Days of Darkness: Awakening

Chapter 1: Supply and Demand

For the past two years, the world has been overrun. During the day, the streets remained quiet. Most days, it would be so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Many people spent their days searching the abandoned buildings looking for whatever supplies they could find.  Nights were a different story, however. They were often full of danger and peril. As soon as the sun would set, the world was ablaze. Gangs had taken over certain areas of the city and the innocent never knew when a gang war would rise or where the next bullet would come from. The world had been thrown into complete chaos and Chicago was no exception. And although the conditions that the world dealt with were less than ideal, Chicago would quickly become ground zero for the greatest war that humankind had ever known.

The city was a lot different now than most people remember. What was once a major metropolis, was now almost a wasteland. With the Night-stalkers, a race of mindless, reptilian-like humanoids running the streets, much of humanity had been nearly eradicated. What little was left of the population was driven underground to live out their lives in nothing but fear and terror while the rest lived in rundown homes in many of the neighborhoods. The governments of the world had been completely eradicated so there were no more laws to live by and no order in society. There was only survival, and many preferred to live this life separate from one another because supplies and resources were low and they felt that, to survive, it would be much better to be alone.

No doubt, the Event left the citizens of Chicago, as well as the rest of the world, with plenty of stories to tell. Where many lived in fear, a select few had the courage and bravery - and the power - to end the madness.

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"Christian, come on. We gotta move, bro."

"Hold on, D. I think I found something."

Damien Drake and Christian Clarke were best friends. Over the course of the past two years, they became more like brothers having faced many trials together. They were the most unlikely of friends. Prior to this life, Damien was a star quarterback at their high school and a very gifted athlete. Christian, on the other hand, was an aspiring inventor. He kept his head in the books throughout his childhood and it carried on through his teenage years. Even though they went to the same school, they didn't know each until after the Event. That's what the Earth invasion came to be called. In a world of destruction and isolation, they had each other. They were family.

Resources were scarce all around. There were no more businesses to shop from, no stores to make purchases. Survival was the game's name, and it meant, sometimes, raiding old remnants of storefronts and shops to make ends meet, so to speak. While on a supply run, the two of them came across an old convenience store. Anything that they could find that could be used was considered a win. Food, medicine, it didn't matter. Anything would be a plus in their book.

Damien walked over to Christian. "What is it?"

Christian sifted through the dust and debris on the ground. Through the broken glass and ashes, he pulled out a framed picture of a family. It recalled what it was like for him to live with his family before the Event took place. He missed his parents and his brothers and sister. Overwhelmed with emotion, he began to shed tears.

"You alright?" Damien asked.

"Not really," he answered. "Sometimes, I really wish that I could go back in time and change all of this. Let's be honest, this life sucks and I'd give anything to be able to go back and have, at least, one more moment with my family."

Damien chuckled. "Trust me, you're not alone. I get so sick of living like this sometimes. Other times, it's really not too bad, I guess. I did end up getting stuck with you," he said jokingly.