Twenty-Two (H.S)

Chapter 1.

'Where have you been?
Do you know when you're coming back?
Since you've been gone I've got along
but I've been sad'

Song: Reflections - The neighbourhood.

----- Present Day----

------ May 2022----

The autumn rain poured down outside as Avery, Willow and I sat around the kitchen table enjoying a warm meal I had cooked.

"I think I'm going to have to venture further tomorrow" I said out loud to no one in particular as I pushed the food around on my plate. "We're running out of most of our supplies and I need to find some more insulin" Avery and Willow nodded in agreement "Remember the rules?" I asked, I knew they did but I wanted to double check. I didn't need anything going wrong.

"Yes of course" Avery replied "Don't worry about us, I'll hold down the fort here"

I was satisfied with that answer, I always worried about what would happen every time I went further than our small little town, I knew the closer you got to the city the wilder it got. I had seen photos on social media for the first few weeks after everything happened but then the whole internet just went black and we've had no contact with anyone else bar a few of the teenagers from our town since.

I spent the rest of the night gathering the few supplies I would need to head to the city tomorrow. I always carried a backpack with some food, water, a few medical supplies just in case, a torch and two knives, a bigger one and a small switchblade that I kept in my pocket.

I bathed and got myself ready for bed before going to say goodnight to my sister, I tiptoed in as silently as possible seeing as she'd already taken herself off to bed quite some time ago so I assumed she'd be asleep already. I leant down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead "Goodnight little duck" I whispered, using my pet name for her. "Please be safe and come back to me" She whispered back. It took me by surprise because I had assumed she was asleep. "Always" I smiled down at her "Get some sleep, I love you" I left the room sighing to myself, I hope tomorrow goes well. It took me longer than usual to fall asleep that night, my mind going a million miles a minute thinking too much.

I woke up before anyone else, threw on my clothes, grabbed my bag and I was out the door before the sun had even risen. I biked the two hours it took to reach the outskirts of the city, all the buildings had dilapidated over the past two years and the streets were overrun with weeds which made the once nicely maintained city look like one from a dystopian movie. The broken buildings and the atmosphere just felt really depressing.

I came across a building that was clearly an old supermarket, I hopped off my bike and leant it against the brick wall. There was no one around, it was completely silent so I proceeded to enter through the smashed glass doors. The whole place was raided, hardly anything remained on the shelves but I had expected that after two years anyway. I walked towards the back of the store, I had to be careful where I stood as there was rubbish all over the floor. There was a steel door on the back wall so I pushed it open making a horrible squeaking noise, this room was darker as there were no windows but thankfully I could still see enough.

I spend a good 20 minutes or so searching this small back room, I managed to find some empty notebooks along with some pens I thought Willow would like. There was also an unraided first aid kit inside a desk draw that I took too. I shoved these finds into my backpack and made my way back to my bike, time to find a hospital.

I rode through the streets silently, my own thoughts loudly running through my head until I made it to the hospital, it was a massive building so I hoped the whole thing hadn't been picked through already.

The inside of this building was worse off than the supermarket, there was spray paint everywhere, a giant X painted on the floor in the reception and 'Do not enter' on the front doors. I ignored all the warning signs though, I needed to find one thing.

I searched through a couple of the rooms but found nothing so I continued down the long corridor until I came across a door with 'Medication storage' written on it, bingo, the lock had been busted so I wasn't holding my breath that I would actually find anything useful but it didn't hurt to look. I rummaged through various cupboards and draws, pulling out expired pain medications and vials of stuff I couldn't even read the labels on, why has no one raided this?

"What do we have 'ere?" I heard a deep voice behind me, I dropped the vial I was holding in shock and it smashed to the ground. My heart started racing as I slowly turned around. Standing in the doorway was a man wearing sunglasses and a denim jacket, he looked scary and the smirk plastered across his lips wasn't helping.

"Well....speak... what are ya doing?" He's Irish, his accent, I hadn't noticed it the first time he spoke because I was so shocked but now I could hear it clear as day.

"Umm...I was...I was just looking for something" I stuttered.

"Is that right? And why would ya be doing that? You can't be in 'ere" He spat back. I knew I should have listened to those warning signs. He stared at me waiting for a response but I was too scared to say anything, my heart thumping a million miles an hour in my chest. He stepped backwards out the door and I thought that maybe he was leaving me, but I wasn't that lucky. "Oi Jax" He yelled out into the hallway and I heard a "Oi Oi" That sounded like it had come from further down the hallway. Oh shit, he's calling his buddy to come kill me or something. I could hear footsteps and then another man appeared in the doorway, this guy was slightly shorter than the Irish one but his muscles were almost twice as big. "I found a new toy" The Irish one chuckled as he gestured to me.

The other guy, who I was assuming was called Jax, looked me up and down and laughed to himself "H will be pleased" He said turning to the other guy. Uh oh. "Let's take her back" This one had a British accent, what's with all these different accents.

Who the hell is H, what kind of name is that? and toy?, that sounds weird. "S..sorry....I will....I'll just leave" I blurted out.

"That's cute that ya think ya can be leaving, you're coming with us princess" The Irish one taunted. They both walked over and grabbed one of my arms each, I flayed around screaming "Let go of me" I fought hard and even managed to kick the British one in the shin which just made him even more mad.

"Stop fighting, you'll only make it harder on yourself" He said shaking his head. "We're trying to help you"

"Shut up and leave me alone, I didn't do anything.... I'll just go home" I tried arguing but apparently they didn't want to hear it because Jax just picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder like I was a sack of flour. The next thing I knew I was being thrown onto the back of a pick up truck.

"Stay there. do not move, Nate here will keep an eye on you" Jax warned before getting in the driver's seat. That must be the Irish one's name, Nate, huh.
"Where are you taking me?" I questioned Nate who was sitting on the back of the pickup with me.
"You'll find out soon princess" He smiled back at me, but it wasn't a friendly smile, it was evil. Shit.

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