Apartment 905 by Sahin, Ned (readnow .TXT) 📕

Despite the frightful day we had yesterday, Kathleen seems to be in a good mood. It’s probably because she is very excited to see her grandparents today. She even croons a Justin Timberlake song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”

It reminds me of the day we ran away from Saviors and began our cross-country trip. We were overly energetic and hopeful. It felt like a road trip with friends in the summertime. I glance at Kathleen while my hands are on the wheel. She is definitely feeling the same vibes.

She stops singing all of a sudden. She straightens up on her seat and leans forward to see better.

When I turn my head back to the road ahead of us, I see the reason behind her reaction. An elderly man is walking toward us. He is actually trying to walk. His legs are so thin that he looks like he may fall anytime soon even though he is getting support from a walking stick. His long hair and beard signals he has been on the road for a long time.

I slow down the truck and make a complete stop next to him. He is on the driver side of the truck. I can barely see his eyes as his neck is leaned forward so much that he can’t really turn his head anymore. He stops walking to talk to us.

He doesn’t seem to be a threat. I roll down my window.

“Are you okay?” I ask. He doesn’t respond. His eyes are half-open. He doesn’t move a single inch. It’s like he froze right there in that pose.

He might be too weak to say or do anything.

“Do you want some water?” Kathleen asks. We share a look with each other. His chances of surviving alone in this desert are very low. Especially thinking about the Rica compound that he is headed to.

“We are going to Salt Lake City. Would you like to join us?” I ask. I don’t want to leave this man on his own here.

He turns his body toward us a little bit more. He tries to find the energy to say something.

“There is…nothing there,” he says, gulping his spittle. He rolls his eyes down like he remembers some events in the past. He tilts his head back. “Only death,” he adds. The way he says this scares the hell out of me. I can feel the tension in my skin. Whatever he saw there is probably nothing we should look forward to seeing.

“What happened to the city? What did you see?” Kathleen asks.

The man turns his head back to the road. “Leave me alone…” he says before moving his walking stick forward to take another step.

I look at Kathleen. She is still watching him as he walks away slowly. She leans her head forward and rests her chin on her fist. Her cheerful vibe is completely gone. She looks concerned now, but we can’t go back. We have to drive and see the city for ourselves.

I roll up my window and push the gas. This was an unpleasant human interaction, but it was a timely warning. We should be extra cautious. If the worst-case scenario happens, we will get back to the highway to drive West as fast as we can. We can get away from every kind of creature until we run out of gas.

The city skyline appears on the horizon. With the snow-capped mountains surrounding the city in a green perimeter, it would be a good travel destination before the pandemic.

The only few tall buildings we can see from here are undamaged. I don’t think this city was bombed or it caught fire. It looks like a pre-outbreak city—at least from distance.

The road gets wider as we get closer to the city. I see more abandoned vehicles on the road, but there are no living beings around.

“It’s time. Ready?” I ask Kathleen after seeing the sign that reads DOWNTOWN.

Kathleen nods. “Ready for everything.” She sounds determined to do everything to get to her grandparents.

I take the exit, but I have to stop the truck right away. The exit ramp is blocked by cars. I can see barriers down the road before the intersection that connects the ramp to the main street of downtown.

We stay in the truck and scan the area. There is no movement in the cars on the ramp. They seem empty. Some of them have broken windows and open doors. I see blood on their hoods surrounded by overgrown grass.

“I will have a better look,” I say. I open the sunroof and pull myself on the roof of the truck. I stand up and use my hand to cover my eyes from the sun.

I can see two police cars behind the barrier. Several bodies are lying around them. I try to see farther on the main street. It looks like a mess with cars crashed against each other, construction signs and cones spread out, and a tramway went off the rail. I can see military vehicles and fire trucks in the jammed street. I get back into the Humvee.

I look at her and shake my head. “It’s not looking good. The city is dead.”

“Anything moving?” She squints to see farther into the main street.

“No… I didn’t see any humans or Ricas… or animals,” I say. We keep scanning the area to make sure nobody is aware of our arrival.

“What do you think?” Kathleen asks. I am hesitant. It looks like a suicide mission, but I can’t just say no to her. I know how much she cares about them.

“How many blocks do you think we should walk from here to their building?” I ask.

“Probably about five or six blocks.” She looks up to the truck’s roof while reimagining the city streets in her mind. If it was six months ago, walking six blocks would be a piece of cake. It looks like a life-changing experience now.

I take a deep breath and reevaluate the situation.

“We can