Now, finally realizing the true nature of the threat, they blindly ran for their lives, knowing there was no escape for anyone outside or inside.
The intention of the attack was that no one would survive and if they did happen to live through the bombings and the poisonous gases, it wouldn't be for long.
It wouldn't be pleasant.
9| Expectations
In the meantime, Salazar and Miki carefully made their way to the actual tunnel beyond the basement. Like the main entrance to the building, the wall was a jagged opening and broken bricks littered the first few feet of its opening on both sides. Once inside, the passageway led north, back under Fallhaven.
By then, they knew they were being followed even though their entourage stayed back a significant distance so they wouldn't feel threatened. Feeling as if she should say something, Miki finally asked, "Are you worried about those who trail behind us?"
"Not in the least. My intuitive radar has already scanned them for their intentions and it didn't pick up any sign of threats. I know that might sound strange, and I can't explain it any better than that…," he tried to clarify before his mother interrupted.
"No need to justify anything, Son. I get the same feeling. They are just scared and want the same thing we want… to be safe."
The entrance to their location from the street was very near Winterhaven, the most dangerous part of August City. However, that actually worked to their advantage at the moment.
During the previous bombing and rebellion many years ago, the area had been hit hard in an effort to eradicate the undesirable citizens of Winterhaven. Now, during this assault, Winterhaven was practically ignored as a target.
Near Fallhaven but still isolated, Winterhaven had very little industry and no city buildings. Even after all that time had passed, the government had withheld funding and nothing had been rebuilt. As a result, Winterhaven was the least targeted area in the current air raids. The only bombs that fell there were intended to release the toxins.
Regardless, nearby bombs in Fallhaven shook loose chunks of the already dilapidated building as Salazar and Miki worked their way to some point of safety underground.
They managed to avoid being crushed and descended several meters without injury. With only the light from their torches, it was dark; however, they discovered passageways off the main tunnel. As they explored those openings, which were similar to alcoves, they found that the doorways didn't go anywhere. Some even burrowed back into another alcove and then led back to the primary pathway. Many were dead ends as Serena McKay had said.
Finally, the main thoroughfare widened into an opening that was similar to a large foyer in a fine home or business and it held the largest of the alcoves they had discovered so far. In that one, there was plenty of room for the two of them and those who followed. It was a good place to rest for a while. Salazar and Miki slipped inside and stopped for the time being while they waited for the others to catch up.
When they disappeared from sight, those following them began to panic. Salazar and Miki listened to their distant voices until they grew closer.
"Oh God, what do we do now?" One cried out.
"They couldn't have gone far… they were just ahead of us!" another contended.
"Over here," Miki called out as she pointed the glow of her flashlight at the edge of the opening to lead the way. "Come, we're right here and there is room for all of you."
Relieved, the twelve people meekly entered the alcove where Salazar and Miki waited. Everyone took a seat with their backs leaning against the cool, rock wall. With each person racked by coughing fits and feeling feverish and achy, most allowed the exhaustion to overcome them and they slept for a long while.
More could have taken shelter with them but most of those that remained in the streets were oblivious to their true situation. They stared at the horizon as if hypnotized. They appeared dazed by the disastrous event that careened toward them. They didn't get off the streets to seek shelter because they couldn't tear their eyes away from the scene of their neighbors being bombed to smithereens.
The fumes had affected them too.
In a drug-like stupor, most hallucinated. Everything around them, even the dangerous incendiaries that delivered the pinkish fumes, danced and played before them as it skittered across the sky. Then, having been deprived of any beauty or entertainment for so long, the residents 'oohed and awed' when the vivid display shattered into multifaceted prisms. Unaware of the toxin's effect, they stood unafraid as they watched the pretty aerial display.
Then, they died.
10| Reminiscing
Meanwhile, from the description handed down by Serena McKay, Salazar and Miki knew there was a huge cavern ahead in the darkness. However, feeling sickly, neither of them wanted to explore the lower recesses right then. Now that they were deeper underground, the shockwaves had lessened and they felt safe enough for the moment.
Exhausted, Salazar and Miki huddled against each other for warmth and comfort while they silently waited with the others for the ungodly air strike to end.
Sixteen-years-old Salazar had heard and read the recorded stories of his great-grandfather, Henry Stevens, for most of his young life. His mother, Miki Lang had kept the journals of her mother, Serena McKay-Lang sacred because she was certain that history was prone to change if one didn't closely watch it.
While Serena was a private eye, she had discovered that more than embarrassing social media comments and pictures were erased. People and events disappeared too. She had found that statistics had been deleted from official reports, rules and laws were changed, and policy was guaranteed only by the current administration.
The recorded truth about everything had been altered to suit the purposes of the ruling class and to make those in power look a lot better and more civilized than they were. Understanding that much, Serena had once asked Henry the reasons for such deception.
In turn, Henry had asked her, "Why are libraries destroyed by conquerors? What do they have to gain from such a historic and cultural cleansing?"
"If it is truly a cleansing," Serena had replied, "then it is meant to erase all knowledge of our past. The new administration does not want the population to remember how things once were. They don't want us to compare the good of our past to how bad things are now."
She had also discovered that most of those who ran things were monsters dressed in fine suits and expensive dresses as an attempt to cover their hideous scales and true nature. She had learned that almost everything she had been taught was a lie and that the current affairs of the world were a lot worse than anyone had believed.
Looking back at the events of the past, Salazar had wondered why someone didn't do something. The common people had overthrown monarchies throughout the ages in favor of democracy. Unfortunately, democracy had forgotten that it was "for the people." The people outnumbered the elitist and the authoritarian government five-thousand to one… and yet, the people were powerless. Why didn't someone fight back? Why had so many done nothing to change the way things were? Why had they taken the abuses without rebelling?
Serena had once asked the same questions. Henry's recorded testimony had explained in detail that it was complicated: