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McBrid was finally heading home and it was a good thing because dawn wasn’t far away. He must’ve fallen asleep at his dad’s, because he’d woken in the living room chair, alone and covered with a blanket.
He darted down a side street, a shortcut to his house. He may be able to squeeze in a few hours before he had to get up for work, but only if he hurried.
The moon peeked from the clouds, helping the street lights break through the fog. The next moment, it slipped away, casting the area in shifting shadows. Usually, he loved the evenings. He could rely on his Guard’s hearing and sense of smell to keep him safe, but there was something in the air tonight that made his skin tingle. A warning perhaps, or maybe it was just the thought of his father and uncle going sailing for extended periods of time. He’d be left alone with nothing but the bleakness of his future to keep him company. No, that made him sad but not anxious. More than likely, his unease was due to the fog. Even his senses struggled in the hazy mist that cloaked everything in dampness.
He tipped his head, catching the first sound of sirens blaring through the air. Tonight wasn’t going well for someone. He turned the corner onto his street. The sirens screamed louder and the fog was denser, weighed down by something harsh that scraped at his throat. Almightys gathered in small groups on their porches or in their front yards. Something was wrong. This was a neighborhood of parents who worked long hours and went to bed early.
He hurried down the sidewalk, his feet sure of his path even though the closer he got to his house the harder it became to see and his sense of smell was useless. He could distinguish nothing but the odor of dirt and dust from debris. He stopped several houses from his, or more accurately from where his house had once stood. It now rested in a ruined pile of cinder block and ash.
“Araldo, do you think he was home?” asked a young man who stopped next to him.
“Who?” He didn’t know the guy. He didn’t know any of his neighbors. He was never home and couldn’t talk about his work even if he did have time to socialize.
“The guy who lives...lived there.”
He glanced at the other Almighty. This was his chance to escape this life. “I’m sure. Everyone around here is home before dark.” He turned and disappeared into the crowd.