The fallout

Part three: present day

"Don't laugh. Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it couldn't have any time!" Maria slammed her hand on the table, glaring at Neve, her best friend. She didn't often feel angry. She didn't often feel anything, mostly. "Ok, ok, calm down. It was just a joke" Neve soothed, turning back to her work. The friends had met at NYU, both majoring In art, and had quickly become close. Maria sat back, and opened the news app on her phone. Nothing. There was always nothing. Fucking hell. She gazed back at her work: a creative project. This should interest her, not that a lot of things did, but she had hoped it would. She always did. This time she wasn't even angry...

                      

I watched as the van drove away from my old and beloved town. I had a strange feeling that I would see it again someday. I don't know why. I don't think I ever will. I turned to the other kids in the van. Everyone was crying and screaming. It all cane in a rush. The utter sadness and terror I felt kicked in. I began to sob, I could not be strong any longer.

After some time, we pulled up to what seemed to be an abandoned house. We were shoved inside, those who tried to disobey were given black eyes. Once we were all in the old house, we were pushed through the door to the basement. Except this was not any basement. Inside, it was like an old waiting room, clean and pristine, but it smelled like blood. I gagged. Handcuffs were attached to our wrists, and we were lead along a wide corridor lined with doors, various noises of pain coming from within. I shuddered. I had never been so afraid in my life. My heart was beating out of my chest. At the end of the corridor, we were put in another waiting rooms, this time however, we were uncuffed and left loose in the room. After the door was locked, some of the older ones began to beat and pound on the door, while the youngest were picked up and looked after by the middle ones. That's when I realised- the youngest people here were about five. What about the babies and toddlers? My heart dropped.  No...no...please. I sat in the corner and began to cry.

It was about five minutes when I felt somebody sit next to me. Looking over, I saw a girl about my age, I recognised her as kelly, a girl from my class, we had never talked though. "Hey." She said, not looking at me.
"Hello." I replied, looking at my bare feet. Staring her in her eyes, I asked
"What do you think will happen to us?"
"I don't know" she sighed, looking back at me. I found myself at loss for words.  It was then the door opened, and another man dressed in black stepped through. Without a word, he walked over to Kelly and I, and seized Kelly by the wrist, dragging her out of the room. I threw myself at him, grabbing Kelly's other hand as she screams for help. I was useless. I sink to the floor as the door locks once again and Kelly's screams echo down the corridor. Five minutes later, another boy is taken, and every five more minutes, someone else is taken. Soon there are just five of us left. The door opens, and a woman locks her eyes with me, before I know, she has seized my wrist and now I'm being dragged, into a room, I wonder what will happen next...