replay of the chase of the day before.
What now? Where can we go? This is getting real old. Will there never be any goddamn motherf—
"That way, over there," said Aiden, pointing toward a series of high-rise monstrosities — a failed housing project from the eighties, one of the few not demolished before The Lethargy put a halt to the hope of re-homing people into a better way of life.
"Okay, it's as good as any other direction."
Like things aren't depressing enough already.
Running. Always running. Edsel felt like he's spent his life running, splitting apart just like the Converse had.
Empty inside.
~~~
It was a maze of concrete walkways connecting giant crumbling concrete coffins to each other. There were bridges, sloped curving walkways that connected to a small shopping precinct that held a convenience store, a post office, the ubiquitous liquor store and betting shops. All smashed now, the booze gone before the food from the Spar next door.
Aiden seemed to know his way around pretty well, leading them up a walkway that rose up to the entrance to one of the fifteen story high-rises. Inside the broken doors were piles of refuse — as far as most people had bothered to take their trash once it was no longer collected. It stank. There were obviously dead animals of all description and all states of decomposition within the mountain of discarded remains of humanity trying its best to hang on to life. Inevitably unsuccessfully in most cases.
"I used to come here, looking for people, before it got too dangerous. Before somebody tried to take me. A man, a horrible man that tried to—"
"It's okay, it's safe now."
Who are you trying to kid Edsel. Safe, my arse.
"I know. I, um, I killed him."
Edsel stopped and stared at the boy. "You what?"
"I used my powers, what Daddy said was because I was Awoken. I went into his mind and saw the things he wanted to do to me; I made him smash his head against the wall, that one there." Aiden pointed at a dark smear staining the depressing, graffiti covered brickwork. "I didn't mean to kill him, but he banged his head and then he was dead."
"Well, I'm sure he deserved it," grunted Edsel. "Where to now Batman."
"Batman? Who's Batman?"
Poor kid, I guess he's too young for a lot of things. He would have been what, five when The Lethargy happened?
"Nevermind. Where to?"
"That way." Edsel followed the boy's finger. It pointed at a door that had mesh enforced glass which led to a narrow balcony running along the outside of the first floor of the high-rise, where people had to walk to get to their front doors.
What a place to live. Why would anyone think this was a good idea? They started falling down as soon as they built them.
They went through the door and along the balcony. At the end was a connecting walkway that took them over a road and up to another level of what appeared to be a large car park.
"We can get into the bigger shopping center that way, it's the car park for it."
"Okay, great. Let's go."
What am I gonna do with him? I can't just let him be chased with me. Damn, can he hear this? Can you hear this?
Edsel turned and looked at Aiden, who seemed to be pointedly not looking at him.
Yeah, you can.
"Sorry."
SHOPPING
They had to be careful. Edsel knew from experience that shopping centers were some of the most dangerous areas in the city. The desperate, the hungry and the plain bored seemed to congregate in such places. Hoping to find clothes not already stolen, gadgets of all description, the most precious commodity of all: batteries. He'd seen two men fight until one killed the other just over a Duracell, they were that important to people now.
I hate these places, they were always weird even before The Lethargy.
Edsel had an intense dislike for the soulless shopping centers that sprang up what seemed like every week all over the city, a never-ending supply of people popping into existence to take advantage of free parking
What now? Where can we go? This is getting real old. Will there never be any goddamn motherf—
"That way, over there," said Aiden, pointing toward a series of high-rise monstrosities — a failed housing project from the eighties, one of the few not demolished before The Lethargy put a halt to the hope of re-homing people into a better way of life.
"Okay, it's as good as any other direction."
Like things aren't depressing enough already.
Running. Always running. Edsel felt like he's spent his life running, splitting apart just like the Converse had.
Empty inside.
~~~
It was a maze of concrete walkways connecting giant crumbling concrete coffins to each other. There were bridges, sloped curving walkways that connected to a small shopping precinct that held a convenience store, a post office, the ubiquitous liquor store and betting shops. All smashed now, the booze gone before the food from the Spar next door.
Aiden seemed to know his way around pretty well, leading them up a walkway that rose up to the entrance to one of the fifteen story high-rises. Inside the broken doors were piles of refuse — as far as most people had bothered to take their trash once it was no longer collected. It stank. There were obviously dead animals of all description and all states of decomposition within the mountain of discarded remains of humanity trying its best to hang on to life. Inevitably unsuccessfully in most cases.
"I used to come here, looking for people, before it got too dangerous. Before somebody tried to take me. A man, a horrible man that tried to—"
"It's okay, it's safe now."
Who are you trying to kid Edsel. Safe, my arse.
"I know. I, um, I killed him."
Edsel stopped and stared at the boy. "You what?"
"I used my powers, what Daddy said was because I was Awoken. I went into his mind and saw the things he wanted to do to me; I made him smash his head against the wall, that one there." Aiden pointed at a dark smear staining the depressing, graffiti covered brickwork. "I didn't mean to kill him, but he banged his head and then he was dead."
"Well, I'm sure he deserved it," grunted Edsel. "Where to now Batman."
"Batman? Who's Batman?"
Poor kid, I guess he's too young for a lot of things. He would have been what, five when The Lethargy happened?
"Nevermind. Where to?"
"That way." Edsel followed the boy's finger. It pointed at a door that had mesh enforced glass which led to a narrow balcony running along the outside of the first floor of the high-rise, where people had to walk to get to their front doors.
What a place to live. Why would anyone think this was a good idea? They started falling down as soon as they built them.
They went through the door and along the balcony. At the end was a connecting walkway that took them over a road and up to another level of what appeared to be a large car park.
"We can get into the bigger shopping center that way, it's the car park for it."
"Okay, great. Let's go."
What am I gonna do with him? I can't just let him be chased with me. Damn, can he hear this? Can you hear this?
Edsel turned and looked at Aiden, who seemed to be pointedly not looking at him.
Yeah, you can.
"Sorry."
SHOPPING
They had to be careful. Edsel knew from experience that shopping centers were some of the most dangerous areas in the city. The desperate, the hungry and the plain bored seemed to congregate in such places. Hoping to find clothes not already stolen, gadgets of all description, the most precious commodity of all: batteries. He'd seen two men fight until one killed the other just over a Duracell, they were that important to people now.
I hate these places, they were always weird even before The Lethargy.
Edsel had an intense dislike for the soulless shopping centers that sprang up what seemed like every week all over the city, a never-ending supply of people popping into existence to take advantage of free parking
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