Slowtown

4

I assess my surroundings while being dragged along, still trying to understand what in the world he - oh shit, I forgot his name... anyway, what he meant when he said "you're safe here." I squint my eyes against the sun, thinking that the image might somehow take a different form. But nothing. I'm just being rushed along through my neighborhood, and no evidence suggests that I unknowingly woke up this morning in a post-apocalyptic world.

Not far from the curb, we're turning toward a house he's pointing at. It's not quite the the same as all the others. What I mean by that is, the grass is a little trampled, the air starts smelling like something the closer you get, the dust is unsettled. It looks... lived in. And that's one difference I make note of, because everything else- I swear, even the clouds are eerily still. Maybe this guy is taking me to a sanctuary for the last surviving people on Earth. Sounds plausible if you ask me, so I advise myself to not ditch my apocalypse suspicions just yet.

I think he forgot he's still holding my hand, because he suddenly decides to run to the front door, nearly yanking my arm out of its socket with his frickin' Herculean strength. Or maybe I won't admit I'm just getting a little too frail. Even worse, he doesn't stop running, flinging open the door and yelling out in a rush, "Sorry I didn't knock but I knew you were expecting me!" And he doesn't give me a break as he keeps pulling me along through rooms, not knowing how much I'm struggling, feeling like I haven't stood on my two feet in years, or breathed his hard in ages.

We enter a big room, and finally, thank God, finally, he immediately stops and sits me down on a cot. I feel dizzy, and remember that this is why I always skipped gym class. My vision blurs for a second, and I fear I might pass out. Jeez, I can't do a little jogging without becoming anemic.

The guy plops down next to me, and I manage to barely turn my head so I can take a look at him, and would ya look at him, smiling like a lunatic. Through the wall, I can hear footsteps hurrying to this room. I'm not ready, so not ready for what's about to happen.