Atomic

Kay couldn’t remember much of the Bombing. The sound, though, was etched into her head forever. One big bang. Or something like that. Maybe it was like the shifting of the earth at super speed, or a giant’s fist against metal, or the explosion of thunder. Yes, yes, it was just like that. Thunder exploding into a cloud of destruction.
New York fell first. Then Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney, and Chicago, all in rapid succession. Kay couldn’t imagine who or what had such power to release one hundred and eight atom bombs loose on the world, or how it was even possible. Millions had fled to the last stronghold left-London.
That’s when it seemed the world had truly ended. Over two thirds of the population had disappeared in a matter of years. Three months after the Bombing, Kay still couldn’t believe how fast the world had fallen. All the important leaders were dead, of course. Killed in their homes.
Kay jolted herself out of sleep. She’d been reminiscing about the Bombing in her sleep-as if she could help it. Kay rose slowly from her bed-a McDonald’s booth. Half the building had crumbled, but one lonely night two weeks after the Bombing, Kay had discovered this half of McDonald’s in nearly perfect shape. She’d cried at this reminder of humanity when she hadn’t seen another living soul in days. But she decided to make it her home-after all it was proof that once upon a time there had been a world with millions of humans who made many buildings just like this. Weird how that could be both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.
She rubbed her eyes and carefully made her way out of McDonald’s, avoiding the rubble protruding from the ground. She still had on her pair of Reeboks, track pants, shorts, and T-shirt, all dusty blue, from the day of the Bombing-Kay remembered faintly that it had been some sort of track event she was going to when it happened.
Kay emerged from the restaurant into the remains of San Francisco. Right by where the Golden Gate Bridge had been, actually. The bridge had been the direct target of the eightieth atom bomb. Now, there was nothing left.
The buildings around the bridge were mostly heaps of rubble, sliding into one another. Kay kept her eyes down as she journeyed toward her favourite hideout-she hated seeing the ghost of San Francisco in all its decay and ruin. But eventually she forced herself to look up; she couldn’t begin to fathom what sort of things-or people-could be lurking in the ruins.
Kay’s world was no longer a safe place, just an endless void of caution and fear. Fear of creatures; and especially fear of the Hunters. Back when her parents were with her, they’d cautioned against the Hunters, a group of vengeful survivors travelling around the world recruiting just about anyone to bring down the destroyer of the world.
The Hunters took everyone they found, man or woman or child. So Kay had heeded her parents’ warning; but now that they were separated, Kay knew she needed someone to take care of her. She was only fourteen, and she had never been the one to want to be independent. So yeah, she needed a protector-even if it was-Kay shuddered-the Hunters.
She’d been keeping her eyes blank to the buildings toppled side by side, but the hideout was near and she had no choice but to scan the place. Kay had lost her way to the hideout many times before, but now she had to be careful. She couldn’t guarantee there would be a safe place for her to return to if she lost her way back to McDonald’s.
Then she came upon the hideout-the fire escape clinging to half an apartment building. The bars were rusty, but Kay made herself ignore the panic rising up in her as she clambered to the top. She leaned her head against the cool granite and for a moment, just relaxed.
She closed her eyes, and a million memories burst into her mind. But she only watched one.
It was Kay’s mother smiling, though worry pulled at her eyes, as the family sought shelter far out of the city. They had a cottage about a mile or so out of San Francisco. Kay’s father had thought the family-Kay, Kay’s mother, and Kay’s brother Denny-would be safer there. They still heard the Bombing, like the explosion of thunder, and Kay and Denny were still absolutely terrified.
Mother and Father had only been grateful their family had not been harmed-but it had. A few days later, Denny got sick. Radiation was in the whispers Mother exchanged with Father, being careful not to let Kay hear.
But Kay had heard. So she secretly followed her parents as they left the cottage in search of a survivor that could help their son. It had been too late to bring Kay back when she was discovered. Kay’s parents knew Denny didn’t have the time for them to bring Kay back and start their long trek to the city all over again, so they had no choice but to drag Kay along with them.
Then Kay went off to explore the ruins, and found a dead body lying on the streets, head tilted back, and eyes blown open in permanent horror. The sight had scarred Kay so badly she’d run off into a corner to hide, forgetting completely about her parents.
She never saw them again. From that day on, she was alone. Kay had tried screaming for them. After all, it was so quiet in the fallen city they couldn’t have been out of hearing range. But when Kay’s scream attracted a tall dark shadow that was definitely not her parents, Kay had shut up.
Kay hadn’t used her voice in such a long time, it would probably sound unfamiliar. She was half afraid to speak, fearing that she would no longer recognize even herself. To speak was to ignite the feelings of helplessness and grief.
So Kay kept quiet.
She stretched out on the fire escape, and let out a silent scream as it tilted under her weight. Then it paused, and Kay let out a sigh of relief. Even a sigh sounded strange and alien through her lips. Better go home. Kay had a hoard of supplements at McDonald’s that she’d thieved from the several homes that had been cracked open by the bomb. Mostly Coke, Pepsi, and TV dinners, but it sustained her.
With a sigh, Kay slept.
She jolted awake, but from the looks of it she’d slept a good couple of hours. The sun was already beginning to set, a dangerous time for Kay. She couldn’t risk staying out until after dark. She couldn’t guarantee what would come after her at night time.
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering, and then began to hop down the fire escape. She checked for any open windows on the way down; if there were any, she could easily sneak in and take something she might need later on, especially food.
As she began making her way back to McDonald’s, Kay remembered how wrong it had felt at first, invading the homes of the dead. But hey, it wasn’t like they were ever going to use them again. As Kay pondered how the scale of right and wrong had been thrown out of whack, she didn’t notice the tall dark stranger weaving his way through the carnage behind her.
She broke into a light jog, winding around the wreckage and the pale skin sticking out from under it. There was no time to study the dead, not if Kay wanted to make it back to her hideout before sundown. That nap had been rather costly. Now it felt like a race against time to get back to the hideout.
There was a cool breeze that played against Kay’s skin so gently as she walked...it almost lulled her back to sleep. But she’d already slept long enough, and it wasn’t like she was just going to lie down in the piles of brick and concrete and risk snuggling with a dead body. Besides, it was much too dangerous to stop and rest now. Anyone could come for her. The tricky part would be deciding whether they were friend or foe.
Well, the tall dark stranger holding Kay in a vise-like grip certainly wasn’t a friend.