Post Apocalyptic

Chapter Six

I woke up to a throbbing, pounding head. I went to take a deep breath, but my breathing was restricted by something thick and heavy over my nose. In fact, the thing covered my whole head. I struggled to shake it off, but it was held in place by something. I started to panic, breathing picking up and fear rising.

"Addison, stop." Skylar's muffled voice pierced my ears, making my head pound even more. I groaned in pain.

"Addison, they have us in a truck." Skylar whispered, barely audible. I snapped to attention, suddenly feeling the jostling and swaying movement of a truck that I hadn't felt for a very long time. 

"What?" I snapped. "That's impossible!"

I heard a banging right beside me and my heart stopped. I tried to breathe normally as I felt the person's presence very close to me.

"How about let's keep it down, okay?" The voice was deep and scratchy, but familiar. I knew that voice.

"Do I know you?" I asked, not caring about lowering my voice.

He cleared his throat and shuffled before a blank "No" came out. I felt him scoot away from me, allowing me to let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in.

I used my other senses to inspect where we were, knowing that the burlap bag covering my face would leave me with no sight. I couldn't see a thing, just dark. I used my hands to feel on the cold floor we were sitting on. It was to be a metal of sorts, it was freezing cold and when I dragged my fingernail across it, a slight screeching noise was produced. It was dirty and gross feeling, feeling like a mixture of dirt and grease.

I felt the walls to find they were the same metal. The truck hit a bump and we were thrown about the compartment we were in. I heard Skylar utter a small squeak as I fell over on my side, pain exploding through my ribs and back, bringing back the memories.

The rain. Skylar running. Getting pushed down the slope. The tree hitting my back. Getting tied up. Getting punched in my face.

Anger exploded in me, red hot fury that demanded to be let out. That guy had punched me in the face. I sat myself upright and scooted so my back was firmly against the cold metal wall. I inched up, very slowly, it being difficult because I couldn't see anyone's face, not knowing if they had noticed my moving. I assumed they didn't seeing no one was knocking me down and hitting me.

Once I was in a squatting position, I stood upright quickly and ran blindly through the compartment, hoping to run into anyone. To hurt anyone. My body connected with another and we both fell, me using my pounding head and knees to hit the man. He grunted as he fought me off, eventually just placing a huge hand around my small, thin neck and lifting me up.

I couldn't touch the ground. My feet searched for any solid ground as I started to have a hard time breathing. He was choking me. The burlap bag over my head didn't help things either. I gagged and attempted to cry out, only a strangled gasp escaping.

"Charlie, stop! You're killing her!" That familiar voice yelled, pretty close to my struggling body.

"Well, teach your girlfriend to stop being such a difficult, wild bitch." The man holding me by the grunted, giving me a swift, real tight squeeze before throwing me across the compartment.  No one was there to break my fall, and hit the metal floor hard before sliding across it. I wall stopped me when I barreled into that. I moaned in immense pain and vowed to not try to do anything like that again until I wasn't in so much pain.

"I'm no one's girlfriend." I muttered, saying it more for my help than anyone else's. That voice was so very familiar, but I couldn't put a face to it.