Outbreak

Chapter 36

Chapter 35: Avi

My head spins a million revolutions per second. Everything aches especially my heart.

Oh God, Toni.

He deserved to live a long life, not to be taken down by a fricking bullet. He deserved to find a woman that made him happy, someone that he'd live his life with. He deserved to have a large family that stays at a cottage in the mountains.

He deserved to be with me.

I never got the chance to tell him I loved, love, him. He remains in my heart, along with Easton and Reyes.

I am shoved into a room that is filled with many cages. My eyes widen when I see that animals don't fill them, women and kids do. I am the only one in here my age, which frightens me.

What happened to the other teenage girls?

I an pushed towards a small, empty little kennel, one that has dried blood on the bars and floor. I whimper and start to struggle.

I'm not going to die in this awful place.

I stop when a hand slaps me in the face, causing my vision to darken. Everything in me turns numb and I remain frozen. I cannot move, cannot speak, cannot hear.

I am dead on the inside, and by the looks of it, I am close to bring dead on the outside as well.

I don't take in all the bruises on a lady's body or the blood on a kid's face. All I know is that no one should be forced to be here.

I will save everyone of these women and girls. I owe it to them to be the one that saves them from their deaths that are just waiting to happen.

I crawl into the kennel, watching as the man and the boy who ruined my life close the barred door behind me. I have to sit because there is no room for me to even crouch.

The claustrophobia is acting up again and I start to hyperventilate like I can't breathe. I grab my throat, which is closing up, and gasp, trying to get air into my lungs.

A hand reaches through the bars and grasps my hand. I turn, still choking, finding Nikki here along with me.

Tears race down my cheeks and eventually I can breathe normally again. I try to calm down for Nikki's sake, wanting to be strong for her.

"I'm sorry, Nikki." I whisper quietly. "I'm going to get us out of here. I promise."

She nods, a slight smile painted on her young face. She's only four and she has to see all of the horrors in the world.

I want to reach over and shield her from everything bad, not wanting her innocent mind to be tainted from the evil left.

I make a vow that I will protect her from anymore harm. No one else will.

Easton is all alone. Toni is dead. Her parents are dead. Reyes is probably dead. Marlowe is being held somewhere, most likely being killed.

I am the only left to take care of this little girl.