Darkness

Chapter 1 - Before

I sat down in the quad, looking around. People were happy. The other kids were playing handball, and some of the older ones were arguing on which kids' car was better. But I knew this all had to be wrong. This was before. Before killers. Before the world became kill or be killed.

Before I became who I am.

I knew this had to be a dream. Because nothing was destroyed. No one was wearing dirty clothes, and no one had weapons on their backs. I looked at the kids around me. Their mouths were moving, but no sound came out. Only smiles and waves. I watched as my best friends approached me. They began to wave. And then their faces turned from a look of happiness to a look of fear and terror. I turned behind me to see a nuclear cloud begin to engulf the school. I tried to run, but I just ran in place, moving nowhere. I felt pieces of glass and rubble fall around me. A huge piece of glass fell directly in front of me, and I watched as my reflection turned from a boy in red uniform to a man in a trench coat. He had two machetes and two revolvers on either side of his hips, and his face was covered in blood. I watched as my older self left the mirror, and ran to my friends. "No!" I tried to call out. But no words escaped. Older Connor turned, and smiled at me before drawing his revolvers, putting it to Tori's head, and...

"Connor! Connor, wake up!"

I slowly opened my eyes. Psyche was standing above me, her face shakey. "Connor, thank god. You were shouting in your sleep again." I sat up, facing her. "Sorry, Psy. I don't know what's up. But....I can't get over them."
Psyche sighed, sat down next to me, and put her arm around me. "Same dream?" she asked. I nodded solemnly. "Who was it this time?"
I looked at her, unable to speak. "...I...I don't know. She wasn't anyone I've seen," I muttered. She looked away for a second, then looked back. "Look, you can't keep letting this get to you. You had to do what you had to do. They would have killed you if you didn't kill them first." I nodded. At least she was her calm self. I don't think her psycho self would be able to help.

I looked outside. It was almost daylight. "Alright," I said. "Let's keep moving. We need to find food. We only have two days' rations left, at best." Psyche nodded, and lifted her hood on. "Remember, only take food and water," I reminded her. "No more weapons. Ammunition, yes, but I think I'm set for guns, and so are you." I pointed to my trench coat, which had been modified to have leather padding for protection, and four holsters; two for my machetes, and two for my revolvers. Psyche laughed. "You can never have enough firepower," she chuckled. I smiled. "Yeah, well, you can when it weighs you down enough for people to eat you. Anyway, enough messing around. Lets go." We walked over to the door, and removed the barricades. My mind raced as I tried to predict what would happen today, but I shook it off as Psyche and I left our makeshift home.