treachery. | purge!au

eddie.

"this is not a test. this is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the annual purge sanctioned by the u.s government. weapons of class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the purge. all other weapons are restricted. government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the purge and shall not be harmed. commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours. police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning, until 7 a.m., when the purge concludes. blessed by our new founding fathers and america, a nation reborn. may god be with you all."

the message drifted across the tv in the broken down living room. The only sound being the monotone voice emitting from the speakers, mixed with the sound of eddie's heavy breathing. he reached his hand blindly to the left as his eyes focused onto the screen.

"fuck." he whispered, feeling for this inhaler.

his fingers fumbled around it once he felt the familiar outline. exhale, press, inhale. eddie knew this memorandum all too well. from presentations in front of a class to the anxiety of simply crossing the street. his asthma was a burden to his health. eddie, however, liked to think of it as a reminder to be attentive to details. perfectionist, they'd call him. control freak.

the alarm set off.

the alarm always dragged for what seemed to be an eternity. eddie pursed his lips, the sudden sound stopping his body from making any movement.

the purge has begun, and eddie was completely alone.

━━━

resentment, fear, solitude. the words stringed together to form the simple summary of eddie's childhood.

eddie was 13 at the time. he enjoyed things that any other kid would. gaming, riding his bike, going to amusement parks. his best friend would always accompany him on his journeys. he found comfort in being with eddie as the two were practically inseparable. eddie and his close friend never fought.

they were fighting outside with sticks that fell from a nearby tree.

"take this, loser!" eddie jousted the branch towards his friend, his aim primarily for the other's waist.

"eds, watch it-"

snap.

a warm liquid started to seep from his friend's left side. half of the branch that eddie was holding now laid on the ground. his friend moved his palm towards his side, wincing at the sudden touch. eddie, about to commence a panic attack, started to frantically wrap his friend's wound with bandages (which, of course, were inside his fanny pack).

"eddie, chill, im okay!" a lighthearted giggle escapes his friends smile. eddie's figure softens as he flashes a clumsy grin.

eddie was at his friend's house the night of the 27th purge. he didn't want to be alone with his mother that night, as she was constantly worried throughout the 12 hours. it was just her and eddie, afterall. his friend invited eddie and his mom to his home.

eddie was usually in an exasperated mess, his inhaler being kept close next to him. however, eddie's friend never failed to keep eddie calm. throughout the night, eddie and his friend played games together in order to stay distracted. everything felt safe. everything felt normal.

a scream rang throughout the house.

eddie froze in place, inhaler sat in his lap. his friend rose slowly from the chair in which he was sitting. he crept towards the hallway.

"wait, should i come with?"

his friend turned back and shook his head. "no, eds. stay here. ill go look."

eddie nodded, and thus waited.

he waited.

and kept waiting.

eddie couldn't put up with the silence any longer. he stumbled towards the hallway, inhaler in hand. all the lights in the house were shut off.

"hello?" he called down the hall. he placed his right hand onto the wall, feeling through to avoid anything drowned out by the darkness. he felt a doorknob in his palm, although cold. he twisted it. locked.

he continued to feel through the hallway slowly, his breathing continued to get raspy. he felt another doorknob, this time warmer. he held his breath and turned the knob.

a waft of stench hit eddie's face. the smell of iron and rot burned his nose, causing tears to well in his eyes. his mouth became dry as his throat started to close. he peered into the room.

his mother laid slaughtered on the floor. her throat was wrapped in a cut, blood seeping through the sliced skin. stab wounds decorated her torso, and her white blouse was now dyed red and smelled of flesh. eddie covered his mouth with his hand. he gagged, attempting not to vomit. his throat burned and his breathing was short.

he scanned the room to avoid looking at his mother. in the corner stood his friend's dad, suit covered in a crimson liquid. in his hand was a kitchen knife. before eddie could say anything, he hears a sound coming from around the corner of the room.

his friend, knife in hand, rounds the corner.

━━━

eddie stood up from in front of the tv. he stretches out his arms and legs, sore from awaiting the announcement. he didn't know what to do, or how to act. usually, he stays in bed until the 12 hours is up. keep your lights off, doors locked, house silent. it was routinely every year.

he felt something inside him. longing and desire, is what he assumed it to be. eddie could feel it running through his body. his legs felt empowered, his arms stern. he felt like he could run for miles and never look back. every worry eddie once had was now a silly thought to him. why should you have to worry when everything's breaking around you?

eddie walks towards the front door. he places a palm on the doorknob, his grip tightening around the cold metal. the desire eats away at his mind. the still silence inside his house is unbearable.

eddie rips open the door and steps outside.