Our covert trip to Coney Island took over two hours to reach. It didn't help that at every corner we turned, there was the potential of a fight awaiting us. Throughout our journey, we were forced to take several detours and hide in various buildings along the way, making our trek even longer and more arduous. Every second felt like an hour as we tried our best to remain unseen and unheard. Our weapons, although concealed, remained on standby as we moved, ready to engage any threats that came our way. Our goal was to make it to Coney Island, but survival took priority over our mission. Though the trip felt like an eternity, we ultimately reached our destination without incident and breathed a collective sigh of relief.
I was thankful for the time that passed and how much distance we managed to gain from whatever was causing all those strange things. However, some parts of the city seemed unaware of the chaos just a few blocks away. It was like some veil or something else was clouding the minds of every New Yorker. Despite the utter hysteria that had taken over the streets and the fact that we'd been forced to sneak through the city, some areas seemed utterly unaffected by the calamity.
They went about their daily lives, seemingly oblivious to the danger approaching their city or the potential threat to their way of life. It was strange and jarring to witness such a dichotomy that left us feeling uneasy about what we might stumble upon after each corner we turned. The air of calm and tranquility was unsettling as we traveled through these quiet neighborhoods, as if the residents had no clue about the chaos and carnage right outside their doorstep.
They were oblivious to the nature of certain districts during the chaos. I almost couldn't believe how ignorant they were of the situation at hand as if their entire world revolved around a small, isolated bubble. It was a surreal sight to behold, having been immersed in the heat of battle that raged throughout most of New York. It felt like nothing more than a fever dream, as though the whole of New York City had fallen under some collective hypnosis, rendering them unaware of what was happening beyond their sight.
Those freaks and burning infernals quickly rounded up anyone who even began reacting to the chaos. The good news was it seemed the emergency announcements from the Mayor were getting out to the public. Still, it didn't seem like the Mayor's announcement would save everyone, but it might just be enough to spare enough lives to make a difference. Fewer and fewer people were reacting as the horror played out on their screens, the people's fears mounting with each passing second. The panic was still there, albeit in smaller doses. Even with all the chaos, it seemed the majority of the city was completely unaware, or at the very least, unaffected by events.
Our path now lay with the ones who had heard and heeded the warnings and were now trying to find a way out of this nightmare of a city. It was a sign of hope that things could improve, but the situation remained bleak for those trapped inside the city's borders. A palpable change could be felt in the cityscape, with the people slowly emerging from their bewilderment and returning to normal activities. But New Yorkers aren't push-overs. We were resisting.
I could tell as one civilian made eye-to-eye contact with me. I saw the fear in her eyes, but she did not respond, knowing full well the consequences if she were to take any action. It was then that I truly realized how serious the situation had become; even civilians were too afraid to take sides against the fiends. That woman's silence only confirmed my suspicions that this battle wasn't about good versus evil; it was about survival... nothing more, nothing less.
As she went on her way, her eyes locked on mine again as if she desperately wanted to say something. I didn't know what it was, but I felt a strange sense of urgency radiating from her, as though she was urging me to make a choice that would change everything. My mind raced with possible scenarios. The stakes of this encounter were much higher than I could imagine. All I could do was shake my head and nod in understanding.
She went about her business, ignoring the chaos surrounding her as if her imminent survival depended on her absolute conformity to the facade spreading across the city. As soon as she was in, I saw a few people urgently begin barricading the entrance, ensuring nobody else could enter. Their expressions were full of determination and a sense of urgency. It was then that I realized just how serious the situation had become. The world around us was collapsing, and those things could turn up at any time. The city was turning into a battlefield, and everyone, from the young to the old, was a soldier fighting for their survival.
As we made our way to our destination, I stayed alert, watching out for any signs of danger or potential threats as we continued to make our way toward the boardwalk. We had a rough idea of what we expected to find at the end of the road; we just hoped it wouldn't be worse than we'd already encountered. We had managed to avoid capturing the attention of the fiendish entities for so long, but that streak of luck seemed to be coming to an end.
"There, that's where the Senators are," I said, pointing to a building.
It was next to Coney Island Park but not inside it. Those freaks were everywhere, along with other monsters. I heard Cindy gasp as she saw the grotesque monsters. They were all different shapes and sizes, with some being more human-like than others. Some had multiple heads, while others had no eyes or skin. They all had one thing in common: they were all terrifying. Cindy and I crouch together, trying to stay out of sight as the monsters wander around. We didn't know what they were capable of, but we knew we didn't want to find out. We needed to find a way to cross over if we wanted to reach the survivors in peril. Suddenly, the horde of crazes and demons began to move down the road. They were like a river of madness flowing through the night. Their eyes were wild, teeth were bared, and claws were sharp. They were a terrifying sight, and I knew that we would have to be very careful if we wanted to cross the road without being seen. I signaled to the others to get ready to bolt across the street.
We waited until the last possible moment, and then we ran across the road, keeping our heads down and our bodies low. The crazes and demons didn't seem to notice us, and we made it to the other side. My nerves were burning with concern as we crossed the open road, but we safely made it to the site. We were exhausted, but we were also relieved. We had made it through the horde of crazes and demons and were one step closer to our destination.
Every last building up and down the street had been ransacked. The creatures had left no stone unturned in their search for the Senators and anyone with them. They had torn through everything, leaving behind a trail of destruction and chaos. It was clear that they were desperate and would stop at nothing to find their prey. I knew that I had to find the Senators and warn them before it was too late.
The front entrance was ripped apart, but as we looked around inside, we saw that a heavy door blocked the way upstairs. The door was made of thick metal and had a large metal lock on it. It looked like it would be challenging to open, but we knew that we had to find a way to get past it if we wanted to see what was up there. Our attempt at opening the door wasn't successful because the door would not budge. Our attempts to push it open did not yield any results, nor did we pull it open. The situation was beginning to become frustrating, but we knew we couldn't give up despite our frustration. We had to find a way to get past that door. I thought we'd need bolt cutters to get through the door, but to our surprise, it opened without us having to use them.
A police officer waved for us to get inside. I didn't waste any time letting the others go up the stairs. I was scared, but I stayed calm. We needed to get to safety as soon as possible. I followed the others up the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. When we reached the top, I looked out the window carefully and saw that the street below was filled with more of the monsters replacing the previous horde. These creatures were in the middle of something big, and I knew we had to be gone before whatever might happen next came to pass.