Nuestras Pesadillas

“Vamos Luis! Vamos!”

What is it that you fear?

“Adella!”

She heard faintly through the screams around her. The sound caused her to lose Luis’s hand, allowing him to be pulled away by the moving tide of people. She only had the time to witness his waving arms sticking through the crowd and his futile calls to her before the moving horde pushed him further away towards the exit of the shopping mall.

Adella had never seen him that scared before. She had never been this scared before. Not even when their father chose to chase his high over his children.

He tried reaching his hand out to his sister once again, only to realize the growing distance between them. Before he knew it, the only thing he could see was scared, unfamiliar faces.

What is your definition of a nightmare?

“Luis!” Adella cried out as she tried with all her strength to push past the horde of people, hoping to find that familiar mop of dark brown curls. Dark brown curls that matched her own… and twenty percent of the people in that mall. There were so many of the same hair colors that she began to panic, even more, when she couldn’t really differentiate between her brother and strangers. She honestly felt a little ashamed of herself; Adella practically raised him ever since they were both saved by the police from their drug-addicted father. She should’ve at least known the difference.

Though could you blame her? So many things were going on around her, distracting her. Such as the many people toppling over chairs and tables, where she and Luis once enjoyed all their free samples from the many restaurants of the food court. She even saw those who couldn’t get back up quick enough, get trampled. There were so many screams echoing throughout the building, but only one seemed to catch Adella’s attention. It felt as if the world slowed down for her as she turned her head to the side to witness a girl, who looked to be the same age as her younger brother, being tackled to the ground.

Her eyes widened as she saw what looked to be an older man tear through the girl’s neck with his bare, bloody, teeth. Adella began to hyperventilate as a woman joined the bloody man in ripping that poor girl apart.

Suddenly, everything sounded muffled. She felt as if she were drowning underwater without her ability to hear and breathe. Worst of all she couldn’t find a single trace of Luis anywhere, for all she knew he could be in the same position as that poor unfortunate girl. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to take a big gulp of air to calm herself down.

Who is that monster that lives in the dark?

“Move!” A man forcefully shouted at her and shoved Adella to the cold, marble ground. Whether they didn’t realize or did not care, the crowd of people started stepping on her. Crying out, she felt as if her bones cracked from the weight of each footstep while she could imagine seeing the many bruises begin to slowly bloom across her back, legs, and arms.

What is it that keeps you up at night?

Adella tried to get back up again only to have another person step on the middle of her back. Resulting in once again, forcing her to the ground.

That keeps bringing you down…

This time the young woman just stayed laying there, not moving a single inch. Only whimpering as despair filled her heart.

“It’s hopeless,” she thought, “there’s no escape.”

Her eyes began to water as she softly sobbed. She didn’t get a day off from the diner for this. All she wanted to do was surprise Luis as an early birthday present since she could finally afford that guitar that he had always wanted. That same guitar that he decided not to save up for, just so that he could help her pay for rent.

Oh Luis, sweet, little Luis. He still had a heart of gold, ever since he was just a little kid. He was sixteen going on seventeen, but Adella could still see him as the same sweet, little boy she had raised since she was eight. Ever since their mother had died from childbirth.

Is this it?

The moment when your life flashes before your eyes when you’re on the brink of death. Tears dripped down her face like gentle raindrops as she closed her eyes.

That keeps making death whisper softly against your ear saying, “Just give up.”

“Adella!”

While her eyes shot open, Adella gasped as she felt strong arms hook under hers, bringing her to stand on her feet once again.

That makes you change once that light of yours burns out…

She turned to see Luis standing behind her with a bloody lip. Signs of how hard he fought the crowd to get back to the only family he had left. Adella put her hand on his cheek making sure for her sanity that he was real, and not a hallucination she heard so much about once you reached death’s doorstep. He then took hold of her hand, holding it with a tighter grip this time. “Addi! Vamos! Come on!” He shouted as loud as he could over the screams, pulling her to the exit. Soon they began to sprint to the now shattered glass doors, not once letting go.

What is it that kills you?

Finally making it outside, only to see much greater chaos. Though they kept running across the parking lot, ignoring the screams and bloody body parts were strewn across the concrete. Adella began looking around. “This is the WORST time to forget where you parked,” she thought to herself. That was until she saw the old, dark-red Toyota Camry. “There!” she pointed out and pulled Luis to where their car was parked, which was luckily near the entrance.

Adella pulled the keys out of her bag, only to drop them by her shaky hands. “Hijo de-!” she quickly picked them up again and fumbled with them until she finally unlocked the door. “Go. Go, go, go!” she yelled out, hurriedly pushing her brother into the passenger seat of the car. She then ran to the driver’s side. Suddenly, Adella began to hear rapid footsteps gaining up behind her. Her fight or flight response kicked in at that moment. Not wanting to risk getting herself killed to look behind her, she quickly opened the door with trembling hands and slammed it shut once she got in.

Right then a large figure banged against the window, growling. Adella screamed as the rotten-looking figure smeared blood all over the glass, trying to break it. She shoved the key so hard and turned it so fast that she was very concerned that she might have messed up their only chance of escape. The engine roared to life, making Adella sigh with relief.

She immediately changed the gear to reverse and then pulled out of the parking space with a sharp, high-pitched screech. With incredible speed she didn’t even know she had, she turned in the direction of the steering wheel and swerved out of the parking lot. Dodging bodies, people, monsters, and other cars.

“Addi, watch out!”

Snapping her head to where Luis was pointing, she saw a large semi-truck speeding towards her on her left side. Adella released a huge gasp and stepped on the gas pedal. The truck barely skimmed her back bumper, but the siblings were not out of the woods just yet. Now the young Hispanic woman started swerving to dodge oncoming cars. There were horns honking left and right.

Luis looked at their surroundings trying to find a clear path for them to get through. Thankfully, he did end up finding one. A street that lead straight out of town, but there was one small problem. It was being blocked by a couple of abandoned cars. At this point, breaking through was the only option they had.

“Adella mira alli!”

The moment the young woman glanced at where her brother was directing her, she did a double-take.

“Estas loco?!” Adella screeched out in response.

“Addi! Please-!”

“No! absolutely not!”

“ADELLA! The town is gone! We can’t stay here anymore!”

The more she thought about it, the she knew he was right. There was nothing left for them here. It was time to say goodbye to the only home they knew. With that, she took a deep breath and made a sharp turn. Pressing the accelerator as hard as she could, bracing herself with a tight grip on the steering wheel. “Brace yourself!”

Doing just that, Luis held onto the roof handle with one hand while the other braced above the glove compartment. She tried to stay centered with whatever gap there was between the cars as she barreled through. Cars shoved to the side making the opening wider. The sound of metals scraping against each other, mixed with the countless screams of perishing humans, was all they could hear. The front of their car was completely damaged, the bumper crushed in, the fender all scratched and dented, while the headlights were cracked and sticking out.

Suddenly, silence. Minus the distant sound of chaos behind them. The road in front of them was now empty and undisturbed. Breathing heavily, she turned to Luis, reaching out to cradle his face. “Estas bien?” Adella questioned him with worry in her eyes. He looked at her with wide eyes, also trying to bring his breathing back to normal. As if just registering the question, he slowly nodded.

She gave a small nod in return as she faced the front again. It was then she felt how drenched her forehead was. She began to wipe the sweat off to the best of her abilities and move the strands of dark hair that stuck to the sides of her face. Her eyes now slightly burned from the act, but she ignored it and kept her focus on the road. Luis continued to stare at her with uncertainty written across his face, brows slightly furrowed in concern. “Y usted?”

Never taking her eyes off the road, Adella replied, “Gotta be.”

So…

What is it?

In this new world. That is the true question.