Apocalyptic Warfare

Chapter 1 : Stranger Danger

It's the year 3598, ten years after the Apocalypse struck, three years after Sarah morphed. I'm one of the few survivors, and I know I'm only alive because no one knows about me. No one except Sarah knew about me, and that's how it always will be. I'll always be just a shadow in a dark alleyway, a mystery never to be solved.

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I had never met another survivor, and hadn't planned running into one. Especially not on my way back from a scavenge. It was quite surprising, seeing them standing right in the middle of the dirt road, in full view of any hungry being. They seemed lost, as they kept glancing down at a tattered piece of paper clutched between their hands. They then moved around 180 degrees, only just giving me enough time to duck behind an old car. From where they stood now, I saw that they were in fact a male, and seemed rather young. He seemed to look around the age of sixteen, maybe younger.  Deep inside, I felt the need to approach him, to see if he was alright. I knew not to just appear from behind the old vehicle I was using as refuge, so I grabbed a few dusty rocks from the ground and tossed them a few yards away from him. They hit some sort of object, making a large clanging noise which the boy turned around to examine.

Using this time, I rose up from my crouching position, and darted around till I was positioned behind an old barrel, directly in front of where the boy had turned from. This was a very risky move, because this meant if anything else was out here, they'd see me before they saw the boy. There go my chances of surviving longer, I thought just as the boy turned back around. Holding my breath, I stayed silent as the boy and I made eye contact. He didn't move, and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. To break the silence, I stood up and took a step forwards, my gaze lowered to the ground.

Do you know what has the power to stop a human being in their tracks? The faint click and shuffle of a bullet being pushed into the chamber of a gun. Lifting my head, I locked gazes with the deep barrel of an SW22 Victory hand gun. "Hands up!" The boy yelled, his eyes locked on me. Breathing heavily, I did as I was told, raising both arms high above my head. I knew I looked stupid, with both arms straight up in the air. With the gun still trained on me, the boy walked around me, and I felt his gaze burning into my back. 

Swallowing air, I'd shiver as the boy came round to face me once more. As we stood there, I took the time to study his complexion, as I was sure he was doing to the same to me. He then broke the silence, speaking. "What are you doing here?" he asked, the gun still pointed at me. I lifted my chin, scoffing. "What am I doing here? I would ask the same of you, but I fear you may shoot me." The boy only shrugged, waving the gun in my face. "It isn't my fault I came prepared."

"Prepared for what?" I asked, my eyebrows raised. "What did you even come here for?" To answer my question, the boy pulls out the piece of paper I thought was a map, and thrusts it towards me. Lowering my still raised arms, I grab the paper and frown as I study the image before me. "Wait..What?"

The image is of me, but at least ten years ago. I look happy, smiling in the photo. My hair is pulled back into two pigtails either side of my head, and my face is covered in mud. This is rather disturbing, seeing the boy has a photo of me. But what's even more disturbing is what's written under my photo. "Wanted, girl of about 18. Escapee from NTFB Institution. To be brought back alive."   My blood ran cold, as I saw them large amount of money being offered. Shocked, I tried to speak, but all I managed was a whisper. "You're here because you're looking for me?" The boy nodded, and then pushed the gun till the barrel rested against my nose. "And now that I've found you, it's time to get you back to your home." Before, I had been frozen in place, but once the boy had said he was taking me back to my "home", it brought me back to reality, and I willed myself to move.

Luckily, I did just that. Dropping the ad, I swung an arm towards the gun, using my forearm to knock the weapon from his grip. As it sailed away, I curled my hand into a fist, and connected it with the boys stomach. I was just landing punch after punch, repeatedly hitting his stomach. He of course fought back, but luckily my time out in this dump had given me time to work on my defense. I swung a leg up to deflect his wide swing, using the momentum from that swing to bend down and kick his feet out from under him. He landed in the dust and dirt with a large thump. Whilst he was down, I ran over to where is gun had landed, grabbing it with a firm grip. Before I would turn around, a searing hot pain exploded in my left calf, causing me to fall forwards. 

Picking myself up I examined my leg, scrunching my face up at the large disk buried under my skin. I looked over to the boy, to see he held another weapon of some sort in his hands. I gasped at the new pain running through my body, as I swiveled around in the dirt till I was facing him. Aiming the gun at his chest, I pulled the trigger. The kickback startled me, causing my aim to shift. Lowering the gun, I noticed I had not hit the boy's chest;  rather than clipped his shoulder. Shit, I thought, That was my one chance.  The boy cursed, before getting to his feet. Lifting his weapon once more, he aimed at me again. Firing a few rounds this time, I screamed out as the projected disks hit my body. I then yelled at the boy to stop shooting, that I give up. 

Dropping his discarded weapon, I studied the areas where the disks had penetrated my skin, my eyes stinging with tears. Through the watery haze, I noticed the disks were pushing some purple liquid through my veins. "Shit, shit shit!" I mumbled, suddenly becoming drowsy. Hearing footsteps approach, I looked up into the eyes of the boy, as he looked down at me. I whimpered as the pain grew once more, before speaking to him. "What did you do?" He looked at me sternly, before answering my question. "I shot you, obviously" I hissed a little, letting the tears fall now. "I know that.. But what with?" Sobbing now, I cradled my aching body. The boy never moved his gaze from my face, as he answered in a low voice. "Calm down, it's just knock out juice. You'll be gone soon enough." The boy crouched down, reaching over to wipe the tears from my cheeks. "Shh, and sleep. You're gonna be home soon"

All I remembered before blacking out, was the boy holding me as I cried, whispering into my ear. "Home soon... Home soon," was all he said, and I knew he meant it. He was taking me back to the Institution. Back were I never wanted to be, ever.

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