CHECKLISTS

The First Hour Of The First Day

I opened my eyes to a blinding light coming from the floor to ceiling window on my right side of the bed. I pulled the covers over my head and gathered the last memories of my dream where I was running with Lois, looking for the safest, most secured spot in the flat, as the loud bangs from other units and screams of terror filled the whole building.

It was the beginning of the annual purge and for 12 hours, all crimes are legal. The securities themselves plotted the robbery of the banks that are renting some units on the ground floor. We were on the topmost floor, 38th and from the sound of it, they have already infiltrated the 37th.

There were 2 other occupants of 38th, a rich couple in their mid-30's and a man around the age of 40 who owns 5 branches of Starbucks in New York. And I am so screwed because of them! They're the rich people, I'm just an errand girl! And I'm gonna die because they have a lot of moolah!

They asked for my help earlier to barricade the elevator door and the fire exit so no one can enter 38th floor. We set up barbed wires that the couple bought the other day. We filled the fire exit with these barbed wires wherein the person who wish to climb up the stairs, would have to deal with webs of flesh-cutting barbed wires. We filled two flights of stairs with insane amounts of it but the fact that we just heard screams from the 37th, either means that the attackers used the elevator or they have cut through the deadly wires we set up. I'm wishing it's not the latter.

Mr. Henson, the Starbucks owner, had some scary tools. They forced open the elevator earlier and they put some sort of a huge blocker so the elevator would only reach the 37th. They tried cutting the cables but they only managed to cut two and the elevator still works fine. They set up an alarm on the fire exit so once someone passes through it, we'll be notified. I hope not.

I tried opening the door to the master's bedroom but it was locked. I cursed under my breath. Lois was scratching the bottom of that door, probably desperate to get in as well.

"C'mon boy, let's get some weapons," I said as I started running to the kitchen. If they're gonna kill me just to salvage Henry Cavill's loot, I'm not going down without a fight.

I started opening the drawers. There were candles, bread knives, and just one knife large enough to be deadly. I didn't find any butcher's knife for God's sake! If I survive, I have to tell David that we need to buy one. Or two.

I was tying the dishcloth around my waist, improvising a belt with holsters where I can stuff all the weapons I could find when the alarm sounded.

Then the world stopped.

My heart stopped beating for a few seconds as blood rushed to my head and all my senses heightened to their full capacity. Then it continued beating. My heart. It started beating so fast. And now it wouldn't slow down.

I started grabbing the knife and grabbed one bottle from the small wine rack beside the fridge. I smashed half of it on the sink, the shattering of the glass was a crispy sound, and the spilled wine were the dripping blood of the dead.

Lois stood beside me. His small body all tensed up and he was growling.

There was a loud shot from outside followed by a scream of a woman. It was Nessa, the wife. There were another two loud shots and the screaming stopped.

I felt hot tears dripping down my face as I started to back away from the entrance. I have to hide. I will fight when need be but I need to hide first.

There was a loud crash and Lois growled beside me. I had no time. They're here.

I hid behind the divider and raised the knife above my head. There were too many footsteps coming in my direction and I forced myself to be strong, to give a good fight. I cannot die just yet. I have to fight.