We Are Gone

One

Wednesday October 10: 6 days before the world ended.

Meet Teo Johnson

6:26 pm

"How have you been doing Teo?"

"Not well."

"Why"

"I've been having these dreams."

"Tell me about them"

I look up, my eyes facing her. She stiffened and waited for my response.

"It was about this thing, it was chasing me. Killing everything around me."

"Who did it kill?" The woman in the leather chair asked, as she listened to my thoughts and recorded them on her large black notebook. "My family, my friends-" I gulped. "My girlfriend"

"What was it?" She licked her lips and wrote something down.

"I don't know. I couldn't see it. But-" I began to panic. Feeling the blood rise, I paused.

"It chased me. I couldn't run. There was something making my ability to run not possible. So I just ran in circles, I kept running until I got dizzy. Everything went black after that."

"And how many times have you had this dream Teo?"

"Dozens of times. I lost count." I finished.

"Well uh, that will be enough for today Teo. I'll see you next week for your next appointment" She smiled and brought me to the door and I followed.

"We're all dead. You do know that right?" I tremble.

"Goodbye Teo" The woman says and shuts the door immediately. I roll my eyes and join my mom in the lobby.

She smiles at me and gets up from the seat. "How did it go?"

I ignored her and kept walking. She got the memo and followed me out to the car.

"Teo?" She huffed. "What went wrong?"

"Nothing mom. Nothing at all." I say giving a sarcastic remark.

"I'm doing this for you. It'll make you better, after everything that happened, it will make you forget."

"Forget? Forget that I watched that asshole hit you?-"

"He was your father"

"I watched him hurt you and I couldn't do anything. What? Is it really my fault that I have to go day by day and watch him sink. He's an alcoholic who doesn't care about us mom. Hell, Gally was lucky that he managed to get out. No wonder he ran away. He was actually smart." I yelled so loud that my throat burned. People began to watch and gasp.

"Your brother ran away Teo" She cried silently.

Feeling the heat rise and the tears fall, I looked at my mom one last time and walked away.

Walked away from her. Walked way from the car. Walked away from the truth. I didn't hesitate.

I slid my hands in my jacket pockets and sniffled. I didn't want to cry. I'm not a girl. I'm a guy who needs to fucking grow a pair. But no matter how much I held my emotions in, I just made myself cry even more. Hell I don't care if people see me.

I walked down this alley way so my mom couldn't find me. Knowing her she was probably driving around looking for me. My phone began to buzz and I grabbed it from my back pocket.

Incoming call from Rose

It continued to ring but I couldn't find myself to pick up. I just couldn't.

Rose.

Rose is my girlfriend. She doesn't know about my dad being abusive but she does know about my brother. But not because of me. She doesn't know about the therapy classes I've been having and frankly I don't plan to tell her unless it's brought up.

I press decline and continue to walk down the alley. I go to the right, heading to the road and my phone buzzes again.

Incoming call from mom

I sighed and answered it.

"Mom. I need sometime alo-"

"Teo. I understand okay? Just be back before dark? Please?" I could hear the hurt in her voice but I ignored it.

"I'll see you soon," and I hang up.

I found my dignity and called Rose.

"Hey babe?"

It was quiet until I heard her voice. "Hey? Um are you busy?" She asks as her voice sounds shaky.

"No. What's wrong?" I ask as I begin to get anxious.

"I really need to talk to you."

"I'll be there in 10"