It had almost been a month since the world held its breath. Unable to breathe from the sudden shift that changed everyone’s understanding of what was or wasn’t real. It should be a month when people prepare for Christmas. Instead, they worry about what the future holds for them. The Cascade changed the world, and it changed it for the worse. Mutations that gave people horrific deformities, powers that made them move objects with their minds or fly to the heavens and destroy cities with a single blow. The Cascade broke great people and turned ordinary folk into weapons of mass destruction. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. Neshoba had heard of reports of monsters, new ones.
He wasn’t sure what was going on at the Order, but what he gathered, they were panicking just like everyone else. His Order, the Order Horrifica, an organisation that was prepared to be disbanded and forgotten about, would now have to battle against the new wave of nightmares, understaffed and underequipped.
There would be countless deaths, and Neshoba feared the Order would become darker and more detached because of it. All of it because he couldn’t be allowed to go after Jackson. Though he chose to find the truth as to why it all happened, he couldn’t help but blame himself for the events that broke the world. Even if no one imagined The Cascade would’ve happened at all, or the fact that realms like El Dorado, Heaven, and Hell were temporarily opened for their residents to freely leave their home realm to enter Earth and blend with humanity.
In a way, it was strange to see that an apocalyptic event had touched other realms and forced everyone to put their differences aside to figure out what was going on. But from his understanding, every angel, demon, and kit was wise enough to keep their mouths shut and pretend that they were human. It won’t last forever; at some point, someone will reveal the truth about the other realms. The Order was on borrowed time before it would all crash down. The best they could do was slow the inevitable.
The drive through Oklahoma was peaceful enough, too peaceful for his liking. It made it easy for Neshoba to be alone with his thoughts, to try to understand what happened. He wondered if the world could go back to normal, if there was a chance to put things right after an unexpected evil swept through the globe in a flash of bright light. The only saving grace was that the world chose to slow down and stop what it was doing. To take a breather and understand everyone’s new collective trauma. Ordinary people stayed in their homes, unsure about what to do next. Many prayed for an answer to the question of what to do after The Cascade. Even if there would never be one given. Humanity was alone and scared of what tomorrow would hold.
Neshoba glanced at the file beside him about the abandoned town he was looking for. Appleseed, the place that started it all 75 years ago. Would there even be a building left in that place? Would it be possible that the Order or MODOC demolished the entire town to cover everything up? He wasn’t sure what was there. It was a gamble to hope for something that might not exist anymore, but seeing that MODOC and someone in the Order allowed the existence of Containment Facility Charlie, it shouldn’t be far off for them to allow the ruins of the town to remain.
‘Nes, we need to talk.’ Claire said over the radio, her voice more sombre than usual.
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‘I’m here,’ Neshoba calmly replied. ‘What is on your mind?’
Claire sighed, trying to find the right words. ‘They found me out, Nes. They know I’m complicit in helping you go against the Order’s wishes.’
‘What’s going to happen to you?’
‘Well, they demand my cooperation. I told them your last known location and where you are heading. But I explain that I don’t know where at this current moment. They can ask if I can track you, but that is impossible with the car you are currently in.’
That was a lie. Neshoba could tell Claire was giving her officials an acceptable account of her working with Neshoba without providing any details. It was obvious that all Claire was doing was telling Neshoba a professional goodbye. It sounded uncaring and monotone, yet genuine. But that was all she could do. She could say only so much without risking her own life.
‘Understand. I will report that I will…’
‘Just come back home, Nes.’ She interrupted; this time her voice radiated concern. ‘This is one thing you are going after is too big. You are putting yourself at risk, and I can’t help you. Nes, right now the world needs you more than it needs the truth. Turn back… I beg of you. We will both face disciplinary action, but if you stop now and turn back, everything will be okay.’
Neshoba gritted his teeth. He figured that someone in the Order realised the risk of him discovering the truth as to what happened in Appleseed. The sort of knowledge that would change the Order and put those responsible not just for Jackson’s rampage, but the events that changed the world and made the ordinary more aware of the horrors that live in the darkest corners.
‘No, I can’t do that, Claire. I’m afraid I have a duty to keep going. I’m sorry.’
There was a long pause. Neshoba wanted her to provide an immediate response or at least argue a bit more before cutting off communications for good. To be with his friend whom he had never met in person for a bit longer.
Instead, she replied in a cold and detached tone. ‘Neshoba Keys, communications with me will end today, on the 5th of December, 2016. Effective immediately.’
The radio went silent, buzzing and crackling as the link between him and her was severed. Neshoba let it crackle a bit more, hoping for Claire to turn her radio back on. Yet nothing came back. She was gone, and he couldn’t do anything to hear her again. Perhaps never again after what he had done. He wished for a day when they could meet up and see each other. But as he drove to his destination, he started to doubt that dream could ever become a reality. She was gone, and he was all alone.
Finding a spot to park his black Chevrolet Bel Air at the side of the road. There should have been a trail that led to Appleseed, but it was clear that it was destroyed or covered over, so no ordinary civilian would discover it. He would have to walk into the forest to find the place of darkness. To find a town where the reptile was supposed to die.
