Stay...Alive

Chapter 10

 "So sorry you had to see all that, Victorine," Yolanda said sympathetically after the story was out. Victorine leaned against Yolanda's arm, still not able to think straight. Right after he was told his brother didn't make it, Horace crawled all the way to the other end of the truck without even hesitating. He wouldn't even listen to a word that anyone there had to say.

But at least Primus had followed them onto the truck. At the sight of a sad Victorine, he dashed over and nuzzled his head against her shoulder. Victorine nuzzled back, almost smiling.

"So where are they taking us?" Frankie asked, her voice unsteady.

"I-I don't know," Yolanda breathed.

"Does the army brat know?" Frankie asked. Parker simply shrugged. "Why is no one freaking out about this as much as me?"

"Eh, we've been through worse," Yolanda pointed out, through her voice suggested otherwise

"No we haven't," Jacey stated.

"I have," Lane mumbled, though it was so quiet only Victorine could hear.

"Well, there is nothing worse than getting mass-kidnapped!" Frankie screeched.

"Babe, calm down," Gina stated, rubbing Frankie's shoulders.

"That's not easy," Frankie quipped under her breath. Victorine's eyes dotted around the truck, trying to find Horace. The place was crowded with sweaty bodies, and the air was hot enough to melt one's brain. She spotted him in the corner of the truck farthest from them. His back was turned, so she couldn't see his face. But she saw his fists gripped the fence and his shoulders hunched over.

They were driving for what felt like hours, everyone bunched together and panicked. Countless parents were crying for their children lost in the shooting. They wallowed in sorrow so terrible words can't describe it. All the dreadful sobs built up until someone driving the truck slammed on the wall to get everyone to shut up.

Victorine was squished between Lane and Primus. Lane hugged his knees to his chest, partly for comfort and partly because there was no room. He stared into space, inhaling sharply through his nose. When Victorine rubbed his shoulder, he simply responded, "This is exactly what everyone was afraid of."

He looked Victorine directly in the eye and emphasized, "Exactly."

Another half-hour or so passed, and the truck slowly reared to a stop as the hair on the back of Victorine's neck stood up. When the doors slammed, everyone snapped. Victorine instinctively grabbed Primus' hand, and Yolanda hugged Victorine. Parker and Jacey held each other, and Asha gripped Lane's shoulder. Frankie and Gina squeezed each other's hands, and everyone's eyes stayed fixed on the cage door. Anita slowly rose.

"Despite all this..." She commented hastily, trying to get it all out before they were let out. "I'm still glad I didn't escape with my dad."

The cage door swung open, and people closest to the door were pulled outside and fell to the ground. When they were yanked back up, they were pushed to follow a man in a gray uniform. Slowly, the truck was aggressively emptied and the prisoners were sent on their way in one, massive hoard.

Victorine could barely see over everyone's heads, but she could see that they were being led into a large, gray building with square-shaped walls that had ridged edges. There were soldiers on the roof holding large, black guns that were indubitably half their height. The soldiers that were scaring the prisoners into order had slightly smaller ones. But they still had the power to take several lives and ruin countless more with a single pull of a trigger.