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Chapter 4

"Elisabeth!" I hear a familiar voice behind me. I'm back at the same beach. Waves crash in front of me coming closer. I can see my mother to the side of me taking a picture. I don't turn my head to look directly at her. I've been here before. I know those waves will come. They will swallow us whole, and I'll welcome that darkness with open arms this time.

"Elisabeth, you need to run. You're not safe."

My head snaps at her. She never says anything but my name and 'come here, I've missed you'

"What did you just say...?" I Question. She smiles and cocks her head with her arms reached out.

"Come here, I've missed you."

Before I can speak another word the wave hits and I fall back into a dark void. I float in the dark. calm, knowing I'll wake soon. Mom's voice brushes past into my ear her whisper soft and clear,

"I told you to run. You need to go. NOW!"

My eyes shoot open just to be blinded by the morning light. My body sits up in the blink of an eye and I'm getting up to get ready for the day. The adrenaline runs through my veins, I'm ready to move and get what we need done.

After getting changed I tie my hair up and leave my room to find where everyone is at. Twenty is in the hallway walking past half asleep.

"Mornin ass hat" He speaks groggy as he passes and continues to the gym. "I think it's peas this morning" he turns his head to me then back to where he's walking.

"Sounds great. better than those canned olives." A slight nod is seen as he agrees and continues to the gym with me following quickly behind.

Everyone else is already at the table in the gym with a can of peas each. From the batch that we found yesterday. Impa sits happily in the center surrounded by peas that everyone has given her.

"Now that's a happy rat right there." I smile and Queenie's smile lights up and beams my way following those words. I return the smile as I sit down, and Storm slides a can towards me. We all eat up and get ready to head out to start the new day.

As I brush my hand onto the doors to leave when a low rumbling sound starts. The ground is vibrating under our feet.

"What in the hell?" Twenty Spoke pushing me out the way to look outside. He steps outside as the rest of us stay standing still unsure of what to do.

"Holy shit? People...? What country has a flag covered in red, blue, and white?"

"Ive never been asked that in years, I'm not really sure anymore." I answer stepping out to look. far down the road five or so new cars parked. People holding guns stepping out of vehicles. Flags stood up from the tops of these cars. Too far to clearly see but the colors still stood semi strong. My heart sank. I thought if we ever found someone else alive it would be a good thing, but I don't think they're here in peace. "We should get out of here. Before they spot us, we need to figure out if they're safe before we approach."

"There's other people? What if they need our help?" Queenie speaks up with Impa slipping slowly off her shoulder.

"Their holding guns and have running cars. I think they're ok for right now." I answer looking down at her. " Help Impa up before she falls." I speak as I turn to walk down the side of the road in the opposite direction.

Queenie's head cocks her head at the word 'gun'. She was just born before covid happened. She doesn't understand some of the things the rest of us do. 

"I want to go talk to them." She speaks.

"You can't go talk to those people let's go. now!" Storm snapped as his worry grew. He grabbed Queenie's arm tugging her with us. The sudden pull sent Impa down Queenie's back and to the ground. Impa got scared of the impact and scurried off in the direction of the vehicles. The people by the cars have spotted us by now and have started yelling, holding up their guns running towards us.

"Impa, come back!" Queenie runs to catch up to her rat. Loud bangs sound off. Queenie collapses to the ground. blood sprayed behind her as she fell.

"NO!" Strom's cry pierces the heart of our group. He jumps into a run and drops to his knees next to Queenie's body. You could see a small hole in her head. Storm lifted her body into his lap. Impa crawls onto his shoulder.

"Not friendly! Storm, they ain't friendly come on! We got to go." Another loud crack and Storm collapses next to Queenie. Impa runs horrified towards me.

"Shit! Go, go, go!" I lift Impa in my hand. I turn with Twenty and Angel Blade. We quickly turn around a corner trying to keep going. Hot tears are pouring down my face. Twenty's face reads fifty shades of fear and Angel Blade is leading us down back streets. Voices can be heard screaming. The three of us hide around a corner behind an old dumpster. The engines of the large trucks rawr past us.

I sit on the ground leaning back against a wall. I wipe away tears "That happened. That fucking happened."

"We know." Twenty's voice trembles.

My breath is heavy and shakes with every exhale. Angel Blade refuses to look at either of us directly, they just crouch next to us watching the cars leave and scanning the area.

"We need to keep moving. there's no time to sit here and panic." Angel Blade immediately gets up quickly to keep walking along the wall down an alley trying to find a clear area for us to go.

Twenty stands reaching his hand out for me to take while I stand.

"You just going to pretend that didn't happen?" I ask Angel Blade only for them to ignore my words and keep walking. I'm about to try again when Twenty chimes in.

"Where do we go now? The school?"

"There's not safe anymore. We need to keep going till we find somewhere farther away from them." Angel Blade answers without hesitation and doesn't slow down for a second. They were on a mission. Fist tightly rolled up.

"Do you even remember their names from before these nicknames we gave ourselves!?" Something in me is ready to snap, I can feel it. "We just watched an 10-year-old girl get shot in the head. The same girl we all pitched in to raise the past 10 years! Then the boy who was practically her father break down next to her only to also get shot! I have blood on my shirt! I have the damn rat she was so worried about on my shoulder horrified." I wanted to scream but have to keep my voice at least a little bit down.

"Of course, I Remember." Angel Blade stopped but didn't turn to me. "I remember yours too Elisabeth, but right now we don't have time to break down. There are dangerous animals and people. So, let's hurry up and find a safe place so we can process what happened and what to do next."

I fell silent. What they were saying made scene, but I couldn't stop having it play in my head.

"Are we clear?"

"Yes."

Angel Blade kept walking and we all walked together in silence.