365

008 - Adust [apocalyptic fiction]

"Don't stop walking," I say to myself. "And don't look back."

I have been walking a very long time, but it is impossible to know precisely for how long. There are few landmarks and it is dark. Is it nighttime or has the smoke from the fire choked out the sun?

"Don't stop walking."

It is a funny thing, when you have walked for so long it seems as though your body is on autopilot. Thankfully that is probably what is keeping me alive.

I hear a gentle scraping ahead over the roar of the flames and open my eyes. Immediately the smoke stings, but the longing for contact is a greater pain. Just a few metres ahead I can see a figure limping along.

As I approach I debate slowing my pace. What if I can never regain it? Considering I have very little hope of surviving this, I decide it is worth the risk.

Slowing my pace I walk next to the figure and turn my head to take a look at my fellow traveler. She is a woman, hunched over and either tired or old. Everything about her is black, although I assume I probably look similar on account of the soot.

"Hiya."

The woman turns her head, ash cascading from her shoulders as her stiff hair brushes it aside. She grunts at me.

"You been walking long?"

No reaction. I guess that was a dumb question, of course she has, else she would be long dead.

"Well, good luck."

The woman grunts approvingly, this time without turning her head. I close my eyes and work to regain my pace.

I think maybe I fell asleep as I open my eyes and catch myself just as I am about to fall. It seems hotter now, perhaps I have drifted a little too far to one side of the road. I drag my foot and look down for road markings and see nothing but ash. Do I move to the left or to the right?

Thinking it best to just maintain my course I loosen my jacket at my neck and instead endure the heat.

"Don't stop walking."

I've lost track of time again. How long ago was it that I saw that woman? 15 minutes? 3 hours? Two days ago? I shake my head. And what is that light? I shake my head again but it is still there, a haunting glow on my eyelids and distinct from the deep, burnt colour I have become so accustomed to.

Slowly I open my eyes to slits; there are four blindingly white lights ahead. As I get closer I notice blinking red and orange lights. I think I can see figures moving about as well.

One of the figures appears to see me and begins to move toward me. Friend or foe? It does not matter at this point, at least they seem intent on interacting with me.

As we close the distance between us I see The figure is a man and he is holding a rifle. He gestures at me to keep walking and comes to walk next to me.

"Do you know how far back the fire is?" he asks me.

I merely shrug.

"You gotta keep walking. There is another check point ahead. Tell them you met Tango Four."

I nod. I am now passing their trucks. "Do they still run?"

Now it is the soldiers turn to shrug. "We don't know; it's been a while since we last started them."

They are scared to try, I think. I debate asking if they have seen many others come through this check point, but I am scared to hear the answer.

The soldier finally stops walking with me and goes to rejoin two others. Slowly I am no longer able to discern the sounds of their generators, then I lose the last traces of their lights on my eyelids. That deep orange reasserts itself.

"Don't stop walking."

I think I fell asleep again, for I dreamt of a great thunder. I am a little cooler now, so I tighten my jacket. Again I hear the great thunder, roaring over the flames and I see the white flash on my eyelids.

I decide to open my eyes in anticipation of the next flash. Though they burned, I persist until finally the lightening flashes again. Looking out I see a world adust, fields scorched on one side of the road, burnt out remains of trees and houses to the other. Another flash and ahead I can see twisted, melted vehicles... the next checkpoint.

Suddenly, and with horror, I realize I have stopped walking. I try feebly to will myself to start moving again, but my legs have seized up as though someone has slipped rebar in my legs while I was not watching.

Instead, I fall to the ground, ash filling my face. I turn my head to the side enough so that I can breathe... and then I waited. What for, I'm not sure... death, maybe? Till I regained my strength?

I then hear footsteps approaching, just piercing the din of the roaring blaze. I crane my neck to try and see who it is but the blaze and ash are blinding.

The footsteps stop close to be head and then I feel hands grip my shoulders.

"Come on then, up you go," the owner of the hands said.

The hands, strong and firm, helped me to my feet.

"Best keep moving," the voice added, giving me a shove.

Like a great old machine my legs creaked and cracked as I began to move. Once I was stable and moving, I looked over my shoulder and found no one there.

In a panic I checked over my shoulder on the other side and found nothing. Who or what was that just now?

But I suppose it doesn't matter; I'm up and I'm walking. I'm alive for now.

"Don't stop walking," I say to myself. "And don't look back."