Lost Mind

Fun Ends Here

I rush back inside to find out what was happening, though I already had a pretty sick idea of what it was. I drag the doors closed with a loud squeaking that can barely be heard over the screams and gunshots. The second I close the doors, the hall gets instantly darker. I can barely see anything. I slowly walk through the hallway, using my memory to guide me through. I finally find my way out and look into the terror and commotion commencing around me. There are men yelling commands at each other while they grab supplies and people. It's hard to think of what to do with the glass shattering and people screaming. I look around more and notice that people are crawling through the boarded up windows. I notice one face in particular. Jack. So this is where the group went when they tried to kill me. I wonder if Julia is with them? I really hope not. I think about what I should do when I see some of the raiders walking up to me with guns and I freeze there. 

"Stay right where you are!"

They step closer to me as I just stand there, motionless. I can feel the cold steel of the gun leaning against my head. I can sense the end. I feel my life flash before my eyes. It feels like nothing matters anymore. Before I dwell too far back, I jump back to reality. I swing my arm back towards the gun while I kick the leg of the raider that is aiming the gun at my head. He falls immediately as the other guard stands there surprised. I am a little freaked out myself because I did not expect that to work so well. While we both stand there, I think more about what to do. I push the other raider over and dash towards the office. As I close in, I hear the surrounding screams and shots. I can't get them out of my head. I finally reach the door to Richard's office. As I clench my hand on the metal handle, I can hear some voices coming from the other side. Maybe Richard is in trouble.

I don't want to risk anything, so I stay there. I lean my head against the door so that I can hear inside better. I listen more and I feel like I recognize more of the voices. Not only is it Richard, but also Sam and maybe even Daniel. So the group is with the raiders. Everything seems calm though. It's like they are working out some kind of deal. Maybe Richard was planning this attack all along. That would explain his ignoring of my sightings of people. This must have been planned for so long. Maybe even before I got here. That's probably why I was able to take out the trash today. I listen in a bit more, feeling betrayed and hatred growing inside me. Finally, something happens.

 "I'm sorry Richard, but you knew this was going to happen." 

Then a gunshot rings throughout the room and leaks outside into my ears. I try to listen a bit more, leaning on the door with all my weight when the door creaks open, leaving me exposed. I sit there, staring at the men in the room while they stare back with harsh eyes. It looks like my prediction was right about Sam and Daniel being there. Brandon was also there, but he didn't speak. 

"Oh, hi Jake!"

 I used to think of that voice as weak and sympathetic. That harsh but calm Sam sound. Daniel raises his gun as Brandon fumbles with his as I jump up and slam the door right before I can hear another gunshot.

They were trying to kill me. But Sam didn't raise his gun. Maybe it was the group's plan to kill me. The bullet pierces through the thin wood door and slices the air right past me. I can feel blood drip down my ear as I pick myself up and start running. I look at the terror around me as everything has calmed down quite a bit. I start to think as I run for the exit. This place is no longer usable. Its outlived its use. At least for me. Who knows what people might come along next. I need to grab supplies. I remembered my bag and everything in it. I try to think where it might be at, then I remember that it is outside. I never really trusted this place, especially when I started seeing people surrounding the building a few days prior. I dash to the outside and pick it up. It's been a while since I've last carried and I get a little unbalanced while the feeling comes back to me of a stuffed bag. Though, it feels lighter, like I'm missing something. Then I remember the puppies.

They've been with me through everything, even before the aliens. I need to get them back. I dash back inside as I pull the gun out of its pocket in the bag. Like a tiger being released from its cage. I run straight towards the kitchen while some of the raiders just sit there and search some of the bodies. As I enter the kitchen, two guys are sitting there, taking some foods. One crouched down, looking at cans while another is searching through the fridge. I sit there, thinking about how I'm going to get past them. I raise the gun up towards the man looking in the fridge. If I shoot him, it will take the man that's crouched long enough to get up that I can shoot him too. At least, that's what I think. I keep it aimed at his head, dead center. I can't do it though. They have killed people, but they haven't done anything to me. Why should they die? Before I put the gun down and think of some other solution, the fridge man starts turning his head and asks the crouched man a question.

  "Hey Tom, you think they'll..." 

I fire a shot.

I got scared. I thought he was going to see me. It was an accident, yeah. An accident. 

"Holy shit! Fred are you okay?" 

The crouched man stands up and dashes towards his friend. I aim the gun at him. He looks at me, with tears running down his face. I can't let this man kill me. I have to take the shot first. I can't let him control me. I won't let him control me. I am my own leader now. He falls down, motionless. Another shot fired. Another kill. Another dead human. I've heard it said that it's hard the first time to shoot something, but after that, it gets easier. I don't know where I heard it from, maybe a book. I read a lot of those back in the day. Okay, time to get focused. I just killed two people. Time to grab the puppies. For some reason, they don't make any sound after the shots or yelling or anything. It scares me. Maybe they are dead or not there.

But my fear is for nothing as they are sleeping in their box. Comfortably, like nothing bad has happened in their life at all. I wish I could be like them. I pick them up and start to grab the box. I look into my bag and notice that its emptier than I thought. I forgot they took the food and water from my bag. Time to take back what's mine. I search the cabinets for some newer cans of food. I grab some water bottles and stuff everything in my bag. Finally, the puppies. As I get them in and everything is packed, I hear murmurs. The other raiders. They are talking about running in the room and firing at will. They aren't trying to be quiet. They must know that there is no way out of this room. I look for something, anything to get me out of this room. I sit there hopeless when I look up. There is just a white ceiling and a vent. I look beneath the vent and notice a table right below. Just high enough for me to get inside. I jump on the table and pull on the vent. It doesn't budge. I grab my knife from my ankle and unscrew the vent. I set it down quietly and lightly lay my bag in the vent, far enough away where I can still make it in. As I jump up to get in the vent, I hear someone yell "Charge!" Some amount of guys run into the room and start firing at my feet.

None really injure me except one that pierces the edge of my leg. I pull myself the rest of the way up. I push my bag gently along as I crawl through the vents. I think about it and remember that one of the exits is near the kitchen. That means they are probably waiting outside for me. I have to wait it out in the vent. There is barely enough space for me to move around, but I manage to get the puppies out and grab my blanket. I get ready to sleep as I hear men yelling commands and more looting and a few whimpers. At least I am safe and that is what matters. It was going to be night soon, so they were probably going to leave soon. As I sat there, I started thinking more about the group. I wonder if they met Sam too, except they might have been too big of a group to help them get inside the center. What about Julia? Did she agree with what they were doing? Did she get locked up because of her beliefs? I didn't see her here. I didn't see any of the rest of the girls from the group either. In fact, I didn't see any girls there. Maybe Julia is safe. I really hope she is.