3 - Scraping the Sky

Chapter 3
Scraping the Sky

We scurried out of the side door, ran through the slippery mulch of sycamore leaves and skipped across the wet cobbled square. Once onto the main road, we headed east to the bridge as we stumbled along as a ragged pack. ‘Where did you leave the van, Jack?’ I shouted through breaths.

‘It’s a scaffolder’s truck’ he said his voice calm and smooth, unbroken by running. He was flanked by Ryan and Rowan, who also ran effortlessly in their full kit as their training that had not long passed.

‘Where is it?’

‘The other side of the bridge in a safe place, A’. There were lights, vehicles and people milling about ahead. Those lights were daggers in my eyes, so I put my head down and in the darkness flashes of Nola came to me. It was the quick, careless and brief love we shared, if it was love at all that she might’ve seen as just sex that she needed, but all I knew was that there was a light in her eyes, she smiled and I made her happy for that brief time. I thought of the meals we had together, her serving piles of green beans, heaps of potatoes drowned in salty butter and thick slices of red meat. Thick red wine like bulls blood with hunks of French bread to start with. My train of thought was inevitably broken as we dodged piles of debris and rubbish scattered about and abandoned or burnt-out cars. Our run had slowed to a trot allowing us to run together and in time.

We were running from what we knew would be behind us, not taking into account what might be ahead of us. I heard a shot and a bullet whizzed around somewhere nearby followed by two more and then a burst of three. After a minute shots fired from all directions and at that moment I hated being human, because it was so complicated and meaningless. I wanted to escape this world, looking up the dark salmon clouds it felt like my fingers were scraping the sky to get out. ‘Get ready to return fire’ I shouted. I wanted to be an animal, something like a cat, cats didn’t have wars, I remembered it had been a bird last time. I looked all around, I looked back wanting to be anywhere but there. As we sprinted over the bridge, lights turned on us and we were caught in a narrow trap. It was a low stone bridge with decorative piers that had large metal lamps on them. We kept going as there was no other way to go. It was a wide river and a long bridge that had little shelter. As we approached the other side a barricade faced us and a sentry behind fired from his semi-automatic. ‘Stop’ he yelled, but we opened fire on him and as he went down he took one of us with him. I looked back and saw Ryan on the ground. People looked down from windows, some were leaning out with guns.

‘Come on’ I rallied, but there was a three-way split in the road and we stood as a target looking around in panic. ‘Which way is it Jack? thank the gods he was still with us I thought. He looked back at Ryan lying on the pavement. ‘Jack?’ I yelled and he looked at me. ‘Which way?’ He said nothing and headed along a wide side walk that followed the riverbank. We brought up the rear and I looked up at the people in the windows who held rocks, bricks and stones, but the shadows protected us this time and as we progressed further all became quiet.

Jack led us down a side street to a compound and in that dismal place were rows of trucks, lorries and vans, and some shot up vehicles from the war. He looked along a row and then came back. ‘No, it’s down here’ he said half to himself. He went down another row and I heard an engine start and a few seconds later an open backed lorry came out with Jack at the wheel. ‘Come on’ he shouted and we jumped in. Some shots fired at us, but we carried on at a steady pace to the straight road that led to the pass to Sesuthia. As we swerved away we saw a knot of armed police. Were they the ones that had gone to the house? They didn’t shoot, they stood calmly and radioed ahead.

In a blur the city became outskirts, that could’ve been a main part of any small town, that became separate houses with grand country gardens, that in turn became the green countryside and in the dying glimmers of the western light, in the distance miles ahead were the silhouettes of the great ice-peaked mountains of Sesuthia. ‘There’s nothing now for miles, we should be clear’ Briggs announced, he was smiling calmly as though everything was all right and it made me smile.

From the open back of the truck where the tubes of grey steel and thick planks of wood were, Rowan knocked on the rear window of the cab and the three of us looked around. He signed, pointing back, frowning, his lips pursed; we were being chased. The heavily laden truck rattled and thumped along, with its full load as it wasn’t meant to be driven at high speed while Rowan was being thrown around as the chasing cars got closer.

The road inclined up into the foothills and after a few hundred metres became a dusty, bumpy track. We slowed up and so did the cars behind us. ‘We will have to make a move’ I said.

‘What?’ Jack said.

‘When we can go no further, we stop the truck and get out and make a run for it’ We all looked up at the slopes that disappeared into darkness. ‘Get ready’

I knew death might be close so allowed myself one happy thought and remembered what Nola had said as she lay sumptuously in bed about how old-fashioned my name was. I don’t why I held her in any regard as she had betrayed us, but she like everyone else was trapped by the war and its impossibility. Then she had questioned me going on night manoeuvres at night! It made sense to me anyway

‘Sir?’ Briggs said and I looked back to see Rowan throwing planks and scaffold poles at the chasing cars behind. They swerved away violently, it bought us a few more minutes. At once the track became a footpath and we stopped.

‘All out’ I said banging the back of the cab to Rowan. We ran along the path that went steadily upwards until it was no more and became rocks and giant boulders.

Author's Note

In Chapter 4 the unit meet Sophie Onion

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A very strong chapter. You made the battle and the struggle come alive. I liked the way you give enough for each scene. I liked the drive and the energy of the words dear Testia. Thank you for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote

[Kat]

I love this so much! I can't wait for the next chapter, you're doing an amazing job on this story. Keep up the great work!