I Am Annika

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

No. He was wrong.

People-things- like me didn't get help. Ever.

"You're wrong," I said, shaking my head. Around us, shots rang out, yells shattering the night. I had no time to talk. I started to rise, but a hand whipped out, grabbing my wrist, stopping me.

"What?" I hissed, wrenching my wrist away easily. He watched me with fiercely calm eyes.

"You don't belong here. This isn't you." He said, his eyes darting around, searching for danger, like it was a person. What he didn't seem to get was that the danger was all around us. In us, even. There was nowhere that we could hide that danger wouldn't find us, but he seemed to deem our dark corner worthy.

"You don't know me," I said. I turned and ran towards the crowd, the pulsing heart of the chaos. My fingers were on the trigger, caressing it, teasing.

The night was broken by man. Up above, even the stars were hiding, not wanting to look down on what humanity had become. A disgrace.

In the crowd, it was impossible to tell who was friend or foe- it was all a blur of colour.

"What a mess," I heard beside me.

"Get lost," I yelled at him. At this rate, he would have a bullet through his chest before morning. I didn't even find myself caring. I shivered. I was becoming a monster. Pushing the thought from my mind, I looked at him, my eyes almost angry enough to shoot daggers.

"Not until you understand-" He was cut off by me, raising my hand as my radio crackled to life.

"Soldier AAA, Air Squadron One is on it's way over." I nodded, relaxing slightly. This would be over soon. Checkmate was on its way.

"You summoned an Air Squad?" I glanced at him, wishing he would just shut up for a minute. His face was stricken. Under his uniform, his muscles were taut.

"Those are my friends out there! You can't...can't..." He swallowed, watching the fighting, his hands clenched into white fists.

"Relax," I sighed, "they aren't armed." He looked at me for a second, as if he was trying to believe me. He let out a breath.

"Okay." His voice wavered slightly. Whoever was out there, getting shot at, he obviously cared for them. I heard the familiar whir of the Air Squad. I tilted my head to the sky. The Air Squad was made of sleek, silver aircrafts. Modern, state of the art. Large windows reflected the floodlights of the ground as large wings fanned out from both sides of the aircraft. A large government symbol was stamped on the side, identical to the one stamped on my shoulder. Because to them, I was just something for their use, not unlike the Air Squad.

The speaker sounded, echoing across the compound.

"Rebels. The air squadron is armed and targeted at individual members of your party. Surrender now, and no one gets killed." The rebels in the mass paused, considering. It was enough time for the government soldiers to surround them, guns aimed. Slowly, hands were raised in surrender.

"Gotcha," I breathed, my lips turning up at the corners against my will. No. This wasn't me. This wasn't a scene to smile at. It would make people cry, faint, scream. No, I said to myself, that's what humans feel. Not you. Stop forgetting you aren't like them.

Around me, blood was splattered on the cement ground, guns discarded, forgotten. Bodies were at odd angles, waiting to carried away. Some looked as if they'd simply lain down for a short break. Except it was permanent.

He was still at my side, like he was waiting for something.

"That was...smart." He said tentatively, his eyes searching mine. I turned away.

"Your friends are going to die. You are, too. Better to get out while you can." I said, my back to him, not wanting to look at his expression. He made a small strangled sound, like he was trying to breathe, but couldn't. He coughed, and cleared his throat.

"Not without you." He answered. That was it. That was it. I spun around, my gun aimed at his heart.

"Look at me. I'm. Not. Human." I hissed, jabbing his chest with each word. He eyed the gun.

"There's no hope for your friends, okay? I got you out, I gave you your freedom back. Do you know what you did by coming back? You threw it in my face." I said, anger spilling into my words.

"I'm going to get my friends out," he promised, easing the gun away with his hand.

"You don't get it, do you?" I asked, my voice deadly calm.

"You either get out of here," I said, "or kill them yourself." Hurt flooded into his eyes.

"You let the initiates kill people?" He asked, his voice shocked.

"Yes," I whispered. "Everyone in here is a killer. The sooner you get that, the better." He looked at the blood soaked ground, probably hoping that the blood spilt was not anyone's that he knew. But it probably was.

"Shoot me," I said, looking over him, slightly unimpressed.

"What? No!" He said loudly. I narrowed my eyes.

"Then leave. You won't survive here." I said, shaking my head.

"Wait," he said, taking a shaky breath. "Fine." I gave him a small, challenging grin.

"Perfect." He looked slightly scared of me.

"But...you're going to die." He argued quietly.

"Guess so," I shrugged. I backed up a bit, stood facing him. I lifted my chin, straightening my back. He slowly removed the gun from his belt, aiming it at me. I stared down the barrel.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm not," I said calmly. His hand squeezed the trigger. The shot rang out, and I saw his eyes close, not wanting my lifeless body, my eyes that would never stop staring ahead.

I raised my hand.

There was silence. It fell upon the compound. His eyes were still squeezed shut, gun still in the air.

I studied the silver bullet in between my fingers. Not a dent. Pristine.

Not hearing my body drop, his eyes slowly opened. His mouth was opened wide, eyes filled with confusion and awe. I tossed the bullet to him.

A reminder.

It fell to the ground at his feet, getting tainted with the blood of another.