Read Online The Mountain and The City: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale by Brian Martinez - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brian Martinez
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lifts over my Head and the Munie runs harder and jumps and the Machine leaves my Hands and as it does I hear someone scream.
**
It's my turn to fall.
I hit the Plants hard, breaking mostly dead branches. My Legs and Body bend at the creases as I roll forward and again the Winged Beasts explode into the Air with wings and screams and feathers. In the Suit I hear another tear run up the back before I land on my Face and the roll of Silvery Tape digs into my Stomach and pushes the Air from me.
I lay for eleven seconds. Alive. On my Back I can see up to the Window I jumped from. I have to squeeze my Eyes to do it. The Munie isn't there, but that doesn't mean it won't be soon. It was only stunned when the Machine struck its filthy face and made it fall to the Floor, flopping and bleeding from its mouth. I used those seconds to get to the Window and jump away.
What about Child?
My Eyes move under the long Plant Tables that stretch across the Room. The Floor is covered with the filth of the Winged Beasts who are still calming and landing in their nests after being scared by my fall. Their smell is everywhere, along with the weak Light of the Moon.
I call out to her. A small voice sounds from the corner. I'm so relieved to hear it, I don't bother telling her it's not my name.
“Mother?” She peeks around the end of the Plant Table. Her forehead has a new scratch but otherwise she looks safe. With my Hand up, I tell her to wait.
The Munie appears in the Window above. It sniffs at the Air with it's pushed-in nose as blood runs out of its mouth, down its chin and along its neck to soak the rags it calls clothes.
It can't see you. It can't smell you. All you can do is be still.
When it disappears Inside the Building, I wait forty-one seconds until I sit up and call Child over.
“You're okay? Your arms and legs work?”
She puts a finger to her forehead and says, “Ground.”
“That's nothing, it'll heal.” I look at her, impressed she's barely injured. “You jump very good, you know. I didn't think you would make it.”
Her eyes open wide.
“That was a joke. I'm sorry, I haven't said a joke in a long Time, I'm not good at it.”
She points through the missing Square of Glass. “What happen?”
“Luck. Just enough to escape.”
“Hear yell.”
I get to my Feet. “I heard that, too.”
**
The Winged Beasts like that they can fly through the missing squares of Glass. This Building is thick with the nests they make out of the things they find, like String, dead Grass and Hair.
Most Buildings have nests, but there are more here than I'm used to. It's been a long Time since I explored inside any building so there might be more Winged Beasts these Days than there were back then, but either way I don't mind. It's good that there are so many. It means the Doors are closed and the Building is safe if so many of them are calm here.
You won't find a better alarm than the Winged Beasts.
Back on the Ground Floor my Legs are weak from the climbing and the falling, but we have so much travel in front of us and no Time to do it. If we're going to leave the City it has to be now, no matter how I feel.
The Door is closed but dark with dirt. The City is almost not seen through it, even after I rub the Glass with my Hand, so I open it, careful, quiet, enough to look out, but the view is still dark without the Glass. It doesn't make sense. The Streets are made up of grays and blacks that run together in a way I've never seen it.
Think about it. Think about what's happening to you.
I don't want to.
But you do understand.
Yes. I understand.
When I'm sure the Street is clear, I take Child back to the Fountain and remove the Silvery Tape from her foot. I learn just how fast the Munies heal. The Axe wound is still bad but not like it was two days ago. It would take a Real Person two weeks to heal this much, and soon I think she'll have a scar and a limp but not much more.
The Water washes
**
It's my turn to fall.
I hit the Plants hard, breaking mostly dead branches. My Legs and Body bend at the creases as I roll forward and again the Winged Beasts explode into the Air with wings and screams and feathers. In the Suit I hear another tear run up the back before I land on my Face and the roll of Silvery Tape digs into my Stomach and pushes the Air from me.
I lay for eleven seconds. Alive. On my Back I can see up to the Window I jumped from. I have to squeeze my Eyes to do it. The Munie isn't there, but that doesn't mean it won't be soon. It was only stunned when the Machine struck its filthy face and made it fall to the Floor, flopping and bleeding from its mouth. I used those seconds to get to the Window and jump away.
What about Child?
My Eyes move under the long Plant Tables that stretch across the Room. The Floor is covered with the filth of the Winged Beasts who are still calming and landing in their nests after being scared by my fall. Their smell is everywhere, along with the weak Light of the Moon.
I call out to her. A small voice sounds from the corner. I'm so relieved to hear it, I don't bother telling her it's not my name.
“Mother?” She peeks around the end of the Plant Table. Her forehead has a new scratch but otherwise she looks safe. With my Hand up, I tell her to wait.
The Munie appears in the Window above. It sniffs at the Air with it's pushed-in nose as blood runs out of its mouth, down its chin and along its neck to soak the rags it calls clothes.
It can't see you. It can't smell you. All you can do is be still.
When it disappears Inside the Building, I wait forty-one seconds until I sit up and call Child over.
“You're okay? Your arms and legs work?”
She puts a finger to her forehead and says, “Ground.”
“That's nothing, it'll heal.” I look at her, impressed she's barely injured. “You jump very good, you know. I didn't think you would make it.”
Her eyes open wide.
“That was a joke. I'm sorry, I haven't said a joke in a long Time, I'm not good at it.”
She points through the missing Square of Glass. “What happen?”
“Luck. Just enough to escape.”
“Hear yell.”
I get to my Feet. “I heard that, too.”
**
The Winged Beasts like that they can fly through the missing squares of Glass. This Building is thick with the nests they make out of the things they find, like String, dead Grass and Hair.
Most Buildings have nests, but there are more here than I'm used to. It's been a long Time since I explored inside any building so there might be more Winged Beasts these Days than there were back then, but either way I don't mind. It's good that there are so many. It means the Doors are closed and the Building is safe if so many of them are calm here.
You won't find a better alarm than the Winged Beasts.
Back on the Ground Floor my Legs are weak from the climbing and the falling, but we have so much travel in front of us and no Time to do it. If we're going to leave the City it has to be now, no matter how I feel.
The Door is closed but dark with dirt. The City is almost not seen through it, even after I rub the Glass with my Hand, so I open it, careful, quiet, enough to look out, but the view is still dark without the Glass. It doesn't make sense. The Streets are made up of grays and blacks that run together in a way I've never seen it.
Think about it. Think about what's happening to you.
I don't want to.
But you do understand.
Yes. I understand.
When I'm sure the Street is clear, I take Child back to the Fountain and remove the Silvery Tape from her foot. I learn just how fast the Munies heal. The Axe wound is still bad but not like it was two days ago. It would take a Real Person two weeks to heal this much, and soon I think she'll have a scar and a limp but not much more.
The Water washes
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