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Chapter 167: Ch.166 Terrifying Journey

Homeless people liked to sleep on top of these, as it prevented them from freezing to death on winter nights. But this year was different; the cold seemed to seep from within people\'s hearts.

The two small figures, wrapped in ill-fitting cotton coats, shivered in the cold wind. Faint traces of darkened blood could still be seen on the street, remnants of last month\'s surge of suicides.

They quickly skirted around the bloodstains as if the bodies were still there.

"How should we get there?"

Steve looked at the deserted street. He didn\'t fully understand what the Great Depression meant, but just by seeing the eerily quiet streets, he got the general idea.

"We\'ll take the subway. It\'s cheap," Bucky said as he led the way toward the street corner, where the nearest subway station was still a block away.

Steve tightened his grip on his coat, clutching the hem with his hands.

"But... I don\'t have any money."

"What about your allowance?"

Bucky kept walking, pulling Steve along.

"I gave it to my dad last month. We needed to buy food for the house."

Even though it was just a small amount, every penny had to be spent wisely.

"I figured as much, but don\'t worry, today\'s fare is on me," Bucky said, patting his chest proudly as he jumped over a puddle. "After all, I\'m the one dragging you out here."

They were going to work to earn money, not to play. Bucky could have gone alone, but he insisted on covering Steve\'s fare as well, making Steve feel a bit guilty.

"Bucky..."

"Enough of that. Don\'t be like a girl—we\'re best friends, remember?" Bucky made a mock disgusted face. He dreaded it when Steve looked at him all serious and grateful. The more emotional Steve got, the colder Bucky felt. "Besides, we\'re going to make more today. If a few cents on subway fare can get us a bunch of food, we\'ll be big winners."

The empty streets had lost their former vibrancy. The sound of their footsteps echoed, making the city feel like a ghost town.

The usual sight of sleek cars was gone. Only a few people wandered the streets like zombies, not even glancing at the boys, as if they didn\'t exist.

But Steve and Bucky were used to this by now. Ever since the "crash," people had been reduced to this state.

The two had discussed it and agreed that the "crash" must have been some kind of terrible disease that turned people into idiots.

They even celebrated the fact that their families hadn\'t become like those "idiots," then went back to selling newspapers, though business was predictably slow.

Avoiding the "living dead," they slipped into the subway station, where it was warmer. Here, there were more people than on the streets, but they all looked half-dead, lying or sitting on the ground.

The people gave the two boys a glance but quickly averted their eyes, returning to their dazed states.

Bucky leaned close to Steve\'s ear and whispered, "If we earn some food today, we can\'t take the subway back. These people might eat us."

Steve looked around, quickening his pace. He agreed with Bucky—those people\'s eyes were terrifying.

Finally, after enduring the eerie stares, Bucky and Steve boarded the subway, hearts pounding in their chests.

"Oh, God," Bucky muttered, crossing himself and swallowing hard. "These people are even creepier than before. They\'re like..."

"Like the dead, right? And they\'re planning to eat us," Steve said, clutching his chest, finishing Bucky\'s thought.

Those people seemed devoid of any human emotion. In their hollow eyes, there was only hunger and darkness.

Bucky patted Steve on the shoulder, and they found a seat in the empty car. The cold seats provided a small sense of security.

"You\'re right. Damn it, we shouldn\'t have gone out today."

"It\'s okay. We\'re safe during the day," Steve reassured him. He knew that no matter how crazy those people were, they wouldn\'t harm passersby during the day.

They could easily take a streetcar home before dark, even if it cost a few extra cents.

"Let\'s hope today goes well."

Bucky nodded, biting his lip hard, a habit of his when he was nervous.

In the pitch-black tunnel, lit only by the dim lights inside the subway car, their hearts were filled with unease.

When there were more people around, it didn\'t feel so bad, but the emptiness now filled them with fear.

It was too quiet. The eerie silence made their hair stand on end.

The inside of the subway car, stretching as far as they could see, hadn\'t been cleaned in who knows how long. Trash and grime covered the floor, making it look like a harbor after a typhoon.

It seemed like the only living person on the entire train was the driver, which made them feel even worse. The only sounds were their breathing and the clattering of wheels on the tracks.

"Should we go to the front car? Maybe talk to the driver?" Bucky suggested after a while.

"No, let\'s not bother him. We\'re safe enough here," Steve declined the idea, deciding their car was fine as it was.

It was a good thing he did. If they had gone to the front and seen the driver\'s lifeless face, like that of a "living dead" person, they might have died of fright.

"The city\'s turned into a graveyard. I visited a graveyard once and got sick when I got home," Bucky said to Steve, though it wasn\'t helping their current situation. He was just making conversation.

Steve forced a smile and pulled something from his pocket, handing it to Bucky. It was a crudely wrapped piece of fruit candy.

"My mom gave me this when she left. You take it. Sweet things make you feel better."

Bucky took the candy, broke it in half against the railing, and handed one half to Steve.

"We\'ll split it."

Steve smiled, accepting the half from Bucky. "Sure, why not."

In an era without the concept of "zombies," the two boys\' imaginations brought them the terror of a Resident Evil-like experience. This outing greatly increased their courage.

As long as they had each other, encouraging and supporting one another, there was no challenge they couldn\'t overcome.

At least for now, before Steve became Captain America and before Bucky became the Winter Soldier, that\'s what they believed.