Quake

The House

I lay there until they bent over lo look at my face. While they stared at my face, I hope regretting killing me, I grabbed the large chunk of brick beside my elbow and threw it at the gun toting Emily. It hit her on the side of her head, knocking her over. I quickly grabbed a second rock and threw it at Kealy. I guess years of softball have their benefits in an apocalypse. While they were recovering on the ground I reached to them, grabbed my bag and my gun, and kept running until my whole body was screaming in pain. At this point I had made it about two miles outside of the city limits. Cross country has its benefits too, apparently. I decided to go off of the road and try to climb up into a tree so I could be hidden and 'safe.'
I only made it about 8 feet up the tree when I couldn't go any more from pain and exhaustion. I began to treat my wounds, putting gauze on my neck and shoulder and wrapping my numb feet in bandages. When I was satisfied with my work, I tied my sleeping bag to the tree with my rope and climbed in. I fell asleep thinking about what my life could've been.
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When I woke up, I was facing the ground. I screamed, thinking I was falling, then I realized my sleeping bag had shifted around the tree branch, so I was left hanging there. I tried to grab the branch, but I only ended up hurting my shoulder. My face began to feel hot from the blood running to my head. I bent my legs at the knee and wrapped my feet around the branch. I began to push my feet against the branch until I could almost reach the trunk with my hands. A few more pushes and I would be there. It was then that I heard my branch begging to creak and snap. I pushed against the branch as hard as I could and hugged the trunk as tight as I could. I pulled myself out of the sleeping bag until I was hanging by my hands and feet. I slid my legs out of the sleeping bag then swung my legs to the trunk and shimmied up the tree to my branch. I sat down by my bag and leaned against the tree with my backpack on my shins. I decided that eating would make my problems disappear, so I pulled out one of the snack packs and began eating. I decided that it was about 9ish in the morning, so I will try to get back to my house by noon. I finished eating, repacked my backpack and began my trek back to my house. I was back in town in about 45 minutes, so I meandered through the rubble of the only town I could ever call home. After about an hour and a half of wandering and wallowing, I saw my house. I noticed new tire tracks in the yard and a lot of stuff missing, like the porch lights and the wind chime. Someone had been here since I left, but I couldn't guess who, unless... but it couldn't be... I ran through the front door and yelled "Mom! Dad!" I heard muffled screams from their bedroom and cautiously went to investigate. I pulled back the door and saw my parents tied up with their backs facing the door. I saw my sister lying on the floor and my baby brother trying to wake her up. "It's me. Mom, dad, it's me! I'm here! I went over to them and saw their beaten and bloodied faces. Then my brother turned my sister and I saw a bullet sized hole in her forehead. I tried to scream no, but nothing would come out. I kept trying and trying, horrified by what had happened. I heard footsteps behind me, and something hard smacked the side of my head. I collapsed to the ground, and everything went black.
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I felt a chilled wind blow through my hair and a rough surface beneath my back. I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like they were too dry to see the light of day. I tried to move my arms, but I was met with a smooth fabric and a zipper. My sleeping bag. Oh thank God! I opens my eyes a little and saw a branch above my head and leaves surrounded me. I was in the tree with a dry throat and a tear streaked face. I began crying again, tears of relief that it was a dream, and hopelessness, knowing that the dream could be reality.