Kyron's Iron Heart

"Kyron, fucking get it together! Stop acting like a little bitch!" I never realized it until this very instant. Funny how dads' so-called words of encouragement and moms' satirical internal dialogue are now my mini motivational speeches every time I consider caving under pressure. It may sound horrible, but in reality, if it weren't for those two critical lines, I would've never made it this far even though I used to brag about how I was cut out for surviving an apocalypse. All I'm saying is, it's entirely different than watching a movie or playing a video game based on one. And as much as my parents complained about the video games I played, those have ironically been just as essential in my survival.

"Okay, on one, I'll make a run for it. Three, two.." I whispered out loud. I closed my eyes, took one more deep breath, and opened them again. "One!" I abruptly dart out from behind an emerald green, lightly rusted, abandoned moving truck on an overgrown trail right at the edge of the pavement that leads to my moms' apartments. I swiftly bolt through the rampant weeds, hurtle some bushes and move stealthily through the treeline to the old wooden barn-style shed so that I can get a better view of the entrance to the complex. My friends and I use to ride bikes past this decrepit little shack and swear it's haunted. Now I worry about the living more than I worry about the dead. I squat down and lean against the side of the dilapidated, moss-covered shed. I try to catch my breath. It feels impossible with this stupid gas mask covering my face. I used to run track before school got canceled indefinitely. I shouldn't be out of breath, but this monstrosity of an apparatus makes me feel claustrophobic as shit!

You'd think I'd be used to it by now. When the pandemic first started, the government forced everyone to wear a face-covering of some sort any time they stepped outside their homes. I can see what's left of the FBI building they started the construction on right before I traveled to Arkansas to spend the summer with my dad. Before I left South Carolina, only the land was clear, a concrete foundation laid, and fences surrounded the mini portable trailers with twenty-four-hour surveillance of the area. I used to think my mom was this loony conspiracy theorist when she would discuss how quickly they decided to place an FBI building in a small town like ours and how it was sketchy. It's apparent that she saw more than met the eye. Now, there stands a three-story concrete building covered in graffiti. A portion of the right side of the building has crumbled from an obvious explosion. There's a gaping hole that leaves the remnants inside the offices visible on the first and second floors. There's a parking lot with several pollen-covered government vehicles, an army tank, and a large burnt orange shipping container. I can't make out all of the words spray-painted on the building, but one of the writings read, "Freedom Of Choice!" and another reads "Mark of the beast." The multiple entrance gates strategically placed to secure the facilities look as if they're all breached. The facility is abandoned and feels like a ghost town.

There's an eery lull. I only hear ravens cawing ominously nearby as the stench of death seeps into my mask. "Shit! I don't think I should be smelling anything. Did I seal it properly?" Now slightly panicking and wondering if I did the clearing steps the right way, I attempt to clear and seal it again. I was only seven when my mom was in the army, but the thing I remember most vividly was how cool it was when she showed me the NBC mask. Now I wonder if she knew back then that I would need the training she provided to me for fun. She always just knew things. I need a minute to regroup to scout my safest route to the 400 building near the back of the complex. That shouldn't be complicated. The crucial task is avoiding getting discovered by any government or military personnel that still linger to monitor the grounds. Ever since the alert on the EBS they've been holding civilians captive in quarantine camps until they can isolate the vaccinated from the unvaccinated.

This whole catastrophe started once the government finally convinced almost everyone on a global scale that there was a pandemic. Slowly but surely, all hell broke loose. Things took a downward spiral into the world that we know now. In March of last year, the government informed the world of a deadly respiratory virus with a rapid infection rate. We believed that staying in quarantine, disinfecting our surroundings obsessively, wearing masks, and social distancing would keep us safe until they found a cure. Schools closed first. Businesses that weren't considered necessary closed next. Then even those in essential positions began to get furloughed. The government sent out funds to every family to cover living costs and as an incentive to keep people home. We were told that this was for our safety, the good of humanity. Soon a vaccine was released. It was first made available to the elderly, healthcare workers, teachers, and finally, the rest of us. People rushed to get vaccinated in hopes of protecting themselves, their families, and the general public. Those that were like my parents and were reluctant or refusing to take the vaccine were offered insane incentives by the government like being entered into lottery-type drawings to win gift cards, cars, paid college tuition, absurd amounts of cash. Still, my parents, along with many others refused. We slowly began to see some normalcy. Many went back to work, school, and daily activities as we knew them before the pandemic. The worst was yet to come as humanity was gradually led like sheep to the slaughter.

I will never forget the shrill, deafening sound of the alarm that howled from our phones at 11 PM. The EBS shook all of us from our sleep. The announcement blared out a message that would ring in the new world. "This is not a test. You are instructed to stay in your current location. Do not go outdoors. Due to the breach of the 5G control system, mass deaths around the world have been reported. It's believed that has caused a direct adverse reaction to those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Until further notice, remain indoors!" That was our first and last notice. All communications have been nonexistent since.

I have to know if my mom and little brother and sister are still alive. They're all I have left. I've made it this far. Only about 100 yards left. I've run for touchdowns almost as long as this. "I've got this", I whisper to myself. I take one last inventory of my surroundings. I quickly question whether I should take the long way and inch through the woodline at the edge of the property or just make a dash down the hill through the parking lot. I can hear my heart pounding out of my chest now and feel my pulse through every vein of my body. My hands are clammy and I'm slightly shaking. This is it. I can hear my mom in the back of my mind. "Just do it, baby. You got this!", she would say when I'd get nervous before a play. She would never hesitate in a situation like this. "Fuck it."

Without wasting one more millisecond I jet down the hill toward the 400 building. I round the corner of the brick building. Have you ever run so fast it just felt like you were being chased? This was one of those moments. Kind of like when you're little and still afraid of the dark so you race from one room to the other once you switch the light off. Still sprinting at full speed, I hit the stairwell, taking the steps three at a time until I reach the second floor. Panting to catch my breath, adrenaline still pumping, I'm finally standing at the door. I made it! I actually freakin' made it! I have this overwhelming feeling of relief, like the weight of the whole world was just lifted from my chest. Then why am I so hesitant to open the door? I know in my heart, my future is just on the other side.

I feel the sensation of cold iron pulsating on my chest in sync with the rapid beat of my heart. I reach my hand in my shirt to pull out the locket my mom had given me right before I left for the summer. It's insane how much meaning this has now and the guilt I carry from being slightly embarrassed when she first gifted it to me. I mean, what fifteen-year-old boy wears a locket necklace? It didn't look girly or anything, it's just the idea. She really tried to make it as masculine as possible, choosing a solid black iron heart. It was heavy, weighted, and it didn't open from the side as most lockets do. This one was hinged at the top and had an anchor-style hook that attached it to a black beaded chain like the ones that army dog tags came on. There was nothing feminine about it. Inside, on the top portion of the heart, there was a picture of all of us together, my mom, my little sister, my little brother, and me. It was a silly photo booth picture from the last mini-vacation we had together. The other side had "You are the light" engraved into the iron.

Everything had meaning to my mother, down to my name. Kyron, meaning beam of light. You had to know the type of person she is. Everything was symbolic or was a sign to her. Did she know something? Did she have one of her premonitions? Is that why she was so reluctant to let me go for the summer? Did she know my future or purpose? Did this locket have more meaning than I realized? What is my fate once I open this door? What if they're not inside? Did I have a bigger purpose in this new world? Did the indestructible iron heart and my name have some symbolic meaning? As I stood here questioning my whole life and this new world I only had one last wish. I grasp the locket tighter and close my eyes. I always said I never believed in some magic man sitting in the sky casting people to Heaven or Hell and granting wishes and miracles. "But God, if you're really there.." I begin to pray. "Please. Just please let them be on the other side of this door." I tuck my locket safely back inside my shirt, grab the doorknob, close my eyes, and take one last breath. "On one," I whisper out loud. "Three......two.....one."

To be continued ...