Universal Chaos - Web of Chaos

Chapter 14 - Should Have Been There

Sept 25, 2229

Crawling out of the Delaware River exhausted, Joe laid down on the mud and cement of the river bank. "No one's going to figure I'd swim downstream for miles before getting out," he thought.

Noticing the putrid smell of the mud, Joe got up. "Better get cleaned off before I get sick." He trudged over a broad, muddy field. Old parts of machinery and buildings stuck up out of the ground. The first intact buildings he made it too sat atop giant concrete pillars.

He crept under a building into the pitch black beneath it. "No way I can be quiet in this muck. Can't see." As his anxiety built in fear of being attacked in the dark, he felt around in an attempt to make sure he did not walk into something.

However, he did stumble into a sharp chunk of metal sticking out of the ground at an angle right into his chest. Feeling the point of it scratch him, he stopped. "Shh..." It stung and made him bleed. Grabbing onto it, he moved around it, feeling around with his feet and his free arm for anything else. "This is going to take forever. No one's going to find me... Though that could be good or bad."

Joe heard squishing footsteps coming toward him. He froze and waited.

"Greetings. Are you in need of assistance?"

Sounding as if ten feet away, the voice had a soft breathing out sound to it. Joe pictured a filth covered, scraggly-haired old man in his mind. He felt pretending to be invisible would be silly. "Yes. Thank you. I fell and do not know how to get out of here."

"Yes, too dark for you. I apologize for not having a means of contacting an ambulance for you. When we get to the road, perhaps someone will assist you."

Joe did not want an ambulance, or the police called. "Thank you. I'm sure once I get to the road I'll be fine."

"You sound injured."

"Hurt my jaw. In the fall."

"Yes, of course you are injured. Let me assist you. I will approach now. Ok?"

A sitting duck, Joe figured he would have been dead if he got mugged in the dark anyway. "Yes... Ok."

"Here. Take my hand."

"Thank you." Joe reached out, and the person held his hand. It felt as though they wore a leather glove. "Makes sense with the sharp metal around down here," thought Joe.

The person led Joe along with no light source. They trudged along at a good pace, and Joe became suspicious. "How can he know where to go at this speed without being able to see? Does he have on goggles? No way he has bionic eyes or an exo-helmet in this neighborhood and wandering around down here... Why is he under the building?"

Coming out to the poorly lit street Joe saw his rescuer. With horse-like legs and scaly skin, the humanoid Anemoi smiled, sharp pointy teeth showing. Joe took a step back. He knew how they got out of the pitch black under the building so fast. The Anemoi could see in the infrared; they could differentiate the slightest change in temperature.

The Anemoi pointed to some stairs. "You can get to the upper street there. Please be careful though. A human gang has been assaulting anyone going up or down. The police seldom look for bodies down here. Though, since you are human, they may very well let you pass unharmed if you give them something."

"Ok. Thanks..."

The Anemoi reached out his leathery hand.

Joe stepped closer and shook his hand.

"Well, then, I hope you make it home safe."

"Yeah, Thanks. I really should hurry," said Joe heading to the stairs.