The Outlaws <<Book One of THE OUTLAWS series >>

Aftermath

After the first bomb went off, the siblings ran straight to their small apartment. They checked every once in a while to see if Gray, the brother's best friend, was still following. He always was.

The last corner they turned brought them to a pitch black alleyway. The only light was the small glow of a street lamp about 100 ft. ahead. Large bricks made up one building, while chipping white paint in desperate need of a new coat, covered the other. The only sounds were their feet slamming against the ground in a panicked run. Gray, not wanting to separate from them, followed their every step, keeping the pace the best he could.

Camelia, the youngest and only girl of the three, did not want to be near Gray at all. She hadn't the slightest idea of why her brother was mad at Gray, but she knew he must have done something extremely wrong. She would take small glances at him, and he would smile lightly, as if to say everything was going to be fine. Sure Camelia was only twelve, but she knew a fake smile when she saw one. When she looked at him, she didn't see a smile of reassurance, she saw the smile of sadness and regret. This bothered her, for she knew how he felt, and didn't want anyone to feel that way.

     Carlos only paid attention to his younger sister. Nothing else was on his mind but to get her to safety. Once she was safe in their house alongside their father, he could take care of Gray himself. Nothing in him wanted to turn back to even take the smallest glimpse at Gray, thoughts of past events racing in his mind, as if seeing which could make him snap first.

Betrayal, broken promises, and lost hope were forgotten as soon as they came out.

First there was one, then with a flash of lightning there were three. With their matching white masks and black outfits, the three men took hold of Gray, dragging him away as if to take him out of existence. Screams from Carlos and Camelia were the last thing he heard as he struggled, only to fail and just let himself be dragged out of sight. Carlos dragged Camelia along, trying to get out before they were taken next.

     The two ran inside their house, tears coming out of Camelia and Carlos' eyes like a storm. Their chests heaved as they gasped for air. Their tears were quickly wiped away by their father, followed by a tight hug. All of them listened closely as more bombs went off and the screams of civilians continued like a rampage.

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     Leaving their hometown was hard enough. Seeing it in ruins was worse. In a small, gray Lexus and carrying only what they could hold, the family drove as silently as they could. Camelia looked out the backseat window, sighing heavily as she watched the giant pile of rubble and ruins disappear behind her. Bright wildfires scattered around in random places. Carlos talked to his dad in a low voice, asking where they would go next and what would happen when they got there.

The already long drive didn't stop. The sibling's father didn't answer any of the millions of questions asked of him until they came to a town line. He pointed to a large wooden sign that displayed the town name:

Arencia
Population: 10,327

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I have done it! I hope you're proud of me savannaviramontes for finally posting an almost chapter thing. Hope you guys enjoyed reading! I'll see you at the next chapter 😄