A ghost town

That’s the first thing that comes to mind as I drive through the desolate city streets. The traffic lights still change colors, even though there are only abandoned cars on the roads. The skyscrapers - that make the Empire State Building look minuscule - are mostly dark.

A few lights that can be seen are near the tops of these buildings. A symbol of life in this modern wasteland. As I walk, I pass by a bank.

Its windows are broken and busted. Its ATMs and vaults: looted. I scoff. How foolish we were back then. Money is of no use to us now. We just need to survive. The only way to do that is to get food, water, electricity, weaponry, and possibly a power pill.

A power pill.

The thing that started all of this.

No…it was greed. Greed for money led to somebody making the very things that devastated half of the kingdom's population. 

I drive into an alley and hop out. I go in through a side door and I look around. Guns lay everywhere. 

Bingo

I pick up some small pistols, revolvers, long Tommy guns, machine guns, snipe guns, military-grade guns, you name it. I stuff them in the back of my truck along with ammo and cleaning supplies. It’s actually a U-haul truck that I found abandoned in the lot, so I put it to good use. Luckily, it was solar-powered and easy to hack. 

“This should be enough.” I pat close the back of the truck and I pat it. I climb into the vehicle and creep out of the alleyway.

GRRRRUMMMBBBLLE

I rub my stomach. I guess it’s time to find some food. I slowly drive my truck of loot down the streets, passing many restaurants.

I don't go into any of them because they have barely any food. And the leftovers would be rotten, moldy, and expired. I mean, what would you expect concerning food that's been sitting there for more than a century. 

…

That’s a long time for this to go on. It most likely will never stop.

A bright light from a bodega almost blinds me. I haven’t been exposed to such artificial light in years. 

“Good thing I know how to drive,” I mutter, getting out of the vehicle. I step inside, using a broken window as my door. The glass crunches underneath my black knee-high combat boots. Everything in here looks fresh and edible. I grab a big bottle of water, and I take a long sip.

The cool water quenches my thirst and I search for something quick to eat. I find…nothing!

Everything in here is expired and stale! Ugh. I guess I just have to have water with a side of water soup. I trudge out of the convenience store and I make my way home. 

“So much for convenience.”

A metallic CLANG cuts through the silence. I slow to a stop and I listen. I get out of the car and creep closer, slowly pulling out one of my new guns. 

My heart pounds faster with every step closer to the disturbance.

Why am I nervous?

It’s probably an alley cat. But if it’s not, and it’s one of those disgusting creatures…

Still, I shouldn’t be scared. I’ve been through this multiple times. I reach the source of the disturbance and of course, it has to be a dark alleyway. 

I peer into the darkness and my eyes make out six figures. Four are making jerky movements and pacing in front of a door. They have gray skin of different values, black veins, colorless hair, and all-black eyes - I’m talking, no distinction between sclera, iris, and pupil. 

Shades. The consequence of the knock-off pills. The reason why the streets of the Narlo Kingdom are extremely dangerous.

Okay, I see the question marks on your face. So, I guess it’s time for a little history lesson. 

About 2,000 years ago, a group of dark-skinned people sailed in from the East and conquered America’s capital. They then established a monarchy and made the kingdom split into 64 sections, an 8 by 8 grid, to increase organization. These sectors weren’t assigned names either, like Kansas or Maryland. They were named A-1 or H-8. During this time, four other kingdoms popped up around the globe. They were called Zallin, Grogiem, Malron, and Ania. 

In Narlo, everything was peaceful. Until the PiL came out to the public. PiL was a power pill that allowed the consumer an exponentially longer life, enhanced physical abilities, and a significant decrease in the time it takes to age. Of course, the government priced it super high, so a knockoff pill was made.

This knockoff reached a little more than half of the citizens of the Narlo kingdom. But the knockoff (aka QiL) had consequences. It turned people into mindless, colorless zombies that feed off of the life energy of others. It turned them into Shades. 

The ruler at that time, Queen Corinne, went missing, making her teenage daughter, Sanai, ascend the throne. But Sanai also disappeared, leaving the Narlo kingdom without a leader.

And now, here we are.

I turn my attention to the two normal people crouching behind some trash cans. They’re both hooded and well-camouflaged. One has their gun pointed at the Shades and before I could register what happened, the four Shades dropped dead, black blood oozing from their gunshot wounds.

Run.

I start to move backward but the two hooded people creep closer to the door.

RUN!

I still look on.

SOMEONE IS COMING! RUN!

The door bursts open and a Shade with a tall figure comes out. They register what happened and they turn their head to the exact spot where the two people were crouching. 

RUN!

‘Just wait a second!’

The people start to slowly move toward the alley entrance. The Shade's eyes, even though it was just two pools of inky blackness, seem to follow the two as it pulls out a special gun. It starts to advance upon the hooded people, smirking deviously.

I quickly aim my gun at its head and I shoot it in between its eyes. . It continues to advance so I keep shooting until all I hear is the clicking sound of an empty magazine. The Shade is laid out on the floor with a gaping hole in its head, black blood oozing out of the wound like ink. 

The two people look at me with wide eyes and they stand up straight.

The enemy is advancing.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly a stream of Shades flows out of the door. “Run!” I say out loud. I turn and sprint away. The two hooded people are close behind me, with the mob of Shades behind them. I turn right and then make a left, my legs moving at an unnatural speed. I see a fire escape ladder low enough for me to reach. I ditch my gun and grab onto the first rung of the ladder. Hoisting myself up, I hear the Shades’ footsteps close behind. I clamber up the ladder and run up the fire escape steps and even though my legs are on fire and I am struggling to breathe, I don’t stop until I reach the roof. 

Once I’m safe, I take a breather. My heart is pounding so fast that it just sounds like one long beat.

Yeah.

From this vantage point, I can see that the two hooded people are trapped. One is on the pavement, most likely with an injured ankle, and the other is trying to load its gun. I sigh, “These people are so unprepared.”

I take the machine gun off of my back and I lay flat on the concrete roof. Using the scope I aim at the advancing Shades. 

It only took six shots to fell the ten Shades. 

I suck my teeth and curse. I’m getting worse. I put my gun back on my back and I scope the area to see if there are any more Shades lurking about. 

There’s none left so I make my way down to the two hooded people and as I approach them they look at me in shock. The one standing has his finally loaded gun pointed at me. I roll my eyes, not even acknowledging him.

“Are you okay?” I ask the one on the floor. She takes off her hood to reveal blue hair and milk chocolate skin. She shakes her head, “No. I might’ve-”

The other hooded figure steps in front of her, “Who’re you?”

“The one who saved your butts. Twice,” I look back to the blue-haired girl, “Sprain? Roll? Fracture? Or break?”

“Sprain,” she answers. I nod and I turn to the car next to me. I fish out my hacking phone and I override the car's controls. Soon the car is up and running. Luckily it’s full charge because of the solar-powered battery. 

“Alright,” I say to them, “You can use this to get back to your group house or whatever.”

They just look at me.

I huff, “Please tell me one of you can drive.”

“...Thanks.” The woman says, “I’m Misty. This is Ryan.”

I roll my eyes and shift my weight onto one hip, “Okay… Well, Misty, Ryan, get in the car and go. The batteries on these things are shoddy from not being used.”

Feeling fidgety, I shift my weight again and then walk away.

“What’s your name?” Misty calls after me. I pause and turn around, eyeing them. She repeats her question, thinking my hesitation was because I didn’t hear her. I sigh and call back, “Raven!”

I turn back around and walk away. I shake my head. I probably won’t see them again. From the way things went today, I’m thinking they won't survive the week.

Maybe the next few days. 

I make a face.

What? The world is a cruel place and it certainly won’t make any exceptions for them.