at the same time. He was in much better shape then Erin. He leaned down to pick up his knife. Erin leaned down as well, he picked up his M16.
"Hey-,"
"Shut up!" Erin was not going to talk this through. "If we're gonna fight, its only fair that I get a free hit too." Erin pointed the gun at the boy's foot and pulled the trigger in the middle of the boy's plead.
"Ahhh!" The boy fell to the ground wailing in agony. "I'll kill you!"
Erin was furious. How dare he sucker punch me for wanting food that bastard! He jumped on top the boy after dropping his gun and beat the living hell out of him. It was a short fight. Erin finally stopped after 4 or 5 punches to his face.
"How's it feel?"
"I'll k-kill you!" The boy just kept screaming and cursing.
Shelby was at the bottom of the stairs for all this so she only heard the situation.
Erin, in a last attempt to give the boy as much pain as possible, took out his knife and stabbed the boy in his other foot. Then he made his way back to the concession stand. He took popcorn and bottles of water. Meanwhile, the screaming boy rolled over and fell down the stairs to land right in front of
Shelby.
"Help me! Help me you bitch! You whore! I'll kill you!" His words were driven by pure hate and anger. Shelby cried and tried to back away. "Where are you going! Help me! Help me!" He crawled after her using his arms only. "I swear to God if I catch you!" Shelby was to the point of passing out. If she survived through the night this image would haunt her forever. The boy was so mad. He could only think of hurting someone. He wanted to kill someone. Anyone.
"You fucking bitch!"
BAMM!
The nightmare was over. Erin stood at the top of the stairs with his gun. His face was emotionless. The past month had been so rough and terrifying, most bywould have killed themselves or given up hope. But Erin and Shelby stayed together and fought to survive. They've seen things most people never see. Madness and murder. Being hunted because they want the right to live. Erin had seen it all now. Nothing more scared him. If the boy had approached him instead of tackling him, Erin might have spared him the pain and suffering. But the boy sunk to the low of the low. He pushed Erin to the limit. From here on out, Erin would become nothing but a killing machine. It was war now, and people like that boy only get in the way of what has to be done.
Shelby and Erin didn't talk for another 4 days. Not because they were scared of being heard, because there was nothing more to talk about. Whether they liked it or not, they were closer then most people will ever be. They've seen each others' best and worst. They've saved each others' lives. Most soul mates can't say that about one another. They've said everything to each other, and so much more. The only thing they haven't done is kiss. But neither was waiting. The two just weren't meant to be. The last thing they wanted to do was see more of one another. Erin, however, was becoming attracted to Shelby. But this was to be cut short soon. Tempers were rising between Erin and Shelby.
One the corner of Galvez and Napoleon, things stooped to an all time low.
"Damn thing's batteries died," Shelby was attempting to beat her CD played back to life.
"It needs new ones."
"No duh',"
"Sorry, just trying to help." Erin spoke in a sarcastic manner. One that obviously was said to annoy Shelby.
"If you really want to help you'll give me those batteries I know you have in your pack."
"Why didn't you grab more when we were in that RiteAid?"
"I didn't ask for a lecture on how to be a better person. I asked for your batteries you're not currently using."
"I didn't hear you ask."
"Stop being such a prick Erin!"
"Scream a little louder so the people trying to kill us can hear you."
"Fuck you!" At that, Shelby turned away and left.
"Where do you plan on going Shelby?"
"Away from you." She didn't stop walking. Erin was forced to chase her so he wouldn't have to scream.
"With no food or water or weapons?"
"I'd rather not kill any more people. But thank you anyway." Sarcasm was the biggest weapon here.
"Well, good luck, bitch."
Shelby stopped. Erin was waiting for a comeback. He knew she wouldn't really run away. He was baiting her. He had to say something so she wouldn't just leave. To tell the truth, Erin thought this was flirting. He hoped for Shelby to turn around and hug him. It was working so far. Then Shelby turned around with tears in her eyes and slapped Erin across the face. Then she went on her way again. That was when it all ended. Erin had been through enough hardships. Last thing he wanted was some bitch whose life he's saved a thousand times slapping him. If she wanted to fight, Erin would fight back. He ran up to Shelby and pushed her hard onto the ground. Shelby didn't stay down for long. She knelt up until she was one her knees. Then she put her hands on her face and screamed. Erin took a step back before Shelby lunged forward at him. She scratched him in the face and slapped him anywhere she could get her hands. All the while screaming.
"Cut it out!" Erin protested for her to stop. "STOP!"
Shelby kept fighting. She was making too much noise. Erin had to calm the situation. He found a clear shot and punched her in the face. Shelby fell back and didn't move. 10 seconds passed. How hard had Erin hit her? Did he hit her in the temple? Erin freaked out. He shook her. She still didn't move. Oh God no! Oh God no! Erin wouldn't believe it. He felt her neck but couldn't feel a pulse. Oh God no! She had a massive lump on her head right next to her ear. He hit her in the temple. You can kill someone if you hit them there hard enough. Erin's hands wouldn't hold still. His throat was dry.
"Wake up. Wake up!" Shelby lay still. "Wake up please!"
Shelby was still. Her body was cold and white.
"Wake up please. Please. Don't do this to me."
Erin cried over her. This wasn't real.
"Please. Please wake up. Oh my God!"
Erin had never quite felt like this. Worse then when he stabbed the man. 10 times worse.
"No! No! No! Please God no!"
They had been through so much together. Erin had looked out for her and she had him. She couldn't be dead. Erin couldn't do this alone. Whether they talked or not they were never alone.
"Please! Wake up! Please God no! Wake up!"
Erin couldn't even say her name. It was too painful. Suddenly, whether he was heard or not didn't matter. They very thing they were fighting over was no longer the problem.
"Please no. Please wake up. Oh God."
Erin didn't scream anymore.
"No. Please no. Wake up."
Erin bent over to kiss her. Her lips were so cold.
"Wake up. Wake up."
Shelby never woke up.
Excerpt 3:2010
The last known survivors gathered in secret. They ran a civilization of their own at the Monticello water treatment plant. Here, they would hide out and form an army. They would reclaim their rightful city. This was only the beginning. They would move on after reclaiming New Orleans. Find more survivors and continue fighting. They would live on.
New Orleans, Washington Square Park: 2011
Erin rested his body on the only park bench remaining. It was coming to sunrise so Erin would half to move before it was fully daylight. It was especially dangerous to be out this early. Since the last month, more soldiers have been swarming. Countless tanks road down the streets. Erin couldn't travel by sewer because the men had figured that out. He was making his way though. Whether slowly or not, he should reach Monticello in another week or so. Some days, Erin couldn't travel at all because too many men guarded the streets or something to that sort. Many obstacles interfered.
Life was hard for Erin. His feet were always sore and his head always hurt. His sleeping patterns were similar to a nocturnal animal. He never traveled by day. It was far too risky.
Erin opened his eyes wide to the pink sky. This was the third time he almost fell asleep. He needed to get going before it was too bright. The only thing that kept him down was how tired he was. But his life can before his comfort. He dragged body up. This reminded him of the days he was in school, when he had to wake up in the morning even though he really didn't want to.
The street was noiseless and still. Not even a stir of wind came to break the picture. Erin was crouched by a bush. He planned on sleeping in the theatre across the street. One last check and Erin dashed from the park and towards the building. It wasn't until he was in the middle of the street that Erin realized how bright it was out. He had made a risky move when he hesitated to get up. The sun rose very fast.
Erin made it to the theatre and tried to open the door. It was locked with chains from the other side.
"Son of a Bitch!" Erin couldn't even break the door down now. He had to find an alternate entrance. He backed up and looked around for a window. Nothing. Pissed, Erin made his way around the corner. Then he encountered his worst obstacle yet.
Erin saw a huge Mech walking his way in the street. It had mini-guns attached to its arms so to speak. Both guns had 4ft. long strips of magazine hanging down to the road. It looked like over 300 rounds. In the center of the Mech sat a man with glass surrounding his quarter. He had a helmet on that connected to the back of his seat. His arms gripped two sticks coming from a control panel in front of him. The Mech walked rather stiffly but looked capable of much higher speeds and more maneuverability. Erin saw this behemoth and turned around quickly. He wasn't sure whether it saw him or not but he was interested in finding out either. He kept running to the end of the block and rounded that corner. He tried to keep calm but his breathing was heavy beyond belief.
Around the corned stood another Mech. This particular one had two large canisters on its back and a long barrel set under one of its arms. The other arm had a vice-like tong connected to the end of it. This Mech noticed Erin as soon as he ran around the corner.
Erin swallowed upon his sighting of the second Mech. There was no fighting these machines. He would have to run if he thought about living. So he turned around and saw the first Mech at the corner of the father street. He was cornered. Thinking purely about his life and not about pain, he kicked the glass of the theatre door and attempted to release the chains. He pulled them hard but they wouldn't come loose. Both Mechs rounded the corners and headed towards Erin. Quickly, he pointed his M16 at the tangle of chains and shot through them all, giving him just enough time to run inside before the first Mech opened fire. Erin ran up a flight of stairs in the center of the theatre. He heard the rounds hit the doorway where he once stood. There was no distinction between individual bullets. They were fired at such a rate it sound like one long round.
Erin made his way to the third floor. He was in the balcony area. Only three doors were located here. One lead to the second floor where Erin had come from. The one directly opposite in the room most likely did the same thing. But a door located to the center of the balcony lead somewhere else. Erin made his way through this door.
Tables and chairs lay scattered across the otherwise plain room. Two windows and one door looked as though they allowed access to a balcony. Erin peered through the right window and looked out at the street where the Mechs were. The one equipped with the canisters and the long barrel was in sight but the other had either left or made its way into the theatre. That, Erin decided, was what he had done. He could hear the Mech attempting to make its way up the second flight of stairs. This would hopefully buy Erin some time for whatever he decided upon. But he didn't have forever.
Erin took one more look through the window. The second Mech was now leaning up at Erin's post and had the barrel pointed at him. The barrel was at least or longer then the Mech itself. It stretched 12 or so feet to Erin's position. As Erin ran to the other side of the room, he expected an 80 caliber bullet or something. But instead he was greeted with a blazing torch. A large flame shot through the window in a line. The room instantly grew 60 degrees hotter. Erin was getting cooked alive as the flame flew across the room. Erin made a mad dash for the door and busted right through it. The Mech's flame stopped and smoke drew from the barrel. Erin now understood what this Mech was. It was, in a sense, a large flamethrower. The canisters on its back must have held gas. Erin took the moment to grab his rifle form his back and took a shot at the canister. He missed and was glad he had later. His plan changed from there.
The Mech wasn't torching the balcony again, perhaps because it needed a moment to recharge its flame. Or maybe because he didn't want the third floor to collapse on the other Mech. Erin didn't ponder that. He shot at the Mech's glass cover. The bullets didn't dent the glass. This was strange because even with bullet proof glass, the bullets made dents. This was some kind of synthetic metal. Erin thought for a second. Then he ran back into the torched room, through the doorway onto the balcony, and out the door opposite from where he came in. The stairways lead more or less to the same spot.
Erin halted before he jumped the last few steps. The Mech was still trying to climb the opposite stairway. Erin waited until he was out of the Mech's view, them he slipped outside to face front to front with the other Mech. To Erin's surprise, the glass cover was open and the man inside was hurriedly trying to get his helmet off. He had a gun in his hand. Erin killed the man immediately. This caught the attention of the other Mech. It turned around to find Erin climbing into the Mech. Erin threw the man out and sat down in the cockpit. He pressed buttons frantically, trying to find the one that closed the glass. The Mech in the theatre opened fire right when the glass began closing. It was amazing how the seemingly infinite rounds could not penetrate the glass. Erin shut his eyes and prayed for the glass to hurry. Come on. Come on. The glass shut fully.
From he was safe, unless the Mech shot his canister. That would mean certain death for Erin. To avoid this, Erin gripped the sticks in front of him and jolted both forward. The Mech jumped about 7 feet forward and land roughly. The other Mech now stood directly in front of Erin's.
"Ohhhh…" Erin finally got it. The two sticks controlled each leg. By pushing them both forward he caused the Mech to jump. On the control panel he noticed two switches. They were laid out with one above the other. Next to the switches was a sketch of the Mech he piloted. The lower switch was next to the bottom half. This was the same with the top half. Erin flipped the top switch on and the bottom off. At that moment, the opposing Mech swung his right gun-arm into Erin's glass cover. His Mech fell over from the hit. Again, a huge metal arm fell onto his cover. Erin, in attempt to fight back, pushed the control sticks. They were extremely heavy. Erin had to put both hands on one stick to push it up. The other Mech repeatedly smashed Erin's cover. When Erin finally lifted the stick, the Mech's right arm obtaining the vice-grip whacked the other Mech. Erin didn't hesitate to take his chance. While the opposing Mech fell back from the blow, Erin leapt out of the Mech and ran away. When he felt he was far enough away, Erin wheeled around and opened fire on the fallen Mech's canister.
BOOM!
The very Mech Erin just scrambled out of exploded. Smoke and dismantled metal was covering the street. Erin ran into the darkness towards the remaining Mech. And to his astonishment, the Mech was still standing. Erin didn't want to know whether the man inside was still alive or not so he jumped behind it. He could now visually compare himself to the awesome machine. It was 2 times taller than him and each of the rounds hanging from the magazine was larger than a 50 caliber.
Erin was startled when the Mech began to move. He had to watch from being stomped on by its gargantuan metal feet. It took two steps forward, then one back. It moved about strangely. Like the man inside was unsure of how to control it. He must have still been dazed from the explosion. Erin was still right behind it when he heard the cockpit open. The man landed in front of him. Erin shot 3 or 4 into the man before he even had a chance. The most terrifying machine man has ever conceived was now his.
Erin wouldn't spend time trying to figure the whole machine out now. He assumed more men, and perhaps more Mechs, would be arriving soon to assist the already over fight. He jumped in the Mech and walked it back into the theatre. This specific Mech operated easier than the other one. When the Mech was pushed into the smallest corner of the entrance hall, Erin receded from the area and back onto the torched balcony. Here, he waited.
By mid-day, Erin was fast asleep on the balcony. He was, of course, out of view from anyone below. His nap didn't last long though. He soon heard grinding metal from the park across the street. The sound grew louder and louder until it awoke Erin. He was startled at first but upon seeing the army of Mechs walking his way, he was less tense. This was what he hoped for. For within the Mech he obtained, was a radio link to all stations. On station 13 he signaled for back up across Washington Square Park: "Backup! Backup! Immediate backup requested at Washington Square Park! Foxtrot, November! Backup!" This would cause two things to happen. One, was that extreme military backup would come to the park. Whether they knew it was a hoax or not didn't matter. Erin simply needed more of these Mechs to come for his plan to work. Two, by saying, 'Foxtrot, November!' the base at Monticello would hear the message and understand the situation. Monticello was always listening to the radio links used by soldiers but could never say anything or their position would be given away. Erin said this to specify to Monticello that he was in danger.
The Mechs advanced and situated themselves around the whole park. By now they knew the request was a hoax, but still needed to find the source of the prank. Since Erin had made the call an hour ago, some backup of his own would be arriving soon. Hopefully.
He crouched on the balcony, observing the Mechs. There were more than 5 different kinds now. All assorted within a 20 Mech army. Most had the twin mini-guns like the one Erin had, but he also noticed the same flamethrower one. Others had missiles and close combat weaponry. One particularly had a large rifle on one arm with a pile driving pole on the other. The pole looked sturdy and capable of crushing walls and buildings alike. Many men assisted these Mechs as well. But Erin was not scared. He simply waited until he was sure his backup had come. They might even already be there but Erin didn't know until he asked on the radio. And if they weren't there when he asked, he would be giving away his position, thus ruining the plan. Still crouched on the balcony, he waited 5 more minutes.
5 minutes passed without any movement. The Mechs waited for something Erin did not know of. Could they already know of a sneak attack? Were they waiting patiently for that? Erin could only imagine. So after those 5 minutes, he held the radio close to his mouth.
"Hello?"
A stir of commotion erupted. The Mechs jostled about when a large number of children ambushed them from all sides. Molotov-cocktails and other homemade bombs were tossed into the middle of the park creating chaos. The Mechs fired back instantly, revealing children who hid in bushes and other balconies. It was a war in miniature.
Erin rushed into the theatre. He was confronted by 2 men carrying sniper rifles up the stairs. Since Erin noticed them first he disposed of the two before they had a chance to shoot back. He made his way down the stairs cautiously. Gunshots and explosions blanketed the outside.
Erin reached the bottom of the stairs. Men ran here and there through the entrance area. Erin picked off a few for men before he made his way into the back area. A Mech with two large mortar rods sticking out of his back stood in the back plaza. It launched two bombs into the air. Erin ran behind the colossal Mech and went on his way. His heart was beating fast. Adrenaline was pumping through his body as he ran into the battlefield. Mechs spent most of their time firing into building and windows instead of worrying about people on the street. Grown men ran into other buildings, searching for the ambushers. Erin kept running down the sidewalk in search for an ally. When he ran past a heavy artillery Mech, it changed positions and fired upon Erin. The bullets hit all around him while he ran. Powdered cement and other debris shot into Erin's face from below. Then, as though an angle watched over Erin, the shots stopped. He took this borrowed time to jump into the nearest building. The explosions and such could still be heard from inside. Erin ran up the flight of stairs centered in the building, his M16 at hand. Many doorways bordered the hallway at the top of the stairs. He ran through the nearest one. At the far right window were two boys with a box of explosives. They turned around afraid at first, but when they saw Erin, they cheered.
"Holy shit! Where did you come from?" The first boy who Erin recognized as Harry dropped his stick of dynamite in hand and ran to Erin.
"Greg and the others are looking for you." Franco, the second, slightly smaller, boy informed Erin.
"Where are they?"
"In the museum. It's on the other side of the park." Harry said with an exhilarated breath. "We'll help you get there."
Harry grabbed 3 more sticks of dynamite and followed Erin and Franco through the doorway.
"Is anybody else in this building?" Erin asked. The multiple doors triggered this question.
"No, we've just been switching rooms. They haven't found us yet." Franco told him.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and headed out the front door. A Mech at the end of the street was already headed their way when it started firing. Erin and the other two hurried back into the building while the Mech continued firing.
"Follow me!" Franco began running to the back of the building with a 9mm in his right hand. He led them to a back room. There, he shattered a window and crawled through. Erin and Harry followed.
They were in a backyard garden of some sort. A tilted fountain sprayed water in different directions. They made way past the garden and through another door. This building had many candles and shrines of different sizes. Franco held up a finger to signal them to stop. He slowly peeked around a corner in the end of the room.
"Harry, light a stick." Franco whispered after he looked around the corner. Harry did so and quickly handed it to Franco. He looked one last time around the corner and chucked back there. A sound of scattering footsteps was followed by the stick exploding.
"Come on," Franco ran into the smoke and debris. Too many times had Erin seen this exact scenario. He couldn't remember a day where he hadn't run into an explosion aftermath. It felt as though most of his childhood life sense a year ago was either fogged by smoke and blackness or covered in debris. So once again, Erin and Harry pursued deep into the darkness.
Franco, with his shirt collar over his mouth, was bent over a man's body. A large assortment of ammunition and military gear lay blanketed across the remains of the other bodies. Franco rushed to gather it all.
"We heard your message, that's why we came." Harry said.
"How are yall holding up at Monticello?" Erin changed clips in his gun and stuffed the rest into pockets.
"Horrible. We've been trapped there for 2 weeks." Franco joined the conversation. "Apparently, they figured out that we were using the sewer lines. We haven't been able to go anywhere until you called. Then all the adults left and came here."
With an inside feeling of guilt, Erin strode away from the subject.
"Where to next?"
Franco grabbed the last bit of ammo and led them through a door to the outside. Flames were covering the park now. They rose high above the buildings surrounding the park. It seemed as though more Mechs had arrived from when the fight began. Some Mechs even fired upon other Mechs. Then Erin was reminded of the heavy artillery Mech he had hidden in the theatre.
"We can round this corner and take the long way to the museum. That way we'll avoid most of this mess. I don't think we-," Franco was caught off by Erin.
"I've got a Mech hidden in the theatre. I'll use that to get across the park. You two can guard me so other kids won't bomb us, thinking we're one of the adults!" Erin had to yell now because so many bombs were going off. "K? Follow me,"
They ran down the block towards the theatre. The once blue sky was shaded black from all the smoke. A night-like appearance gave an eerie feel to the battle. They reached the theatre.
"You two stay out here for a second while I go get it!" Erin commanded. Franco nodded and joined Harry, who already had thrown his last two sticks and was now shooting stray men among the park.
The theatre was more or less in the same condition. Dead men lat here and there but otherwise untouched. Erin ran to the far right staircase and looked in the nook adjacent to it. A large Mech equipped with twin mini-guns stood tall there. Erin jumped in the cockpit managed to maneuver out of the corner. He was still jumpy in terms of how well he controlled the Mech, but he wasn't planning on shooting anything. All he needed to know at the moment was how to walk the thing across the park.
Franco and Harry were crouched behind a tipped Mech. Erin passed them leisurely and into the midst of the battle. Franco stayed on the Mech's right, making sure none of their allies would attack Erin. Harry stayed farther behind, throwing grenades at other Mechs. It astounded him how sturdy they were. He found himself screaming, "Shit!" because he would waste three grenades trying to take down a Mech.
Erin kept a rhythm while he walked the Mech through the charred park. He heard many orders over the radio. Some were good, some were not. His ultimate destination became closer and closer every step. He saw many of his friends, including Greg, popping up from various balconies that hung from the museum's floors. They would appear for a second, just enough time to throw done a Molotov-cocktail, and then disappear back down. From the looks of it, the squadrons of Mechs situated below the museum were attempting to bring down the balconies. This proved difficult when the art of guerilla warfare was being used against you. Erin reached the foot of the museum next to the other Mechs. Franco and Harry had left his side a while ago when he came so close to the opposing Mechs. Now, Erin decided, was his chance to learn to fight with this thing. He flipped the top switch next to the Mech's upper-half. Then, by pulling both sticks left, the Mech's upper half rotated to face the others. Two thick laser sights pointed from his Mech's barrels onto another about 10 feet away. He placed his fingers gently over the two triggers on the control sticks. Not knowing what sort of recoil awaited him when he would pull these triggers, Erin braced himself everyway possible. He sat straight, held his arms tight, and pulled the triggers. Immediately, an arrow of lead stretched from the barrels. The Mech shook wildly, causing Erin's teeth to chatter and his body to rumble. He held on tight while nudging the control sticks sideways to increase the line of fire. The glass in front of Erin glared strongly. Sparks and ricocheting rounds flew in all directions. Erin's fingers went numb because of the vibration. It took him a minute to take control again so as he could let his fingers go. Then, with a hum, the rounds stopped, yet Erin had not let go. He sat confused in the cock-pit, wondering what to do next. A slight alarm was barely heard over the continuous battle outside. Then Erin realized two things; the first was that the guns had run out of ammunition, the second was that the humming came from the helmet on the top of the seat. He grabbed the helmet and pulled it over his head. Besides its overly large size compared to Erin's head, it was quite amazing. It gave Erin a more detailed look at the landscape of leveled Mechs before him. The once faint siren was now loudly buzzing in his ear. A flashing holograph of the Mech's guns was placed in the right-hand corner of the helmet's screen. The screen also showed how well the Mech was in damage terms, amount of ammo actually left, (which in Erin's case was none), and many other convenient pieces of information. But this was not the time to marvel over the technology bestowed within this mechanism.
Just then, Harry appeared outside the cock-pit rapping on the indestructible glass. His muffled voice was barely heard through the cover.
"Come on! We gotta get to Greg and the others! They're waiting!"
Erin scanned the control panel for the button he pressed last time in order to open the cover. He found the button and propped himself out of the Mech. Harry led Erin around the block while Franco stayed and shot men who tried to crawl out of their cockpit.
"We saw what you did. That was pretty awesome. You're gonna half to show us how to use those." Harry seemed rather confident in Erin's opinion. When he crossed the park he saw many more Mech than children.
They made their way up a huge flight of stairs. The museum was in good condition on the inside compared to the outer walls, which were peppered in bullet holes. It felt good to not have people and machines alike shooting at you. Erin took a deep breath before he entered onto the balcony, where his life was once again in the hands of someone else.
All the children on the balcony were ducked behind sandbags and anything else they could use as a shield. Boxes of explosives and rows of Molotov-cocktails lay next to the children. Erin now saw the perspective that proved Harry correct. No more than 3 Mechs were visible throughout the whole park. Few men ran into the open, which left the battlefield even more deserted of the enemy. The children were on the brink of winning the war.
"Erin, over here!" Greg was crouched next to another boy known as "Spy".
Erin ran as low as he could across the balcony to meet with Greg and Spy. Every face turned to see Erin while he ran, all of which stared in disbelief. Erin skid the last 4 feet and took position readily.
"We've been looking all over for you!" There wasn't much more need for Greg to scream. The explosions had slowed down considerably and gunshots were minimal.
"I know. I've been through hell tying to find yall." Erin couldn't help but smile. He was with his friends now. He wouldn't be alone anymore.
"Where's Shelby?" Erin's upbeat attitude was decreased slightly by this accusation. He felt no need to answer. He looked down and hoped Greg understood what he meant.
"Man, I'm sorry…" Greg said. He understood very well what Erin meant.
Erin didn't move from his downward position. Every time he thought of Shelby he would come back to the same memory of how he killed her. It was so painful.
"But hey!" Greg tried to lighten the mood. "Look man, we won. We beat the grownups."
Erin now noticed how many kids weren't crouched down anymore. They all leaned against the balcony railing and watched the burning park where they defeated their enemy. For the time being, the kids had reclaimed their city.
"Come on! Come on! I want everybody down there! Find our wounded and killed! Phantom squad, get me a body count! We need to get these Mechs to the base as soon as possible! Let's go!" Greg was a natural leader. He was the kid everybody else looked up to. Greg was the very person that taught Erin how to shoot a gun and drive a tank. "Erin!" Erin was busy reuniting with other friends when Greg called for him. "Erin!"
"Oh-! Yeah, Greg, what's up?"
"You know how to work these things right?"
"The Mechs? Yeah,"
"Well, get Spy and Harry and a couple others and teach em' the basics alright, in a nutshell if you can. We have very little time."
"Right,"
Erin gathered 10 people and brought them down in front of the museum. 6 Mechs that had been knocked over by Erin's guns were already being lifted up by a group of kids. It took about 15 of them but it got the job done. Erin was stunned; the Mechs he shot were perfectly fine. All that the guns had done to them was push them over with force. The glass covers were still intact too.
"Okay," Erin turned around and got every ones' attention, "these things are pretty easy to walk, which all you need to know how to do right now. Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Jump on that one right over there." Erin pointed to the Mech he operated. Harry did so with a giant smirk across his face. "Alright, do you see the switch next to the sketch of the Mech?"
"Un-hun,"
"Flip the top one and the bottom one. This should change the gears to control the bottom half instead of the top." All the previously flipped Mechs were now in their upright stances. "Alright, hold on Harry. Everybody else, pick a different Mech and don't do anything but make sure the bottom switch is flipped up and the top switch is flipped down. Everybody good?" Almost every kid looked as though Christmas had come 4 months early. Once everyone was in a Mech, Erin continued, "Now, if the switches are properly set, grab the two sticks next to you. Don't move them, just grab them. These levers will control the legs, if you will, of the Mech. The left stick for the left leg, and the right stick for the right leg. Now, try and take a step." All the Mechs took a wobbly step. A few almost lost complete balance but regained their control. "Okay, now, everybody jump out. Harry, come here."
Harry jumped out and ran to Erin. "Yeah?"
"Go get more people and take over this okay. Don't tell them to do anything else. K?"
"Sure,"
Erin raced back to the museum to talk to Greg, who was ordering people all over the place.
"Are they learning the basics?" Greg asked upon sight of Erin.
"Yeah, Harry is taking over though." Erin didn't know how to ask this next question, "Greg, what happened with the whole Lake Ponchartrain deal? Are we still gonna-,"
"It's a long story Erin. Let's focus on getting these things back to Monticello first."
"But that's an issue too, Greg. I've been running around for a month. I've seen so many things like this. And every time I've stirred something up, it only gets worse."
Greg looked confused. "What are you trying to say Erin?"
"We aren't gonna make it back to Monticello. They'll be here again any minute now. If we're planning on making it to Lake Ponchartrain, we gotta go now."
Greg looked into the distance for a moment, trying to figure this all out. He had a depressed look on his pointed face.
"Are you hearing me Greg? We gotta leave now."
He took one last sigh and faced Erin. He attempted a smile.
"Then let's go.
"Everybody," Greg walked to the balcony and yelled for every ones' attention. "Gather together and get anything you can carry! We're leaving for the Lake!"
An outburst of rebellion began on the streets below.
"Erin, the kid who made this possible-,"
"You mean the kid who killed 12 of our men?" One child yelled from the park.
"No! The kid that supplied you with the fuckin' gun you're carrying. That kid! Anyway, he says we should leave now before more men come!"
"And what makes him so God-damn smart?" The same child boasted again.
"Shut your mouth punk! He's so smart because he was out here for a month! Alone! And he survived! That's why dumb-ass! So unless you want to go on the next dangerous mission, I suggest you shut the hell up and listen to the words coming from my mouth! We are leaving!"
Greg turned from the balcony and headed inside the museum, followed by Erin.
"Can you teach me how to work a Mech before we leave?" Greg didn't make eye contact with Erin.
"Sure, it's really easy."
"It doesn't matter how easy it is. I just need to know."
They reached the street and made their way to the Mechs. Harry ran up to both of them.
"We've confirmed 16 working Mechs; 5 gunners, 3 cutters, 3 flame-guys, 3 bombers, and 1 sharp-shooter."
"Who thought of those names?" Erin asked with certain interest.
"I did." Harry said with pride.
"What about the death count?" Greg spoke in a low voice.
"12, I think." Harry replied.
"Thanks, now, get all the ammo and guns together as fast as you can. Erin and I'll be with the Mechs. We've got to leave soon."
"Alright," Harry sped away to do Greg's bidding.
"Now, tell me how to do this." Greg jumped in a Mech with 2 large chainsaw blades attached to the base of the arms.
Erin went into greater detail with Greg's Mech. He taught him how to work the upper-half as well as the bottom. He also taught him the buttons he knew and some of the helmet functions. When he finished, Erin ran to his chosen Mech and returned to Greg. Within a matter of minutes, all the children surrounded Erin and Greg, waiting for their next order.
There was no need for words. Greg smiled and gazed at his army. With their newfound weaponry and artillery, they were unstoppable. New Orleans would be theirs' soon. So, Greg and Erin turned around in their Mechs and marched onward to Lake Ponchartrain, where they would perhaps meet a wandering militia like themselves, or a far greater enemy blocking the road to their next destination. So long as Erin had his friend and Greg as well, they made way to new lands.
End of Part I