Chapter
1
TheBeginning
Explosionsechoed in the distance…
Gunfireradiated through this hallway and the vibrating aftershocks quiveredmy insides. I stared down my vacant apartment complex corridor onlyto meet the eyes of a pissed off looking army guy.
“Heyyou, you there.” Yelled the soldier.
Hebroke into a sprint and hauled towards me. He grabbed my caller andpulled me an inch from his veiled face.
“Whythe f*ck are you in here son? Huh? You’re supposed to be inside thegoddamn transport that evacuated this sector. Grrah! GODDAMN IT!”He bellowed then shoved me on the floor. “Sit still.”
Thesoldier stood motionless pressing some thing in his ear that lookedlike a Bluetooth device.
“Arethere any Emergency Transports vacant around Sector A-10.” He said.“Hello, SD Home Base can you read me?” He paused for a second.“F*ck.”
Hetook a step towards the window and let his finger slip off thebutton. “Holy shit, f*ck… h-holy shit.”
Avague noise that sounded like the hiss of wind brought my eyes toglare out the window too. I rose and stared outside. A gargantuanmushroom cloud hovered overhead where the city of Birmingham, Alabamastood; now, a sole black wave of smog came towards us like a tsunami.
“M-Move,move, we got to get the f*ck out of this hallway our we’ll drown inthat shit.”
Hegrabbed my collar and dragged me with him down the hallway. He kickeda door down, and then threw me inside the apartment. I rolled untilmy body collided with the wall. He shut the door rushed at me, pickedme up, slung me over his shoulder, and then scrambled through theapartment.
“Shit,shit, shit—where the f*ck is the bathroom at!”
Heopened a door and slid us inside the bathroom. He tossed me insidethe tub.
“Goddamnit! Out of all the bathrooms we find one without a f*cking towel.”
Heyanked the curtain from the rail and stuffed it in the bottom slit ofthe door.
Hehuffed and puffed, arms on his side. He leaned his back on the doorand shook his head. “We should be ok for now until this wave ofsmog dies off.” He said and then glanced at me. “I apologize formy vulgar language… adrenaline rushing shit like this makes me spitout random blurs of stuff.”
Ismirked. “It’s fine.”
Heflicked the lights and the air purifier on. The lights flickeredevery couple of seconds.
Hepulled the black veil from his face and tossed it in the sink. He wasbald and at least middle-aged, maybe around forty years old. Hiseyebrows were thick, nose pointy, and skin as pale as snow.
“Sowhat’s your name kid?”
“Wessir.”
“LikeWesley?”
Inodded.
Asmile crossed his gaunt face. “My sister’s newly born kid hasthat same name. Hope Detroit wasn’t hit by this.” He crossed hisarms. “Why are you all by yourself?”?
“Well…I slept in too late…”
Hegave me a dumbstruck look, “How the f*ck did you miss the loudemergency sirens Wes? Seriously kid. Your life is at stake right now,shit both of our lives are,” he sighed and shook his head. “Iapologize.”
“Itsok. My alarm didn’t go off… so I guess missing class wasn’t abad thing after all.”
“I’massuming UAB?”
“Yeah.”I said. “At least what’s left of it.”
“Soyou’re what, nineteen, twenty?”
“Yeah,nineteen sir. By the way, what’s your name?”?
“PrivateRonald T. Adams. U.S. Army.” Ronald said as he gave me half-assedsalute.
Heunfastened the strap holding what looked like a M4 Automatic Rifle,and set it on top of the sink. “Ever shot one of these before?”
Ishook my head. “No sir.”
“Thenlets start you off small.” He pulled the handgun from his holsterand presented it to me. “You’ll need protection. No tellingwhat’s out there once we venture off.”
Myheart sunk at the sight of the handgun. What’s out there once weventure off? What could be out there?
~
Igasp…
Androll off the bed. My body hits the rock hard floor knocking the airout of my lungs. I groan.
“Youok?” It’s that kind feminine voice.
Footstepsclose in on me from the other side of the bed. She appears over mewith arms cross and a smile.
“Yeah,yeah.” I lurch forward and stare at her. “You’re Mindy right?”
Shenods.
“Thanksagain.”?“Forwhat?” Mindy asks.
“Thekindness you showed me.”
Herlush pink cheeks turn to a shade of cherry red. “D-Didn’t thinkyou were conscious.” She smirked. “But it is my pleasure.”
“Why?”?“Whywhat?” She asks again with that delicate voice.
Howcan something I fear so much attune me in the way she has… could itbe her kindness or her beauty? Perhaps both. But such a human feelingof attachment towards this female lookalike… it’s like I’vegazed into the eyes of an angel.
Irise and finally see how small her stature is as I see my foot and ahalf clearance from her head.
“Whydo you take pleasure in kindness?”
“Ithink there’s enough cruelty happening in this day and age. Perhapsmy small feat can emit to a greater cause. To your humanity and myspecies.”
“Butaren’t you a type of human too?”
“Ican’t explain or species without the Oracle’s consent,” shepauses. “I’d tell you if I could.”
Itake a step closer to her and take a whiff of her strawberry andvanilla fragrance. My body urges to embrace her.
“Whatkind of cruelty?”
Sheturns around and makes her way to the door. “Y-You really don’tremember… a-anything?” Mindy opens the door, but before she walksout, faces me.
“Wellf*ck, then why don’t you enlighten me?”
Herbrow slumps as she grimaces, “Isn’t my kindness enlighteningenough?” Mindy mutters.
“I’mnot too sure what you mean by that.”
“Thenyou have a lot to learn.” She says.
Icross my arms and snicker. “Ok-ok, that’s reasonable, let’sstart with something simple then. How old are you?”?Herlips string into that breathtaking smile. “You wouldn’t believeme.”
“Tryme.”
“Seventy-eight.”
Myjaw drops. “No shit?”
Shegiggles. “That’s nothing! The doctor he’s two-hundred and nineyears old!”
Iarch an eyebrow. “You sure you’re not mistaking these years formonths?”
“IfI were, then I’d be around six years old.” She winks. “Yourhuman brain can’t comprehend time in the way my race can.”
Igrin. “Help me understand then.”
“I-Ithought I,” she pauses and takes a step inside the room, “Well ifthe Oracle gives me the clearance to do so.” She rubs her chin andthen taps her lips. “She’s currently trying to get you released.”Mindy says. “Kind of her to do so.”
“I-It’sa her?”
“It’snot an it, just like you’re not an it, it’s a female, and you’rea male.” Mindy’s tone rose.
“Iapologize, can you explain a bit more about these Oracles?”
“Justtake note of this.” She hurries over to me and stands on hertippy-toes. “There are Oracles and Angels.” Her warm minty breathcourses its way to my nose.
Shetakes a couple of steps back, her eyes connected to mine, and thenscurries out of this cell-looking room I’m lodged in.
Itake a seat on the bed and stare at the wall. How can my brain notcomprehend time? I wish I could remember my past, my experiences…cause I can’t seem to comprehend shit.
Thenshe says: Oracles and Angels, what does that mean? I know what anOracle is, but an Angel? Isn’t that some Holy thing that lives inthe Heavens with God?
Whatabout that dream I had last night…
Aknock startles me.
“Relax.”
Iglance at the doorway and see the Oracle standing stiff with armsplanted on her hips.
Myheartbeat races.
“Figuredout your name yet?”
“Ithink it’s Wesley Stamps.” I reply.
“Interesting.Did you come up with that all on your own?”
Ishake my head, “No… I had this dream last night, about me,fleeing from an explosion in,” I pause and search for the name ofthe city, “Birmingham, y-yeah, Birmingham, Alabama.”
“I’lllook into that information later. In the mean time continue to informus about these dreams you have.”
“Willdo. By the way, how did your people find me?”?“Inyour case log it states you were seen in the streets of OldJacksonville, Florida. They found your body… I believe unconsciousdown a flight of stairs.”
Igasp at the thought. I close my eyes and witness that spontaneousevent reoccur.
“Recallthe event?”
“Yeah…but-but why the f*ck was there gunfire in the mix of it?”
“Anotherquestion is how’d you venture into our restoration zone. Not justthat,” the Oracle takes a step in the room and shuts the door. “Youwere alone.”
“Sowhat’s wrong with me then?”?“Here’sthe deal Wesley. I’m going access to this installation. We’llgive you time to see if you can recover information to your origin.You’re suffering from what your kind call Amnesia. No doubt fromthat fall you took.”
“Thenwhat’s going to happen to me after I recover information about myorigin?”
TheOracle’s eyes squint. “The other Oracles and the Heir Council aretrying to find a cause for you. Now, if you have any questions, I’lltry to answer as best as I can within my boundary.”
“Whydo I fear you?”
“Sacrednessin the eyes of the unworthy. You’ll get accustomed to my kind,you’ll see we’re no different then your species.”
“Whatwill I do in the mean time?”
“Mindywill be your guide from here on out. She’ll also be yourinstructor. So listen to whatever she informs you of, take it toaccount, and learn from it.”
Irise. “Where are we and what’s this place called?”
TheOracle opens the door. “That’s a question for Mindy. I’ll be onmy way Wes.”
And just like that the Oracleleaves.
Nota minute after the Oracle’s exit, Mindy comes in carrying a dufflebag.
“Iguess we shouldn’t delay. Here’s some new attire the Oracle askedme to get you.”
Shesteps in and sets the bag on the floor.
“I’llgive you time to change. In the mean time I’ll try and get you asnack and some water, I’m sure you’re probably hungry.”
Speakingof hungry… this random shit going on so goddamn fast has left mefamished. My stomach grumbles just thinking about food.
“Thankyou.”
“Pleasedon’t mention it. I’ll return shortly.”
Iset the bag on the bed and unzip it. Inside the bag is a ruff pair oflong jeans, white undershirt, socks, and some shoes.
Ilook down at myself and see the typical blue hospital gown on… juststarring at myself has me wondering what sort of damage I sustainedbefore coming here.
***