The World Was Opening Up

City B, September 18th? Year 0 of the Great Collapse

In the dim confines of a crumbling storage room, Zara sat cross-legged on the cold cement floor.

She glanced over at Leo, who was perched on a worn-out crate with his legs swinging, humming softly as he played with a small, rusted coin he'd found somewhere on the floor.

It was amazing, she thought, how he could still find something to amuse himself with, even here.

"Momma?" Leo's voice broke through the silence, a high, gentle sound that warmed her heart every time.

"Yes, baby?" Zara whispered back, ruffling his dark curls. 

"Are we going to stay here for long?" Leo wrinkled his nose, lifting one tiny boot to reveal a layer of grimy residue. "The floor is yucky."

"We won't stay for long baby," Zara chuckled, keeping her voice low. "Well, this store had lot of people coming in and out. Sometimes, they spilled things, and now it's all… well, sticky."

"Hmmm?" He hummed, a pout forming on his face as he thought over her words.

She shifted her weight on the crate beside him, reaching out to tug a stray thread from his shirt. "Think of it as magic goo, like that show you watched."

"Like Goo-man?! Will I have powers?!" He asked, eyes bright with the idea. He wiggled his feet as though trying to break free from an invisible force, sending a thrill of delight through Zara's heart. Despite everything, he still had a way of lighting up even the darkest corners.

"Shh, not too loud," she reminded him gently, though her voice held warmth. They had to stay as quiet as possible, especially in this part of town. She didn't like bringing him here, but it was safer than the streets outside. Or at least she hoped so.

He nodded solemnly, pressing his finger to his lips. "Like hide and seek?"

"Exactly like that," she whispered back with a small smile, admiring his serious expression. For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, only the muffled sounds of distant commotion outside reminding her of the danger they were in.

It felt good to just talk like this, to pretend, even for a few minutes, that everything outside wasn't as bad as it was. To just be a mother and son, playing silly games.

Suddenly. She heard a noise that had her pausing.

Footsteps echoed outside the door, accompanied by murmured voices.

Zara stiffened, her instincts flaring as she motioned for Leo to be silent. His eyes widened, and he clapped his small hands over his mouth, his entire body tense as he followed her lead. 

Zara's heart raced as she pulled Leo behind her, shielding him as best as she could.

The footsteps stopped just outside, and she held her breath. Then, with a soft creak, the door to the store pushed open, and voices drifted inside. Zara and Leo huddled in silence, hidden in their corner behind an old, rusty shelving unit.

She strained her ears to catch what the people outside were saying.

Two men entered, their voices low but clear in the quiet room. Zara leaned forward slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of them through a gap in the shelf.

They were dressed in rugged, mismatched clothes, each carrying an assortment of bags and makeshift weapons. One was tall and wiry, his face half-hidden by a dirt-smeared scarf, while the other was broader, with a patchwork jacket and a rough look that told her he'd seen his share of fights.

The broad man sighed, kicking at a pile of broken glass on the floor. "...can't believe we have to go back to City B," he grumbled, low and rough. "Place's crawling with scavengers now."

"Tell me about it," another replied, the tone sharp and irritated. "Ever since that rumor about the supply cache started spreading, everyone and their grandma is out here searching for it. Gangs too. It's not safe, especially with the kids around."

Zara's breath caught. A supply cache? She held her breath, keeping still as a statue, hoping they'd say more.

"I heard the cache is real," a third voice chimed in. "But it's not just scavengers we need to worry about. Some of the gangs are getting organized. They'll tear through anyone who gets in their way. City B's not worth it anymore, I say."

Zara felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She hadn't realized how many people were still around—or how dire things had become. City B had once been her home, but now it was just a shell, stripped bare by months of desperation. And if others were forming gangs... Leo's safety felt even more uncertain.

"Maybe not," the second voice agreed. "But there's no guarantee it'll be any better elsewhere. It's every person for themselves out here. We're leaving at dawn, with or without anyone else. Better to take our chances outside the city limits."

With a nod, they moved back toward the door, their footsteps fading as they exited, leaving Zara and Leo in silence.

The footsteps receded, and the voices faded. Zara waited, hardly daring to breathe, until she was sure they were gone. Only then did she let out a slow, measured breath, feeling the tension melt from her shoulders. For a moment, she simply stared at the door, thoughts swirling in her mind. Supplies, gangs, leaving the city…

A gentle tug on her pant leg brought her back to the present.  She glanced down at Leo, who still had his hands clamped over his mouth, eyes wide as he watched her, waiting for her signal. Smiling softly, she lowered his hands gently from his mouth. "It's okay, baby. You can talk now."

Leo let out a dramatic gasp for breath, as though he'd been holding it in, and whispered, "Did we win the game?"

"Yes, we won," she murmured, reaching out to pat his head, her smile tinged with sadness. She wished, more than anything, that he could go back to playing real games and not these constant, dangerous charades of survival.

But her mind was racing. She knew that staying put was no longer an option. There was a chance for something more—a cache that could keep them alive a little longer, maybe even let them leave this desolate city behind. A cache in City B! And from what she'd overheard, the city was crawling with people who'd stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

But to reach it, she'd have to take a risk she'd never taken before. And she couldn't just leave Leo alone.

As she mulled over her options, her attention was pulled to something Leo was fiddling with in his lap.

Her breath caught when she realized what it was—a small, battered toy car, scuffed and faded from wear. It had been Leo's favorite toy back in their old apartment, something she thought she'd left behind in the frantic escape from their home.

"Leo… where did you get that?" she asked softly, feeling a strange pang in her chest.

He glanced down at the car, as if only now noticing it himself. "It was in my pocket," he said simply, shrugging as he drove it along the ground with a small vroom-vroom noise.

She wanted to question him further, to understand how he'd kept it all this time, but this was a store, there could have been a similar one lying around some where.

Plus, her mind was already elsewhere, turning over the possibilities.

She couldn't ignore the opportunity she'd just overheard. She had to see if that cache was real. And that meant finding a place nearby where Leo could stay hidden and safe while she went out on her own.

Went out on her own without Leo? God was that possible?

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Leo," she said, catching his attention. "Mama needs to check something, okay? It's very important."

He tilted his head, looking up at her with those big, trusting eyes. "Can I come?"

Her heart twisted at the question. He was so used to being by her side, she couldn't blame him. Streak they had been cooped up in the house for months. But this was different. She couldn't risk his safety.

Leaving him behind wasn't too good either but she didn't know how many people were outside and what sort of people they were as well.

"No, sweetie," she said gently, reaching out to cup his cheek. "I need you to stay here, just for a little bit. I'll find a good spot for you to hide, and I'll come back as soon as I can."

Leo's eyes widened, his lower lip quivering slightly. "Alone?"

"Yes, but not far," she reassured him, squeezing his hand gently.

His clear eyes turned red, and she could see the worry creeping into his expression. But he nodded bravely, clutching the little toy car tightly in his hand. "Okay, Mama," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. It hurt to see him like this, she wasn't sure she wanted to leave him anymore. But… "You're my brave boy, remember? I'll be back soon. And then we'll be together, just like always."

He nodded again, and she saw him draw himself up, his small body filled with a determination that both broke her heart and gave her strength.

She took his hand, guiding him quietly through the storage room to a narrow nook near the back, hidden by stacked crates. It wasn't perfect, but it was sheltered and out of sight.

"Stay here, baby," she said softly, crouching down to his level. "Don't make any noise, okay? And remember, Mama will come back. I promise."

He looked down at the car again, turning it over in his hands, and finally nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "Okay… but you have to come back quick. And I'll hide good, like a mouse."

Her heart twisted at his bravery, so small and so eager to do what she asked. She pulled him into a tight hug, pressing her cheek against his soft hair, feeling the warmth of him seep into her skin.

"I love you so much baby, be safe," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I'll be back before you know it."

She pulled out some rations from her bag and showed him how to open the ziplock and bottle. "I'm a big boy," he whispered, taking them from her hand. "I know how to do it."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled at him. "Alright baby, remember don't come out no matter what. Ok?"

"Ok," he smiled back, waving at her.

Zara picked up the baseball bat and her backpack, giving him one last look before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

She took a deep shaky breath and slowly made her way out.

Please don't let this be a mistake.