The Barista

Sausage?  No. Bacon.  Being as though this complete stranger is close enough to kiss me, I usually spend my mornings in a crowded subway train playing, “Guess What This Stranger Had for Breakfast.”  I award myself extra points if I can guess the delivery system.  In this case I think it was a burrito because it was still on his shirt.  Judging by the size of the stain, I don’t think he got much in his mouth.  That’s how I pass time on the E train on the way to my barista job: smelling stranger breath and noticing stains.  This is probably why I couldn’t take my eyes off of a lady sitting in the corner a few feet away.  She was sweating profusely and slowly rocking back and forth.  In this city, it’s strange when I DON’T see someone behaving like that on a train.  However, this lady seemed... different.  Should I say something to her?  See if she needs help?  Who am I kidding?  I get nervous when interacting with anything that isn’t a comic book or Playstation controller.   

Being a barista is right up my alley.  It’s just the right amount of limited, obligatory human interaction that I prefer.  Rather, I tend to make it that way.  I leave the socializing to my co-workers.  At work, the bizarre sightings continued.  While ringing up a nice elderly couple, I looked out the window just in time to see a crazed woman, foaming at the mouth, chasing down and tackling an unsuspecting gentleman on his lunch break.  Maybe that’s not as bizarre as I think.  In this city, bizarre is usually the norm.  Although, I have to say, there was definitely something extra bizarre about this situation.  

With that image of a disturbed person savagely taking down an unsuspecting victim, it was finally time to clock out and back to the train.  I arrived to the platform walked towards the first car.  I stopped dead in my tracks after noticing an odd looking gentleman leaning against the door.  Several things struck me about his appearance. For starters, he was wearing an incredibly fancy suit.  Maybe he worked in the financial district. Kudos to him.  I’m not cut out for such high-stress jobs.  What jumped out at me more than his suit, was his sickly demeanor.  Even for the subway, this seemed strange.  He looked as if he would faint at any second.  He was sweating and very pale.  His face was blotchy with red spots.  I’ve lived here long enough to know that it was time to move a couple of cars down.  

The train ride was going smoothly until the conductor made an announcement:

“Passengers, please excuse interruption.  We will be holding the train at the next stop because of a sick passenger.”

Oh well.  Guess I better get comfortable.  It was then that I looked next to me.  I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed that the person sitting next to me was possibly the most beautiful human I had ever seen.  It’s not often I find myself in close proximity to a beautiful girl my age.  I’ve never been good at breaking the ice, but something about her makes me want to talk to her.  I should say something.  Although I usually blow it, this feels different.  She has pretty eyes.  I should say something about those? No, wait… her clothes.  No.  That’s weird.  Ok, then back to her eyes. Should I Google what to say?  No, idiot! She’s sitting next to you.  She can see your screen.  Ok.  I’ll introduce myself and compliment her eyes.  That’s a nice thing to do, right?  I’ll try not to sound creepy… which almost guarantees that I will sound creepy.  Here goes nothing. 

“Hi.  I like… eyes.  Wait! No.  I mean, your eye.  Eyes!  Both eyes.  You have two great eyes…”

She was laughing so hard I barely heard the cop streak by just behind me in the tunnel while the train stood parked just before the next platform.

“This is Officer Martin requesting back-up again at Court Square!  Hurry!”

Back-up?  For a sick passenger?  What a crazy day this has been.  I can’t believe that --

“Umm.. you were saying?”

I forgot.  I started talking to her.  Now what?

“Yeah,” she chuckled, “I think you were counting my eyes.  Very original approach.  I’ll give you that.” 

I never make it this far, so I’m at a loss for what to do next.  I don’t do this often. 

“You don’t do this often, do you?  Let me help you out.  Just dive in.  Don’t think.  Thinking is the leading cause of missed opportunities.  Also, my name is Maya.  Now, if you could please continue to sweep me off my feet, that’d be great.”

“Guess it’s obvious that I don’t do this often,” I said sheepishly. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she said as she smiled so warmly, I think I felt the temperature in the train increase.  

“I don’t mean any disrespect” she said noticing the change in my face, “I actually get a good vibe from you.  I like it.  You seem sincere.  Definitely a welcome change,” she explained as she brushed the purple highlighted streaked of hair out behind her ear.  

“Oh.  Wait… so am I doing bad?”

“You’re not doing bad… not great either,” she said through a smirk, “but it could be worse.  I’ll give you a letter grade at the end of this conversation.  I’m going all the way to Kew Gardens, so you have a good amount of time to finish this masterpiece.  Honestly, I’m kind of rooting for you.  Otherwise, it’s going to be another night of reading comic books by myself in my room.”

Maya smiled and unzipped her jacket and lifted up her sweater to proudly display a bright yellow and blue vintage X-Men t-shirt.

She must have sensed my excitement as her smile got even bigger.  

“Ok.  Well, I’m actually a barista in town,” I bravely stated.  

“NIce.  The smell of your jacket kind of gave that away, but I’m liking your attempts to keep the conversation going.  Keep it up, barista. Wow me.”

“I’m getting off at Kew Gardens also.  Maybe we could grab a -- WATCH OUT!!!”

Glass shards fill our immediate area as a brick flies through the window.  I glance back at the window only to see an enraged man wildly grasping towards anything and anyone through the broken window.  I instinctively pulled Maya around to my other side placing myself between her and the deranged man outside the window.  Suddenly, the train lights flickered twice before darkness consumed the entire car.  I no longer feel the train engine.  We are completely stranded.    

I look around.  I don’t know which way to look.  There are several moving objects in the darkness, both inside and outside of the car.  I can now clearly hear gunshots and screaming in the distance towards the front of the car.  Maya has now drawn herself so close to me that I feel her heartbeat increase.  In dim light, I could see her face.  Where there was once a playful, innocent smile, now sits the expression of a person on the verge of a tears.  

“We need to get off this train,” I finally said. 

The gunshots and screaming are getting louder.  Whatever is coming, is not stopping and is coming in our direction from the front of the train.”  

It’s then that I noticed that the other passengers have pried the back door open.  Passengers begin flooding out in the darkness.  Police radios and screams of pain dominate the platform.  As Maya and I shoved our way through the train door and into the tunnel, I saw the source of the commotion.  It was the sick gentlemen with the nice suit from earlier.  Only now, his face was gray, drained of life.  The red spots were now black.  There was no sign of recognition or methodology in his actions.  There was only one motive: carnage.  It was pure, blind rage.  Drool and puss seeped from anywhere possible on his face.  He was ripping and slashing at anything within reach.  He didn’t look like he was alive… yet he was causing havoc and gaining energy with every step.  It was only then that I looked behind him to see several others that looked dead like him running towards our train car.  The man in the nice suit lunged in our direction.  His hand clamped down on the shoulder of a middle aged woman in front of me.  It was quick.  The woman never saw what happened.  As the man in the suit bit into the neck of the woman who was inches in front of me, I was immobilized with terror.  The blood spatter from her neck hit my face and snapped me out of my stupefied trance.  Slowly, my ears began to register the sounds in my immediate area as if someone had just unmuted this horrific scene with a remote control.  Maya is screaming.  I need to get her to safety.    

Maya and I dashed towards the exit steps leading to the surface.  What do I do?  Where do I go?  Am I grabbing Maya’s hand too tight?  She’s slowing down.  Is she tired?  Could I have helped that woman?  Did she have a family?  What were those things?  Can they be stopped?  How are there so many?     

I didn’t realize that Maya was holding my hand until now because she grabbed it tighter as we reached the top step.  The scene: pandemonium.  The city was alive with panic.  People packing cars.  Cars running red lights to get away.  Cars smashing into each other, buildings and trees.  Small fires where convenience stores used to be served as impromptu street lights due to rolling blackouts.  No cell service.  My phone is now nothing more than an expensive pocket clock right now.    

“Maya,” I say trying to keep my voice steady, “We have to get out of the city.”  She initially remained silent.  Tears are now profusely pouring out of her light brown eyes.  She looked around as an expression of determination and acceptance appeared on her face.  She took a deep breath and nodded yes.  

Many people were heading south, towards the water.  The street looked like a marathon race.  It was packed with people and getting thicker as more and more motorists abandoned their cars. 

“Maya, we should -- ” 

Screams erupted from just behind us.  Maya’s grip on my hand loosened as the crowd pushed us forward.  Then it happened.  Time seemed to slow as more of those creatures appeared behind us and sent the crowd into a frenzy.  I don’t know what hurt more, the creature that tackled me to the ground or seeing the last look of horror in Maya’s eyes and she was swallowed by the panicking crowd.  

What just knocked all of the wind out of me?  Who is this on top of me?  His eyes! They were just like the man in the nice suit on the train.  Lifeless.  I can’t hold him back.  I can feel his breath.  At least it will be quick just like the lady in front of me on the subway platform.  I just hope Maya can get to safety.  Somehow, her safety makes what is about to happen a lot easier.

Without warning, there was an explosion of blood, but it wasn’t from me.  A small hatchet had just halved the creature’s head as it was about to finish me.     

“You OK?  I hope so cuz we need to keep movin’, young’n.”

The man was probably in his 50s, but still maintained an athletic build.  He stood tall with an intimidating figure, but spoke confidently and cooly which immediately made me want to give him my trust.  

“I’m fine.” I was so discombobulated that I could barely put a sentence together.  “Maya...?  She was… where could she… we have to find her!”  I stood up clutching my rib cage where the creature had delivered the most force when it tackled me.  

“I ain’t see nobody else.  Just you.  You coming or what?  Everybody is heading for the water.  A bunch of boats have arrived to help evacuate.  By the way, my name is Howard.  Also, you’re welcome.  Now let’s go!”

After a few miles, the water’s edge is within view.  The scene at the water was absolute chaos.  Everybody has the same goal: survive.  Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of vessels.  

“It’s your lucky day, young blood.  I got a boat.”  He reaches in his pocket and takes out keys and begins to jingle them. Howard was wearing a wedding ring, yet there was no one with him when he found me.  There was no possible way I could imagine what he experienced… lost… in tonight’s apocalypse pre-show.  I don’t know what changed, but my mind was clear and there was nothing else that made sense for me to do next.    

“Thank you, Howard.  But I can’t go yet.  I have to find Maya.”

“Suit yourself.  I’ll wait for as long as I can, but I can’t promise--”

Neither of us saw it laying there on the ground.  The bite was deep into Howard’s calf.  Howard’s leg immediately went limp.  As he landed on the ground, he managed to swipe down with his hatchet in the direction of his attacker and miraculously connect right in the middle of its temple.  It immediately released Howard’s leg and stopped moving.  

I ran over to check on Howard.  He pulled out his wallet and unfolded a picture of a woman and a man on their wedding day.  

“Evelyn made me promise that I’d make it to the water tonight.  I let her down.  At least I’ll see her sooner than I thought.”  To my surprise, he began to chuckle.  “She always told me I wouldn’t last a day without her.  Guess she was right.  She was always right.  Here ya go, kid.  Take these.  Boat is already in the water and prepped.  Food and everything.  Go find your Maya and never lose her again.  Now go.  Boat’s tied up over by Hallets Point.  Off to the side by the baseball field.”  

He placed the keys in the middle of my palm and clasped my fingers over them.  Howard’s breathing slowed as I ran away.  I turned around one last time and saw a smile on his face as he clutched the photo to his chest and breathed his last.  

I turned towards the crowds rushing the boats.  I was alone again.  I’ve felt alone my whole life.  Only this time, I felt what it was that I was actually missing.  For once, I should take a chance instead of being safe.  I need to find her.  I need to try.  I ran full sprint towards the loading areas.  

“Maya!”

Helicopters whizzed by overhead.  

“Maya!”

Then, for a second, a frantic spotlight from a helicopter highlighted a disheveled, bright yellow and blue t-shirt amongst the chaos.  She was 50 feet in front of me.  I don’t remember telling my legs to move, but they were sprinting towards her.  I grabbed her hand and spun her towards me.  

For the first time since all of this started, the light returned to her eyes and she seemed to light up the pitch black sky. 

“I thought… I thought you were…,“ she began.   

I don’t know if it was smart.  I don’t know who was watching.  I didn’t know anything.  For the first time, I did not weigh out the consequences of every possible outcome of my actions.  I just acted.  I pulled her in and kissed her and she kissed me back.  

“Yeah.  Thinking is definitely overrated.”

A loud explosion behind us finally reminded us of our perilous situation.  The very boat that Maya was about to board had become overrun.  Fires became visible all over the boat.  

“Come on.” 

I lead her in the opposite direction towards the baseball field.  Sure enough, we saw it when we finally got to the end of the baseball field.  Tied to a post in the water, there sat a 40’  boat with the name Evelyn painted on the side.  We boarded the boat.  It took some time, but together Maya and I were able to get it moving.  We didn’t have a destination.  We didn’t have any money.  And yet, we had everything we needed in that boat because we had each other.  We headed south as we watched Manhattan shrink smaller and smaller.  We finally navigated underneath the Verrazzano Bridge and out into open water.  The silence was deafening.  No screams of terror or gunshots.  Just plumes of smoke in the distance.  We sailed for a while in the moonlight.  We sailed so long that the moonlight eventually transformed into rays of light from the sunrise.  The water glistened as the reflecting sunlight almost created a pathway forward for us.  As Maya and I looked out over the beautiful pathway, we knew there was no force on Earth that would ever stop us from being together.  The world may have just ended, but my life was just beginning.