Life After Champion

June

   Day's screams echo all around me, chilling me to the bone. His painful cries for help seem never ending. I desperately want to help. Need to help, but I'm frozen in place. His shrieks grow louder and louder until they take over me. Until I'm absorbed into the pain and despair. My limbs stay limp at my sides as I try to do something. Anything. But I can't.

    I can hear Day start to call out my name. Pleading. Begging. But I seem to only be able to control my thoughts. He's lying in front of me on ground. Blood soaking his clothes. So much blood.

“Day!" I cry, but he doesn't notice. He keeps screaming. Yelling as if he was burning from the inside out. I close my eyes. There's nothing I can do. He's suffering before me, not even three feet away, and I can't do anything about it.

                                               *    *    *    *

  I jump awake. I'm covered in sweat and Day's screams are still ringing in my ears. I try to focus. To separate the dreams from reality. I try to sit up, but I'm tied down to my bed. I try to pull my hands apart, but without success. They're handcuffed. My mouth is gagged.

   Who on earth are these people?

   I turn my head to try and study my surroundings, but instantly regret it. A burst of pain explodes in my head and I groan through the cloth in my mouth.

   Stay calm.

   Think, June, think.

   I try to remember all that's happened up to this point.

   Day and I were sent to check out some people down in the slums.

   Day left to try and find the missing group members.

   Someone grabbed me from behind.

   A bomb. There was a bomb.

   Then what...

   I think about it for a second. Oh yes. I tried to warn Day but everything went black. There's a gap between then and the next thing I remember.

   Waking up in the van.

   Day running as fast as he could.

   A rag closing over my mouth.

   A gunshot ringing through the air.

   I shudder. This doesn't add up. I must be missing something.

   The door was thrown open and three men walked in, casting away my thoughts. They all seem amused at their prey and gingerly walk towards me. I gulp. These people look disturbingly familiar, but I can't place the faces.

   “Hello there June. I see you're finally awake. We've been waiting for you." He smiled viciously and started to blindfold me while another untied me from the bed.

   After a minute of undoing the intricate knots, I was being carried away, my captor's ragged breaths bellowing in my ear.

   I have to play this wisely. Wait for the right moment to run.

   That moment came as the man carrying me stumbled forward.

   I took my chance.

   I quickly threw up hands up to my eyes and took off the blindfold. Now being able to see the people surrounding me, I kicked the first attacker in the jaw and tripped the second. The last one was still on the floor after stumbling and, without another glance back, I ran.

   I frantically run down the cement hallways, trying to find an exit, and unlocked door, anything that could help me escape.

  I heard footsteps booming behind me.

   I run faster.