Whatevs.
I keep sprinting for home. So, this is how you know just how bad it is. As I’m running back, I accidentally dash headfirst into someone from Security. He looks me up and down, says nothing, like he doesn’t even tell me to go to my room, and just runs off. Something big’s going down. Anyway, I know I’m at least safe for the moment. At least, safe from Security. The Creep’s another story.
But with all the distractions, I’m able to find my room. Even with the shutters down outside, my keycard works on the lock access, and I stumble into the living room. Sometimes you’re just grateful for the small things. Like your life.
Anyway, Mom’s there, and for once she doesn’t look either depressed or super insane happy. Actually, she looks kind of worried as she moves over to me. She wraps me up in her arms, and I’m actually a bit, I dunno, concerned. The one thing Mom isn’t is affectionate, or at least she hasn’t been in a long time. Still, I’m just glad to see her, so the least I can do is hug her back. And okay, I’ll admit I’ve kinda missed just hugging Mom. I mean, don’t tell her that. Anyway, she pulls off after a second and looks me over.
“Jackie,” she says, shaking her head, “Jackie, you had me so worried.”
I honestly don’t know what to say. It’s my mom. What do you say to your mom? What do you say to your mom who’s usually so crazy that you never know if she’s going to start crying for no reason? “Sorry,” is the best I can manage to get out. “You knew what happened to me?”
“What do you think I am? Of course, I knew. Do you think I’m oblivious?”
I shrug because… yeah. “Well, lots of times you act like, I dunno, like you’re… weird. Like on drugs or something. It just really throws me off. I mean, that’s understandable, right? I don’t think I’m the crazy one here.”
She holds up a finger to her lips and steps away, moving to the tablets on our counter. She hands me one and starts typing something on hers. It takes just a second, and then she turns it around, showing the screen to me. It reads, “They listen to this apartment.”
I kinda stare at her for a second, then I look down at my tablet. I get it. I look down and type back on my tablet before turning it to her. Mine says, “Why? Are you guys important? I thought Dad worked on solar panels.”
She replies, “Yes, as part of his common job. The same way my common job is to work with the garden. The truth is that he’s the head scientist in charge of researching the Creep. I’m one of the lead chemists that works on Voluptas. Your father spends so much time away from home to avoid monitoring. We don’t talk much because we write to each other. And I act a certain way to make them think I’m high. Because that’s better than being too smart.”
This is totally detonating my mind. “Frowny face. Wow.”
“I’m sorry life is like this for you.”
“It’s okay. But what do we do now?”
“I don’t know. Your father wants to take you to the lower levels. There are people there that run away from Tower Authority. But right now it’s overrun.”
Life in the lower levels? When would I see my parents? “How is Dad supposed to get down here?”
“He’s dressed like Security. He’ll sneak through with them. Your father is very smart.”
“Yeah, I’m sorta figuring that out.”
We both glance away as a sound catches our attention. Before I can even turn, I see Security rushing in from the corner of my eye, so I whip out the flame gun Dad gave me and turn it at the guard, tightening my finger on the trigger. “Hold it, jerkface!” I scream as I point it in his direction. The guy jumps backward, raising his hands up and cowering against the door.
He whips his helmet off, and I feel terrible. Dad. Of course. I was about to barbeque my own father. He holds up his finger and points to the ceiling. I nod and turn to Mom, who passes us the tablets. He quickly taps away on his and flips it toward me.
“Security is focusing on the lowest floors,” it says. “Get something to defend yourself with against the Creep. We leave in twenty minutes.”
“Got it.” I sprint into my room and look around. I already know I don’t have much to protect myself with, but that doesn’t mean I’m entirely defenseless. My eyes take a quick inventory of what I could use. I have my shin and forearm guards, not to mention the knee and elbow pads. Hey, when you’re young you take whatever defense you can get in the middle of a creepy “living-muscle apocalypse” scenario. There’s a catcher’s mask from when I played baseball, but it scares me to think that I’d be limiting my vision. Instead, I just tuck on my baseball cap because if I’m going to die, I might as well look snazzy when it happens. Plus it matches my old baseball uniform, which I switch into before strapping a protective vest over my torso. Say what you want about the uniform, but at least the material’s tough. Well, it’s at least tough enough to keep any slime from seeping through onto my skin. Plus the “NY” symbol on the shirt looks cool. Wish I knew what it meant. Like I said, die in style.
A girl in a baseball uniform and body armor. Yeah, I look like a terribly conceived comic hero. I’ve still got the flame gun strapped to my hip for firepower, but as I sit there, I notice the bat I’ve had since I was a kid. Mom and Dad gave it to me a long time ago, before I thought they went crazy, and I just keep thinking… I might need something if any Creep gets close. Plus, it’s always been lucky for me. I know that’s stupid, but, come on. I played every game of my life with it. I hit some of my biggest home runs with it. Come on, all my best memories are attached to it. I mean, can’t I just… can’t I just want something with me that makes me feel… okay? With this incredibly messed-up situation?
Anyway, I thought this would be the last time to record before… I dunno. Before really bad things start happening, either because of Security or the Creep. So, future self, or anyone else listening, please excuse the really loud music blaring in the background.
I just don’t like it when people listen in on me without my permission.
Recording Forty
A Creep growth pops like an overgrown zit when you hit it with a bat.
Freakin’ sweet.
Dad leads the way as we charge down the hall, his flamethrower igniting everything in its path. Around every corner we turn, we can see Security just lighting up with those things, that or firing with their guns into overgrown growths that are piling up in the halls. I know we have a lot of Security to take care of the Tower, but it’s becoming pretty obvious that, in a situation like this, they’re too busy worrying about their own necks to think about a girl like me. Especially since my dad looks like a Security guy himself, just out escorting someone home. Uh, well, an escort through incredibly violent biomass growths.
But, hey, who doesn’t go through that situation at least once in their lives?
The stairwell itself is nothing like I’d imagined. Seriously, the inside is just… gross. The Creep has been scoured clean, but it’s left this disgusting, ashy putty all over the place. Our stairwell is slick with gritty goop that slides down the stairs, and there are more than a few times that I nearly go flipping over my head and crashing to the ground. Can you imagine falling into that gunk?