Discernment

Chapter 1

It was often I had to look for supplies but lately I was desperate, anything I could get my hands on would be fine for me. I was starved, for I hadn't eaten anything in two days after being split from my group. I had found a gas station, looked almost as if it was demolished. There was a huge crack near the left of the building, broken windows, and out of the four gas pumps, there was only one left. The others had been knocked over or were missing. My face enlightened as I seen the gas station even though it looked as it were going to collapse.

I quickly walked up to the gas station entrance, peeking through the windows before going inside. Anything could have been in there. The monstrosities that had killed many of my friends, or a group of bandits that had taken control over my last group and killed them. After seeing that it was clear from my view, I walked in the front slowly as possible. I readied my small knife to be sure, after all, I may not have seen anything hostile.

As I look inside, it was untouched. Food on the shelves and drinks in the cooler. It felt like heaven to me. I walk inside soon after, creaking the door behind me as I lay it against the threshold, not closing it fully. I walk in a little more, smelling the stale air as if no one was here for months. I then focus on a box of noodles. I started to stumble over to it as I fall to my knees and open it quickly. As the smell of seasoning hits my nose, I dive in for some of it, crunching each scoop I had gotten from the box.

After I had finished that box of noodles, I looked around some more. Looking for anything, really. I walk behind the counter and look through the cash register. I throw out the money tray which was empty for some reason. After doing that, I found a flare gun. It only had 3 flares, but it'll have to do for now. I look around for more when I hear to what seemed to be an odd growling sound.

I stand up almost immediately, glancing out the window only to see a faded red colored truck, it pulled up on the side of the road, not near the gas pump or near the building, which was odd. Soon after, the driver's door flew open, revealing a rather large man in a filthy, blood-stained tank top and a beanie. He stormed to the bed of his truck and shouting something. I go closer and peek out of the entrance to see the man slap someone. As I heard the cries of the victim, I had to do something. I then threw on my grey hood from my hoodie, I put on my black bandanna I had around my neck, and I pulled out the flare gun I had just found in the cash register.

I fling the door open, aiming the flare gun at the man. He turns his head and glances at me. "You best to put that gun down, boy." He shouts to me, and walks about ten feet from the truck. "Y-You leave that helpless girl alone now, ya' hear me?" I reply with a stern tone. He looks at me, probably thinking I was bluffing. "I've killed people before, don't think I won't kill you!" I threaten him. "You won't do a God damned thing!" He yells to me. Him and I stood there, not moving at all. It was silent. "Either you put that gun down, or I'm going to have to kill you." He breaks the silence, turns to his truck and grabs a shovel.

I stood there motionless, not knowing what was going to happen. Was I going to have to add this man to the other three I've killed or will I be dead along with however many he's killed? "You don't scare me!" I shout putting my foot forward and aiming it at him. "Are you serious, kid?" He mumbles loud enough so I could hear him. "I'll give you to a count of 10 to get away." He says with a stern voice. "Ten...Nine..." He starts counting down. My heart was racing to the fact that someone was going to die. "Eight...Seven..." He continues to count down. "Six...Fi-" He stops counting. What happened? Why would he stop counting like that?

I saw nothing; Nothing except a bright light. All I could hear was his screams of agony and pain. When I snapped back to reality, I had noticed my finger was tightly pressed against the trigger of the flare gun. "Oh my God..." I whispered to myself. "I-I'm sorry.." I continue to whisper as I fell to my knees. I looked up at the man engulfed in flames and the gas pump in pieces then at the girl in the back of the truck and run passed the burning man toward her. I get in the truck and start it up. 

I start driving toward the city only to notice that the truck was nearly out of gas. Starting to regret blowing up that gas pump, I pull over to the side of the road and get out, walking over to the tied up girl in the bed of the truck. She was unconscious and had a large bruise on the side of her face. "Excuse me.." I say tapping her shoulder. When I got no response, I climbed in the back and grabbed a piece of cut up metal. I started to saw the duct tape tied around her wrists and her legs. When I was done, I picked her up and carried her to the passenger's seat.