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Antiquity By: Bay and Tori
Prologue
The year is 2102. The city of New York has been struck by a smallpox epidemic. The city had been domed years earlier, farther back than most could remember. Then again, most people couldn’t remember very far back anyway. They usually died at a young age.
And that was the way things would stay. The people governed themselves, for if anyone unprotected entered the quarantined city, they would bring the disease back out into the rest of the world. Whenever someone from the government DID enter (and this was only to test various smallpox immunities) they entered in biohazard suits.
The children were taught that the government was evil, and that there was nothing beyond New York City and the rest was merely known as the Empty. They claimed that the government officials were from the Empty, and not to be trusted. It seemed as though there was no hope for anyone to live.
Except for one young boy. Lexington.
For reasons no one fully understood, Lex was immune to the smallpox. He was the only one in the nearly deserted city that could walk outside the house without danger of contracting the disease and giving it to the rest of his already weakened family.
Lex wanted to find a cure for the crippling smallpox to save his family, and the rest of the city. Especially his long-admired crush, Florida. Florida was slowly fading on her death bed. Lex was willing to do anything to save her. Even venture into a place where his own past could come back to haunt him.
Tylenol
“Lex, Missi needs the thermometer!” A voice called. Lex looked up from the book he was reading, and headed towards his twin sisters’ room. Along the way, he snatched the over-used thermometer from on top of the kitchen table. He handed the device to his mother, who proceeded in sticking it into Lex’s little sister’s mouth. Missi impatiently scratched at her newly formed pustules as she waited for the thermometer to beep. Lex’s mom was busy getting his other sister, Appalachia, a glass of water.
A few moments later, the thermometer beeped, and it was swiftly removed from Missi’s mouth, followed by an indignant squawk from the young girl who had just found out how to make the thermometer spin circles with her tongue. The thermometer read 100’F, and the mother let out a long sigh. It was definitely smallpox.
“Mommy, when will these bumps go away?” the five year old girl asked, oblivious to her disease. She glanced at her twin sister, Appalachia, who was covered with horrid scabs from head to toe. The mother never answered; instead she gazed at her feet with the same cheerless expression as she had all day and returned the thermometer to the kitchen.
“Mommy, has Mississippi got it too?” Appalachia asked, barely above a whisper. You could hear the crunching of dried up scabs under the girl’s body as she made an attempt to sit up in her chair.
Her mother continued the silence as she returned with a damp rag. She began to gently dab it on Missi’s forehead.
“Lex, we need some Tylenol. Go to the store and get some.” His mother ordered, handing her son a few dollars.
“OK, I’ll be back in a few.” Lex said, heading towards the door, grabbing a pocket-sized notebook and pencil on his way as he passed his father sitting on the couch, who was frantically scratching at the scabs that covered his arms.
He opened the door and began to walk down the abandoned street.
Florida
The city was silent; drastically different than the way it was before the smallpox hit. The grass was brown and dead, as well as the trees. Dust had collected on the windows of stores, and there was a general air of abandonment everywhere.
The store wasn’t too far away, and Lex was soon in front of its doors. No one worked there, obviously, so he could simply stroll in and pick out whatever he needed. It normally would have felt like stealing, but under these circumstances, with the city’s population shrunken down to less than 100 people who were all living in one small cluster, it simply felt necessary.
After picking up a few boxes of Tylenol and stuffing them in his pockets, he began to walk back down the street. As he turned the corner, he stopped. He remembered by the lump in his pocket that he had been planning to take the left turn (which took him the long way home) so he could pass by Florida’s house.
He began to walk down the street, a dilapidated street sign creaking as it hung by a mere scrap of metal from a street post. Litter lined the sidewalks, collecting in the corners of steps leading to houses and the cracks between the cement. Lex stepped over an ancient newspaper, yellowed with age, with the headline reading: ‘SMALLPOX RETURNS’. The last time that had been read was almost 20 years ago, nobody had been outside to clean up the city since then. Being 13, he never remembered life without the disease. He kicked an old soda can out of the way of his path. It was so unfair that he was immune to it while everyone he knew had to suffer right before his very eyes. His hands balled up into fists in his anger. But then, he unclenched them and stopped as he approached the front of Florida’s house.
The curtains in the front room, which also happened to be Florida’s bedroom, were always open so that Florida could see outside, and perhaps see Lex as she waited out her death in her small, cramped bedroom. Lex tiptoed over the dead grass to her window, standing on his tiptoes as he tapped gently at the glass. He was glad that Florida was awake; he hated accidentally waking her up from a nap. Florida was reading a book at her desk. When he tapped on the window, her head instantly perked up, and she placed the novel down without even marking her place. She hurried over to the window, picking up a marker and notebook on her way. She sat down on the pillow that adorned the ledge in front of the glass, and hurriedly scribbled something on a sheet of paper. She pressed the paper against the glass, so Lex could read it.
Lex! I’ve waited so long to see you!
Lex removed the notebook and pencil from his pocket, flipped through several pages of notes he had written before, and, finding himself on the last page, wrote down a message in response. He then, too, pressed it against the glass, and watched Florida’s eyes as she scanned it.
Yeah, sorry. When will I be able to see you inside?
Florida frowned as she read the message, and slowly wrote something down.
I don’t know… my mom’s been suspicious about me lately. She doesn’t know that we talk to each other, and I don’t think she trusts you. She thinks there’s something wrong with you because you’re immune to the Poxies.
Lex good-humoredly rolled his eyes, and placed another message on the window.
Well, no offense, but that’s dumb.
Florida stuck out her tongue, making Lex smile. She always had that effect on him. Her once beautiful, flawless face was now covered in the horrible scabs that caused Lex to wake up crying many nights. Her long, auburn waves fell gently across her face, at least mildly shielding her illness from the world. Her eyes were a piercing shade of blue, though the disease had removed most of their splendor and sparkle. They were now cloudy and dull, and occasionally shimmering with tears. It was at these times that Lex wished he could jump through the glass and gently brush them away with his thumb. But sadly, this was impossible. He was awoken from his living dream by another message plastered against the window pane.
Yeah, I know, my mom’s weird sometimes… but she kind of has a reason to… my father was relieved last night…
Oh, I’m so sorry! Is there anything I can do?
At this message, Florida gave a smile, her eyes sparkling with fondness. She began to write a response, but suddenly stopped, her head jerking up, her eyes full of fear. Lex automatically pressed a hand to the window, but he was silenced as the blinds were hurriedly closed. Lex gave a sigh. Her mother must have been coming down the hallway. Oh well. This happened fairly often, so he was used to this mild disappointment. No matter, he would probably see her tomorrow. He then turned and walked back across the dying lawn, and headed home to deliver the Tylenol.
Appi
Lex walked in to find a very disturbing scene. Missi was lying on the floor, sobbing, her eyes red and her tiny fists pounding on the floor. His parents were both sitting on the couch, his mother placing a gentle hand on his father’s back; whose pale face was being cradled in his hands.
“Mom, Dad! What happened?!” He demanded, throwing the Tylenol on the table. His mother glanced up at him, her face streaked with tears.
“APPI GOT RELIEVED!” Missi shrieked, suddenly getting up and burying her face into Lex’s leg as she clutched desperately at the hem of his shirt.
“What?! When?!!” Lex demanded, placing a soothing hand on his little sister’s back, rubbing circles with it.
“About…About…15 minutes ago.” His mother murmured, her voice cracking due to being still in shock.
“… She’s in her room…” His father started, wearily looking up from his hands.
Lex darted down the hallway to his sister’s room, flinging the door open. He nearly screamed when he saw Appalachia’s cold, dead body lying lifelessly on her bed; her skin still covered in gruesome scabs.
Her eyes stared unseeingly into the distance, and her hand was curled disgustingly in the imaginary shape of who knows what. One hand was dangling freely off the bed, the other clutching at her chest. The folds of her shirt were still entwined between her motionless fingers.
Lex at once blamed himself for the release of his little sister. He hadn’t been fast enough to bring the Tylenol home; which could have saved her. Instead, he had thought of himself instead of his family. What a heartless monster, he thought as he slowly approached the bed.
He gently stroked Appi’s deep brown hair, her copper eyes staring holes into his mind. Lex felt a lump in his throat, and with a heavy heart, he slowly covered the corpse with the covers that had been bunched at the end of the bed. Lex couldn’t bear to look at the sister he had inadvertently murdered, but the image would always be burned into his subconsciousness.
Lex turned, walked away, and with measured movements, closed the door behind him.
He returned to the living room, his face expressionless. Everyone else was still crying, their faces red.
Lex started out the door, not wanting to the look at the family he had failed.
“Where are you going, Lexington?” His father asked, watching his son. Lex didn’t answer, his body frozen in mid-step in the middle of the doorway. He looked down at the stairs in front of him, a few strands of hair falling into his face.
“Lex?” Missi sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her scabby arm.
“…I’m finding a cure.”
And that was all they ever heard before the door closed noiselessly behind him.
The Empty Bed
Lex didn’t know where he was going, or even what he was going to do. He just meandered around, his head full of thoughts. He thought about everything that had happened, everything that bothered him. He thought about life, and how all the life around him was disappearing, one by one; the most recent being his own sister, who he had unconsciously killed. He even thought about him and Florida.
No matter how much he wanted to see her, to hear her voice one more time, he knew he couldn’t. He would just stand by that window, and watch her life end. He would watch the smallpox get worse and worse, until she could only lay inert in her bed. And one day, one horrible day, he knew that bed would be empty. He knew that would be the worst day of his life.
He unconsciously found himself gently stroking the notebook in his pocket. That notebook held so many memories, memories of the time after Florida had found out she was sick. He stopped in the middle of the street, and removed it. He started on the very first page, and began to read what he had written.
As he read through the pages and pages of notes, he could feel his heart wrench with pain. What if when Florida drew the blinds and he wasn’t there? What if she died and Lex wasn’t there for her? A hot tear rolled down Lexington’s cheek as he read the last note that he had written to her on the very last page of the book.
By now the tears were flowing freely, dripping down the bridge of his nose and making small grey marks on the paper of the notebook. He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to stop the tears, but it just made it hurt worse.
He looked up, and found himself in front of the lonely window that marked the boundary between Lex’s world of freedom, and Florida’s world of containment. The blinds were haphazardly closed, leaving a tiny sliver of glass for Lex to peek through. Closing one of his tear-stricken eyes, Lex looked into Florida’s bedroom.
The bed was empty.
Angel
Lex didn’t move or react to this; he just stood there like a statue frozen in place. Finally, he realized what he had just seen and what it stood for. With a cry, he stumbled backwards, tripping over the stones that littered the yard. Lex curled up into a ball and pressed himself into the wall beneath the window, tears streaming down his cheeks. He gave a strangled sob, feeling a scream tangled within his throat.
Suddenly, the clouds that normally shrouded the city from sunlight seemed to part, and Lex looked up to see two luminous, sapphire eyes staring down at him.
“…Lex, what are you doing on the ground?” A voice like that of angels murmured. Auburn locks framed pale-skinned and rosy cheeks. Lex stared at the angelic figure; and slowly, the image faded into Florida’s scarred face. Suddenly, his formerly half-closed eyes snapped open, and he leapt to his feet.
“Florida, it’s really you!” He cried, embracing the delicate, emaciated girl. She blinked a few times in confusion but didn’t pull away.
“Yes…It’s me.” She replied. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Oh, Florida! I was so scared! I saw that you weren’t in your room, and I thought you were- Oh, Florida! I’m just so happy to see you again!” Lex sobbed, tears still streaming down his face. This time, they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of happiness.
“I’m running away.” Florida said after they pulled apart from each other. Lex’s arms were still wound around her waist, and Florida’s hands were still clasped behind his neck.
“What?” Lex asked, stunned by Florida’s revelation.
“I’m running away. I couldn’t stand my parents… besides, I wanted to find you.” She said, grinning.
“Really? I ran away from my family, too…. Because…” he trailed off, looking down.
“What?” Florida asked, waiting for Lex to finish his sentence.
The happy mood between the two was suddenly replaced with a feeling of sorrow.
“… It’s Appi…” Lex whispered, a tear dripping off his nose.
“What happened to her? Did she…”
There was silence for a moment before Lex spoke.
“Yes. She got relieved about 20 minutes ago. That’s why I came here.” Lex murmured, despite this last sentence being a tiny lie.
“Oh, Lex! I’m so sorry; I know what it’s like to lose a loved one…” Florida said quietly, looking down at her bare, scabbed feet.
“Yeah, well… I guess it’s over now.” The boy whispered.
“Are you going to be okay?” Florida questioned, gently brushing a strand of auburn hair out of her eyes.
“I don’t know… I feel like it was my fault… When I stopped here earlier, I was coming back from the store with some Tylenol for her… I guess I was too late…” Lex muttered, almost angrily.
“It wasn’t your fault; the Tylenol wouldn’t have kept her from dying.” Florida coaxed, giving a weak smile in an attempt to cheer up her friend.
“I know, but I should’ve been there for her…” Lex returned, ignoring Florida’s smile.
“It’s okay, Lex… you did all that you could. You were the best brother she could have had while she was alive.” Memories of Appi flooded Lex’s mind, and the thoughts made him smile slightly. He remembered when she was born, and when she took her first steps.
But he also remembered when she got smallpox. That was probably the worst memory he ever had of his little sister.
“You know what, Florida?” Lex said, and Florida looked up.
“You’re right. I gave Appi the best life she could have, and there’s no way to change that now. I know what I’m going to do. What we’re going to do.” He said, clenching his hand into a determined fist.
“What?” Florida questioned, tilting her head to the side in mild confusion.
“We’re going to find a cure.”
Fall
“Find a cure? How?” Florida asked.
“I’m not sure, but I just have a feeling that there’s something out there; something waiting for us to find it.” Lex said, looking up at the sky, as though the answer was waiting somewhere up above.
But, instead of moving at all, the two just stood there, not sure what to do next.
“… Well, where do we start?” Lex asked, looking around.
Suddenly, they were jolted out of their thoughts by a crash from inside.
“Florida?! FLORIDA! Florida, where are you!” A voice shouted. It seemed to be coming from Florida’s bedroom.
“Oh no, it’s mom!” Florida said, and began to frantically look around.
“Run!!!” Lex screamed and they took off, headed down the street. They had no idea where they were going in their blind haze of panic, but they needed to hide, and fast.
They turned a corner, skidding on their heels as they nearly fell over in their haste. Up ahead, they noticed an old, abandoned warehouse looming in the distance.
“There! She’ll never think of looking there!” Florida cried, and at that moment, they could hear footsteps behind them.
“FLORIDA!!!” Her mom cried.
“Oh, no!” Lex whispered, and he grabbed Florida’s hand as they darted towards the doors of the warehouse.
They burst into the room just as Florida’s mom turned the corner. If they had been half a second slower, she would have spotted them.
Lex and Florida huddled together behind a mass of cobwebs, in the back of the warehouse. They listened carefully, waiting for the footsteps to pass the door. They waited an extra five minutes, just to make sure. Even then, their hearts were still pounding. Lex wound his fingers gently between Florida’s, and squeezed slightly, in an effort to soothe her. However, it was mostly an effort to soothe himself. Florida rested her head lightly against his neck.
“How are we ever going to get out if my mother is after us?” Florida asked in a hushed voice. Lex felt her breath against his throat, and he stiffened slightly. However, he soon relaxed.
“We’ll figure something out.” Lex assured, drawing invisible circles on Florida’s hand with his thumb.
“But what do we do now?” Said the auburn-haired girl as she looked up at him, their cheeks gently brushing.
“Well, we have to-” Lex was stopped as a clatter was heard from the depths of the factory.
“Stay here.” Lex commanded, standing up and beginning to walk away. Florida whimpered quietly, feeling a small loss as her body gave an involuntary shiver from the sudden loss of warmth.
“No,” she said as she stood up behind Lex’s retreating form. “I want to go with you.” Florida bounded next to him, and slipped her hand into his.
Lex smiled and they crept slowly and softly to where they believed the noise had come from. They ducked beneath a pipe overhead, and they realized that the noise had stopped. They froze, looking around anxiously.
“Hey, what happened-” Lex began, but was interrupted when the floor gave way beneath them, and they were falling.
Landing
Lex hit hard concrete, but it was a short drop, so he wasn’t hurt. He had landed on his stomach, and with a small whimper, he began to push himself up. However, Florida then landed halfway on top of Lex, who broke her fall. He fell roughly back down to the floor, and gave a strangled cry.
“Oww…” He murmured. Florida gave a groan. “Sorry…” She said, her voice a quiet squeak. They were both unsure as to what had just happened. Lex lifted himself to his feet, his body pained. He offered a hand to Florida, who held on to it and picked herself up. She stumbled forward slightly, and he caught her by wrapping his arms around her. He balanced her with a hand on her back, and, after catching their breath, Lex spoke.
“Where are we?” He asked, more to himself than to Florida. They scanned their surroundings, trying hard to see through the cloak of darkness. They found themselves in what seemed to be some kind of lab.
“Here, let’s try to find a light switch.” Florida suggested, already making her way to the nearby wall and feeling around on the cold concrete.
Lex joined in on the search, and they both inched along the wall for a while until Florida spoke.
“Hey, I think I found it!” She cried happily, and with a click, the room was flooded in white light. They shielded their eyes, and after a few seconds opened them again to look around the room properly.
Lex noticed that the lab was fairly new to the building, and had been used recently. But why would someone put it here?
“Hey, look.” Lex said, pointing to a giant computer screen that adorned a nearby wall.
“What’s a computer doing down here?” Florida asked, and they both walked up to it. The screen was filled with what appeared to be records of the city, its occupants, and events. Lex touched the mouse of the computer softly and scrolled down.
September 11, 2001- Terrorists bomb the Twin Towers. Destruction everywhere. Many lives lost.
Lex scrolled down even more until something caught his eye.
January 14, 2310- Scientists begin experiments on the smallpox virus using human fetuses.
“Hey, Florida, take a look at this.” Lex pointed to the monitor, showing Florida past events.
December 24, 2324- Accident in lab. Smallpox gets out into New York City. Construction of a dome to protect the city begins.
December 30, 2324- Dome construction finished.
January 3, 2325- First case of smallpox recorded. Epidemic officially begins, and dome is placed over city.
April 16, 2332- Babies born are sent to labs to be tested with smallpox to find immunity. Many babies die, though some survive.
“A dome? What? You mean The Empty’ isn’t really…empty?” Florida asked. Lex was still speechless. That had been 13 years ago… he was 13 years old. Did that mean he was sent to a lab? And was that why he was immune to smallpox? A loud bang from behind them jolted him out of his thoughts, and they both turned around.
There was a man standing there, a man without smallpox. He was wearing an off-white lab coat that covered most of his body, only exposing his face and hands. His hair was the color of a rotten apple, and there was a small headset in his right ear. At first, the man’s expression was that of rage, but when he saw the scabs covering Florida’s body, it contorted into shock.
“She’s got smallpox!!” He cried, and pressed a button on the headset. “I need backup, now!!” He barked into the receiver, and within a few seconds several more scientists rushed into the room. Before Lex knew what was happening, Florida was being dragged away.
“Someone get the crate!” One of the men yelled.
“Florida!” Lex cried, reaching out a hand as he ran forward. However, quick as a flash, there were two scientists grabbing him by the arms.
“Help me, Lex!” Florida screamed as she was thrust into a large crate, tears squeezing out from the corners of her eyes. Lex wrenched free of the scientists and made a run for her but was soon barricaded once again by more men in white lab coats. It seemed as though he was surrounded on all sides by them. However, behind him, he didn’t notice one of the scientists raising a metal pipe into the air.
“Lex, look out!” Florida shrieked. But, before Lex could turn around, there was a dull thunk as the pipe came down hard on his head. He dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap. Above him, he could see the heads of the men in white coats.
“They’ve learned too much. Let’s take them to the capital.” One of the scientists said. The faces slowly began to blur, and Florida’s voice began to drift in and out of his hearing. Everything sounded as though he was underwater. Then, everything faded into black.
Into The Empty
Lex woke up to a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He rubbed it gently, squeezing his eyes shut in a weak attempt to dull the pain. He looked around. The only objects in the room were 4 steel walls and a small door, which appeared to be locked. There was a small security camera in the corner of the room, with its wire wrapping around the top of the walls and all the way around the room until it plugged into an outlet. A thin ray of light shone through a small opening in the wall, close to the ceiling, but not far enough away that he still couldn’t see through. He found that if he backed up to the very edge of the opposite wall, he could see through the window.
The sky was a shocking blue, and the trees were adorned with bright green leaves. People plodded the sidewalks in what seemed like a busy city. Everything was beautiful. Lex had never seen anything so stunning. He noticed that people’s skin was clear, and no one had smallpox. Lex wished he could have been one of those people, being oblivious to everything that was happening in New York City.
With a sudden jolt of realization, it dawned on him.
He was in The Empty.
Escape
He turned around suddenly, examining his surroundings with newfound curiosity. Why was “The Empty” not empty at all? Where was Florida? How could he escape from this place? Never-ending questions flooded Lex’s mind, helping him ignore the throbbing pain in the back of his neck. What idiots, Lex thought, looking up at the camera positioned towards him. He carefully walked over to the wall where the camera was plugged in and grasped the cord. Wait...if I pull it now, then the guards will think something’s up, come in, and I don’t even have a plan yet. Lex froze for a moment, with his hands still resting on the cord. Oh, well! With one strong pull, the cord was lying on the floor in a heap, and the red light shining from the video camera went out.
Lex stood there tentatively for a few moments, looking around shiftily. The only noise in the metal cell was his soft, steady breathing. He waited for no longer than 30 seconds, and still no signs of security. Okay… PLAN TIME! He told himself with finality, and began to think.
He had no idea what was beyond the door of the cell, and why destroy the camera if the door was locked anyways? The utter stupidity of his action was beginning to sink in. He gave a shrug. Well, might as well try to escape anyway.
He walked over to the door, and examined it more closely. The hinges looked strong, and seemed as though no amount of pounding fists or feet could open it. He had to think of a plan. Looking at the smoking remnants of the camera, he got an idea. Rushing over to the hunk of metal, he began to pick at the screws with his dirty nails.
After a few minutes of painstaking work, he got the case open, his reward being bloodied nails and a bunch of wires. And he was still completely astounded that no security guards had come to get him yet. He gave a shrug and began to rip out the wires. After shaping all the wires and metal together, it began to look more like a lock pick. Lex sighed with relief at the finished product and took it over to the door.
He jammed the end of his creation into the door lock and fiddled with it, hoping to hear some kind of click. Nothing happened. Lex angrily smashed his hand down onto the door handle, and the door swung open. Oh. It wasn’t locked, Lex thought. Today he just wasn’t himself.
Lex slowly peered out the doorway, making sure it was safe. Why on Earth would they leave the door unlocked? It was almost as if his capturers meant for him to escape. Maybe that’s why no security officer came once he unplugged the video camera. Lex face flushed, and his fingers tightened together with embarrassment. He suddenly felt sick, as though he was about to walk out onto a stage to perform a play in front of a couple thousand people without ever seeing the script in his life.
It seemed safe enough, so Lex stepped out into the long white hallway. It was bare and plain with fluorescent lights covering the ceiling. It was completely silent, which creeped Lex out a bit. He tiptoed down the hall at a snail’s pace, ready to split and run at any given second. A strange feeling crept up into Lex’s stomach. He wasn’t sure what it was, maybe premonition? But whatever it was, he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
Finding Florida
As Lex tiptoed down the hallway, he tried to formulate a plan. If guards did show up, he would just try his best to escape. I mean, what else could he do? And if they didn’t, that made his quest to find Florida even easier. With a newfound confidence, he continued walking down the barren, somewhat depressing hallway.
Lex wished that the un-natural silence could be broken by some sort of clue to Florida’s whereabouts. He wandered through the seemingly identical hallways until he came to a door that he didn’t recognize before.
Lex hesitated, unsure as to what he should do. New fears washed over him, bringing the sick feeling from before back into his stomach.
Taking a deep breath, Lex turned the knob and pushed. The first thing he saw was Florida sitting on a medical table covered with tissue paper, drinking some kind of liquid. She didn’t seem scared, she seemed…comfortable.
“Hey, Lex!” Florida called out, a smile lighting up her face.
“Um…” Lex stuttered, embarrassed.
“Lexington, I’m so glad you could join us!” A deep, but kind, voice boomed. Lex jumped…he didn’t realize there were more people in the room. He turned to see a tall man in a lab coat sitting on a chair in the corner.
“I’m Dr. Riley.” The man said, standing up and offering a gloved hand. Lex fearfully took a small step back, but Dr. Riley didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t appear to care.
“Lex, it’s okay. He just didn’t want my Poxies to spread to the people in the Emp- well…here.” Florida laughed. What was wrong with her? She seemed so… bubbly about everything. Lex still didn’t say a word. There was a long silence before Dr. Riley let out a long exasperated sigh.
“You’re not in New York City anymore, Lexington.” He said slowly, biting his lip.
“Then where am I?!” Lex demanded angrily.
“Albany.” Dr. Riley said calmly, as if Lex hadn’t just shouted at him.
“What?!” Lex remembered Albany; she had gone to school with him in the 2nd grade. But then, all the schools closed when the smallpox disease had passed to the children.
“You’re in the science headquarters located in Albany, New York. It’s just north of the New York City Dome, where you and Florida live.” The doctor explained.
“I don’t… understand…” Lex stammered, his anger slowly fading as it was replaced by curiosity.
“As children you and Florida, and many other babies your age, were sent in by your parents to be tested for a cure for smallpox. Unfortunately, a lot of the babies contracted the infection and were sent to go live in The Dome to prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the world. We needed one baby from each state and city across the United States to come in to perform tests on.” Riley said without inhaling.
Lex noticed that as he spoke, it seemed as though he was reciting a speech or passage that he had either practiced or had to say many times before. It creeped him out a little.
“So, you see,” Riley said with a smile, holding out his arms welcomingly, “we want you to stay with us, Lex. We’re going to try to find out what makes you immune to the disease and try to administer it to your friend Florida here.” He motioned to Florida, who was swaying back and forth happily as her legs dangled off the medical table. She gave a little wave and grinned. Lex gave a half-hearted wave-and-smile combo back.
“If it succeeds,” Dr. Riley continued, “then we can give the immunity to the rest of New York City, so all of your family members can live.” He finished with a fake-looking smile. Lex stared at him suspiciously.
“But… what if it doesn’t work?” He questioned, tilting his head slightly.
“We’ve done numerous animal testings, and I think we’re ready to advance to humans.” The doctor said, giving another strange smile. Lex frowned at him. Something about this guy just didn’t seem right.
“But you didn’t answer my question… What if it doesn’t work?” He demanded, his hands curling up into fists.
“Woah, Lex, take it easy.” Florida cautioned, her former smile curving down into a straight line.
“It will. We’re positive of that.” Dr. Riley assured, giving another tight-lipped smile as he clasped his gloved hands together. Lex realized that all this guy was doing was dodging the question.
“But if this is your first human test then how can you be-?” He insisted yet again. If this fake-looking doctor hurt Florida in any way…
“It will work.” Dr. Riley interrupted, giving Lex a strong glare.
“You don’t know that.” The doctor walked over to the exit, passing Lex.
“Hey! Answer me!” Lex cried, taking a step towards Dr. Riley. Behind him, Florida reached out a pasty hand as if to stop him.
With an exasperated sigh, the doctor slammed the door shut and the two heard it click shut.
With a groan, Lex turned towards his auburn-haired friend.
“Well, that certainly gave us a lot of answers.” He sighed, and sat down on the floor next to the medical table. Florida gently tapped him on the shoulder with her big toe. Lex tilted his head sideways to look up.
“Give him a break; he’s just trying to help us.” She said, giving a grin.
“Well, what if he’s not really going to? What if he brought us here to kill us?” Lex snapped, furrowing his brow.
“Don’t be paranoid. Why would he want to do that?” Florida retorted, still smiling.
“It’s possible. They may just want to kill you because you have the Poxies.” Lex’s voice was dripping with animosity.
“You’re ridiculous.” Florida groaned, falling back onto the tissue paper, her auburn hair surrounding her like a lion’s mane.
“If he wanted to help us, then why did he have his little doctor friends knock me out and put me in a room?” Lex snarled, remembering his embarrassing incident with the security camera. Now that he thought about it, what was with all that? Why hadn’t they just locked him in there, and what was with that weird hallway?
“You weren’t locked in there, and I guess they didn’t know what to do at first…” Florida said slowly, interrupting his thoughts. Why did she have to keep taking the side of these freaky doctors?
“Very likely.” Lex said, his voice honey-sweet with sarcasm.
“It is likely.” Florida protested lamely, finding it harder and harder to force her argument. However, she did think it was an appropriate comeback.
“Shut up, Florida. You wouldn’t understand the half of it. You know, I want them to kill you. You’re no good anyways.” Lex growled, standing up as he did so. His eyes were blazing with anger at the betrayal his friend had apparently committed.
Florida silenced herself, and almost at once Lex regretted it.
“Florida, I’m sorry, I didn’t-” He began, his eyes pleading.
Florida simply turned her head away, tears stinging behind her closed eyes. Her lips formed into a pompous pout, and she interrupted tightly,
“It doesn’t matter, Lex. Leave me alone.” Her voice shook slightly as she tried to compose herself, but once she was done, she allowed herself to give a few subtle, silent sobs.
Lex frowned and turned away. He stalked across the room towards the opposite wall, and sat down with his knees pulled up to his chest. Burying his face into his hands, he began to cry.
Realization
After crying for a few minutes, Lex sniffled, and proceeded in breathing slowly and carefully, still shaken by the argument he had just had with Florida. The only sound that was coming from Florida was a few muffled sobs … and then there was silence.
Once Lex was sure that Florida was asleep, he got up and walked over to the far east side of the room, where a couple of white cabinets were hung up on the wall. Lex’s main goal had been to prove Florida wrong, and now he would.
Opening one of the cabinet’s doors, he was greeted by empty shelves. Frowning, he snarled under his breath. Of course Riley would know that he would try to escape. He closed the cabinet door and walked away, folding his arms in frustration.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He went back to the cabinet and opened the door. Score, he thought. The hinges on the cabinet door were fairly loose, easily pried from their cases if you had nimble fingers like him.
After a few minutes of work, he had managed to get the hinges and their cases off the door without so much as stirring Florida. He sat down on the floor, cross-legged, and began to gently sculpt them into a makeshift lockpick. Finally, he could put his skills to use. He rolled his eyes as he remembered his fiasco with the cell earlier. That was definitely something that he wanted to forget.
About 30 minutes passed by, and finally the lockpick had been created. Lex stood up and made his way over to the door. Before he tried anything, Lex made sure the door was actually LOCKED this time. It was, so he proceeded in trying to open the door.
It didn’t take long before Lex heard a small click and the door’s lock finally gave way. Lex opened the door slowly, so as to not wake Florida, and peered out into the endless white hallways. Major Déjà vu. He quietly strode out of the room, afraid that he would run into Dr. Riley or some strange accomplice. He needed to find a way out of this psycho place, and then return to get Florida as fast as possible. That was Lex’s main priority.
After wandering aimlessly through the passages, Lex heard strange buzzing sounds. At first Lex thought he was just going mad from being in the un-natural silence for so long, but after a short while Lex began to realize that the noise was existent. He paused and listened for a moment, but still could not figure out what the noise could possibly be. So he decided to venture towards where the sound was coming from.
The hallway led to a large staircase spiraling down, where the voices seemed to get louder. As the staircase went on, the temperature grew cooler and the lights seemed to dim more than they already had been. Lex assumed that he was headed underground. Finally, he could make out the buzzing noises to be human voices, one he recognized to be Dr. Riley’s. Lex sat down on the cold metal staircase and listened to the two people talking…
“…the girl named Florida will die anyways; she might not even make it through the night after the N.O. wears off.” One of the voices, probably Dr. Riley, spoke. N.O.? Like Nitrous oxide? That would explain the reason for Florida being so happy when I last saw her, Lex thought.
“The boy, Lexington, knows too much. When we first found him they were on our database looking at all the records of New York City. They know that the city was domed to prevent smallpox spreading back to the world.” The other voice, that Lex did not recognize, alleged.
“What about their names? Did they figure out about how they were named after their old hometowns, and how their parents sold them as test babies?” They do now, Lex thought.
“We can’t be sure. But either way, Lexington has to die along with Florida. He is immune to smallpox, so after we “relieve him” maybe we can perform a biopsy and see why that happened…” That’s all Lex needed to hear. He bolted up the stairs as fast as he could, trying not to let Dr. Riley and the other man hear him. Lex sprinted through the halls, unable to remember where Florida’s room had been. Lex continued running until he came upon a lonesome window that he didn’t remember seeing before. Thoughts rushed through Lex, and he knew what he had to do. He had to get away from here, and leave Florida behind. Maybe Lex would seek help and bring it back, but the odds of Florida living didn’t look so good.
The window peered out into a barren alley, and there didn’t appear to be any guards or more men in lab coats outside. Lex grabbed the rim of the window and pulled up, but the window didn’t budge. Lex groaned, and pushed on the window frame even harder. Just when Lex was about to give up hope, the window lifted just enough for him to crawl out. Lex landed on the hard cement of the alley, and peered at his surroundings.
Encounter
This place was very bright, and the light left a warm feeling on Lex’s skin. Lex heard strange noises and lots of voices coming from the sidewalk where the alley ended. The voices sounded…happy and cheerful. Lex couldn’t remember the last time he heard his mother laugh or even smile. His stomach knotted up when memories of home came back to him. He had just left his mother and father there to take care of the twins by themselves. Lex felt even worse when he remembered that he only had one sister now. A warm tear rolled down Lex’s cheek, and dropped onto the cement. He went over to one corner of the alley, and sat down with his face buried in his hands.
Lex looked up when he heard the small patter of footsteps, and a quiet panting coming his way. He looked around wildly, but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, Lex heard a bang, and a trashcan that had been on the opposite side of the alley had been knocked over. That’s when Lex noticed the little creature that had created the mess.
It was small and tan, with a tiny curled tail, huge ears, and a pale pink tongue that hung from its snout. Lex automatically stiffened, afraid to let the miniature monster see him. It did.
The creature’s tail started swinging back and forth wildly, and it waddled straight up to Lex’s face. Lex remained in a position with his knees pressed to his chest. He was absolutely terrified of what the creature would do to him. He waited tentatively for the animal to make any sort of offensive measures. Nothing happened.
Lowering his hands from in front of his face, he stared strangely at it. The tail was still wagging back and forth, the tongue lolled out of a saliva-coated maw. Obviously the thing wasn’t dangerous. It was actually kind of cute. Slowly, Lex set his knees down on the ground, and created a more relaxed position. Maybe the creature could help him.
“Excuse me?” He began in a quiet voice, bending down so he was nose-to-nose with the strange animal. The creature stared at him, still making that obnoxious panting noise.
“My name’s Lex and I’m from New York City…you know, the one with the dome…?” The animal cocked its head to one side, and Lex realized that maybe the people here were as ignorant as he had been.
“I’m really sorry…it’s a long story. But there’s these guys and they were keeping me and my friend captive in that building right there. You have to help me! They’re going to kill her!!!!” Lex breathed, his eyes starting to form tears again. The tan-fur creature opened its mouth, as if to speak. Lex waiting for some kind of answer, but instead a long wet tongue reached out between the parted lips and brushed over Lex’s face.
“Eww…gross!” Lex yelled with surprise, wiping the spit off his cheek. Maybe this animal did not speak English. Lex began again, but this time slowly, using obvious gestures and sign language. There was still no response from the strange panting animal.
Lex resorted to the last thing he could think of. He shifted his position until he was standing on all fours. He stuck out his tongue and began panting along with the creature, hoping to somehow communicate with it. The creature let out a shrill barking noise and Lex (who thought the animal had begun to understand him) howled along with it.
Suddenly, a young girl bounded off the sidewalk and into the small alley.
“Disario, there you are! Come here, boy!” The girl said. She paused when her eyes swept across Lex, face-to-face with her dog, copying its every move.
“Uhh…Can I help you?” The girl asked, confused. She was pretty short, and her cute face made her look about a year younger than Lex. Her pale hair was pulled back on the top of her head in a high ponytail. She was wearing a bright lime t-shirt that read “Lincoln Middle Cheer and Dance Team” and jean shorts that were much too revealing.
“Oh. I was just…” Lex began, flustered. He could feel his cheeks becoming hot; he had never met another girl besides Florida and his siblings and mother.
“Trying to communicate with a Chihuahua?” She laughed, her hair shimmering in the sunlight.
“I didn’t know that it was a Ch… whatever it’s called. I thought that maybe it could help me…” Lex stammered, realizing how incredibly stupid he sounded. The girl burst into cute, girly laughter. Lex realized now that he was blushing furiously.
“Yeah, that’s something you don’t hear every day. What’s your name anyways, weirdo?” The girl asked, tilting her head as she put her hands on her hips. Lex fidgeted nervously.
“Uhh… Lex.” He mumbled.
“Is that short for something?” Tossing her hair over her shoulder, the girl leaned in expectantly.
“Lexington.” Lex had never been embarrassed about his name before, but this girl made it seem as though no matter what his name was, he’d be mocked. However, he didn’t seem to mind hearing it from her.
“Like the city? That’s pretty…different.” She said, raising one golden eyebrow. Lex’s face turned a deeper shade of scarlet.
“It’s a long story…” He stammered, wringing his hands. He could feel his knees shaking slightly.
“I don’t mind long stories. Plus, I’d like to know why you’re stranded in this alley trying to talk to my dog.” The girl scooped up Disario in her arms, ruffling his light fur. She flashed a brilliant smile, and Lex felt as though he was being blinded by the sun.
“Ok, fine… I’m from New York City-” He began, squinting slightly.
“Wait! New York?” The girl interrupted. “The place with the huge dome?!” Finally, someone around here knew what he was talking about.
Lex began telling her all about living in the dome, and why he left. He told her about being captured, and brought to the science lab. Lex left out the part about Florida being with him.
“Whoa…that’s pretty rough. Follow me.” The girl took Lex by the hand and led him out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. Everything was so…bright. The grass was green, and the people who aligned the streets and sidewalks looked healthy and natural. It was like being in a different world.
“Where are you taking me?” Lex demanded, tightening his grip slightly around her hand.
“Chill out, I’ll show you.” The girl said nonchalantly. Lex frowned slightly. Despite her beauty, this girl had a bit of an attitude. Suddenly, he realized that she had never told him her name.
“I still don’t even know what to call you.” He said, after mustering up his courage. It seemed harder to talk to this strange, bubbly girl than it was with Florida.
“It’s Madison.” Madison said, and she smiled up at Lex, and Lex couldn’t help but smile back. He felt as though his own smile paled in comparison with hers.
“What city’s that named after?” Lex asked innocently, after a short pause. Madison started laughing hysterically, stopping in her tracks, forcing Lex to stop as well. He frowned.
“What?” He asked, somewhat angrily. Madison had released his hand to clutch her stomach in a desperate attempt for air, and he folded his arms across his chest in frustration. Madison, however, continued to laugh like she had just been told the world’s funniest joke. Lex growled slightly under his breath. After a few minutes of annoyance, Madison finally caught her breath, however, a few stray giggles and hiccups spewed suddenly from her mouth every now and then.
“I have a real name, not a freakishly weird one like yours!” Madison responded, after her laughing had mostly died out. Lex turned scarlet, and he looked away. Madison rolled her eyes, mumbling “Gosh, sensitive, much?”, and, grabbing his hand, continued leading Lex down the sidewalk.
“Can you please just tell me where we’re going?” Lex said, after regaining his composure. Madison’s pace had quickened now, and he had to jog to keep up.
“Nope.” She said pointedly, giving a small grin.
“Why?” Lex asked, frowning. He never liked having not been told something.
“It’s a secret.” The blonde said, her smile widening, her teeth almost blinding Lex once more.
“It better be good, because…” Lex began, but was interrupted by Madison’s cheerful cry of,
“We’re here!” Madison yelled. The two were standing in front of a rather large home with a fountain and steps that led up to the massive front door. The house seemed to dwarf Lex in comparison.
“Is this your city hall?” Lex asked, amazed. Madison rolled her huge blue eyes again.
“It’s my house, you idiot.” She scoffed, still holding onto Lex’s hand.
“Oh… Why are we here?” Lex questioned, looking at her quizzically.
“I thought you wanted help.” Madison reminded him, a slight air of annoyance in her voice.
“Yeah…” Lex muttered, looking down.
“So, I’m going to help. But first, I gotta pack my stuff so that I can go to Lexington with you.” The blonde said, and began to traipse towards the large, wooden door.
“Whoa, hold on a sec.” Lex said, stopping. Madison turned, her grip on Lex’s hand tightening. “You’re going to travel across the country with some strange guy you met like 20 minutes ago?” He asked incredulously, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Yep!” Madison said cheerfully, giving a little flick of her hair.
“What’s wrong with you?!” Lex cried.
Madison’s beautiful face turned sad, and it broke Lex’s heart. He immediately regretted shouting at her; he felt worse than when he snapped at Florida not too long ago. But that was long past. Madison lowered her eyes to the ground, and opened her mouth to speak.
“Ok, I won’t bother you anymore. I’m sorry.” She sniffed quietly, releasing Lex’s hand and starting up towards the front door. Lex hesitated, but then ran up to stop her.
“Alright, I want you to help.” He said, grabbing both of her hands with his own.
“Really?” Madison asked, her eyes staring up at him now in bewilderment.
“Yes.” Lex affirmed, giving a nod. He felt Madison’s hands tighten around his own in a comforting way.
“You’re the awesomest!” Madison gushed, hopping up and down excitedly.
“I’ll go get my things! Lex, you’re amazing!” She squealed, placing a small kiss on Lex’s cheek before spinning away and darting up the stairs. Lex’s fingers gently touched his cheek where she had kissed him, and he tingled with excitement. Then, suddenly, he snapped out of his love-induced daze and managed to stammer out a response.
“W-wait! Madison! Should I wait here or what...?” Lex called up to her. Madison paused, and then opened her mouth to speak.
“Um… just run around back, there’s a bunch of bushes by the patio… just hide there until I get my stuff and come back for you.” She said, her eyes drifting skywards in thought.
“So, your parents are just gonna let you leave… just like that?” Lex questioned, his brow furrowing in thought. At least Florida’s mom had tried to stop her. Florida… his heart gave a shudder of pain as the memories flooded his mind, and he felt his fists clench ever so slightly. He tried to ignore the fluttering he could feel in his heart. Madison was more important now.
“Don’t worry about it. Just go on.” Madison urged, giving a small wave with her manicured hand towards the general direction of the backyard.
Before Lex could say anything else, Madison opened the heavy wooden door and disappeared inside the massive building. Giving a small sigh, Lex loped towards where Madison had just gestured to, being especially careful to stay away from the windows.
As he picked his way across the lawn, dodging what looked like statues of miniature humans wearing strange clothes and sporting long, white beards, he kept his eyes on the windows of the house, trying to spot any sets of eyes that could potentially get him in a whole lot of trouble.
After finding the bushes which he assumed Madison had been referring too, he carefully picked his way behind them, trying not to get scratched by their twigs. He crouched down, wrapping his arms around his knees in an attempt to keep his center of balance. He sat like this for several tense minutes, in which his mind flitted to disturbing images of policemen suddenly jumping from behind him and snatching him away. He silently hoped that Madison wasn’t getting in trouble right now.
Madison… She was like nobody Lex had ever met before. She was so… outgoing and cheerful all the time. Everyone he had ever known was almost always completely solemn and usually silent. His little sisters seemed like the only people to ever show much joy. Once Lex had met Madison, everything had changed. Lex actually felt… true happiness for once. It wasn’t like Florida didn’t make him joyful, but he always had the thought in the back of his head that she was going to die, and that always made his outlook on the future much dimmer. Despite the short time he and Madison had been together, his outlook on things had become brighter. He finally had hope. Something about it just made him feel complete.
“Woah!” Lex screamed, for there was a sudden flash of pink that had come bursting through the bushes and had latched onto his arm. He hoped that it wasn’t another one of those scary Chiwheetwhoot things. Those things were vicious.
“Heeeyy, Lexy-boo! Miss me?” Madison cried joyfully as she sat down about two inches from Lex’s face with a dazzling smile. Her eyes were covered by some over-sized sunglasses, and she pushed them down her nose slightly so that Lex could see her shimmering eyes. Dangling from her arms was an assortment of various bags, about 13, all a different shade of pink. The biggest one appeared to be a duffel bag, with Madison’s name spelled out in silver rhinestones. Blinking her large, blue eyes, she spoke again.
“Well, did’ya?” She questioned, only to be greeted with a blank stare and silence, although this was occasionally cured by the constant popping of her bubblegum. Madison continued to stare at him, her smile slowly shrinking. This wasn’t the reaction she had expected. Her mouth opened slightly, and the gum nearly fell out. Wasn’t Lex supposed to be drooling over her like all the other boys seemed to? This was weird…
“Umm… how many fingers am I holding up?” She asked, holding her right hand in a peace sign. The eyes behind her sunglasses were wide with incredulity, and her lips were parted in confusion.
“Uh… uh….” Lex was lost for words, and his palms began to sweat. What was with him? Why did this girl make him feel so… speechless all the time?
“The answer’s two.” She said blankly, dropping her hand. Lex still made no response. Madison even tried getting up and waving her hands in front of his face, but he still didn’t do anything. Shrugging, she sat back down.
“Alright, let’s try again. What’s your favorite color?” Madison asked grudgingly, her voice tinted with sarcasm.
“Uh…” Lex hesitated. He could slowly feel his consciousness creeping back up on him. He just realized Madison had asked him a question. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with panic. He didn’t want to seem like an idiot; he had to think of something to say. Silently, he prayed that he had just been asked a yes or no question.
“Yes…?” He squeaked in terror.
“What?! That didn’t make sense!” Madison scoffed in confusion, although her voice was tinted with laughter. However, this didn’t make Lex feel too much better.
“You’re such a freak, Lex! But I love ya anyways!” Lex found two arms draped around his neck, and he could smell the perfume Madison happened to be sporting. It made his head spin.
“Now c’mon!” Madison cried suddenly, grabbing Lex’s hand and yanking him out of the bush, miraculously dragging her bags along, too. Lex didn’t have time to react, so he simply allowed himself to be carted across the lawn. At the same time, there was a flurry of feathers darting from the bush and into the sky. Lex let out a surprised shriek, causing Madison to stop.
“AAH!” Lex cried, shielding his face with his hands as he closed his eyes. “MAKE IT GO AWAY! DON’T LET IT HURT ME!” Lex screamed, and grabbed Madison by the shoulders and held her in front of him as some sort of human shield.
“Chill out, Lex! It’s just a bird!” Madison tried to wriggle free from Lex’s boa constrictor-like grasp. He was like a little kid who had just seen a monster movie.
“Okay…” Lex gasped between shuddering cries, his shoulders shaking with fear.
“Okay, first there’s a freaky chi-waco-weeka-whatever thing that tries to eat my poor, innocent little nose, and then killer… bert things that fly out of bushes! What kind of world is this?!” He screamed, dropping to the ground and clinging desperately to Madison’s legs. She gave a sort of disgusted grumble and tried to shake him off, but to no avail.
“Lex, it’s okay… Take deep breaths and quit having a mental break-down over every freakin’ animal that you see!” Madison said, straining to pull Lex off her legs by his collar.
“YOU MEAN THERE’S MORE OF THEM?! THEY’RE ALL OUT TO GET ME!” Lex then began to cry profusely. He felt as though his heart was about to tear through his chest. Why was this crazy place filled with horrible slobbery monsters and flying bush-creatures?
“Ugh… just come on!” Madison groaned, suddenly kicking Lex off and storming across the lawn, dragging her pink, sparkly bags with her. Lex sniffled, wiping his eyes, and timidly followed Madison at a safe distance, glancing frantically around to try and see if there were any more horrible creatures around.
“Oh, hurry up!” Madison cried, grabbing his hand and dragging him across the lawn. Lex complied only out of fear for his own safety.
Journey
Lex and Madison walked down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. Lex was seemingly calm now, and he gazed at his surroundings with wondering eyes. Every now and then he would find himself glancing over at Madison discreetly out of the corner of his field of vision, then stop and ask himself what the heck he was doing.
“Hey, you okay?” Madison asked Lex after a couple of minutes, stopping in the middle of the trail through the woods they were on, the rhinestones on Madison’s bags glinting in the sunlight.
“Uhh… yeah, I’m cool. Why?” Lex asked uncomfortably, slowing down his pace.
“You’re just acting all weird and silent. You could, like, talk, you know…” Madison mumbled, rolling her eyes. She didn’t like silence; it made her feel like people weren’t appreciating her greatness enough.
“Oh, right, sorry. I was just thinking about stuff…” Lex trailed off, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Oooh… what kind of stuff?” Madison inquired, her eyes brightening. She was always eager to learn about what people were thinking.
“Just… stuff.” Madison completely stopped in her tracks and leaned in close to Lex with a brilliant smile. Lex felt dazed and lightheaded.
“Please tell me.” She begged, her lip sticking out in an adorable pout. Lex couldn’t resist its wild charms. His breathing slowed, and Madison smiled, happy that Lex was going to give in.
“I’m just thinking about… um…” Faltering, Lex looked to the ground, frantically trying to whip up a good, believable lie.
“I really hope that you don’t get caught running away with me… the last thing I need is the police chasing me around thinking I kidnapped some girl.” His cheeks burning, Lex prayed that this would be a sufficient story.
“Oh, we’ll be fine!” Madison grinned, her former worries disappearing like mist.
“Yeah… I hope…” Lex trailed off, letting his thoughts wander back to Florida. Maybe Madison should know about her, Lex didn’t want to lead her on or anything. But then again… everything in his life seemed like it had been flipped upside down – he wondered if he would ever even actually see Florida again. Another awkward silence settled between the two, but, suddenly, it was shattered.
“OH, GIRL, YOU LOOK SO FINE TONIGHT, WITH THOSE HEELS AND SHORTS OF THE BOO-TAY TYPE!” Madison’s iPhone screeched. Lex gave a bloodcurdling scream.
“OH MY GOD!” He shouted, clutching his ears. His voice had risen to an almost impossible pitch for a boy his age, and had even begun to reach beyond the spectrum of audibility for humans. “WHAT IS THAT?!”
Madison flipped her phone out from her pocket, and, gritting her teeth, snarled, “It’s my phone, you idiot!” She felt as though her eardrums were about to burst from Lex’s screaming. He sounded like a frigging banshee.
“NO, IT’S NOT! THAT’S A BOMB! A BOMB!” And, before she could do anything, Lex had snatched the iPhone out of Madison’s hand and flung it against a tree trunk, where it exploded in a burst of sparks and fell to the leaf-littered ground, the song still playing feebly.
“HAHA!” Lex laughed maniacally. Madison felt her eye twitch involuntarily. She began to regret going on a trip with such a hyperactive spaz who was scared of his own shadow.
“Dude! What the heck is your problem?! Now I can’t call my parents or text or anything, ar-tard!” She spat, her cheeks flushing red in anger.
“But…I saved us.” Lex insisted, his eyes sparkling with tears. That bomb was about to explode, he was sure of it!
“Uhh, no…you ruined us. Now my parents are seriously going to think that I ran away or something, and I won’t be able to find my way back without my GPS.” The blond explained, her patience running thin. She had just about had enough of this clueless freak.
“GP… what?” Lex faltered. Madison groaned.
“Ugh… forget it! If you’re going to act this way I might as well go home. I don’t see why I even ever tried to help you… you’re too…weird!” She snorted.
“Madison, I’m sorry…” Lex whimpered, his lower lip in an adorable pout.
“Whatever.” Madison turned and marched away with dramatic effect, although this effect was lessened as she jumped in fear due to another spark from her phone. Lex panicked, and began to desperately think of something to win her back.
“Madison! Wait!” He cried, his voice rising slightly in desperation.
“What do you want now?!” She growled, turning once more.
“Do you… um… want to go get something to eat?” As soon as he said it, Lex couldn’t believe his ears. Did he seriously just ask her out?
“Why? Because you’re hungry… or like a date?” Madison said the last part with a small amount of hope. Maybe Lex wasn’t such a freak after all! He seemed to know what a normal thing like a date was. Heck, he even knew what FOOD was! That was an improvement from before.
“Y’know, like for fun. A date, I guess. Plus, I’m starving.” Madison’s face lit up like a light bulb, and she ran to Lex’s side with excitement.
“OKAY!” She squealed, clutching Lex’s arm and placing her face dangerously close to his.
“There’s gotta be a fast food place around here somewhere, let’s go find it!” The blond cheered, and proceeded in dragging Lex down the forest path. He began to detect a pattern in the way this girl moved. Drag, stop, drag, stop… it made him feel kind of sick.
“But… what’s fast food?” Lex asked, but his question went unheard, for Madison was babbling (mostly to herself) about as to whether or not they would have enough money, etc.
Suddenly, they burst out onto the street from the woods, and in front of them were the ever-familiar golden arches.
“HAHA! DATE PARADISE AWAITS! LET’S GO, LEXY-BOO!” Madison screamed, much to the fright of an old woman who was tottering past on her walker. As they charged across the street, she promptly keeled over and died from a fatal heart attack. No one seemed to notice.
Lex frowned as Madison weaved through cars on their way to the restaurant, called McDonalds. She dragged him through the door, and Lex looked around amazed at everything he saw. It was so bright… and the smell was so… well… fatty.
Madison frolicked into line, her hand was grasped tightly around Lex’s, causing him to blush. Maybe this date wasn’t a good idea. Just think of puppies… and the guilt will go away. OH, GOD! NOT THE CHI-WAKKA-WAKKAS!
At that point, they had reached the front of the line, and were met with the face of an acne-covered teenage boy. Lex shivered in fear. Why were all these people wearing uniforms? Were they some sort of cult?
“Hello, may I take your order?” The cashier grumbled, trying his hardest to be cheerful. He hated the stupid clown that made this restaurant.
Lex’s eyes widened in terror, and he gripped Madison’s shoulder like a vice.
“Will this… hurt?” He whimpered, and the cashier groaned and rolled his eyes.
“Please, can you just give me your order?” He sighed. Lex gave a loud sob, causing Madison to jump.
“JUST TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” He screamed, and Madison promptly smacked him on the shoulder.
“Lex, shut up! It’s okay! Just… go get us a table, and I’ll be right back!” She insisted, pushing Lex towards the dining area.
“Madison! MADISON! THEY’RE STARING AT ME! WHAT DO I DO?! ARE THEY GONNA BEAT ME UP???” Lex began in a whisper, and it cultivated into a scream once more. Madison groaned and snatched some ketchup packs from a nearby dispenser, throwing them at Lex.
“SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!” She screeched, panting. At this point, every flabby face in the joint was staring at them, fries poised in midair, burger toppings falling back onto trays.
Lex plopped down in the middle of the dirt-covered tile floor; his legs crossed, and proceeded in staring at everyone that waddled past with teary eyes.
“MADISON! WHY IS EVERYONE SO BIG?!” He sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Madison snarled, and mumbled under her breath, “Just ignore it, Madison… just ignore it… you came here for a date, and, gee dee it, you will GET a date.” The cashier stared blankly.
(MORE COMING SOON! PREPARE YOURSELVES!!!) |