Chapter 5: Retracing Steps

Seriously, when was the last time he had raised his voice. Hell, when was the last time he talked to a stranger for so long outside of his job. She continued to struggle for a little before finally relenting and taking a deep breath. ‘Good. The last thing we should do is separate in a foreign environment, not knowing where anything was, and especially being by ourselves,’ he thought to himself. “First” he said… “Do you know if he was even transported?”.

“No!” she said almost pleadingly.

“Okay, Second... Do you remember the way back?”

“No.” she said a little more meekly this time.

“Finally, do you want help?”

She stared at him. She was a little taken aback, ‘why was he being so helpful’ she thought to herself. She didn't know if it was the somewhat cynical nature she had developed because of her occupation and studying customers and trying to figure out their intentions. She just couldn’t fully trust the stranger that had just saved her. Guilt however, had started to sink in because of those thoughts, and she couldn’t believe she was about to turn down help to potentially find her brother.

“Please!” She said resolutely.

Aeden nodded his head. Aeden wasn’t the type to stick his neck out for others anymore but sticking together was the better option overall in his opinion. At least that what he told himself not realizing a part of his male brain was kicking in. As he slowly stood up trying to keep pressure of his leg, he started to pick up the subtle vibes she was giving off. He noted that she didn’t really trust him all that much. ‘So at least she was smart,’ Aeden thought to himself. Maybe a little too cautious, but in this new micro apocalypse they were facing it was probably a better attitude to have then to be fully trusting of someone.

As he began to guide her back towards the ruins, they had spawned at he quickly dropped to his knee, the pain from the stab wound returning with a vengeance. The pain had lessened quite a bit, but the wound was still there. He had to take a second and steel his nerves. It was going to be painful, but he hobbled forward. Now they could continue their small walk back to ground zero.

Silence reigned over their walk back. So, Aeden began to let his mind wander once more. Aeden felt his dour attitude kicking in again. He thought to himself if going back as really a good idea. It was too late now to turn back or even try to convince Erika out of it. He could tell she would go alone if she had too. He just internally sighed and turned to other thoughts.

He began to think about the other people that were transported that soon when the dust settled the survivors would be tearing themselves apart blaming each other for their current situation. ‘If there were any survivors that is,’ he remarked to himself. They would begin to form tribes and factions. They may even begin to war amongst themselves. Though they could surprise him and unite under the banner of humanity as a middle finger to the universe with the drive to survive. Aeden however found that unlikely just knowing how people were.

All Aeden could feel was disappointment and some despair start to slowly trickle into his heart but that wasn’t anything new to him. He had to admit though it was dragging him down. Here he was walking with a beautiful woman that he saved like a hero from the comics he read when he was younger. He admitted though he had never really been a conversationalist. The last time he spoke to woman outside of assignments and work was probably his last relationship back in high school. This only furthered his depression thinking back on his life so far. Nothing like life or death to make you rethink your decisions. So, he chose to focus on literally anything he could find.

He stopped for a moment he hadn’t really taken the time to review the forest they found themselves in. He had to admit the forest itself was grand form deep within it. He took note again of the giant oak trees how they didn’t even sway in the light breeze. They were solid and wondered if anything they had back on earth could even cut these things. They were spaced far from one another letting smaller trees far below room to grow and let in plenty of light. He had to admit if these large trees were packed tightly and blocked out the sun this would go from the coolest place, he had ever seen to the creepiest place he had ever been.

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However, this forest was teeming with life. He could hear a mix of birds high above to smaller birds landing in the smaller trees close by. The smaller birds that he could see had round fat bodies for their size with small heads. They had small wings in comparison to their bodies and barely visible twig like talons fro feet. He wondered how they could even carry their weight with those wings as he watched a pair circle around each other as they chirped a pleasant song as they flew by. They reminded him of song sparrows just fatter and slightly bigger.

As they walked Aeden relished in the soothing nature around him. It had been a long time since he been in a forest let alone nature in general. The morning rays of the sun warming him up. He let the warmth wash over his body to be cooled by the slight breeze passing through the trees. When he looked up, he had to take a moment to blink a few times just to make sure. There were two suns in the sky. The first one was like their own sun, and the second one having a blueish hue to it. It had to mean there was a dwarf star here as well. Every moment they spent here the place just got crazier and crazier. He saw many other small animals and insects scurry or buzz past minding their own business. As they stepped over a large root of one of the oaks in the distance on a small hill, he could see a creature in the distance. It was big even from this distance he could tell it was probably twice his size in height alone. The creature had a crazy set of antlers on its head, maybe half its own height. ‘It was deer’ he thought to himself or at least deer-like. Its body was similar besides how large it was, but its fur was white, and its face was more angular and pointed. The creature seemed powerful and majestic.

Its ears perked up and its head quickly snapped in their direction. Both Aeden and Erika stopped and stared back at the creature stunned how it had heard them. They had been walking in silence and they weren’t stomping around the forest floor was more grass than anything else. Plus, the thing had to be almost a mile away from them. The starring contest last only a couple of seconds but felt like minutes as two more deer creatures came scampering behind the one on the hill. The deer blinked then shifted its head to its companions before following them further into the woods.

Both Erika and Aeden turned to each other in stunned silence before nervously laughing it off as just another part of this crazy world. Not realizing either of them had been holding their breathe waiting for something to happen. Even though they managed to get a decent distance into the woods from their mad dash to the ruins it was taking considerably longer to get back, but eventually Aeden saw a small white and gray structure in the distance. Followed by another and another they had finally made it back to the ruins after thirty or so minutes.

As the two edged closer to the end of the tree line to the ruins they had just ran from. They notice something, or rather the lack of something. All the noise and chaos from before was gone. It was eerily silent as they got closer. Aeden took his arm back from Erika's support; they would need to be stealthy. He motioned for Erika to get low, and to be silent. Then they got to the tree line crouched behind a fall tree so they could peer over the edge. The ruins were still a decent sprint away if shit hit the fan right away.

What they saw however would fit right in with any gory horror movie. There was blood everywhere. It soaked into the ground going from what was originally greens, grays, and browns. Now to just red. Walls on the ruins were splattered with blood. And you could see blood trails leading into some of the buildings. They both swallowed hard to the remnants of chaos from before. Erika almost threw up but thankfully she managed to keep it down. There were scattered remains from people, half chewed bodies and missing limbs. Other times there is just a carcass of bones.

Aeden turned to her as they both lowered behind the log, and he spoke in as quiet of a voice as he could. Aeden was having second thoughts about exploring these ruins but from the look on Erika’s face it was a mix of pure terror but also a sense of determination. This was his last chance to backout. The place screamed danger turn back now or subject yourself to your own fate, but Aeden knew he couldn’t back out now, less he left Erika to a doomed fate. All his pride as a human being and as a man wouldn’t let him. ‘Stupid ego’ he thought to himself.

“Alright we must be as quiet and fast as possible. There doesn’t seem to be any creatures out here right now but that doesn’t mean there that far way.” He began to wonderful if all the noise they had made brought them out of their hidden homes or if this was there stopping grounds to begin with.

Erika nodded intently. Fear was starting to creep up her spine from the visage a few hundred feet in the distance. Even though she found it unlikely, more for the fact she wished it unlikely that her brother or mother were here.

“You need to promise me that we bolt at the first sign of danger.” Erika was spacing out a little getting caught up in her own worries. He grabbed her shoulders to get her attention. “Promise me.” He stated directly.

She snapped back to Aeden, “Okay… I promise,” she said trying to keep those intrusive thoughts from entering again.

All Aeden could do was sigh he really hoped she meant that. “I’m already wounded so I'm going to be slower than you to begin with. I can probably endure a small speedy get away from something small, but if any of those larger creatures come out were screwed. They can out pace us even if we have a head start. Look, I’m just here to help satiate your curiosity, and maybe, hopefully, find some other survivors, and try to prevent you from getting yourself killed. This will be a quick in and out investigation.”

Erika's face saddened a little bit. She knew he was right. After the carnage from before it was already suicidal for them to be here, especially just the two of them with no weapons or back up. Even so, she had to make sure even if her brother wasn’t here. And she prayed that the worst hadn't come to pass, but she had to know.

“Some quick ground rules.” Aeden brought her attention back. “Like I said before we must move fast and silently. No going too deep into any buildings were only investigating the outside. I’ll give us thirty minutes max, no more no less.” If you see a creature we bolt, no exceptions. Even if we could fight it off. I’d only be dead weight and probably get both of us killed.” He looked her dead in the eyes to make sure she agreed and understood.

She nodded her head and said “Okay, just thirty minutes.”

With their agreement in place Aeden lead the way moving as fast and as silently as he could back into the ruins. Man, his leg was killing him.