While Claude and Bella made their escape out of the warzone, things escalated rather quickly down at the Big Apple. The demon army, with its superior magical abilities and strange fighting styles, was able to fend off and push the U.S. National Guard out of Manhattan Island.
Once the island was firmly in their grip, they began fortifying every part of it, turning the urban jungle of a million people into an impenetrable super fortress. They then launched a series of invasions into the surrounding area to create a new buffer zone for their new fortress.
These attacks saw the capitulation of Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, half of Long Island, and the southern half of Westchester County. They also took over parts of New Jersey, specifically Jersey City, Bayonne, Union City, Hoboken, Weehawken Township, West New York, and North Bergen. Evacuation efforts were also thwarted.
Although the National Guard was able to stabilize the front lines, preventing the demon army from marching further inward, the damage had already been done. By the end of the day, over 10 million Americans found themselves trapped under the tyrannical heel of these powerful, otherworldly demons.
A wave of mass hysteria hits the country as news of the invasion spreads across the entire internet. In just a matter of seconds, the entire world was bombarded with footage depicting demons mowing down U.S. troops. This footage was played over and over on every screen, from the phone to the TV, further exacerbating the panic.
Stores once filled with stock and inventory found themselves struck with a sudden influx of panic buyers the likes of which they hadn't seen since the pandemic. In a desperate attempt to ensure their own survival, people fought over simple but essential supplies, like food, water, medicine, and toilet paper. The United States, in particular, saw a rise in firearm sales in every state.
The federal government responded rather quickly. Under the guise of establishing security and order, they declared martial law and ordered the military to occupy the streets. Furthermore, strict surveillance measures were put in place to ensure that the army would be able to respond swiftly, and federal firearm restrictions were loosened to allow the civilian population to arm and defend themselves.
As for Claude and Bella, they hopped on a plane headed to Chicago, Illinois. They planned on staying with an extended family member residing there. Though they could have afforded their own place, they chose to stay close to loved ones, finding comfort and strength in their presence during the crisis.
…
15th of March, 2027
Claude woke up to the sound of an old alarm clock going off beside his ear, its metallic screech so irritating and dreadful, it nearly ripped his eardrums in two. After getting up and disabling the clock, he hits the showers to wash away the drowsiness still lingering in his eyes.
Once he gets out, he adorns himself and sits down on his bed to check his phone. He then quickly checks his emails to see if anyone had gotten back to him. With the capture of New York City, and therefore his place of work, Claude had been bestowed the status of unemployment, just like the rest of the New Yorkers who fled the area. He now had to find a new job, a task that is deemed more difficult than expected.
Unsurprisingly, the loss of America's biggest city brought in an economic downturn that spilled into the rest of the country. Unemployment had skyrocketed, while any pensions and portfolios connected to New York real estate and the stock market crashed and burned. Hard times had come for everyone, not just the people stuck inside the city.
When Claude checked his emails, he saw that only a few of them responded. Half of them stated that he was not fit to work in the company, while the other half told him that they didn't have any positions open that suited him. They all had outright rejected him, not even giving him a chance for an interview.
After he was done reading his emails, Claude put the phone down and groaned in frustration. Although it had only been 2 days since he started his search, the process brought back memories of his first time trying to pin down a job. He felt as if the modern economy is designed to make people like him suffer, to drag them down mentally just for the sadistic pleasure of the rich elites sitting on top of their ivory towers. It's no wonder people hate them.
Claude gets back up on his feet and makes his bed before he heads downstairs. As he reaches the kitchen, his nose is struck with various, distinct aromas, each signifying a separate dish. These scents normally would spur up little bits of Claude's childhood memories, injecting him with a sense of nostalgia and a bit of bliss.
However, over the past few days, that feeling of recycled joy and wonder has completely evaporated. Like a rose that had been withered due to time, its once pungent smell had all but eviscerated. All it leaves behind is the gaping empty hole in Claude's heart, waiting to be refilled once more.
When he turns around the corner, he spots his mother and aunt setting up the dinner table. Stacked on delicate ceramic plates were hearty dishes—roasted meats, buttery mashed potatoes, and freshly baked bread. Though it appeared as if they worked together to fill the dinner table, Claude suspected that his mother was behind all the cooking.
His aunt Carrol, although a wonderful woman at heart, never had the makings of a chef. There were times when she would try to make something for Claude, only to end up sending him to the hospital. In fact, a tenth of all his hospital visits came from her, an achievement that awarded her some special memories in Claude's brain.
"Look who's finally awake," his mother comments upon seeing Claude enter the dining room.
"Go wash your hands. We are about to eat breakfast," she instructs.
"No need, Ma. Already washed them upstairs," he answers while raising his hands.
"Well, wash them again. You can never be so sure. Those germs can be anywhere," she replies, ordering Claude to go through with it anyway. Thus, he reluctantly walks over to the kitchen sink and starts washing his hands again.
As he did so, his mother made sure to look over his shoulders to make sure he did it right. Anytime he did anything wrong, she would scold and point it out, demanding he do it the right way. After his hands were firmly disinfected with soap and water, he was allowed to sit down at the dinner table. The three of them then held each other's hands, said grace, and began digging into the lavish meal right in front of them.
"Did you check your emails today, sweetie?" Bella throws a question at Claude, referring to his job hunt. She wanted a report on how things were going.
"Yes, I did, and um…" he shakes his head.
"No luck," he adds.
"Hm... I see," she comments, before taking a sip of water from her cup.
"Well, take your time, sweetie. With the skills that you got, someone's bound to hire you," she assured her son, trying to spark up a bit of motivation to help him keep going.
"Thanks, Ma," he responds in a dry tone.
"Say, Claude, while you are looking out for a job, why don't you help me and your mother with the chores around here?" Aunt Carrol speaks up, putting forward a proposition.
"Sure, I can do that," Claude accepts.
"What do you have in mind?" His aunt smiles and reaches down into her pocket. She pulls out a piece of paper and hands it over to Claude.
"That right there is a list of groceries. I want you to take my car and fetch them for me," she instructs.
"Sure, sounds good…" As Claude was responding to her request, his mother jumped in and cut Claude off like an entitled truck driver.
"Hey, hold on!" she yells. She turns her head towards Carrol, putting up a displeased face.
"Carrol, are you serious?" she asks in a demanding tone.
"What? It's better than just having him sit around all day…" She tries to respond in a calmer and more collected tone, but Bella takes offense to her response and yells.
"Carrol!" She then opens her mouth, ready to scold her younger sister, only to hold back. She takes in a deep breath to calm herself down, to wash away some of the anger that sparked up inside.
"Carrol…" she repeats, this time in a more reserved voice.
"Don't you think it is a little too dangerous for him to go outside?" she asks.
"I mean, with those demons around… who knows, they might show up in Downtown," she adds.
"Oh relax, there hasn't been another attack since New York," Carrol retorts.
"And besides, they got the military stationed around everywhere. He should be fine," Aunt Carrol adds.
"You really think they can stop them?" Bella asks.
"They did eventually in New York, and that was when they didn't even know they existed," she argues.
"If it makes you feel better, I got something for Claude to help him defend himself, just in case they come here," Carrol states, piquing Bella's interest.
"And what's that? A pepper spray?" Carrol shakes her head.
"A gun," she corrects. Bella's eyebrows raise, and her mouth opens wide.
"A gun?" She repeats.
"You heard me the first time," Carrol confirms.
"Carrol, do you have any idea how unsafe that is? What if my baby hurts himself with that?"
"Oh please, Claude's a grown kid, Bella. He is a big boy. Bigger than the both of us," Carrol states.
"I'm sure he'll use the gun responsibly. He'd better! Because that gun cost me 20 grand," she adds. Carrol turns her head towards Claude.
"Right, Claude?" she asks, directing him to answer. Claude quickly nods.
"Yeah, I promise," he responds. Bella shoots him another look, taking her sweet time to examine every part of his face. Then, as she is about to take a bite out of her food, she speaks up.
"Fine. You can go," she approves with absolute reluctance.