A Tricky Trek

I stood in the center of the rows of cars that had long been abandoned. Doors hung open intermittently between the random SUV's and compacts that had their colors stolen from them by the assault of rain, sunlight, and fire. Dark charcoal patches bled from car hoods to the asphalt that showed the scorch marks of what was either fire bombs or engines that simply couldn't handle the journey to begin with.

I'd been moving slowly through the zigging fleets of vehicles. I could spot certain ones that had the skeletal remains of those who were not so fortunate to escape. I looked at some of them as I passed and could see the varying instruments that led to their deaths. Chest plates spattered with small bullet holes, flattened impacts on the skulls of others, and on a rare few were wide and scratchy holes that were up to six inches wide. These were the obvious clues of a Jotun ice lance as it was hurled through their bodies.

I stopped at a late model minivan that had one such families remains inside. The driver had gone first with a large hole sat in it's center to show the impact. Next to them was a twisted and slumped body of bones that looked like it was reaching to the backseat for something. I could see the sizeable hole that had severed the spine and pinned the body to the center console. I could see a decaying booster seat where the arm was reaching. There was no body but that meant little in this scenario.

"The Jotuns might have taken the child back to their world or to one of the camps." Loki said.

I sighed with a weight of disappointment before replying to him.

"Either outcome isn't good for the survivor." I said.

I continued on through the maze of vehicles. Ahead of me I saw the familiar bridge of the city. The Bunker Hill Memorial bridge had managed to stay attached despite the chaos that had surrounded it. As I approached the grated floor of the walkway and smelled the ocean nearby I was reminded of my own childhood. The few summer vacations that occurred with my family would have me at any one of the numerous museums in the area.

The city had an impressive science center that I could remember running around in as a kid. Their observatory being a cool relief against the blazing heat of summer days. The aquarium was also a staple in my memories. The shows of various animals that were on display throughout the year were always unique and informative. I even found myself enjoying the history and art museums of the area.

I remembered the year when a piece of the Titanic had been pulled from the depths and was travelling the country. I had been in this strange phase where I was fascinated with the event and my folks had brought me to see the exhibit. There were various items and panels of information but the one thing that stayed with me was when I was able to touch the ship piece itself. It was at the end of the exhibit and stood in place in the center of large open-air room. It was constantly being sprayed with water to prevent faster decay or damage from occurring. I don't remember the particulars of how it happened but one of the employees had managed to sneak me to the piece and let me touch it. It was a strange feeling and for a brief moment I could almost feel the pain that was still attached to the roaming sliver of history.

My thoughts were interrupted when I had gotten almost half way across the cabled bridge. A loud and deep groan had echoed around me. It's tones and bellows bouncing off the low toppled skyscrapers that were near by. My eyes darted back and forth across the way to see what was making the noise. My initial thoughts were that of a Jotun camp that might have been nearby though I had not seen any indication of their icy camps being around.

My brow lowered and my eyes narrowed as I searched lowly at the streets and alleys that I could see. I waited for the sign of any shape or shadow so that I could know what it was I was going to need to hide from. The groans continued on in long and unending rhythms. It was almost as if a song were being sung in some ancient tongue. I could feel the stirring thoughts of Loki at the back of my head.

"Should we run?" I asked.

"No but we should head for that taller building to the west. The one that still stands of it's own accord by the harbor." he said.

I turned my attention to the harbor line and saw the singular building that still held strong amongst it's fallen companions around it. I nodded my head in confirmation as if there was someone around to see. My feet carried me on in timed sequence to the low groans that still echoed between the buildings. As I came to the end of the bridge the sounds came to an abrupt end and the city was once again quiet. The dull lapping of water against the stones and concrete below being the only noise left that broke the madness of a dead city.

My feet pressed forward while at the back of my head I felt the sharp discomfort of unseen eyes around me. I hadn't seen anyone else for days and even as I came to the outskirts of the city there was no signs of life. So the fact that it felt like something was watching me was unsettling. I moved through the narrow streets that were now congested with overturned cars and large collections of garbage and furniture. Makeshift barricades most likely created when people tried to form some type of defense for themselves.

I shifted what I could and when the remnants were lessened I climbed over them. My hand pressed at the wall to gain some stability and I could feel the chilled memory of the long melted ice in the brick and stone of the crumbling walls. If the Jotun ice had actually remained, my hands would have been burned. I needed to be careful and in his own small way I could feel Loki urging the same thoughts to my head.

As I approached the lone building I looked up to the towering and fading colors of the structure. There was nothing special about the building that I could see so it made me wonder why it had been spared against the chaos that surrounded it. The doors had been torn from their hinges and I moved in to the foyer of what looked like an old accounting firm lobby or something. Large spaces sat between the few remaining letters that were still nailed to the wall. Their once golden hue now turned to copper and rust.

I looked around the room, searching for the sign that would indicate the stairs. At the back of the lobby, past the elevators, I could see the small sign that showed the old stick figure man ascending a small zig-zag of lines that were meant to indicate a set of stairs. I stepped forward to the sign. My feet pattering in the puddles of water that coated the floor in patches. I looked at the old metal doors of the elevators and silently wished for an easier time of ascending the high-rise.

After what had felt like almost an hour I finally came to the door at the top of the stairs. I was breathing heavily and sweat coated every inch of my body. My vision swayed and my body shook with sickening speed. I wanted to sit on the cold stone of concrete and die but being so close I felt the anxious nerves of Loki pressing my body onward.

I turned the knob and pressed at the metal door. It screeched open and a blast of high altitude wind pressed at me. Stepping outside I looked around as if expecting to meet someone. the roof itself was rather small and I could see all of the corners with only a few steps around the area. With no hint or clue as to what i was looking for I spoke to the only companion I had with me.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Grab a handful on these rocks and toss them into the water below." he said.

Gathering a small amount of the pebbles at our feet, I walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. The drop was intense and I felt the weakness of vertigo build in my head. I took a single step back and breathed in before hurdling the small rocks out ahead of me. At this height I couldn't tell if they had hit the water and for a few moments there was silence that was both tense and unnerving.

It quickly dissipated at the sound of the familiar groan and hum I had heard earlier. This time however it was accompanied by the motion of liquid. the sea below began to wave back and forth slowly. I cast my eyes to the water that ran by from the bridge I had crossed. Deep below it's depths was a shimmer of color I had not noticed. The water glowed with waving hues of blue and silver. As the colors moved I realized they were gaining speed and sliding forward.

I knew at once I was looking at the great beast "". Its serpent body twisting and slithering in the depths of the sea below had begun to breach the canal below the bridge. It shook and twisted before climbing and raising from the waters around it. I heard the loud screech and crack of the bridge twist and snap like a branch snapping from a tree. the rubble and weight of the broken bridge had no impact on the beast as it moved and twisted in the water around me.

I watched as from out of the harbor a wide head of scales and teeth breeched the ocean. Massive, yellowed eyes shown as bright as the sun that it's head had blotted out. As the eyes adjusted to the light around it, I watched the head sweep slowly around the city, water and debris dripping from its large body. Eventually it stopped it's search as we locked eyes. A large sneer crossed its mouth and it moved towards me with cautious pace.

I felt the building shake and tremble at my feet as the serpents body came closer, dragging at the sea floor below it. I felt the heavy beating of my heart as it came nearer and nearer. Until finally, it stopped just at the edge of the building. A single tooth was as wide as the building itself. Its mouth dropped open and its forked tongue licked out to the air around me. As the scaled beast finished its assessment of the air it cocked its head to the side and lowered his eyes to me.

The beast opened his mouth and a hum of tunes and scratchy sounds garbled out from the the throat of the ancient creature. I knew it was speaking even though the words were unfamiliar, I knew their meaning as I understood its puzzled question.

"Father?"