AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What happens then?”
“When the sun goes down, the monsters come out to play,” I tease, walking backwards before I turn and start striding away. I avoid the rubbish on the ground, but she, however, doesn’t as she stumbles over to me, kicking cans and making noise.
“Wait, please.”
“Shh,” I hiss, turning and pointing at her feet. “Watch your steps and lower your voice.”
“Sorry,” she whispers. “How—What do we do if we meet a monster?”
“Run like hell and hope for the best?” I laugh.
I continue on, and she rushes to keep up. “You’ve never encountered one?”
“No one has and lived to tell the tale,” I remind her. “We all know the lore, though, and how dangerous they are. They can kill a human before we can even scream. I don’t particularly want to be lunch, do you?”
She shakes her head as I duck under a fallen lamppost.
“Good, then let’s hope we don’t meet one.”
“Let’s.”
I ignore her as much as I can after that, trying to pretend it’s a normal job, but her little grunts, swears, and stumbles make me roll my eyes. She’s not made for this kind of mission. She’s clumsy and loud, and she falls over nearly everything. When I hop onto a car, I have to help her up and over it, and when we move through a broken building to avoid a bomb crater, she squeals as a rat runs past her. It’s only been an hour, and she’s sweating, panting, and clearly needs a break. I could be mean and push her, but I need to get her there and back alive, so instead, I head through an old comic shop and up the stairs. She stomps after me as we break out onto the roof. I hop onto the edge, swinging my legs back and forth as I survey the city. “Sit and drink,” I order without looking at her.
“You are fast,” she wheezes, slumping down next to the ledge before pulling out her water and gulping it.
“Don’t drink so fast. You’ll make yourself sick, and you need to ration it. They cut off the water and power a long time ago.”
She freezes with her mouth on the rim of the bottle before flushing and looking away. “I know that, shit, I’m sorry. I’m so bad at this,” she grumbles.
“You wouldn’t be my first choice,” I tease. “So why are you here?” I shouldn’t ask, but I can’t help myself. What makes a rich, smart woman like her leave the safety of her life to risk it with the monsters?
“I don’t think I’m supposed to say,” she hedges.
“Talia, do I look like the type of person who blabs? Or, for that matter, do I look like a person who has anyone to blabber to?” I smirk. “You don’t have to tell me everything.”
“I work for a lab, part of the government. They left some research here, and that’s all I know. I’m to retrieve it.”
“And they didn’t send a team, an army, through the front gate?” I frown.
“They wouldn’t make it,” she replies but seems unsure of herself. “They wanted it done quiet and fast.”
“It’s a coverup.” I nod, understanding now. “Still, why you? Not to be mean, but why not a super soldier or spy?”
“I honestly don’t know. I didn’t ask. I’ve been waiting for years to conduct hands-on research and to be able to do what I am trained for. This is the only chance they have given me, so I can’t mess this up, Aria. I’ll get the research, and they will finally let me research what I want to.”
“Which is?” I query, turning to look at her.
“I want to do an analysis of the effects our cultured food sources are having on children and the underprivileged,” she explains. “I want to help make this world a better place.”
“You’re about the only one who wants to then, kid.” She is clearly older than me, but for some reason, I feel protective of the innocence in her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“The government will never change. They like the slums. They keep the poor, poor and the rich, rich. There is a clear pecking order. They won’t ever do anything to change that because it benefits them. The rich earn more and live longer and better, while the poor kill each other for scraps. It’s the way they like it and the way it will always be. Nothing will change that. Sorry to burst your bubble, Talia.”
She frowns and looks down at her bottle. A noise has my head jerking up, and I scan the streets below. I spot a dog and relax, even as her quiet but strong voice fills the air. It’s filled with purpose and passion I haven’t heard from her before. “You’re wrong. Some want to make this world better, and I’m one of them. I’ll make it happen. We can do better than we have before.”
“I hope you’re right,” I reply as I look back at her. “Now drink up. We need to keep moving.”
