In the light of Destruction

Chapter 1.

Chapter 1:

"Alex!" Bria shouts.

Where is he, she thought to herself, as she takes a turn down Jackson Drive, an old road with cracked cement and huge potholes. As she walks along the road her foot lands into a pothole and she twists her ankle causing her to fall to the ground. Bria catches herself, but not quick enough. She lands on her hands and her paintball gun jams into her thigh. She takes quick a look at her hands; there are no major cuts but they're extremely red, and as she stands up to dust herself off she hears a click of a lever and she quickly ducks. The paintball zooms past her head, and smashes into a mailbox. Bria turns around, and sees a boy with ripped jeans, a black vest, an orange bandana tied around his forehead and neon green goggles the cover his eyes.

"Alex! What the hell was that for?" Bria shouts as she stands up and makes her way towards him.

"Just making sure you were awake, don't want you to fall asleep,"Alex replies with a smile, as he smears pink paint on Bria's arm.

"Come on Alex," Bria smiles at him as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Stop being such an asshole and help me find Jake's base."

"Well you weren't going to find it in that pothole."

"Ha ha," Bria replies sarcastically, "For real though, I don't know where their base is."

"Okay so if we cut through this yard, and go through Perry Avenue there is an alley," Alex says pointing to a house with a broken window and the door kicked in.

"Anna will be keeping guard, so Cece will meet us there. Once we get there I will run across the road to the alley that leads to the front of the old high school," He looks behind us to make sure nobody was around listening, then continued, "I'm hoping it will distract Anna while you and Cece take the alley that leads to the back of the school."

Bria nods and they both head off to Perry Avenue. The game they're playing is like capture the flag, but with paintball guns. It lasts for about 2-3 days depending how long your team lasts. Everyone gets to choose their team of four, then depending on the color you are assigned you get a bandana to show what team you are on. Once the game starts you camp out with your team until your team either gets out or wins. Bria's team was assigned the color orange, and is made up her three closest friends, Alex, Cece, and Hope. Their flag is hidden in the abandoned park in the older part of town. The only team left is Orange and the Blue team. The two ways a team can get out is when your flag is captured and ran to the town hall, or everyone in the team is jailed. If someone gets shot on another team's territory you get jailed, but if you get shot on your territory you are killed. It's a city tradition that happens every summer right after school gets out.

Bria and Alex live in Dellhaven, a small town in Northern United States. Dellhaven is a small town with many abandoned buildings and blocked off roads. But, there are a lot of newer buildings in the northern part of the city. Bria enjoys the older parts rather than new parts though, it reminds her of when she was younger.

Once Bria and Alex reaches Perry Avenue it's about two o'clock. As Bria peers around a mountainous rose bush, she sees a tan complexed girl with caramel brown hair that flowed down her back in waves, and a blue bandana tied around her ankle.

"There's Anna," Bria whispers to Alex as he tiptoes up behind her.

"You better not mess up this brilliant plan of mine or you're dead meat," Alex whispers back and drags his fingers across his neck.

"Well you best get going while she isn't looking, you'll get a head start, " Cece whispers as she pops up from behind another bush.

"Okay, Cece remember the backup plan if I get shot and stuff, which obviously won't happen," Alex says to Cece.

She replies with a nod, then Alex sprints a crossed the street towards the alley. Anna notices Alex soon after and takes off after him. He sprints back and forth dodging the obstacles in the way. Anna raises her paintball gun, not losing speed and shoots but misses Alex. Once he reaches the other end of the alley he raises his paintball gun and shoots it once towards the sky. He then takes a turn and Anna and Alex disappear out of view.

"Thats our cue, lets blow this popsicle stand," Cece whispers. They both head off towards the back alley, Cece's blonde hair blowing lightly in the breeze.

As they walk down the alley, they see huge rocks and broken furniture from the old apartments. A spark of shiny metal catches Bria's attention and she crouches down to inspect it. It turns out to be a metal chained bracelet with the words tu me manqué engraved around one side. She picks up the metal chained bracelet and slides it in her pocket. They walk for another five minutes until they finally reach the back of the old high school.

Bria climbs through the broken window, avoiding the broken glass they lays on the ground. Inside the old school, chairs are flipped, and an old flower vase is laying on the desk and the surrounding walls are covered head to toe with graffiti. Bria helps Cece through the window and they quietly sneak out of what appears to be an office. As they quietly walk down the school hallway. In the hallway the lockers have little to no paint left on them and is peeled off. The school has not been used about a decade.

Bria and Cece continue walking through the maze of hallways. Then they hear the shouting of a familiar voice. Bria starts to pick up her pace, and Cece follows suite. The shouting becomes louder and louder. They reach the end of the hall and Bria sees Hope's ponytail whip around a corner and then she's gone. Cece and Bria race down the hall and around the same corner and spot Hope sprinting down the hallway. She shoots the two Red Team members that are guarding Alex, hitting one in the hand and the other in the thigh, splattering pink and yellow paint everywhere. Hope taps Alex on the shoulder and he takes off in the opposite direction Hope came.

Bria scans her surroundings: to the left of her is a large room with tables dispersed about, which is the Cafeteria. Standing in the middle of the room is a huge blue flag, guarded by Jake, a short blond haired kid, with little freckles scattered on his face. Cece runs for the flag, and she chases after her. Cece reaches for the flag but gets shot in the hip with a green paintball. Bria runs to the flag, dodging paintballs that are being shot at her and Hope runs up close behind her. Bria launches her body forward for the flag, it barely slipping through her fingertips. Before she gets the chance to run she gets shot, and pink paint splatters all over her face and chest and she drops the flag. Hope quickly picks up the flag, and immediately dashes off to claim victory. Anna then races off towards Hope.

The paint feels cold against Bria's skin and she smears it a crossed Cece's face, making her laugh. Both girls are taken to the Red Team's jail. Soon after, Alex sneaks up, taking out another red team member, and unjails both Bria and Cece. They all then head of towards the city hall. When Bria gets to the field that lays a crossed the City hall she sees Hope running for her life with Anna not to far behind. Alex quickly catches up to Hope. She throws the flag in the air over Anna and Alex catches it. He then rushes down towards the City Hall and slides the flag in its correct slot.

Bria throws her hands up into the air and cheers. The orange team's screams of victory drown out all the other noise. Bria and her teammates place huge grins on their faces and tell the other opponents good game after they receive their medals. Alex gathering Bria in his arms and gives her a huge hug.

"Told you my plan was genius," He whispers quietly in her as Hope and Cece come to join them.