Annihilate

Rain drenched the land for the third day in a row, massive floods blocked Noah’s path to the small town he liked to visit, all though his powers were greatly increasing, they were no match for the raging river. He sat at the edge of his bed, listening to the rain tap against his window. His mind wondered off to the past when his family was still alive. Every summer, they packed the car full and drove a few hours to the ocean. Noah loved it there, the fresh breeze blowing in from the water would send tingles up his spine and the salt water left a bitter taste on his tongue long after he was done swimming, sometimes he could still taste it.

The ocean is where he met his first love at the age of seventeen, his mind and body blossoming into a bright young man learning the blessings of love. Noah knew his parents wouldn’t approve of the tall handsome man; after all, he was twenty-two at the time. The love they shared conquered all boundaries though and age was only a number to them. He always looked back on that week when he was feeling down, remembering that passion they shared. Occasionally, Noah wondered if the man from the beach was still alive, but that was four years ago and most people were dead.

When the rain finally stopped and the water receded enough for Noah to pass, he made his way into the small town he once made his life in. The sky hung dark with puffy grey clouds ready to spill over at any second and a soft warm breeze hugged his skin gently. In the middle of the street surrounded by destroyed buildings and wrecked cars stood Noah, backpack slung over his arm, his shoulder length ashy blonde hair tucked behind his ears, and his purple bruised face stuck out like a sore thumb. He slowly walked by the movie theater he worked at before the shit hit the fan; it brought back a pool of fond memories. But now the building is in shambles, the lettering falling off the wall and the windows blown out of the front.

Next to the theater was Bette’s Diner, he always stopped by there every day after his shift and grabbed a quick bite to eat. She was a sweet old lady that made the best food; it always put a smile on his face. Bette was like another grandmother to him. His head dropped, his eyes focused on the road, he was saddened by the though of his favorite person never being seen again.
Shouts echoed through the small town, ringing in Noah’s ears. He hadn’t heard another person’s voice in over a year, he almost forgot what other humans sounded like. He took off in full sprint towards the person in distress, grabbing the pistol on his side in preparation.

He didn’t dare use his powers until he knew it wasn’t someone from the company trying to trick and murder him. A couple hundred feet behind a hardware store was a beautiful park with tall trees and a couple swing sets. That’s where the shouting came from; Noah could feel it in his gut. He hoped over a chain-link fence and rounded the corner of the building. There in the middle of the park was a man with a blade, swinging it around violently at the mutations that quickly started outnumbering him. Noah aimed his gun, his eye looking down the sights, this is where his abilities really came in handy. His powers somehow made him an excellent shot, never missing even the fasted target. He pulled the trigger four times before he could even blink. The monsters that once surrounded the man were now lying face down in the dirt. He couldn’t believe how fast Noah killed the mutations, he didn’t know if he should thank him or run away.

“I am who I am and who I am is dead…” Noah said softly, wondering if the man knew the secret code.

“W-what?” He asked, clearly confused.

“It’s an identification. Are you good? Bitten?”

“No. I’m fine.” His voice was shaky, still recovering from what just happened.

“Lets go. More will come.”

Almost to Noah’s house, the man finally broke the silence. “You have powers don’t you?”

Noah stopped mid walk and turned to him, examining his every feature. He looked normal enough, black leather jacket, clean short brown hair, blue jeans and boots, in his early twenties. He thought for a minute and decided to trust him. “Yes. I do.”

“I thought so. The way you handled yourself back there was impressive. My friend had powers. But they killed her…the company.”

“What I said back at the park…the identifier, the company used it among agents to see who was who. I picked it up after hearing it when I was hiding out in town. I had to make sure.”

“I understand. It’s hard to trust people nowadays. I’m from the safe haven.”

“Why’d you leave?” Noah asked, confused. The safe haven was a place no one wanted to leave, it was luxury there.

“It was overrun a few months ago, the walls couldn’t hold back these new mutations…they fly and spit some sort of acid. Been on my own ever since.”

“What happened to the people there?”

He sighed. “A lot of people died, a lot of people escaped. I don’t know what happened to the survivors. Dead by now probably.”

They entered the invisible cloak, the man amazed by the technology and also surprised that he managed to stay unnoticed for so long. “Hungry?” Noah asked.

“Y-Yeah…a little.” The man slouched against the wall as they entered the house.

“What’s wrong?” Noah grabbed him just before he tumbled to the floor. “Jesus, you’re hurt.” He lifted the man’s shirt, exposing a deep gash in his chest seeping blood.

Noah was taken aback at the sight of his right arm, or lack there of. A metallic mechanical arm was in its place starting from the shoulder. He must’ve lost it a long time ago; the technology in it fascinated him. The man noticed Noah’s widened eyes and laughed slightly. He placed his hands over the wound fully knowing his healing powers weren’t up to par, he didn’t care though. Noah couldn’t lose him, someone he just met, someone that could make the loneliness less lonely. His hair started glowing bright and sparkling like glitter when the sun hits it perfectly, and his eyes transformed, cycling through every color imaginable. He could feel his power growing, his hands burning with strength and energy. As fast as it started, it ended and everything reverted back to normal. The wound was reduced to only a scar but he was still in a lot of pain, which would go away with rest.

Noah let the man sleep in his bed; it was the most comfortable in the entire house. The man was hurt long before running into Noah and the mutations, he was lucky that they stumbled upon each other; he would’ve been dead by now. He lay on the couch, looking up at the ceiling that was also the floor to his bedroom. His mind drifted. The man sure wasn’t bad looking. He got a closer look when he removed his shirt and helped him into the bed. Freckles dotted across his cheeks and nose and continued onto his chest. He reminded Noah of the boy at the ocean. He was glad the man was upstairs, sleeping soundly. It made him feel safe, protected, like the world wasn’t such a lonely place after all.