The Suppression (Based On The Purge)

Now What?

(Lacey)
I turned in the full circle, scanning my surroundings. I had run for a long time, as hard as I could, which, needless to say, was not that hard. I had no idea where I was. This was almost as bad as the situation I was just in. I was in the middle of the city with only a hammer (that wouldn't really do me any good if someone shot me from far away) and I was thousands of miles away from my home. I backed into a tree and slid down the bark. After a while of thinking I came to the conclusion that I should hide out somewhere until morning. That was probably safest.

Buildings towered above me. There were many gunshots in the distance, coming closer. I could always count on my perpetual misfortune, especially during the Suppression.

More running. Ten minutes later, I was about ready to collapse. I was even more lost than before. A sign across the street caught my eye. I guess it wouldn't hurt to stop by a convience store. I was still bleeding from the glass back at the government building.

It wasn't hard. I simply smashed the glass of the door to pieces and stepped in. First, I grabbed some alchohol off the shelf, to sterilize the wounds of course. I didn't really know what I was doing. I hadn't had a lesson in first aid in years. Luckily, there were bandages behind the counter. I sat on the floor, out of sight. After I cleaned the wound with the alchohol, which involved a lot of crying and self-negotiation (yes, I actually told myself I'd get a lollipop after), I wrapped the bandages around my abdomen. Sticking the lollipop in my mouth, I leaned against the counter and close my eyes.

Of course, that had to be the moment the thugs came in. Three of them. Two boys and one girl. I stayed quiet as they looted through everything. One of the boys went to check the cash register (which was pretty stupid if you ask me...what kind of clerk keeps money in the register on Suppression night?) and stopped short at the sight of me. Before he could say anything, I spoke.

"I don't work here. I don't want to hurt anybody. The night is almost over. Please just let me rest. I've had a rough night." I tugged at the bright material of my suit as if to say, Can you tell? My tone was calm. Good thing he couldn't hear my heart. I tossed the lollipop stick into the little trash bin next to me. The boy--about my age--looked seriously confused as to why I wasn't killing him or begging him to spare me.

After a few seconds, he walked away in a daze and I finally exhaled. However, I should have known it was too good to be true. I sensed something was wrong in the seconds that followed. The sounds of looting had stopped and were replaced by whispers. Darn it, I should of just attacked him. Or at least gotten more weapons when I could. I could hold them off. But, I didn't want to hurt anybody. I guess I didn't really have an option, now. I jumped on top of the counter and slammed my hammer down where I knew someone would be. The girl dropped like a sack of potatoes. All it took to bring down the next boy was a kick in the face and another blow to the head, courtesy of my trusty hammer. My dear friend I saved for last. "Didn't you hear me say...I've....had....a rough...NIGHT???" I said in between pucnhes and kicks, screaming the last word as I slammed his head down on the counter and finished the fight, which was over before it even started, if you ask me. I was still complaining as I stepped over the bodies. "Ugh, I hate hammers. They make the most disgusting weapons." I gathered the guns they didn't have time to fire.

Out of the array of items behind the restiger I noticed a lighter. My mom always carried a lighter in her purse, even though she doesn't smoke, because of an incident at a high school party. She tells me she fought off some boy with one. I hesitated a moment before hopping over the counter and pluckinng it off the wall and storing it in my bra (damn suit didn't have pockets).

"Alright..." I hopped back and looked around the store one last time. I reached to grab a bag of Cheetos off the shelf. That was when I heard the gunshot and felt my body hit the cold tile floor as the life drained slowly out of me.