- Through the Deadlands, Part One: A Lethal Journey
- Through the Deadlands, Part II: The Mission of an Archer
- Through the Deadlands, Part Three: A Place Among the Beasts
- Through the Deadlands, Finale: Between Freedom and Sacrifice
By Rebecka Jones, Staff Writer
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– Emma G. Harrison, Editor-in-Chief, Imaginary Gardens
I’ve never been more terrified in my life, not even when I found out my parents were killed in the nuclear explosion. Knowing that I had to move on without my mom and dad, without their love and care that had made me the person I was today, and having to raise my little sister all by myself, without the knowledge of raising kids and guiding them through life, was indeed one of the many terrifying things I’ve experienced. But nothing as tragic will compare to the fear I have now, knowing that I’m about to risk mine and my sister’s lives.
It took us another day to travel back down the mountain, but we spent two days resting after the journey and formulating a plan. Well, we tried to come up with a plan, but nothing could have prepared us for our next mission: sneaking through the zombie-infested city to reach the space station.
We could have all the weapons, including Mirae’s impressive archery abilities, and the confidence and strength we needed, but even that might not stand a chance against thousands of beasts. Sylvia and I have only been to the city once, but we didn’t stay for very long after a zombie had nearly taken my sister from me. I never went back to that place; I avoided being near it at all costs. That one attack, plus the zombies I had seen loitering inside and around the city limits, has kept me away.
But here we are now, figuring out how we’re going to get into that city and into the space station without being detected.
“Find gun store first and get weapons,” Mirae writes in the dirt of the forest we’re sheltering in. We are resting underneath a huge tree, its roof of leaves blocking us from the dark haze that fades the moon from our view. A fire crackles in front of us, providing warmth in this artificial winter and lighting up the letters written on the ground. “Enter city via river next.”
“Do you know where the nearest gun store is?” I ask. “Preferably one that isn’t in the city?”
Mirae nods then points to where the sun had set hours prior. She stoops back down into the dirt and writes, “Town.”
“We’re going to swim into the city?” Sylvia asks with a highly raised brow. “Jayden always told me to never go near the water because it’s toxic.”
The woman shakes her head, then draws a boat, but the unsettled look remains on my sister’s face. “Why are we riding on a boat? Is that the safest way into the city?”
Mirae prepares her stick to draw her explanation, but I fill in the gaps because I see her point. “It’ll make it harder for the zombies to get to us if we’re detected. They could easily outrun us on solid ground, but swimming to us will take them longer, so we’d have more time to prepare. I think the river runs throughout the whole city, too, so we can get to the space station by boat.” I look at Mirae to confirm my statement, and she nods.
Sylvia brings her knees up to her chin. “What if we fall?” She asks, voice muffled as she buries her face into her knees. “The water can kill us, and those monsters will come after us.”
I shake my head and rest a palm on her shoulder. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen. You will be safe, and I’ll get you to that space station.”
Her glassy eyes peek at me over her knees. “Are you sure we can do this?” Her voice comes out shuddering. “Can we really find a new home?”
The sorrow in her eyes, the fear in her voice, the way she’s crumbling before me—it makes my heart plummet. Nobody deserves to live in a devastated world like this, alone with only the dark haze and the radiotoxic zombies as company. I would never wish this upon my worst enemy, let alone my sister. She’s so innocent and lively but strong and fierce; I don’t want this world to take that away from her. To take her courage away and traumatize her.
We really need to get out of here.
“If Mirae trusts that her grandfather is at this space station waiting to take us to Mars,” I start, trying to clear the lump in my throat. “Then I believe we’ll be able to get out of here.”
Mirae offers me a small smile, which makes my chest feel lighter. She’s been broody since our conversation on the mountain the night before, and I still wanted to approach her about it, but I thought now wasn’t the best time. When would be the best time, though? Definitely not when we’re marching into the city and trying not to die.
Sylvia lets out a shaky breath but sits up straight, wiping the tears escaping down her cheeks. “I trust Mirae’s instincts,” she says with a nod, then looks at me. “And your confidence.”
Did she really think those words meant I was confident? I thought I was anything but that, but I decided to remain silent. I didn’t want to ruin her hopes.
We decided we were going to head to the gun store first thing in the morning and find weapons we could use against the zombies, then we were going to the nearest dock to steal us a boat. After that…we’re heading to the city. This was really going to happen, and I felt completely unprepared, as if I was being thrown into a gunfight with only my bare hands. Climbing the mountain was nothing compared to this—we’re literally walking into a death trap full of zombies that could devour us in seconds, with only our untrained weaponist skills and faith by our side.
The thought of what could happen to any of us haunts me, so I lay awake all night, staring up at the dark, depressing haze.
The journey to the town only takes about an hour. Fallen buildings and charred streets make the place unrecognizable. Almost everything here was destroyed by the blast, with only a handful of stores and houses surviving. Fortunately, the gun store is one of the buildings left standing.
I may not have recognized this town regardless of the explosion because it’s so small. There are only four streets that branch out from the main strip where a town hall used to stand, judging by the half-destroyed pillars at the top of a cracked staircase. The town hall might’ve looked grand if not for the destruction. Only a couple of townhomes, stores, and restaurants lined the four streets stretching towards the horizon. I still wonder what this place looked like before.
The gun store was located at the end of the fourth street. We walked into a mess of broken and fallen-over shelves, bullet shells, holsters, and firearms scattered along the floor. Glass shards were among the many items on the ground, most likely from the windows that had been blown through. Soot is painted on the window frames, staining parts of the walls and ceiling. The place that once housed workers and hunters is now one with the desolation of this planet.
I find a small handgun among the mess of supplies and slowly pick it up. The steel feels cool against my palm, and the gun is light and easy to carry. Holding a weapon in my hand felt odd but was nothing new; my dad and I went to the shooting range a couple of times when I was younger, though I never got into it as much as he did. Of course, I was simply shooting targets then. Now I’m going to be shooting living creatures…if you can even consider them living.
The gun shakes. I quickly realize it’s me and drop the weapon, the clatter echoing off the blackened walls. I see my sister shoot up and glance in my direction, her face relaxing when she sees it was just me, but then her calm expression transforms into what I assume is worry. Heat fills my face despite the chill in the air, and I pick the gun up and search for a holster.
I won’t allow myself to shut down now. We’re following the plan without backing down. Even without my parents and friends here to fight alongside me, I need to push through because I have my sister to worry about. I need to get her to a safer place, where she can live her life without worrying about those horrible creatures killing her in her sleep.
I feel a hand tighten on my wrist, breaking me away from my thoughts. I turn and find a pair of hazelnut eyes with rings of auburn, gazing at me with furrowed brows. Her lips are parted, as if a thousand words were about to pour out of her mouth, but nothing could come out. I thought the sudden contact would’ve made my heart flutter and brain mush, but a cold rush enters my veins, and I rip my arm out of her grasp.
“Don’t,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’ll be fine.”
Mirae shakes her head, then removes the gun from my hand. I’m about to protest and reach for it when the woman hands me a larger, much longer gun: a rifle. Specifically, a Ruger 10/22 (the name was engraved on the metal receiver). It’s easy to hold and almost as light as the shotgun. The closest thing I’ve ever shot to this was whatever I used at the shooting range. It had a name I couldn’t remember.
When I looked back up to Mirae, she simply gave me a nod. Her lips parted again, and this time she mouthed, “Trust me.”
I don’t know how much more of my trust is left at this point.
We found a broken dock a few miles away from the town. With our bags full of weapons and ammunition, we successfully boarded a tiny bobbing boat tied to a wooden piling. Thankfully, the boat is a fishing skiff, so we have a smaller chance of the zombies hearing us…however, a moving object in the water might as well be a brightly-lit sign saying “Come get us!”
I try not to think about that and focus on the way my sister seems to be enjoying this silent boat ride not even fifteen minutes in. Her arms are resting on the railing, eyes wide as they take in the vast expanse of dark fog and decaying buildings. A small grin is on her lips, and it almost makes me smile despite the fact that everything around us is dead.
“You’re in a better mood,” I observe out loud, standing beside her and letting my hands dangle off the side of the boat.
Sylvia looks up at me and lets out a light giggle. “I’ve never been on a boat before, so this is my first experience. Kind of sucks that it has to be now, when everyone’s gone…” her voice trails off, the lightness of it fading into a shaky timbre. Before the emotions transfer to her face, she returns her focus to the forests and mountains.
My chest tightens. Even though she trusts me, I can see how doubtful and afraid she is about the mission. I hate to admit that I feel the same way. We only had about a day to come up with a plan, which probably has many holes in it, and we have little to no training in combat. Even with weapons and prayers, I can’t stop the doubt from creeping in and feeding my anxiety. I still try to keep a light mood for my sister, though.
“Once we get to Mars, I’ll let you ride all the boats you want.” I immediately feel like an idiot because what am I talking about? We don’t know what’s up there, or if we’re going to make it there alive, so I sound ridiculous. Mars probably doesn’t even have rivers, either.
I’m surprised when another laugh escapes my sister. “You promise?”
I’m just happy she’s laughing again, so I smile and nod. “Promise.” We link our pinkies to establish the vow.
Before long, I see the collapsed and charred buildings, which were once resting on the horizon, now looming above us as if they were welcoming us into this deadly playground. The water of the river is just as dark and murky as the walls of the skyscrapers and the concrete of the cracked sidewalks. Broken glass, withering plants, and other debris are scattered on the ground or drifting down the river with us. The only sounds come from the faint humming of the boat engine and my heavy breaths.
I feel like I can’t breathe, and I don’t think it’s because I’m without an oxygen mask.
The city is empty and silent, but the three of us remain alert. I don’t believe for one second that those foul beasts aren’t lurking behind these buildings, watching and waiting to strike. My fingers are white as they curl around the pistol grip of my rifle, my brain recalling what I learned from the shooting range.
Look. Aim. Breathe. Fire. I keep repeating those words, preparing for one of those hideous things to make an appearance.
Mirae had been operating the boat’s engine this whole time, but now she’s entirely focused on the buildings, her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed as she scans our surroundings. I can’t imagine all the things going through her mind as we get closer to the space station, the place where her grandfather is supposedly waiting. I see the anxiety in her fingers drumming against the throttle control and the tension in her shoulders. However, the light in those dark eyes tells me she’s feeling some sort of positive emotion. Perhaps…hope?
The boat drifts along the river, turning with the current and going underneath a flat semi-arch. Based on the broken stone and steel bars, I assumed this was once a bridge. Over the remnants of the bridge, I see a tall building reaching deep into the haze. At the very top, I see a dome, and that’s when my heart starts beating against my ribcage.
The space station.
“Is that it?” Sylvia gasps, her eyes also taking in the massive structure a mile away. Mirae nods without breaking her gaze from the building.
Their awe matches the relief in my body because we’re really here. We actually made it. We have a straight shot home, and it’s standing right before us.
Mirae steers the boat to the shore. The engine stutters as we near a large patch of grass and prepare to dismount. Despite the joy of making it to the space station, the three of us remain alert. My gun is raised before my feet even touch the ground, my eyes searching in every direction. I’m not taking any chances, especially not when we’re so close to freedom.
Mirae is the last to exit the boat, but not before cutting off the engine. She then steps in front of my sister and me to take the lead. Sylvia is now sandwiched in between us because I refuse to let her out of my sight. I also keep an eye on Mirae as we practically crawl around unrecognizable vehicles and over uneven pavement and collapsed walls.
I nearly topple over my sister when Mirae comes to a complete stop. I’m about to protest when she looks at us with wide eyes and with her pointer finger in front of her pursed lips. The reason for the holdup is made clear to me in seconds when I spot a radiotoxic zombie limping down the street in front of us. Thankfully, it’s facing away from us, but that doesn’t ease the wave of nausea and nerves passing through my body.
Seeing one of those creatures again takes me back to the barn, where a mob of them nearly took out Sylvia and me. The fear I felt then, as I was bashing the wrench repeatedly against the wooden walls to create our escape, had nearly cost us our lives. I should’ve gotten us out of there as soon as I heard the noises. Maybe then we would’ve gotten into the woods sooner without having to run for our lives.
The fear I have now is like fire, nearly driving me to strike the beast where it stands. But to avoid putting Sylvia and Mirae in danger, I let the anger simmer in my veins. Soon, the zombie rounds the corner of a building and gives us a straight shot to one of the broken windows on the side of the space station.
We don’t waste another second and book it. Mirae jumps through the window and helps Sylvia after she’s in, and I cover our backs before climbing inside once both of them are safely inside. The sound of my shoes hitting the ground echoes through the large hangar we’ve entered. The room is large and tall, the parts of the walls and dome cracked or caved in. Overall, it’s surprisingly intact.
There are several spaceships here, some built in odd shapes while others look like airplanes. None of them seem to have taken major damage from the explosion, but there’s no way we can trust that they’ll work correctly. If the spacepods Mirae talked about really have a copper shield that protected them from the blast, then those are our best bet.
We weave through the maze of ships, taking in the unique designs and fascinating machinery. These are the things you see in sci-fi movies: the colorful hulls making the ships glow and the angular and cylindrical wings taking up most of the space. One has wings with three winglets and a triangular body with the tip pointing downwards, reminding me of the Milano from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Once we get through the spaceship museum, I spot a row of black spheres with four landing legs and two small turbofans protruding from the sides. Mirae makes a noise with her tongue beside me and jogs over to one of the spheres, her fingers tracing the lines in the metal. When a smile forms on her lips, I know we finally did it.
We’re going home.
“Isn’t your grandfather supposed to be here?” Sylvia asks as she approaches the spacepod. “I don’t see anyone here besides us.
My sister’s words wipe the smile off Mirae’s face, and immediately her eyes scan the area. She walks the perimeter of the hangar and, based on the dark look on her face, she finds nothing. My chest feels heavy, bearing the sorrow she must be feeling. I know how much she was waiting to see her grandfather, expecting to find him here ready to take us to our new home. Now we don’t know where he is. Maybe he left without us or, worse, he could be dead.
The way Mirae exhales deeply and drops her shoulders makes me believe she was half expecting this. Like she knew her grandfather waiting for her in this wasteland was too good to be true. Now it makes sense why she was upset after our conversation on the mountain.
Something in me urges my arm forward to touch her shoulder, but I’m interrupted by a loud crash coming from the broken window. Our heads turn in that direction, and I feel my heart plummet into the pit of my stomach.
Crawling through the window is a horde of zombies, with gnashing teeth and bulging veins in their eyes and skin. They’re running towards us in seconds.
“GO!” I yell, grabbing my sister’s hand and pushing Mirae towards the nearest exit. We find another broken window and run towards it until more of those beasts are crawling through it. My heart is threatening to break through my ribcage as I reroute us up a flight of stairs and onto a steel platform above the spaceships. I may be taking us to a dead end, but I have an idea.
We hold onto the railing as we run, the metal groaning underneath us. I can hear pounding and shrieks echoing off the walls of the hangar as the zombies scramble their way up here. Sylvia screams when their burnt heads appear over the stairs, bulging and hungry eyes staring us down. They’ll be on us in seconds.
“We’re trapped!” My sister cries. “There’s nowhere else to run!”
“Because we aren’t running,” I say and grab onto the safety lines hanging off the platform, tossing a harness into my sister’s arms. “Put this on so I can lower you into the spacepod.”
My sister gives me a confused look but doesn’t ask questions, slipping her legs into the harness. I buckle her up as fast as I can, the rumbling growing louder and louder behind me. I refuse to look back until my sister lets out a loud gasp, so I whip my head around, expecting to see the beasts right up on us or one of them attacking Mirae, but I see five zombie corpses with arrows pierced through their skulls. Mirae is beside me, her arrow in full draw and dark eyes narrowed in concentration. Impressive. She then looks at me and nods to Sylvia’s harness.
I don’t waste another second and clip the line onto the harness. I hear the whistling of arrows and dying groans of the zombies as I lean over the railing. “We’re right above the spacepods. I see an opening on the top of it, so I’m going to lower you down there, okay?”
My sister nods, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “You’ll hold onto me, right? And you’ll be behind me once I get down there?”
I put my hand on her shoulder and look into those big, curious eyes of hers. “I’ll be beside you always. You trust me, right?”
She nods, then hugs me. I immediately return the embrace, her warmth filling every bone in my body. I never want this to go away. I want to be there for my sister every step of the way, even when we live on another planet. I want to be the one she comes to when she needs someone to listen, and I want to be the person who guides her through the good and bad. I want to be the good brother she deserves, and the good son our parents always believed I was.
I intend to be that as I help her over the railing and begin lowering her down to the spacepod. Mirae is successfully keeping the zombies at bay, but I notice her quiver only has a handful of arrows left. I need to hurry up.
I send up my praise once Sylvia safely makes contact with the spacepod, and I’m even more thankful when I see all the zombies are still scrambling to get up the stairs, paying no heed to my sister. She pulls on the door handle; it opens, and she enters. “Take off the harness so I can bring Mirae down,” I say, and I have the empty harness back in my hands in seconds.
“Your turn,” I say to Mirae, who is pointing her remaining arrow at a zombie tripping up the stairs. When the arrow shoots clean through the creature’s head, the woman turns to me and shakes her head. There is literally another horde of zombies running towards the stairs, and she is declining my getting her to safety?
“What do you mean, no? We don’t have time for this!”
She shakes her head again and points to the harness, then to me. I quickly connect the dots and shake my head right back at her. “No! I’ll be the last one to go down.” When she narrows her eyes at me, I glare back. “Mirae, you helped us find a way out of here. You led us to our freedom, and you just protected us from those zombies. Let me repay you.”
Her head whips around to the second round of zombies coming up the stairs, and I finally get through to her because she puts the harness on and climbs over the railing. I lower her down into the spacepod successfully, but the zombies are only a few feet in front of me, their shaking arms reaching out for me.
My sister, my parents, our home before the explosion, watching TV with Sylvia, living in the broken barn, running into Mirae, our journey to the mountain and to here, all flash through my mind in a single second. I lose control of my body and pull out my gun, unloading on the beasts. Half of them fall dead by the time my barrel is empty. This gun was a good choice. Thank you, Mirae. But more zombies are charging at me, and I don’t have my backpack of ammunition, which must’ve fallen off when we were running.
I don’t think anymore; I pummel through them, screaming until my lungs give out.
Most of them are knocked to the ground, and the rest fall down the stairs as I push them down. Everything is happening in a flash, and suddenly I’m jumping over the railing before the zombies get the chance to stand. Pain shoots through my legs as I land on the ground, and I feel the bone on my right leg slice through my skin. Agony comes in waves, stars dotting my vision. I nearly fall into unconsciousness, but I force myself forward.
“Jayden!” Sylvia screams from inside the spacepod as I limp and run towards her. I don’t look back. The fear registered on my sister’s face through the window of the spacepod is enough to tell me what’s behind me. Mirae is beside Sylvia, watching me with the same look in her eyes. Their palms are pressed against the sphere, as if they could reach out and get me.
Suddenly my mind is filled with the joy I felt being with these two, journeying to the mountain and sitting around the fire together. I succeeded in keeping my sister safe, and I did so while getting to know the most amazing and skillful woman in my life: Mirae. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to go through this with, and I wouldn’t want anybody else to be there in my final moments.
As I press up against the spacepod, I imagine the amazing lives they’ll live on Mars. Sylvia will meet young girls like her who are growing to understand the new world, so she will have them to guide her and love her. Mirae will see the people she knew on Earth, maybe even her grandfather, and continue to be the strong and courageous woman she is. If I can’t have my life, I can at least die knowing they’ll have theirs.
The thought brings a smile to my face as I touch their palms from the other side of the glass. My sister is screaming something to me, but I can’t hear her over the ringing in my ears. I don’t realize I’m crying until I speak with a broken voice to both of the girls. “You’re going to be safe and happy on Mars,” I force out. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Sharp nails bite into my skin as the zombies pull me back, away from my sister and Mirae. My body is soon engulfed by rotting teeth and reddened skin. Bulging yellow eyes take up my view, blocking me from seeing the spacepod take off. I use the remaining ounce of strength to push the heads away and catch one last glimpse of the spacepod. Before it exits through the dome, I shout one last “I love you” to my sister, and even to Mirae because I know if I had more time, I would’ve grown to love her. But maybe I already do.
I see the spacepod touch the sky. Then it all fades away.
