The Island

(Chapter 22) Buddy (Revised)

The red and blue lights stop in front of my mom and me. Two officers run out and pull their guns from their holsters, pointing them at the building to our right. My mom and I quickly cover our faces and lift ourselves from the ground. I saw three men walk into that building with big bags and masks over their faces, but I didn't think anything of it. Soon two more red and blue lights show up in front of the building. An officer grabs a bullhorn from his front seat and turns it on, "Come out with your hands up, this doesn't have to get ugly! Come out with your hands up, and I promise you will not be harmed!"

A hand grabs my shoulder and spins me around. An officer looks down at me and reads the sign in my hand, "Homeless? How old are you, kid?"

I stutter in my answer, "Uh-."

He places his hand on my back and says, "Come with me, a kid like you shouldn't be living on the street."

Usually, my mother and I have cleared out before we could be seen, but the lights and the officer with the bullhorn caught my attention. I try to back away from him, but he quickly grabs my hand, "Where are you going? I'm trying to help." He leans his face against a radio, "Hey, its Jerry, I have a child with me, Kevin, could you get a squad car down to the robbery-in-progress on Hilten Street right away."

A voice responds, "A kid? Is he lost?"

The officer nods, "I think so, he's claiming to be homeless."

Kevin sighs, "Maybe a runaway. A car is on its way; hang tight, Jerry."

Jerry then looks down at me and kneels to make direct eye contact, "So, where are your parents?"

Before I can respond, red blood spatters against my face and body. Jerry's body falls over with blood running out of his head. I scream out as a firefight between the robbers and police officers take place. Staring down at the young officer's lifeless body, his eyes lay blank, with my face printed on them.

***

My eyes flutter open, "He's awake!"

I scream out, "What is that thing!" My arms flail out, and I crawl away.

The creature is enormous, stands with a confused look on its face, "Wow, didn't know I was that ugly."

Another creature walks over to me, and I cover my face, "Don't kill me!"

"Kill you?"

I look around and wonder, "What? Where am I?"

The creature walks forward and sniffs into the air, "He's terrified... what happened out there, Janette?"

The creature behind it shakes, "What? Are you blaming me? Father, we told you, he fell off of me and was struck by the light."

I then ask, "What light and what are you?" My hands reach for a rock, and just as I am about to chuck it at them to make my getaway, a sharp stinging pain runs up my arm. I look down and see that my whole arm is black and red, beating with pus. I cry out, "My arm!"

One of the creatures walks over to me and says, "You're lucky you get to keep it, last time I saw someone get stuck by the light... well let's just say they didn't get to keep their head."

***

David stared at Cue in confusion, like he didn't even know who he was, but he does, right?

My eyes turn to Janette, "What the hell happened to him? It's like he doesn't know us."

Cue steps back, "Well, that's because he doesn't. Remember Roger, when Kid dropped that boulder on his head?"

Kid eyes flutter, "It was an accident!"