Chapter Eight: A love of gummy worms
Chapter Nine: Out into the City?
The pair stopped outside Room 107 in Fulton Hall. This was Dustin's chosen room. They exchanged uncertain glances. Neither of them was certain about how to do this. Would Dustin even allow them to bunk with him? "Uh, you go first." Michael said. Chase rolled his eyes "Thanks man." The bushy haired teenager said sarcastically before stepping forwards. He rapped lightly on the door. A dog barked from inside then a voice spoke "Who is it?" "Dustin it's us. Could you open the door?" Silence ensued followed by shuffling then the door opened and Dustin appeared in the doorway. His hair was ruffled and his eyes were blurry with sleep. "Chase? Michael? What are you guys doing here?" "We were, uh, wondering if we could room with you?" "Why? What happened to your room?" "It's, uh, kind of occupied…" "Well who's occupying it?" "Logan." "But he's your roommate?" The pair exchanged glances. They weren't sure how to explain to the boy that their room was occupied by their friend engaging in a passionate make-out session with his ingenious girlfriend.
Fortunately, Dustin caught on "He's making out with Quinn isn't he?" The boy said knowingly "Uhh, yeah." Chase admitted sheepishly. "Ok sure, but just for one night okay?" The pair nodded "Thanks D man." Michael said "Yeah thanks Dustin" "Sure thing." They stepped inside and glanced around the room. A bunk bed with metal frames stood against one wall with messy pillows and crumpled sheets. A single bed stood against the opposite wall. A wooden oak desk sat in the centre of the room with a laptop on top of it. Einstein lay on a blanket in the corner. The dog spotted them and barked at the pair. Chase strode over and patted the canine's head.
The desk was covered with papers, pens, pencils and crumpled soda cans. Clothes and action figures lay scattered on the floor. The room resembled a war zone. Neither of them were particular tidy but they knew Zoey was a compulsive cleaner and the room she shared with Quinn and Lola was always neat. Chase in particular knew how tidy she was as, being her boyfriend, she would scold him if he so much as dropped an empty soda can on the floor and would persuade him to put it in a trash can. So they had expected that she would have taught Dustin to be as tidy as her.
"I wasn't expecting guests." He explained upon noting their expressions "No, no that's cool. So where do we sleep?" "Well I sleep on the single bed so you guys take the bunk bed." "I get top bunk!" Michael yelled gleefully and sprinted over, launching himself onto the top bunk so heavily that the metal framed bed wobbled. Einstein growled at the harsh sound of metal scraping against the wooden floor. Chase rolled his eyes "Okay I guess I'll take the bottom then." He lay down on the bed. "Wait, I gotta pee. Dustin, make sure Chase doesn't take my spot." The boy nodded. Michael rolled off his bunk, dropped to the floor and padded down the hallway to the bathrooms. Chase closed his eyes and soon felt the world turning black as darkness enveloped him…
The next morning, his eyes fluttered open and he sat up, yawning. Sunlight filtered through the window, bathing the room in light. Across the room, Einstein lay asleep on his woolly, moth-eaten blanket. The dog's plumy yellow tail waved rhythmically even in sleep, thumping the floor. However the single bed lay empty and after punching the mattress above him and hearing no reply, Chase realized Michael was gone. Frowning, he got up and left the room. He wandered down the hallway to his usual bedroom and pushed open the door. Elvis ran out to greet him and he crouched down, ruffling the dog's wiry fur but frowned. Just like before, the room stood empty. Now he was becoming concerned. He herded Elvis back inside and shut the door behind him, ignoring the dog's pitiful whines.
He had to find everyone. He searched the entire dormitory including Vince's room but the building was deserted. He left Fulton Hall and strode across campus towards the girls' dormitory. He hoped to bump into one of his friends along the way but saw no-one. The usual dawn chorus of birds was occasionally interrupted by dogs barking out in the city. Most crepuscular animals weren't even active yet. He soon arrived at the girl's dormitory and headed to Room 101. "Zoey?" He called out, straining his ears to see if he could hear a reply. But Room 101 stood empty. Quinn's pet rat was the only sign of life in the room. The rodent rustled in the cage and sniffed the air. Frowning, he turned and took off again. By now he was running, his concerns were running high and he was becoming desperate to locate his friends. As he ran he called out to his friends "Zoey?" "Logan? Are you there? "Michael? Where are you man?"
Chilling thoughts flashed into his mind What if they were gone too? What if they were dead? Was he all alone? Was Zoey gone forever?" He shook his head, forcing away his thoughts until he finally arrived at Sushi Rox. This was the last place he could think to look in. The lights were off which was no surprise but the blinds had been pulled down to the room was totally pitch-black. Hope surged through him. An animal couldn't have done this. Most mammals didn't have limbs dexterous enough for such a complex task. A person had pulled these blinds down. He opened his mouth to call out when suddenly a click sounded and harsh white light flooded his vision. He stumbled backwards, raising his arms to block out the harmful light. Black spots danced across his eyes and he blinked furiously, gradually clearing his vision until his surroundings swam into focus.
His eyes widened as he spotted all his friends gathered around him "Surprise!" The group yelled simultaneously. For a few moments, he simply gazed around at his friends with wide eyes. His mouth opened and closed several times like the mouth of a goldfish. Around him, the others laughed at his wide-eyed expression. Finally, he gained control of his mouth "What is going on?" He exclaimed. Michael stepped forwards chuckling and clapped his bushy-haired friend on the shoulder. "You, my friend, got pranked." Logan also smirked "We got you good didn't we?" Chase sighed, now realizing he'd been tricked "Yeah, you got me good." He couldn't help but smile as his earlier concern dissipated. He was annoyed at his friends for scaring him but now he was starting to smile because at least his friends were still here. They hadn't died or disappeared as he had feared. Zoey stepped forwards and delicately kissed him on the cheek. Instantly, his knees turned to jelly and his mood sky rocketed. His surrounding seemed to blur and melt away. All he could see was her in all her radiant beauty.
She stepped back "Better?" She asked him. He nodded vacantly, a distant expression his eyes "Yeah." He murmured. The others laughed at the effect Zoey had on their bushy haired friend. Suddenly Chase's stomach growled and he fell back to reality. "Sounds like someone's hungry." Zoey teased. He flushed "Umm yeah. What's for breakfast?" "We'll see won't we? You help me cook breakfast remember?" Nodding, he followed her behind the counter through to the kitchen. Lola turned to the others "He's so gullible." The others nodded. Michael and Logan were Chase's closest friends yet even they had to admit, their bushy haired room-mate was incredibly gullible. To everyone's surprise however, Vince spoke out in Chase's defense "Well no not exactly." Logan turned to him "What do you mean?" "Well think about it. Before everyone vanished, would you have believed that it could happen?" "Well no." "Exactly so you would have gone running around PCA looking for your friend's right?" "Uhh, right I guess?" The curly haired boy couldn't understand what the star footballer was trying to say. Not even Lola could understand her boyfriend's point.
"Exactly so you would have been fooled just like Chase was so you're just as gullible as him. We all are. We all would have fallen for it." The teenagers thought for a few moments then began nodding as they realized the burly football player was correct. "Why would you defend Chase? Didn't you beat him up last year?" Dustin asked. The boy hadn't been filled in on the full story of Vince's departure and return but he knew the basic details from rumors that had circulated around Pacific Coast Academy. "I told you I'm, not that person anymore. I'm Chase's friend now and friends stick up for each other." He explained simply. Lola smiled with pride and the two shared a quick kiss. Vince had defended Chase in a position where even his long time roommates had laughed at him. There was no doubt in any of their minds that Vince Blake truly had reinvented himself.
They group ate a hearty breakfast and repeatedly taunted Chase whilst he attempted to brush them aside. Zoey eventually intervened," Alright, will you two just back off. It's not funny more." "Okay, take it easy babe." Logan said sarcastically. The angry teenager lunged forward as Lola and Vince grabbed an arm and restrained her. A startled Michael quickly turned to Logan "Dude leave it. She's gonna kill you." The teenager sneered but quickly backed down after the feisty teenager scowled at them. "Alright, Chase and I are gonna go for a romantic stroll." "Sure okay." "Hey, hey, be careful not to lose her again man!" Michael joked. The bushy haired teenager merely rolled his eyes and grabbed his girlfriend's hand as she scowled furiously at the chuckling pair "Come on Zoe. They'll calm down, eventually." Then the pair exited.
Vince turned to Lola and smirked knowingly. "What are you staring at?" "Today, I am gonna teach you to play computer games." "No! They're boring!" "What? You're crazy!" Logan exclaimed "No, Logan, I'm right; they waste time, they damage your eyesight, make you less social and make you more aggressive." "You're mad!" He shouted. "See, that's my point proven." "Come on dude calm down." Michael told the teenager. "But I play computer games and I'm not violent am I?" Finally Lola wavered slightly "And I'm social?" At last she relented "Oh all right. I'll learn to play your silly game. What game are we playing?" "You'll see." Rolling her eyes, she stood and followed him out. Dustin also got up "I'm gonna go say hi to Elvis." "Hey Dustin, feed him too would you?" Michael shouted after him "Sure thing." Then Michael also got up "I'm gonna go feed Winchester. See you guys." He shambled off towards the parking lot where the stallion was housed.
Logan then turned to his brilliant girlfriend. He was surprised to see her sitting away from him with a distant look in her eyes as though thinking deeply "Uh Quinn?" She jumped and turned to him "Yeah?" She replied distractedly "Are you okay? You looked kinda worried." Concern crept into his voice. If Quinn was having problems then he was determined to help her out. She quickly smiled "No, no I'm fine." She replied quickly. Too quickly. He gazed at her for a few moments trying to understand what she was thinking but she merely continued smiling. At last he relented "Alright, so do you wanna go hang out?"
"Actually I have some things to do but I'll see you later?" He frowned; she had never refused him before. Now he was sure that something was wrong "Alright Quinn, what's going on?" "I told you nothing." "Talk to me I'm your boyfriend." "Look I told you I'm fine. I have some things to do so I'll catch you later ok?" She sounded irritated now and brushed past him before he could reply. Now he was hurt and confused. Frowning, he exited and headed back to his dormitory to try and figure this out.
Quinn peered around the side of the building, careful to stay out of sight. Michael was busy stacking hay into a big pile whilst the stallion grazed. He was totally absorbed in his task, occasionally petting Winchester. He was totally unaware of his surroundings. Michael taunted Chase for being gullible but he himself rarely paid attention to his surroundings. He was often too busy laughing or joking around to watch out. He was her friend but as a scientist she had observed and drawn conclusions about all of her friends. Her plan should be fairly simple. She was very intelligent and had worked out all the possible kinks. She'd worked out her route and in her bag pack she had all the necessary provisions. She felt bad for lying to Logan and it pained her to leave him but she had to do this. The thought of lying to her friends left a bitter taste in her mouth but she had no choice. This had to be done and the city was now a dangerous place, even during daylight hours.
Now all she needed was transportation. In hindsight, hijacking one of the abandoned cars would have been easier but all the vehicles on campus were degraded and no longer roadworthy. She couldn't risk it. If she lost control and crashed out in the city, only the carnivores would hear her screams. Even the cars shielded from the elements in garages would have little petrol in their tanks. She had already calculated how much gas she would need for the journey ahead and she had no idea to drive a car anyway. So borrowing Michael's horse was the only option left. The usage of horses as mounts had come to an end in the Unites States hundreds of years ago soon after the first automobiles were invented and now in the twenty first century, riding a horse was uncomfortable and much slower than taking a vehicle. However, it was her only option. She knew the journey was dangerous.
Beyond the chain-link fence around Pacific Coast Academy, feral dogs and escapees from the zoo could roam freely. The streets were cracked and the tarmac degraded by the sun's heat. Trees had overtaken the traffic lights. Most of the road signs had faded in the heat, rendering them unreadable. The subway system below the city would have been inundated with groundwater in the first few days into the post-human era and the water would have eroded away the support pillars holding up the tunnels. Once the pillars crumbled, large sections of the street above would simply collapse into the void, creating death traps for unwary travelers.
Finally, the teenager patted his horse one last time and walked off, whistling to himself. She waited until he turned the corner then ran up to the stallion and slung her backpack over its back. The beast lifted its head and snorted. She placed a finger to her lips to signal to the animal to remain quiet and swung herself up onto its back. She picked up the reigns and pulled back. Startled by the unfamiliar contact, the horse reared up and neighed in panic before breaking into a gallop. She cried out with alarm and threw her arms around the stallion's neck. "Slow down! Slow down!" She screamed. The horse paid her no heed and continued its mad dash.
She knew they had to stop before they hit the entrance gates. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the reigns and leaned back, pulling as hard as she could while digging her into the horse's sides. The beast began to slow. Finally, they were slowly trotting along. Contented, she sat back in the saddle. "There, now isn't that better?" She cooed. The horse snorted. They approached the main gates and Quinn tapped a dial on her zap watch. A bolt of light shot out and struck the mechanism controlling the gates with a bright flash and a wispy puff of smoke. The gate slowly swung backwards, Winchester snorted nervously at the bright flash of light and she soothingly stroked the stallion's neck. As they rode through, she turned and cast one last wistful glance back towards the school. "Goodbye Logan, I hope you understand why I'm doing this."
Chase and Zoey sat on a couch in the lounge watching a movie on television. The film was an old favourite, The Day After Tomorrow, and both were thoroughly engrossed in it as they snuggled together. Chase had his arm around Zoey's shoulders while she rested her head on his chest. Suddenly, Zoey turned and noticed Chase watching her closely. She smiled "What is it?" "Isn't this nice? The two of us sitting and watching a movie together." "Yeah I guess." "No what I mean is that we don't have to just kiss at the time." She rolled her eyes "Okay fuzzy head what are you trying to say?" He sat up, grabbed the remote and paused the film. The screen froze. "What I mean is that we can do activities together besides just kiss." "Explain?" "Well think about it, Lola and Vince spend a lot of time kissing or flirting right? A little too much time?"
She shuddered "Yeah I've noticed. But how does that apply to us?" "Well I don't think I've ever seen them do anything besides kiss or flirt which if you think must get boring after a while. Kissing is fun but after a while you get bored right? So then it's nice if you can play a game or watch a movie together or just talk. Not like how you talk to your friends but a really, deep, meaningful conversation. For that to be possible, you two gotta have similar interests and connect on an emotional level. "So like we do?"
"Exactly but Vince and Lola, their interests are really different. Vince likes sports. Lola likes drama. Vince likes horror movies or science fiction. Lola likes romance or comedies or a mix of both. Their personalities are really different. I mean they do have stuff in common, like wanting to look good and be cool and stuff but they're also really different."
"So what you're saying they don't actually love each other?" She asked. "No, no I'm just saying that it's harder for them to find activities they can do together whereas for you and me it's easier because we were good friends for a long time before we started going out." "Oh I see clever, smart boy." He grinned "Hey it's a gift." She rolled her eyes "Okay curly Sue, don't let it go to your head. " Hey you promised not to call me curly Sue anymore." The bushy haired teenager said. She rolled her eyes "Just hit play" "Alright." He picked up the remote, hit play and they both snuggled back together as the film resumed.
Dustin grinned as he strode down the hallway, sipping a javachino, and opened the door to Chase, Michael and Logan's room in Maxwell Hall. Elvis jumped off the bed, ran up to him and yelped excitedly. "Alright down boy!" He commanded. The dog whined and wagged his tail. He glanced discreetly around the room and shuddered. Chase and Michael looked surprised at how messy his bedroom was but their room was far more cluttered. He picked up the dog's leash off the floor and tied it to his collar. "Okay let's go." The Jack Russell terrier barked and took off, jerking Dustin along behind him "Wow! Slow down Elvis!"
The little dog dragged him out into the courtyard and towards the lawn. Suddenly, he spotted Logan standing alone in the basketball court, angrily tossing basketballs up into the hoop. The boy frowned. Where was Quinn? They always hung out together. He was wondering whether or not to go and ask him what was wrong when Elvis barked and gave him away. The curly haired boy turned "Oh hey, what's up kid?" He said dully. "Nothing. You ok?" "Yeah. I'm fine." He said shortly before grabbing another basketball and hurling it up into the air
The ball sailed straight through the hoop, which only seemed to bother the teenager more. "Okay what's wrong?" "I told you I'm fine." "Look I may be younger than you but I'm not stupid. What's bugging you?" Logan turned and gazed back at him, ass though weighing up the pros and cons of talking to him. "Fine, sit down." He sighed. Dustin nodded and took the leash off Elvis "Go on boy, go find Chase!" The dog barked and poignantly sniffed the air then raced off in the direction of the lounge.
"Okay, so what's up?" "Quinn blew me off" "What do you mean" "Well after Chase and Zoey left, you left and Michael left Vince told Lola he was gonna teach her to play video games which she thought was stupid. Anyway, eventually she agreed and they went off. Finally, I was alone with Quinn but when I tried to talk to her she seemed all distracted." "What do you mean?" The younger boy asked curiously. "She had this distant look in her eyes and she sounded distracted so when I offered to hang out with her, she said she had other stuff to do and when I tried talking to her, she just left!" "Well, what kind of stuff?" "I don't know! That's what's bugging me! What if she's seeing another guy?" "There's no one else left on campus or in all of California…." The teenager floundered "Well what about Chase or Michael or Vince?" "Chase would never leave my sister; he's head over heels for her. Vince changed he wouldn't cheat on Lola."
"But Michael doesn't have a girlfriend! "You really think Quinn would get together with Michael?" The question was rhetorical. Quinn and Michael were friends but their personalities were too different. Michael was fairly immature and rarely serious whereas Quinn always took matters seriously and rarely pulled pranks or joked. "Okay fine. Burt still why wouldn't Quinn wanna hang out with me?" "She told me earlier she was planning on upgrading the dart blasters." "She told you but not me?" "Okay she told Zoey and Lola and Zoey told me." "That sounds more likely." Dustin frowned at the curly haired teenager who merely shrugged. "Look, I wouldn't be worried but if it's bugging you this much then go talk to your other friends" "Huh?" "Think about it, when was the last time you played basketball with Michael and Chase?" "I dunno. I usually spend most of my time with Quinn."
"Exactly and Michael was telling me that he misses spending time with you and Chase" "He does? But he has his horse." "That's no substitute for friends." "But Chase always spends time with Zoey." "Then find them and explain the situation. Michael and Chase are best friends I'm sure Chase would wanna hang out with his best friend." The teenager thought for a moment "Thanks kid. You're alright. But listen why do you care so much? I haven't exactly been nice to you in the past." "I know but that doesn't mean I should act like you do back at you. If that happened, no one would get along. Not that there's very many people around anymore but you get my point. Plus you're friends with Chase and Zoey so that makes you my friend too."
Logan was stunned by the boy's maturity and ability to forgive and nodded "Look I'm sorry about all that. I was a jerk back then can we start over?" "Sure." Logan smiled.
Chase and Zoey exited the lounge after the film ended and were strolling across the lawn, holding hands. They didn't speak but simply savored each other's company and the warmth of the other's hand. The tree canopy shielded them from the blazing sun and a cool breeze sifted through the treetops. The atmosphere was pleasant and the pair were totally relaxed. They passed by the electrified chain-link fence and spotted a large park with a lake a few miles from Pacific Coast Academy. The park now looked closer to the grasslands of Africa than a suburban park in downtown Los Angeles. Dozens of hoofed animals milled about on the lake shores, drinking and splashing in the shallows. An elephant wallowed in deeper water, trumpeting occasionally and spraying water out of its trunk. Meanwhile, several carnivores, likely dogs, prowled under the shady trees, scanning the scene with keen eyes as they waited for the right moment to launch an ambush.
"Oh my god" Zoey exclaimed. "Man, that documentary wasn't kidding…." Chase murmured. Zoey glanced sharply at him "What documentary?" "Huh? What? Oh uh nothing, nothing at all." She looked at him with knowing eyes "Chase….." "Okay last night after Logan and Michael went to sleep I stayed up late watching this movie I downloaded a couple of weeks ago called Aftermath: Population Zero on a scenario about a mass human disappearance and the events that would follow." "And what did it say?" She asked urgently" What could cause an entire population of people to just disappear into thin air?" "Well that's the point it didn't give any reason. All it said was that we could just vanish doesn't matter how but we could." "Okay nothing just disappears into empty space not even particles. Quinn told me!" "And yet we're living in a world where precisely that has happened" "Okay fine so how did you movie show this mass disappearance?"
"Well one minute there were people crossing the street, driving down the road, having tea in a café, talking on their phones then suddenly every person just vanished into thin air for no reason. Like the domino effect, in just like a few minutes, everyone in all the cities just disappeared." "What happened to stuff they were holding or they had on" "Their clothes disappeared with him but items they were holding, like cups or phones or newspapers just fell to the ground. Cars left in motion just crashed into each other and into buildings and lampposts. There were so many road accidents it was horrible." "Just like how the city was after we left the school" She said. He nodded ominously. "Exactly ""Oh my god. So what happened after that?"
"So many events occurred. After a couple of hours the lights just went out in every city. Coal fired power plants failed. Every machine stopped working. Then chemical plants began leaking gas from their tanks. Some chemical plants caught fire and spewed out tonnes of chemicals. Trains derailed on every line. Hundreds of unmanned planes crashed, starting firestorms." "That sounds awful." "I'm not done."
"After a day, pets started going crazy. They were locked inside homes with no food or water so they started eating any item they could find. Most airplanes ran out of fuel and crashed back to the ground. Cows ran out of food and couldn't get any more. They'd always been fed by humans so most of the one million cows died. Horses escaped from farms and chickens got eaten by animals that came from the wilderness. Zoo animals got desperate from lack of food."
"Many of them died because they were still in their cages. But some escaped because electric fences were useless. Some of the bigger animals freed themselves from their prisons and roamed the streets but then had to fight for survival. Big Ben in England wound down and rang one last time. Other power plants failed. Wind turbines stopped working and hydroelectric plants flooded 'cause water filled the turbines."
"Poisonous chemicals from gas plants leaked to parking lots and the fuel in the gas tanks caught fire, causing huge explosions. Most pets tried breaking out of their houses. The ones that couldn't died of starvation. Dogs turned wild and the bigger ones formed packs and killed the smaller ones for food then fled to the wilderness to hunt and most cats went back to eating rodents. There were tigers and elephants in the cities. Then thunderstorms and lightning started fires that burned down whole blocks. Houses started-""Okay Chase stop!" Zoey shouted. He stopped short and looked at her with startled eyes "Zoey what's wrong?" "You're scaring me."
He suddenly paused and looked at Zoey properly. She had wrapped her arms around herself. Her eyes were wide with fear and she was trembling slightly. He'd gotten carried away describing the movie, entranced by the action and violence but had forgotten he was talking about a world where the human race no longer existed; a planet of desolate cities without any power, devoid of the day to day noises of vehicles and jet engines, a world where family pets, escapees and wild animals fought for survival. The reality was chilling. Plus this was no longer a fictional movie. This was the reality they were currently living in and it was a dangerous life. Only the electrified chain-link fence separated them from the chaos unfolding in the rest of the city and the dangers lurking in the streets.
"Oh my god Zoey. I'm so sorry…" His voice failed him. Realizing words were useless; he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She buried her head in his chest "It's ok. I'm here." "I'm scared Chase. How are we supposed to survive on our own?" "We've been fine so far." "But what if we run out of food? What if the electric fence shorts out? What if animals try to break in?" "Don't worry. We've got plenty of food in storage and the fence won't fail. Quinn knows what she's doing. That fence could hold back a charging elephant. Don't worry Zoe. It's ok." After a few minutes her breathing steadied and she let go. He pulled back and gazed at her "Feel better?" "Yeah I'm fine. I'm sorry I let my emotions get the best of me." "Don't you ever apologize for that Zoey Brooks. Now are you sure you're fine?" "Yeah I'm fine fuzzy head." Hearing this, he gave his signature crooked grin "That sounds more zoeyish." She smiled back.
Suddenly a loud urgent yapping split the silence. For a moment, they both paused and exchanged startled looks. Then Elvis ran up to them and they relaxed. The dog ran up to Chase and yelped excitedly. He crouched down and scratched the dog behind its ears." "Hey Elvis. Do you wanna come with us?" The canine barked "I think that's a yes." Zoey smirked. "Alright then." The pair strode off hand in hand with the little dog trotting along behind.
Michael sat on his bed with his headphones in his ears, nodding his head to the jazzy tunes of Nickelback. He suddenly caught sight of the time. The clock on the shelf read 1:30. He had to go let Winchester out for exercise. He paused the song and pulled out his phones. Dumping his MP3 player on the desk, he strode off towards the garage. As he approached the parking lot, he frowned. He couldn't the horse anywhere. He checked inside the renovated garage but it stood empty and there was no sign of his loyal stallion. "Winchester! Where are you boy?" He called. He listened carefully but there was no answering neigh. He didn't know if horses could recognize their owner's voices like dogs could but he figured it was worth a shot. Frowning, he set off towards the main lawn to see if his horse was there.
He soon reached the lawn and sighed, frustrated. There was no sign of Winchester. Worry kicked in. He looked up towards the basketball court and spotted two figures playing basketball. At first, he guessed Quinn and Logan but one figure was much shorter than the other and as he drew closer, he clearly heard Dustin's voice protesting "I did not! I made that free throw fair and square!" "Hey what's up guys?" They turned as he approached "Hey Michael!" "What's up dude?" He gave the pair high fives "Hey have either of you seen Winchester?" "Your horse?" "Yeah" "Nope sorry." "Did you check the garage?" "Yeah he's not there." "Well did you lock him inside when you fed him this morning?" "No I never lock it. That would be cruel." "Well then he probably just wandered off somewhere." "Where?" "I don't know. Look around. PCA's a big place." He shrugged "Well alright I'll check all the sports fields. See you guys." He then strode off.
As he walked across campus, his stomach growled. He suddenly realized he was really hungry. The time must be nearly 2:00. He hadn't eaten since breakfast. He supposed Winchester could always graze and he couldn't escape the campus because of the electrified fence. He'd be fine for a bit. Satisfied, he headed towards Sushi Rox up the hill. He reached Sushi Rox and threw open the doors, reveling in the cool blast from the air conditioning system. Suddenly Elvis ran inside and barked loudly at him "Hey Elvis. What are you doing here?" Chase and Zoey then entered, hand in hand. "Oh hey man." "What's up Chase? What's for lunch?" "Zoey and I were just thinking about that ourselves." "What? But I'm hungry now!" He complained "Then maybe you could help us?" Zoey said sarcastically. "Hey you guys took on the cooking job so make me some lunch before I get cranky." "Well someone's a bit sassy today."
"Michael always gets sassy when he gets hungry." I do not!" he protested. The bushy haired teenager merely rolled his eyes "Come on Zoe." The pair retreated to the kitchen. Michael folded his arms and glanced at Elvis sitting patiently on the floor. "They should treat me with some respect. I'm the group comedian." The dog merely wagged his tail in response. Then Logan and Dustin entered "Oh hey Michael!" "What's up man? Did you find your horse?" "Nope." "Well he's probably around somewhere." Chase entered from the kitchen and looked around frowning. "Hey has anyone seen Lola and Vince?"
"Eat lead, you stinking metalheads!" Lola shouted as she worked the controls like a pro. Vince sat back, watching her with admiration. She'd only been playing for three hours and she was already playing like a professional. With one last click, she completed the game. Dropping the control pad she sat back with a satisfied smirk "That was so much fun!" "Told you didn't I?" She rolled her eyes and the pair exchanged a short celebratory kiss. Suddenly Vince's stomach growled. The football star smiled sheepishly. "Well someone's hungry." Lola said teasingly. "Do you wanna go get food?" "Sure let's go." The pair got up and left the lounge.
The group sat in Sushi Rox, eating and talking animatedly. They had pushed two tables together so they could all sit together. Chase was in the process of telling Zoey a joke using exaggerated hand movements while she watched him with amusement. Michael and Dustin were eagerly discussing a horror film the pair had recently watched. Dustin was older now and could cope better with watching frightening films. Elvis rested under the table, eagerly wolfing down tidbits Chase handed him. Logan, however, sat back in his chair watching the door anxiously. His food sat abandoned on the plate in front of him. His mind was full of turbulent thoughts, like swirling storm clouds. His mind worked furiously as he tried to recall anything he'd said or done that might have upset Quinn. His mind drew up a blank so instead he tried thinking of anything unusual she had done or said before this morning.
Suddenly the automatic doors swung open. He perked up momentarily then rolled his eyes frustrated as Lola and Vince breezed in, holding hands. "Hey guys" Lola said. The group all gave their respective hellos. Elvis ran over and Vince crouched down, ruffling the dog's fur. Suddenly Lola frowned "Where's Quinn?" "We don't know. Have you guys seen her?" Zoey asked "Not since this morning." Lola replied. Michael smiled "Ahh she's probably off working on one of her quinnventions again. Or maybe she's off bonding with Winchester." "Huh?" Lola said. "Michael can't find his horse." Dustin explained. "Aww Michael don't worry. I'm sure he's okay." "Yeah maybe you're right. Maybe Quinn just took him for a ride along campus. After all she likes animals too. She has her rat remember?" Zoey chimed in.
Suddenly Logan's eyes widened with alarm as his mind flashed back to a conversation with Quinn last week.
The group sat on a hill just by the electrified chain-link fence looking out over the city. The sun slowly sank below the horizon and its dying rays illuminated the land. A deep violet hue filled the sky as sunlight reflected off the fluffy clouds drifting in the fiery sky. Barking rang out from a few blocks away as the packs of dogs ran riot. The surreal scene in a nearby fenced field contrasted the normal setting. A large tiger scaled a dead rotting tree and climbed high into the flimsy branches. Down below, a great grey elephant browsed on foliage alongside grazing sheep. The smaller herbivores had no reason to fear with the huge pachyderm close by. Even a tiger dared not attack with a healthy adult elephant nearby, four to five tonnes of crushing bulk. If the tiger attacked the flock, the sheep would flee in all directions, running past the elephant. Elephants were easily startled and had a tendency to stampede if alarmed.
"Isn't this romantic?" Logan asked her. She smiled slightly "Yeah, if you ignore the escaped zoo animals just down there." He rolled his eyes "I did the best I could." She gazed deeply into his eyes "I know and I love it." She replied sincerely. Her radiant beauty left him breathless as he gazed deeply into her eyes. The pair kissed as the last rays of sunlight died.
He suddenly noticed her looking at crashed vehicles littering the streets below. Logan appreciated good cars and was saddened by the sight of these good cars, now twisted ruins. A bus lay smashed against a streetlight and a car lay upturned on its roof. "Hey, if we ever had to leave PCA how would we get around?" "What do you mean?" He asked her, confused. "Well let's just say hypothetically we had to leave PCA how would we travel? There are no cars left for use to use." "Well Michael has his horse but it can carry only one person so I dunno. Why do you wanna leave PCA anyway?" "No just wondering." He shrugged and left it alone.
"No…" He whispered "He hurriedly got up, knocking his chair and spilling food onto the floor. Elvis barked excitedly and ran to eat it. "Hey watch it!" Lola complained "What's up?" Michael asked. He whirled around to face his friends. I know where Quinn is!" "Where is she?" Dustin asked. "She's left PCA!"
The great black stallion trotted down the empty streets snorting quietly. Quinn sat atop the horse, holding the reigns tightly as she surveyed her surroundings with a mix of shock, fascination and horror. She was riding through a suburban district a few miles from Pacific Coast Academy. Only a few months had passed since all these people disappeared and the changes were astonishing.
Trees had sprouted on the sidewalk, bursting straight through the tarmac. Weeds and grass were growing in clumps in the streets, breaking through the tarmac. Street signs had rusted from the heavy rain a few weeks back and the paint was peeling in the scorching heat. There were no directions. Already road lines were fading as the paint disappeared. Soon, suburban streets would seem no different to the main highways. Neat suburban gardens were being invaded by weeds and wildflowers. Backyards were returning to fields. Lianas and vines entwined the houses, tearing up roof tiles and destroying guttering. Many homes were missing window panes and dust had blown in. Front doors banged in the breeze. Battered and abandoned cars blocked the streets and several times, she had turned Winchester around to find a different route.
She had seen many different animals already, including two apex predators. Dogs roamed the city in packs. Earlier, a golden retriever ran across the street in pursuit of a rat, barking furiously. She'd seen a german shepherd, a mastiff and a pitbull feasting on the carcass of a mule, two Jack Russell terriers snapping at a grey cat sheltering in a tree and a large pack of dogs chasing a miniature horse. The pack included a greyhound at the head of the group, a dalmatian, a bull terrier, a rottweiler, a doberman and even a labrador retriever.
So, some labradors had gone wild after all. Not all of them were as submissive as Einstein. She thought fondly of her dog and her friends back at Pacific Coast Academy. Part of her wanted to turn around and gallop back to school and run right back into Logan's supporting arms. But she couldn't. She had to do this plus who knows what animals she might encounter? She'd fought to keep her horse under control and keep it from bolting as the dogs sped past. Birds of all shapes and sizes wheeled overhead. She had seen thrushes and sparrows gathering in the treetops or flying in and out of empty buildings.
She'd seen a huge flock of finches high up above and even a large hawk had flown past. Their populations were flourishing without the background noise from cars and jet engines. She had seen multiple cats. Already she'd seen a shorthair in a grocery store, a longhaired Persian feline eating a dead rodent, a tabby climbing a tree in pursuit of a bird's nest, a Siamese cat sat under a crashed car and a fluffy white one roaming the suburbs. Domesticated animals had done far better than anyone would have expected and were flourishing in the absence of humans. Rats ran across the street every few minutes, startling Winchester, and she had seen a raccoon raiding a trash can.
Earlier, she had swerved to avoid a coyote sleeping in the street and she had spotted cockroaches in their millions, swarming from house to house like a moving plague of shiny brown specks.. At one point she had seen a great brown bear crashing around inside a house, having torn open the door. It had likely been drawn here by the odour of rotting food. She had carefully ridden on and thankfully, it hadn't seen her and she'd seen several grey wolves, sniffing around inside a café. Their growls and snarls made her shiver and she tightened her grip on Winchester's reigns.
She'd seen an elephant casually ambling down the street and a crocodile plunging into a backyard pool. The cityscape was slowly turning back into a jungle, quite literally. Suddenly Winchester skidded to a halt, jolting her in the saddle. She clicked her tongue and shook the reigns but he reared up and neighed. She pitched back in the saddle and gripped the reigns tightly to prevent herself falling. The tarmac in front of them suddenly split and a section of the street ahead suddenly crumbled and collapsed, forming a yawning black hole. Winchester skittered backwards, snorting nervously as dust and debris filled the air. Finally, the rumbling died away and the dust settled. Winchester tossed his head and whinnied loudly.
Quinn stared ahead in shock. Finally regaining her thoughts, she jumped off the stallion and walked up to the rim of the great crater. She stared down into the void and the sunlight reflected off the surface of a fast-moving stream of filthy brown water rushing past below street level. This subterranean river was all that remained of the subway system. With the pillars crumbling and submerged, unsupported sections of street plunged into the fast moving water. Shaking her head, she scolded herself for allowing her thoughts to distract her. She had to be more careful. She turned around and got back on Winchester. She clicked her tongue and pulled the reigns in a circle. The horse cantered around the crater and galloped on.
She'd been riding for nearly twenty more minutes when suddenly a loud roar sounded and a pair of lionesses suddenly wandered into the road several metres ahead. Spotting a potential meal, the big cats took a solid stance and roared a challenge. She pulled the reigns and Winchester skidded to a halt, neighing with alarm. The horse reared up and its eyes rolled with terror. She gripped the reigns to prevent herself falling and she to stay on. Pulling the reigns, she brought the stallion under control and jumped off. Carefully maintaining eye contact with the large predator, she led Winchester between two buildings and tied the reigns to a chain-link fence. She couldn't risk losing the stallion if it spooked and bolted. The horse neighed and pulled against its reigns but couldn't break the ropes. Snorting, it pawed the ground and continued pulling its restraints.
Satisfied, she reached into the saddlebags and pulled out her dart blaster. She carefully slotted two razor sharp iron darts into the barrel and checked the spares in her waist pouch. Until now adrenaline had flooded her system and stopped all logical thoughts but now as the adrenaline surge receded, terror gripped her. She was about to try and scare off two healthy adult lionesses; the apex predators of the savannah. She shook with fear and nearly dropped the dart gun. Steadying her nerves, she tightened her grip on the weapon and silently counted to ten. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back out into the street.
The lioness stood about several metres ahead. Its imposing figure was covered in brilliant golden fur and its jaws opened to reveal curved teeth like steak knives. Its padded paws sheathed razor sharp claws and its long tail waved lazily behind it as it gazed her with amber eyes. Its next roar deafened her. The lion crouched as it prepared to pounce. Its partner circled around until it was pacing around her, eyeing her with hunger gleaming in its eyes. Now she realized the plan. They would divide her attention. She was alone and there were two iof them. Either one could distract her while the other attacked. She didn't stand a chance. Even if she shot and wounded one, the other would easily bring her down.
These animals were capable of dispatching fully grown zebra and wildebeest. As a child, she'd seen enough wildlife documentaries on Animal Planet to know what these predators could do. She raised her dart blasted and took aim, suddenly far less sure of herself. Suddenly, loud barking split the air. The lioness gazed past her further up the street. The second animal turned around and snarled, baring its jagged teeth. Spinning around, her eyes widened with alarm as several dogs rounded the corner and sprang into view at the far end of the street.
The pack was vicious with matted fur and wild eyes. A large german shepherd stood at the front of the pack. Its wild eyes gleamed as it snarled. The lioness roared back and its partner sounded a deep growl. Suddenly, realization struck her. The dogs were challenging the lionesses. Whether it was over territory or who got to kill her, she didn't know why. She didn't care. She had to run. She turned to run back to Winchester. A loud trumpeting suddenly split from behind the building where she left the stallion. She heard terrified neighing followed by the sound of crunching metal. Suddenly, the horse galloped out into the street with the reigns tailing loose. "No!" She screamed. She ran after the fleeing horse as an elephant entered the setting. The great beast lazily flapped its ears and its tusks shone like blades in the sunlight. The lions growled at the beast and it casually eyed them while lumbering past.
Quinn's legs were cramping violently and pain shot up her thighs. Her lungs burned and sweat ran into her eyes. She had to catch up with the runaway horse. If Winchester got away, she'd never get back to PCA. She wouldn't be able to make it on foot. The horse galloped ahead and showed no signs of stopping. She kept calling his name but she wasn't the stallion's owner and it paid her no heed. Now her lungs were hoarse from yelling.
She didn't what object tripped her up. But suddenly, her foot caught and she sprawled onto the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her. As her vision faded to black, the last thing she saw was Winchester cantering off into the distance….