The Purge {a.b} ✔

Chapter 1

EDITED APRIL 3RD

5pm

"The purge will be a 12-hour session in which any and all crimes will be completely legal. I suggest you all stay in your homes and protect yourselves. All emergency services will be suspended until the 12-hour session is over.   It will be happening tonight at 9 pm. This will be the last announcement for today. Thank you for listening." and just like that the tv went off.

I shivered at the thought of the purge. I knew it was coming.. it happens every 20 years. I don't know how my momma survived the last one. It was just a year before I was born.  I've heard terrible things from this so-called purge.

Things that you would only have nightmares about.

"Wynter you have to promise me to stay with me inside this house at all times unless I say otherwise. Do not go to your friend's house.. we can't trust anyone during this time unholy time." father said in a quiet voice.

"Okay, daddy. I won't." I muttered softly.

"Here, help me board up the windows," he asked and handed me a hammer.

Our once beautiful home was now being boarded up with several wooden pallets. It was crazy how everyone was deathly afraid of what was to come.

I glanced around as I saw other houses begin to board up their homes also, nervous looks on their faces. I couldn't help but stare at my neighbors, the people I have known my whole entire life. They were terrified, as I was too. Who wouldn't be terrified during this time?

Many of the neighbors have left, fleeing to some foreign country, I'm guessing. I would have to, but daddy said we couldn't. We have to stay with the house, with the memories too. I couldn't disagree with him, that would be disagreeing with God. That's what he told me of course. And you can't possibly go against god or you would be punished.

That's why we called it The Unholy night.

Where everyone or mostly everyone does something unholy today

Stealing, murdering people, raping...

It disgusts me how people will actually even commit those crimes?

They must be insane, right?

I began to hammer in the nails into the wooden sidings of the windows. I flinched once I hit my thumb. I examined it carefully, shaking off the feeling. A minor hit my thumb wouldn't bother me. I have a high pain tolerance, so getting hit on the thumb wouldn't bother me much.

Once I had finished with that, I started gathering all the water we needed. I wanted to make sure we would have at least some water to go through the night.

I chuckled to myself,"It feels like the zombie apocalypse."

"This is no laughing matter, Wynter. You know better not to laugh about this. This is a serious thing. You could die. Do you hear me?" I hear father's voice from behind me.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to take the light out of this situation," I mumbled softly.

7 pm

I was scared at this point. In two hours, we could possibly die. Or, we could live through it without being harmed at all.

My father held me in his arms as we hid inside of the closet, a lock keeping anyone from coming in. We sat with blankets, food, and water. I shivered with fear if I heard anything outside.

"Try to sleep okay?" my father said in my ear and I nodded. I leaned against the pillow inside of the closet. I wrapped the blanket around me and held onto it tightly. I hoped that we would be okay through this whole thing.

I hope mama would be proud of me in heaven. I know she would be.

I closed my eyes and cuddled into the blanket, hoping that when I woke up everything would be okay.

935pm

I woke up when I heard the door unlock. I saw my father begin to leave the closet so I stood up with a curious look.

"Daddy, where are you going?" I said walking up to him.

"I heard something outside and I want to check it out. I'll be fine. I have my shotgun with me. I'll be back in 5 minutes okay?" He kissed my forehead and went to close the door.

He opened it right and stuck his head in,"Do not open this door no matter what. Do you hear me?" and with that, the door was shut. I quickly locked the door behind him and stepped back.

He'll be back.

I held my knees against my chest and rocked back and forth. I held my breath every time I heard a noise from downstairs.

I hoped he was okay, he had to be. No matter what Daddy would be okay. He always is.

I tried to remind myself how it was two weeks ago. I was just starting my first year of college and I was so excited. They gave us two weeks off from school because they knew that people would get hurt and or die. The one thing I don't get is why they do this?

Who even came up with the idea of a purge? It was the most idiotic thing I have ever encountered. Well, this was my first time encountering it.

I shifted my feet and rested my chin between my knees, sighing. I wonder how everyone else is doing? I looked over and peered through the closet window that was covered in boards. I lifted the board slightly so I can see through and my eyes widened.

My neighbor's house was on fire.

I bit my lip and examined my neighborhood. There were people in masks standing in front of the house. I saw another man, one who I couldn't tell if he was wearing a mask, his direction went to me. I threw myself back away from the window and started breathing heavy.

He couldn't have seen me.

No way, it was too dark.

I clawed at my hair and started to sob. I didn't want to die, I couldn't die. I was too young.

I held my breath realizing I needed to calm down. He could've just saw someone else.

It wasn't me. I know it wasn't.

I heard the door being banged on very loudly.