How Annoying

Chapter 1: Am I dreaming?

~ if you want to criticise, you can just don't be rude. Thanks 🙏🏾

Why is my body shaking? I blink away the blurred vision and see the scenery set in. "Ugh" I groan as I grab my head feeling a piercing ringing in my ear. My stomach twists and burns. I begin to take deep breathes as if it's going to help. Pinching my nose bridge trying to think of anything as the painful feeling subsides I realise, why can't I think of anything?, my heads blank... nothing.

Rather than thinking too much on it, I look around taking in what's around me. My eyesight slowly clears up, I am able to make out that I'm in the back of a cramped van along with three other people. A boy and a girl, pale white skin and blonde hair, looked to be around my age, my age?, and a woman, dark brown hair and dark skinned, with a bandage on her forehead. Correction, four, I also take the driver into account. Only seeing the back of his head and his neck, he has brownish blonde hair and tanned skin on the darker side. Instead of asking questions I stay silent, observing.

The van suddenly halted abruptly, almost sending me forward. Why did we stop?. I observed their faces, they were all stoic. Without an explanation, the woman says in a firm authoritative voice.

"Everybody out"

The boy and girl step out first, and I follow behind them. As we emerge, the first thing that catches my attention is the realization that we're on the road, enclosed in a dark tunnel. The woman takes charge, pouring something onto the van, and instructs us to take a step back. Intrigued and slightly wary, I comply as she produces a lighter and tosses it onto the hood.

The van erupts into flames, the sudden burst of fire casting an eerie glow in the tunnel. I watch in fascination as the vehicle transforms into a blazing inferno. The van's flames roar, casting a fiery glow that engulfs the entire section of the tunnel. The intense heat and billowing smoke create an impassable barrier, cutting off any possibility of reaching the opposite side. As the flames dance, I turn my head and notice the boy has managed to get ahold of the steering wheel.

.....weird.

I hear a pitchy voice shake my ear drum.

"Why the hell do you have the steering wheel?" She stands there tapping her foot waiting for an answer.

The boy, seemingly unfazed, shrugs his shoulders replied "Don't know, I wanted it to look like one of them movies" he gives a lopsided grin, which instantly makes me to want look away. Ugh I can't handle people like that. I internally groan.

Slow and loud clapping snaps me out of my thoughts. In an exaggerated manner she slowly steps towards him with a mocking laugh "wow, bravo" rubbing her arms shivering "I have goosebumps".

"Really?!" He says lighting up like the world's largest torch. I didn't think his smile could get any bigger; it's uncanny. The dynamic between them unfolds in a strange dance of sarcasm and enthusiasm.

I turn away from the entertainment, deliberately drowning out the girls mocking laugh, upon hearing rustling sounds from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice the woman and the driver both adjusting their large camping bags. The serious undertones of their actions bring a momentary pause to the eccentric banter between the boy and the woman. As they secure their bags, a sense of purpose replaces the previous theatrics. I become acutely aware that, beyond the oddities and the inexplicable, there is a shared objective—something that binds them together

She began to walk towards the end of the tunnel, with the driver trailing behind, saying "let's go, there's a supermarket close by" she waves her hand in a circle, capturing the boy and girls attention. The girl grabs the boys forearm and start to drag him along "let's go".

I follow behind them with no sense of urgency, maintaining a slow-paced walk. The echoes of our footsteps reverberate through the empty streets, adding to the surreal atmosphere of this deserted place. We finally reach the end of the tunnel and see a big supermarket just a few minutes walk away. I scan my surroundings and see that there's not one person other than us around. I frown in confusion, questioning internally what is going on...

Baffled, I voice my thoughts "where is everyone?". Only two of the four steps faltered —The girl and the boy. Halting, the woman turned to me and said "what are you talking about? did you forget those things that showed up out of nowhere?" She looked at me in bewilderment.

Things?

I stayed silent "....". Attempting to piece together the fragments of this bizarre journey and try understand what "things" that have disrupted the normalcy of our surroundings.

She looked at my face as if she was analysing me but she walked away and continued towards the supermarket. I look to my left and see the boy and girl stealing glances at me. Their curious looks intensify the sense of being an outsider in this peculiar group How much more weird are they going to get?.

As we neared the building, it was in ruins, cracked windows casting fragmented reflections of our peculiar group. Pieces of debris hanging and swaying in the wind threatening to fall with each passing moment.

*CRACK*

The woman now has a random rusty poll and is smashing the window, clearing up the frame. Once she was done, we climbed through one by one cautious of the shattered glass. She instructed us all to look for food and a car in the parking lot. We all agreed and dispersed. I slowly walked up the escalator, taking in the damage on the walls, a few blood platters, scattered items all over the floor and aisles laying toppled over. I take a note of the fact there is barely any blood, assuming the lack of people is because they were attacked by the mysterious 'things' she spoke of  .

I take another step up, I stumble upon a pack of chocolate laying on the floor. Without much thought I grab one and rip it open. Taking a bite, I look up at the celling, or what's left of it. Technically, there's barely any ceiling, and in the middle of the aisle below is a piece of said ceiling. As I continue my slow ascent up the escalator, chocolate in hand I let out a sigh, ugh this is going to be long.

Tossing the wrapper over the railing, watching it fall to the bottom. I reached the top of the escalator. Getting about half way down the aisle. I turn to look in front of me and saw a lone person further down the aisle, grabbing at different foods. Dark brown loose curls frame her face, and her light brown skin is accentuated by a dark purple, almost black dress and a brown fur coat. Tf..

The person turned towards me and gasps, running towards me, I back up and put my arms up in defence, I see a flash of hurt in her face and slowed down into a walk. She reached for me and placed her shaking hands on my face saying "oh my god" tears glistening in her eyes as she locks me into a hug "I'm so happy to finally see a familiar face" breaking the hug I furrowed my eyebrows slightly. I didn't return her greeting, which she made a face at. "Do you not remember me?" I shook my head no.

Upon realising that I don't remember her, the person drops bags that once hung on her elbows. The items make a soft thud as they hit the floor, the sound echoing the sudden shift in the atmosphere. She then proceeds to slide her hands down my arms and takes a hold on to my wrist.

"I'm your aunty on your mums side, I was at the family gathering about a month ago" she said while smiling. I raise my eyebrow at her but say nothing. There was something eerie about her. No longer wanting to be in this conversation, I pealed her hands away from my wrists saying, "the people I'm with are downstairs" she nods, understanding and walked towards the escalator.

However, I stayed fixated at the position she occupied before and saw a cereal box drop but before I was able to catch whatever it was my 'aunty' called for me "hurry up let's go" motioning me to follow her.

I turned away from the aisle and I nod in acknowledgment. As I leisurely followed her, I grab a few snacks from the aisle, shoving them into my hoodie. The realisation hits I'm wearing a hoodie?  I glance down at my clothes for a second and see I'm wearing a black hoodie paired with light grey jeans and black and white trainers. I hear a loud crash echo but I don't bother to look towards it. The woman had fixed her eyes on me smiling ominously, still motioning with her hand. She almost didn't look real. A fleeting thought crosses my mind: Am I dreaming?

~

THANKS FOR READING 🤝🏾