Inverse Approach, Identical Aspires

Chapter 1

                                                                                   Quin:

         Something about today makes me feel off. The usual clash of people engaging in small talk is void. No longer can I latch onto snippets of passing conversation. So my mind drifts off...

         If my calculations are correct, the velocity should embellish the bullet with great force, possibly ripping through several bodies. But the barrier of clothing will hinder its momentum. That brings the body count down... the question is by how much? Even so, it's not as if that could fully disable the bullet's path. Well, that is, it's not probable. But still. If I adjust the bullet itself to a more arrow dynamic form then it would shed the excess wind resistance; yet remaining a 90% deathly blow, even if aimed at a vital spot....

         "Quin."

         The sound of my name scares away the jumble of thoughts twisting inside my head. Allowing my eyes to regain function right before I slam face-first into a concert wall. I find myself at the end of a dimly lit tunnel. Its walls curve at the ceiling, threatening to cave in and crush me under their weight. My organs would spew out their insides and make a bloody mess for the janitors. Now that I think about it, we don't have any janitors.

         "The assembly hall is the other way."

         "Yeah, no shit." I snap.

         I hastily swerve around, the movement bouncing my short curls. It's more often than not that I Find myself in these situations. Losing my consciousness in a jumble of spiraling thoughts.

         Kalen stands awkwardly before me, hands clasped behind his back. He stares down at his feet, then glances back up at me for a split second and back.

         "Sorry" I reluctantly grunt.

         Saying "sorry" takes a microscopic chip at pride whenever I force myself to voice the word. Not many people deserve it, even if I do feel that ghost of remorse hovering over my heart. I make an exception for Kalen and Kalen alone.

         Immediately after, he starts to perk up. We stroll back along the way we came, guided by the rusted parallel tracks. I take great caution in aligning my feet ever so perfectly with the iron bars. How perplexing it is to think that mere decades ago they carried racing subways trains, lighting feeding their hunger and fueling their conquest. I can see it now; blinding headlights declaring it's arrival moments before it rams into us, cracking our bones down to their very atoms.

         Kalen knocks his hand into my arm. My soul yanks its body a foot to the side, as if that would save it from a forty ton piece of raging metal.

         "Did you forget your meds." Not a question.

         Drums boom to the beat of my racing heart. They remain constant even as I accept the plastic bottle from his outstretched palm. The regular clack it's contacts are suffocated by the noise.

         Kalen says something. I'm not quite sure what though; too busy choking down these damned pills.

         We've made it to the assembly hall. By this time the drums have faded and I can once again overhear the chit-chat. People argue different predictions for the outcome of the previous battle: "Do you think we won?" "Ha, as if."

         But I already know what happened. We won.

         "There's no way we lost this time." Kalen proclaims.