“The sound of the coffee machine pouring one while smoke rose from the cup was somehow comforting on hard days like these.
“What sighting?” Zak asked.
“Yeah, sightings,” the guard replied.
“That sounds real sci-fi.
Plus the theory about an alien conspiracy or whatever I got from that.” “I get you.
Sounds weird.
But it’s the most logical thing.” The guard took a sip from his coffee cup before speaking again.
“At the end of the day, looks like every day points more to the end of the world.” “The end of the world?
Ha.
Right.
As if we weren’t already living it,” Zak thought.
“Sound like a crazy idea, doesn’t it?” “Too crazy.” The guard took another sip of coffee.
“That day I heard, I think, your name.
You’re called Zak, right?” “Yeah, and you must be called Mitch, I guess.” “Yeah.” “I see.
Thanks a lot for the info, by the way.” “No problem.
Just be careful,” Mitch replied while drinking his coffee.
“Okay, it was nice talking,” Zak said, getting to his feet and shaking Mitch’s hand, who just shook his back as a goodbye.
“See you, kid…” Zak left the store and the sound of cars passing, the lights coloring the streets neon while the moon shined like always in the night sky.
“The wind blew and the stores that stayed open late started closing.
For some reason, Zak thought the descents were like some kind of purge, but twenty-four hours a day, all week, and they could happen at any moment.
“Plus, people lately were acting real wild because, since they announced on the news about an organization with dangerous activity in the city, more in Central Plaza, it made people hesitate to go out.
But obviously that didn’t apply to vandals or criminals.
“Despite the military’s efforts, somehow with every descent more types of vandals and criminals showed up with weapons that made you stop and think: where the fuck are they getting those weapons from?” “Mitch’s info was a big help, because thanks to it Zak would avoid going through the central zone.
“Although sooner or later he’d have to go to catch the bus and visit his mother.
Love what you’re reading?
Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
“Hey, watch where you’re going, asshole!” a man said, passing on his bike, almost running Zak over.
Zak hadn’t noticed him because he was lost in thought.
“What the hell was wrong with people lately?
He got that everyone was raw, emotions on edge because of how shit was going.
But cursing at every turn?
Completely absurd.
Worse if it was an old man.” “After a while, Zak finally got to his building and, while climbing the stairs like always, passing by an apartment he stopped when he heard banging and yelling.
“Marta, where the fuck are you, woman?!” a man’s voice said, clearly furious.
Zak peeked slightly through the window and saw how what looked like the lady’s husband had a knife in his hand and the wife, Mrs.
Marta, was locked in a room while the man struggled to get in.
Zak stepped back, grabbed his phone and dialed emergency.
“Hello, good evening, how can I help you?” an operator answered.
“Hi, yeah…
My neighbor over here wants to kill his wife.” “Send me the address, please.” “Miller St.
Ave.
2, Hubson Building.
Come fast.” “Okay, we just sent two patrols to your location.
Please, avoid getting involved so you don’t get hurt.” Zak just hung up.
How was he not going to intervene?
By the time the police got there the man would’ve probably already broken into the room and killed the lady.
He wouldn’t let that happen.
Despite the situation, Zak was sweating cold from the crazy thing he was about to do.
This wasn’t one of those web novels where the protagonist saves the day, with a cut in a critical spot and they automatically unsubscribe him from life.
That day at the supermarket they got saved by pure luck; otherwise, they’d be steak right now.
Zak sighed, took off his hoodie and wrapped it around his arms while he slipped into the apartment silently.
“Open up, you fucking bitch!” the man said, angrier with every second, kicking the door.
“Zak moved carefully to avoid being discovered, not to mention how annoying and infuriating it was to see this man, who looked drunk, wanting to kill his wife.
“Without waiting any longer, Zak lunged at the guy, who was shocked to see him as they both crashed to the floor starting a scuffle.
“Who the hell are you, you little piece of shit?!” the guy growled furiously while kicking Zak.
Zak held firm with his hoodie, which he’d wrapped around the guy’s knife to avoid cutting his hands.
“The man, being stronger, pinned Zak against the wall while both of them were red from the effort.
But despite the circumstances, the guy seemed to have the advantage.” “Before the situation could escalate worse, a vase came flying in from behind at full speed and smashed into the guy’s head, and he immediately dropped knocked out on the floor with a dull thud.
“It was Mrs.
Marta.
She instantly knelt down, sitting on her heels and started crying over what she’d done.
Even though her husband tried to kill her, she still loved him.
“Between sobs the lady spoke: “Why…?
Everything was fine…
I don’t understand, out of nowhere he went crazy…
“Zak knelt down the same way the lady did while opening his mouth to speak: “How so, ma’am?
“The lady, while wiping her tears, kept talking: “It just happened.
We were having wine for a bit and out of nowhere he went crazy.
I know how he is, he never gets like this when he’s drunk…
I don’t understand what happened” the lady said while crying again.
“As crazy as the idea sounded, it was possibly the effect of the descent.
It clearly said it affected people out of nowhere, especially when they were vulnerable.
“While he was thinking, sirens could be heard outside the building.
The military had arrived.
“Now everything was military force because about four years ago, the last time they sent police, they ended up dead because they didn’t count on a psychopath having a rifle in his house.
After that, the military came in neutralizing the individual.
“Since that day they changed strategy and now it was the military who showed up.
“Everyone down!” a soldier shouted as he entered the apartment along with two more.
“One of them put handcuffs on the unconscious man while a doctor arrived.
“Are you okay?” the doctor asked.
“I’m fine, I think the lady is the one who’s bad.” “She only gave me a small cut before she locked me in the room” the lady said.
“May I see the wound?
“The lady showed him her hand.
It had a big cut across the entire palm and blood was still coming out of it.
“This is not a minor thing” the doctor mentioned, something Zak agreed with.
“Right away the doctor cleaned the wound and bandaged it skillfully.
“You’ll have to rest your hand for at least five days until the cut heals.
“I understand.
“After that they took the man away, finally leaving Zak and the lady alone.
“Thank you very much, young man” the lady said from the apartment entrance.
“You’re welcome.
Just be more careful.
“I’ll keep that in mind.
Tomorrow will be a long day for me…
Zak looked at the lady and simply sighed, understanding that tomorrow he’d have to deal with all her husband’s issue and more.
“Well, see you.
“Goodbye.
Both said goodbye while Zak continued on his way, going up the stairs toward his apartment as if nothing had happened.
But in truth he was still sweating cold.
When he arrived at his apartment he opened the door and went in while he lay down on the sofa thinking about the things that had been happening lately.
“How do I tell you, kid, things are getting weird.
But really weird.
Because since I have contacts all over the city, you know, I’m a guard, it’s normal.
My friends and acquaintances told me that in the central area strange guys are hanging around like they’re securing the perimeter or placing strange things, I don’t really know.
But if I were you, I wouldn’t get close to those areas.
The military are already taking action, but just the same avoid them so you don’t regret it.
“A tall man with a beret was moving in an armored military vehicle while he turned on his radio: “How’s the investigation going, cadet?
“It’s going badly, General.
For now we’ve only found 4 of these subjects who, as soon as we caught them, exploded without leaving any evidence.
“Shit” the general grumbled before speaking again.
“I understand…
keep patrolling the area.
“Understood.
Over and out.
“What the hell are the anti-military guys plotting now…” the general grumbled, frustrated, while he accelerated the car through the streets following a trail that a tablet was showing him.