Safe Haven

My heart feels like it’s trying to punch a hole in my chest. If it weren’t trying so hard to keep me alive, I think it might kill me. It’s trying so hard to oxygenate my body, but my lungs can’t suck air in fast enough. The filter in this mask needs changing. I’m so tempted to tear it off.

              I push myself to keep running. Not far now. Pain shoots through my foot as I roll my ankle on a piece of rubble. I stumble. Every footstep sears red-hot. A bullet whizzes past my left side. I throw myself behind a brick wall. Haven better be as good as they promised, because I have put myself through hell to get there – if I make it. My leg stings with fresh grazes. There’s so much dirt and blood mingled on my skin at this point, that one injury is virtually indistinguishable from the next.

              I ignore the buzzing of the drone that arrives overhead; I’m not going to smile for their fucking camera. It makes my blood boil thinking about those wealthy arseholes sitting in Haven, safe and sound, watching us fight for survival like it’s entertainment. Half the world is underwater, the rest of it is crumbling or on fire. While the world’s elite sit in their climate-controlled biosphere sipping mimosas, the rest of us are out here trying not to catch a virus or starve to death.

              I press my back up against the wall and lift my rifle to my shoulder. I scan the horizon. Where’s Odette? I told her to count to a hundred then follow me. I train my rifle at the mounds of crumbling concrete a hundred metres away. I only have four bullets left, so I’d better make them count.

              I glance back at the warehouse. Visibility is surprisingly good today. It’s been fairly hazy for the last week. I wave my arm above my head, hoping Odette catches the movement. “Come on Odie,” I murmur. I’ve gotta keep you alive. It’ll be all my fault if she doesn’t make it. We’ve never competed before, but she’s getting sick and there’s medicine in Haven.

              I catch sight of her red hair. We should have tried to dye it something less conspicuous. I push my eye up against the sights, and my finger hovers over the trigger. A barrel pokes out over the concrete mounds, but they’re careful not to make a target of themselves. I hear a yelp from Odette but I don’t shift my focus. Unless I hear a gunshot, I’m going to assume she can pick herself up. I’m guessing the only reason I haven’t heard one yet is because they can’t get a clear shot and they’re trying to conserve bullets like I am. The gun barrel disappears from my sights. I take the opportunity to check on Odie. She’s so close. A bullet hits the dirt less than a metre to her left. I scramble to get the attacker in my sights. I let off a shot but I have no idea if it hits its mark.

              Odette reaches me and her knees buckle. I clutch her arms and draw her in close. As we huddle beside the wall, I can feel her shaking.

              “Tell me the clue again.” I only say it to make her focus.

              “Triumph awaits at the heart of the Elysian Fields.”

              I look back over my shoulder. It seems quiet out there. “And you know how far away that is?”

              Odie nods. “Only a few more blocks.”

              More than a few, but I’m glad she’s thinking optimistically.

              “Do you still have the key?” she asks.

              “It’s inside my jacket.” I grab Odette’s shoulders and pull her to her feet. I point to a building. “We’re going to make another run for it, okay? It’s not far.”

              “Together?”

              “Yep, together this time.” I check back at the concrete mound. Still no movement. “On three.” I count us in and I hold her hand as we run. We make it across easily enough. Maybe our opponents are busy fighting each other.

              Odette coughs violently.

              “Are you okay?”

              She holds up her hand to signal she’s alright, but the coughing continues. She doubles over as the fit takes hold. My fingers fly to my belt to unclip my flask. I unscrew the lid. Odette pulls her mask down. Water splutters and drips down her chin as she tries to drink. It’s getting worse.

              She regains control, but she looks weak. I glance at the door, then up at the windows. It’s pretty dusty, doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while. “We should rest.”

              The door is rusty, but I get it open with a bit of persuasion – mostly from my hip and shoulder. I check the rooms are clear and we head upstairs where I can get a good look out the window. I wrap my jacket around Odette’s shoulders and get her settled in the corner. “Shut your eyes, try to get some sleep. I’ll wake you up in a bit.

              I take up sentry duty at the window. You get an alright view from here – if rubble and destruction can be called a good view. The city must have looked really beautiful once, before the Fourth World War; before the Union army bombed the hell out of it.

              We’ve done really well to get this far. Now that we’re this close, I couldn’t bear losing. Odette didn’t want to compete, but if she doesn’t get to Haven, she’ll die. That’s the harsh reality. The thing about the contest is, the closer you get to the end, the higher the chance is of getting killed. But sooner or later, if you don’t enter, you’re going to die anyway. It was easy at the start; it was even fun for a while. A helicopter flew over our village and dropped hundreds of sheets of paper to the ground. I ran into the street as they rained down. It was like a scavenger hunt. You had to find this or that; look for a certain location, collect another clue. Loads of people played at the start. Most dropped out when challenges start getting harder and more dangerous, or when the game was taking them too far from home. I hardly dared to dream we’d make it this far. I didn’t let myself believe we might win until we found the key. I damn-near drowned to get it. One of the clues led us to the cathedral ruins. If the fire at the start of the 21^st century didn’t destroy it, the bombing sure did. The river floods periodically, so what’s left of the cathedral is partially submerged. All bridges to the island have collapsed, so we swam. I didn’t know if Odette would make it with her weakened lungs, but she’s a fighter. When we got there, I realised we were headed for the flooded crypts. I made Odette stay behind while I swam down to solve the puzzle and retrieve the key.

              I have to get her to Haven. It doesn’t matter if there aren’t enough places this year for me to go with her. Getting separated from her would be unbearable, but at least I’d know she was safe. I’ve tried not to think about being left behind; we won’t know how many places there are until we get to the pick-up point. I can always try again next year. God, I want to see Haven so badly, though. They say there are shades of green in the dome not seen in the outside world for fifty years. Rainforests! Can you imagine? And supposedly they still have bees. My grandmother told me honey was the nectar of the gods; like liquid gold. I mean, just breathing fresh, clean air, uncontaminated by pollutants and smoke would make all this worth it. Who would have thought our best chance for survival was in Russia?

              Shit. Our friends from earlier have followed us. There are two of them, as far as I can tell. They slip into the shadow of the building. I shake Odette’s shoulders, “We have to go.” I pull on my jacket and move to the door, gun raised. There are footsteps on the stairs. I motion for Odette to get behind me. I try to keep my breathing steady. My heart is racing; this doesn’t get any easier.

              The door opens and I don’t wait to shoot. At this range, it blows a hole in the guy’s chest. I don’t waste any time turning the gun on his friend further down the stairs. The first shot misses but the second strikes his abdomen. He stumbles into the wall, clutching his stomach with one hand; he’s got a pistol in the other. He pulls the trigger and I feel a searing pain as the bullet grazes my shoulder. I rush forward and hit him with the butt of my rifle. He pulls out a knife and lunges. I grab his arm and we’re locked in a wrestling match. “Go Odie! Run!”

              Odette’s footsteps are quick and heavy as she passes behind me. The blade nicks my chest, but I manage to get my fingers into his bullet wound. He gasps in pain and drops the knife. I strike his head with my rifle again and he slumps to the floor. I abandon my rifle and pick up the knife. As I scramble down the stairs after Odette, I catch sight of a drone out the window. I resist the urge to give it the finger.

              As I catch up with Odette, I hold my hand out. Her fingers slip into mine and I squeeze them tight. After a block or so she’s is overcome with another coughing fit. I steer her into an alcove. Odette drinks the last of the water and I rub her back as we wait for it to pass.

              “I can’t run anymore,” she says.

              “It’s okay, we don’t have to.” We inch along, moving from alcove to alcove; slow and steady. The hairs on my arm stand on end. It’s eerily quiet. I’m on high-alert. At least we’re on the right street now: The Elysian Fields, or as it’s known in Paris: Avenue des Champs-Élysées. We make it most of the way along the avenue without seeing another soul.

              The back of my neck prickles. I don’t like this; it’s too easy.

              We reach the end of the row of crumbling buildings, and I hold my arm out to stop Odette. I’m not ready to rush into the open. In the centre of the roundabout, damaged, but still standing, is the Arc de Triomphe. I can’t quite believe it. It’s bigger than I expected. Odette and I grin at each other; we made it. She strides forward.

              Off to my left I spot a figure lurking in the shadows. I throw myself in front of Odette and grip the knife handle. The figure doesn’t make a move. Odette and I stay rooted on the spot, watching the stranger. They do nothing but stare back at us. I don’t think they’re competing. We make our way to the base of the arch. Hardy grass grows in the gaps between cobblestones.

              We wander around the base of the pillars. I don’t know exactly what we’re looking for. “I don’t see anything, do you?”

              Odette shakes her head. I stand in the centre and stare up at the ceiling. I can’t imagine the mammoth effort it must have taken to build this. Our ancestors did some pretty incredible things – before they destroyed it all.

              “Over here!” Odette cracks open a doorway in one of the pillars. I peer into the darkness.

              “Up we go, I guess.”

              We climb the spiral staircase, round and round until I start to feel dizzy. We emerge onto the roof and I run to the edge; I was getting claustrophobic in that stairwell. Wow; you can see so far from up here. I can just about see what’s left of the Eiffel Tower. No time to admire the view though. I turn my back on the city and we start searching. I’m aware of the ever-present buzzing of the drones as we circle the rooftop. At the far end, I spot a locked chest. I feel in my pocket for the key. Could it really be that simple? I hold my breath as I slot the key into the lock. It slides in smoothly and there’s a click as it turns. I lift the lid. Inside, on a velvet cushion, is a golden ticket. A small camera inside the lid captures my reaction. I squeal. “We did it!” I throw my arms around Odette. Tears moisten my cheeks; she’s going to be okay.

              Odette shrieks. Not in a good way. I let her go and barely have time to turn and find out what has her so panicked. Someone slams into me and pushes me into the railing. I catch a glimpse of my assailant’s face. The stranger in the shadows was competing after all; lying in wait. Their hands are trying to get a hold around my neck. I reach for my knife but I can’t get a hold of it. Their fingers tighten. I can’t breathe. Odette launches at my attacker from behind, clawing at their eyes. Odette is thrown backwards, but the attacker loosens their grip which gives me a moment to shift my weight. I get down low and, with a burst of strength I could never have imagined I possess, I thrust the stranger upwards. They topple over the railing and plummet to their death.

              I clutch a shaking Odette in my arms as we peer over the side. “It’s okay, it’s over now.”

              We don’t have long to think about what just happened. There’s a roar overhead and helicopter blades send wind swirling around us. It can’t land but someone throws down a rope ladder. I press the ticket into Odette’s hands. “Go, on! I’ll be right behind you!”

              Odette starts to climb. When she’s a few rungs ahead, I step onto the ladder.

              “Stop,” shouts the person in the helicopter. “One winner only.”

              Odette looks back at me. “No,” she cries, “you have to come.”

              “I can’t, I’m sorry. You have to go.” I choke back tears, stepping down. Odie reaches out to me, clinging onto the ladder with one arm. I take her hand in both of mine. “I love you. You’re going to be okay now.”

              “I need you.” Her hand slips from mine as the helicopter starts to rise. My heart breaks. I hear her screams as she’s pulled into the chopper. I can’t hold the tears back any longer. I call out to her but the words are lost in the wind.

She’s safe.

She’s safe.

She’s safe.