Fall of Venus Read Online Free PDF Page A

recognized it as a crudely
made bomb and was able to dismantle it. There wasn’t much there. Just some
food, clothes, and what’s in that pack.”
    “Yeah,
well, I managed to grab it just before those guys started shooting at me,” I
tell him. He looks at me sadly, almost with a hint of regret.  
    “What
happened?” Marcus asks, tracing a line over his face that mimics the gash on
mine.
    “I
don’t remember. I woke up like this. And with this.” I reach my fingers up to
my temple, sweeping wisps of hair to the side, revealing the infinity fly
tattoo. “Do you know anything about these marks?”
    “No
more than you do. Clover thought it might be some sort of identification. I
thought we just had a crazy night on the town,” he says. I can’t help but
chuckle, thinking back on my theory. Marcus cocks his head and smiles, “I think
Clover’s idea made more sense.”
    I
let that sink in. Some sort of identification. Why would I need to be ID’d?
What is it that puts me in the same class of people as Marcus and Clover? Why
do I find Marcus hauntingly familiar? So
many questions and nobody around to answer them. I need to give my mind a rest.
The rhythmic rumbling in my stomach gives me another subject to focus on. I
reach into my pouch and pull out my reserved berries, offering some to Marcus.
    “Have
you found much food? I mean, other than berries,” I ask.
    “Food
is hard to come by. No animals to hunt. Not much vegetation in the woods this
time of year. Those berries were a stroke of luck. It’s hard now, but I’m
afraid it’s only the beginning,” he says.
    “What
do you mean?”         
    “Something
has happened,” says Marcus. “Something seriously wrong. I’m hoping it’s just
localized to this region and not widespread. I’m sure you’ve noticed there are
no animals around. Or live animals anyway.”
    I
nod, noticing the crimson feathers of a lifeless cardinal under a nearby tree,
“Yes. It’s so quiet without the birds.”
      “But it’s not just the birds and rabbits
and deer. Listen,” he says.
    I
listen again, but all I hear is silence.
    “No
insects,” he continues. “No bees. Without bees, we have no pollination. No more
fruit, no more berries. No more seeds. No more food.” Marcus’s eyes are wide
and grave.
    “We
could self pollinate,” I tell him. But somehow I already know what he is going
to say.
    “True,
but that would be a full-time job itself. By the time other people figure it
out, it will be too late,” Marcus says.
      We continue walking for a while,
stopping occasionally to listen for others. Then aimlessly walk some more.
    “Marcus,
do you know where we’re going?” I ask, rubbing my earlobe nervously. He looks
at his feet and snickers under his breath. “I have no idea. You know how to get
out of here?”
    “Not
a clue,” I say, smiling. I think this is the first time I’ve smiled since I
woke up in this forsaken place. I have to admit it’s nice to have someone to
talk to, other than myself, even if I don’t really know him.
    “Wait!”
I stop and hold my hand out in front of Marcus. His firm chest bounces back
against my hand and I can feel lumpy protrusion of his abdominal muscles press
against my outstretched fingers. I miss Glenn. His abs aren’t as solid as
Marcus’s and he did start to develop some love handles last summer. But he
loves burgers and fries, so it was bound to happen at some point. It never
bothered me because I love him, no matter what his body looks like. And I like
having something to hold on to anyway.
    “Do
you hear that?” I ask. The sound is so distant I’m not even sure if I hear it
myself, or if I am just imagining it because I’m so thirsty that my lips are
beginning to crust and peel.
    He
pauses for a moment, eyes wide open and unfocused. “Water,” he says.
    It’s
hard to make out, like the sound of a vacuum cleaner running in the basement
when you are in the attic. But it’s there and we both