Chapter 1
The Helicopters hovered noisily over the football field as Derek watched the homecoming banners whip against the steel netted fence. They rattled relentlessly from the constant late summer wind while the helicopters passed by over the suburbs next to the school’s athletic facilities like a colony of worker bees searching for pollen in a foreign wilderness. The sounds of the human made flying machines were something of curiosity before as the metal machine’s hovering propellers once struck intrigue to a passing bystander. Now, they were the sign of the horsemen of apocalypse. A constant reminder of where humanity was going as well as how far humanity had actually accomplished in such a short period. Though the age of flight was something of great accomplishment, Derek had begun to question humanities technological advances, wondering if it was indeed a sin against Mother Nature or maybe just an inevitable consequence of an evolving species. Whether it was the last few weeks had been a weird karma fate consequence or just a result of evolving too fast, whatever humanity conjured this time they had no idea what they were dealing with.
“Gather around Gents”, Coach Brone said in a very soft tone that was much different from his usual hardass-self. Grabbing face masks. Screaming insults and spitting sarcastic comments to his football players. His tan and old wrinkled skin that usually glimmered from the Friday night lights in the late summer’s heat had lost its flare turning pasty white as if a ghost had taken its place. Though everyone felt like a ghost now, Derek thought. There was something that was haunting about all this. Something that felt supernatural. Yet, it was real. But the monster behind it all could not be seen. Heard. Or felt.
“Given recent events”, Coach Brone paused as to catch his breath before telling the bad news, but Derek really didn’t know if what he was about to say was bad news or just an inevitable conclusion. It seemed, given recent events, the entire world shut down. It seemed like everyone was just going through each day, their bodies going through the motions as their minds were far off in some distant world; trying to grasp the reality of the situation, trying to figure out why this happened. How it could have happened? People wanted to blame someone, but who was there to blame? It wasn’t like the being- wait was it a being?
“Season is cancelled indefinitely”, Coach Brone said interrupting Derek’s thoughts. Everyone that was left on the team didn’t say a word as Coach Brone just walked away from his student athletes without uttering another word. Derek being the captain of the football team didn’t say a word as well. He didn’t know if anything he had to say would comfort his friends and teammates so he decided to leave as well, walking to nearest unoccupied bench so he could sit in silence. He threw off his pads and helmet that hit the steel metal fence while he forgot why he came over to the bench in the first place; trying to take out his frustration at any opportunity that presented itself.
“Derek”, a familiar voice said from behind as a young African American male approached him. His long right hand the was suited for catch balls out of reach as a wide receiver patted Derek’s sturdy right shoulder making Derek’s Persian blue eyes glance towards the young man approaching him. The young African American boy was named Terrence Evens and Derek had been best friends with him since elementary school. He was a very talented athlete and very sharp student when he did apply himself. Both of them had full rides to Division One schools, but they were holding off until they could find a college that was interested in both of them. They always dreamed from childhood that they would make it pro. That dream felt real. This nightmare did not. Or they wanted it to seem so.
“Did they take your brother’s POD yet?” POD stands for Pressurized Online Device, Terrence said handing him a water bottle from one of the water bottle trays sitting on the bench. Despite it being mid-September and windy, both boy’s skin were enveloped in a glossy texture as tiny sweat droplets dripped constantly from their buzzed heads, making it easier to slide their helmets on and off.
Derek didn’t say anything for they both knew the answer to that question.
“They took Akira’s this morning”, Terrence said calmly. Derek’s right hand slowly turned into a miniature fist. A young African-American girl with big, round chestnut eyes with a neat braided pony tail came into view as Derek fought to keep the tears from running down his face. Terrence must have noticed because Derek could see the edge of Terrence’s eyes slowly begin to turn an irritated red. They both nodded at each other while silent aroma enclosed over the two boys. They sat near each other listening to the nonstop sounds of helicopters hovering over the suburbs making it impossible to escape the depressing atmosphere.
“They are taking Ryan to the new facility they have up north”, Derek said breaking the silence but his voice cracking a little. He felt a knot swell up in his throat as his thumb and finger squeezed his tear ducts swiping away a couple straggling tears. “They said we could visit often.”
Both of them still sat in silence, the wind cooling their shirtless, toned bodies while droplets of sweat and tears rolled down their hardened faces forged by the constant screams of chauvinistic brutes, coaches, and elite athletes that readied them for a society that was not ready to comprehend the metaphysical nature of the problem they were handling. To Derek, life was just a game of football. You battled constantly sometimes moving ahead a couple inches and sometimes losing a staggering amount, but no matter where you went, forward or backwards, as long as you kept your head down and kept working hard to move forward, things would work out all right in the end. But Ryan’s? It was artificial. It was so unreal. Sure the amount of time and effort put into his gaming was definitely substantial and it seemed to pay off. He was always trying to beat something. Trying to outdo someone else around the world and challenge him against trolls, dragons, space aliens or whatever they were challenging. They were all not real yet the accomplishment of defeating those monsters seemed to boost his confidence. No matter how many times he walked in that POD. No matter how many monsters he slayed in there, it didn’t change the person he was when he walked out. He was still Derek’s younger depressed brother who was bullied and deemed a social outcast. Maybe that is why this was happening he thought. Maybe this was karma for humanity who deemed a football game having more social worth than a video game. I mean weren’t they both games?
Derek cursed himself as he stood up abruptly making Terrence stand up too. Terrence spat the muddy ground; forcibly grabbing his gear like a soldier who couldn’t give up even though they were outnumbered three to one. “I’m hitting the showers man. These helicopters are making me go insane. I’ll ask Coach if he needs help cleaning up. I can’t go home yet. Too fucking depressing”, he cursed storming off the field. Derek watched him for some time before he decided it best he should also get going. Before leaving, Derek scanned the football field. He saw his fellow comrades spread out across the field; all too scared to face the reality of coming home and dealing with the present problem. It was quite ironic Derek thought that his little brother used to go in his POD to escape reality and now Derek would kill just for a Football game to escape his.
One of the helicopters flying came dangerously close to the football field; the militaristic metal machine thundered a snarling sound as it continued to the suburbs. A couple of the players ducked while the metal beast kept heading towards its destination. The design of the machine seemed to be one of a Boeing Ch-47 Chinook, a military helicopter designed with a twin engine and special rotor to carry large cargo. One of the homecoming banners ripped free, skidding across the field. Derek heard an eek as one of the stat girls made a mad dash towards the banner but tripped while her right flip flop slipped on the sleek, muddy fields. Derek watched the banner dance across the field, his football teammates just watching the banner as if it was just another everyday occurrence, too dazed and shocked to realize the situation taking place would be something of an opportunistic time to talk to one of the attractive, cheerful stat girls. Derek too decided the banner of little worth. He saw the young girl jut her head a little as if she just taken a low blow to the stomach. Her delicate small hands modestly grabbing the tufts of dirt that had been ripped out by the boys, trying to compose herself before someone realized her distress. Derek remembered one of the coaches saying that one of the stat girls, Hillary, had made some banners for homecoming. Knowing this he instantly looked for Terrence who also must have seen what happened for he was already lightly jogging after the slow moving banner; pointing at the stat girl slowly rising from her plunge. Derek nodded understanding that Terrence wanted him to make sure she was ok. He remembered now that she had a younger sister who was affected by the terrorist attack or whatever they were calling it now. All that hard work to make the homecoming game a special one and now her sister was in danger of-. No. He stopped himself short.
“I don’t need your help”, the young girl snapped at Derek as he approached her, quickly forcing herself up while brushing the smeared mud from her sandy beige legs.
“Thanks”, was all Derek could think of. He knew how much Hillary, the youngest stat girl on the team put into making the team happy and giving them memorable pep rallies or homecomings. He gently put his equipment down, “Terrence is grabbing your banner.” Hillary didn’t say anything, forcing herself up. She faced the other way. Her body oscillating her silent frustration; her hands quickly approaching her face making Derek turn around before she faced him. He knew she was having a hard time dealing with the grief of what happened. He didn’t want her to have to put on a strong presence for the sake of him. They were all facing it.
“Derek”-she started but then stopped mid-sentence when a loud clamping sound ricocheted off the empty stadium making the deafening sound ring over the never ending sounds of propellers roaring over the ever growing wind which was starting to shake the few leaves that had already changed colors loose; sending them soaring through the air.
“Kelly is stationed in Precinct 79 P right?” Derek asked referring to Hillary’s 9 year old sister.
“Yes”, she said flatly with a muffled voice.
“My brother is in Precinct 79 D. Once you are finished come find me. I can bring you there”, Derek said remembering Hillary didn’t have a car. Kelly and her lived with their blind aunt. Disability wasn’t enough and since Hillary was always busy helping the football team or working. She couldn’t work enough hours to buy or lease one.
Hillary didn’t say anything more so Derek picked up his football pads as he continued off the field.
“Derek!” Hillary raised her voice in a proclaiming matter. Derek stopped for a brief second and smiled a light-hearted, genuine smile “Don’t mention it” he said as Hillary tried to find words to thank him for his act of kindness, but couldn’t because of the haunting shadow that loomed over everyone. Derek realized that they all had to stick together if they wanted to get through this. Or they would surely crumble.
Derek opened the gate that led off the field as his teammates all followed single file.
“I’ll go too”, Hendricks said with his sandy blonde hair and way too vibrant blue eyes.
“Same”, the rest of his football teammates said. Derek nodded thanking them. He knew all of them had been not trying to think about what was happening. But he knew all of them had to face the inevitable truth some time. Their loved ones weren’t coming back anytime soon from whatever world they were stuck in, God help them.
