A Lonely Shadow

Chapter 1 cont.

Hours passed, the lights flickered endlessly. The only noise was the faintness of  breathing next to me.  I was unsure of what to do next, I think everyone was. Those were definitely bombs we all heard and bombs destroy everything in their path. Everything I knew was probably gone. In less than an hour, my life had forever changed. Nothing would ever be the safe again. I was studying to become a doctor, but now what would I become? A survivor? A beggar? I don't even know who I am anymore; a sense of despair spread throughout me.

"I-is everyone alright?" A woman with a shaky voice echoed in the front of the room. "Is a-anyone hurt?" She tried to steady herself, but was just as scared as the rest of us.

No one answered her. So she just scampered away to somewhere else.

Her partner was rummaging through a door at the back of the shelter, when he emerged, he held water bottles and began passing them out to everyone. There was about 100 people in the shelter, maybe more, but now that I think about it, shouldn't there be more? Hundreds more. My college alone had at least 400 students, and this small town had to have a few hundred more. The news said to come to the nearest shelter, and this was it right? Everyone knew about this place because it was the go to shelter for hurricanes or tornadoes. Was there another shelter built that I failed to hear about because I was too busy working or studying? And what about the hospital nearby that I work at? Where were they keeping the patients? I pondered hard on these thoughts until I was handed a water bottle by the man. Taking a few sips, I then realized just how thirsty I was. Hydrating helped me calm myself enough so I could scan the room again. I noticed the group of students I came with were whispering to themselves, darting their eyes around, and being all around suspicious. Something about them gave me a weird vibe, but I didn't really want to think about that at the moment.

Maybe if I talk to them, that will calm my nerves some more. Trying to get up after sitting with my hands around my knees for so long was extremely sore. My knees cracked as I slowly stood up and walked, mostly wobbling over to the man handing out water bottles and offered to help. He seemed grateful and handed me 6 bottles.

"Want some water?" I asked. I caught the end of a conversation as I walked in.

"Dude what are we gonna do if—"
Sam nudged him to stop talking.

"Sure" said Hector, clearing his throat and attempting to act what I assume is natural. "YO, George" he tossed a few to George and a few to Sam.

I eyed the group, and they were overall a complete mess. Kimmy clung to her George boyfriend and shook so terribly that he shook with her. Elena looked like she had lost whatever sanity remained. She rocked back and forth in the fetal position while Sam tried to snap her out of her blank gaze. She wasn't responsive.

The rest of the guys sat back muttering things quietly to each other and looking like the entire world was out to get them. I didn't like these guys. Something is wrong...

"Mind if I sit?" I asked meekly.

They nodded and fell silent.

"So.... how are you?" Stupid thing to say. I knew how they were. They were scared, we all were. I guess I was just trying to clear the air of this general heavy and unsettling feeling. I hadn't felt like this before, and I didn't like it.

We sat in silence some more, no one looking or talking to anyone.

"Where is everyone?" I blurted out.

Sam shifted uncomfortably and avoided my occasional glance, another guy answered.

"What do you mean?" Hectors monotone voice and hardened glare towards me had me convinced he knew. So I played dumb.

"Shouldn't there be more students here? Or more townspeople? Or is there another shelter?"

He looked at Sam and the rest of the group, then back at me. He stared me down and I stared back. I wasn't going to take any bullshit lies from him, I think he figured that out. Without looking away, he pulled a small, black rectangle from his pocket.

"It's Elenas phone. She was texting her friends while we were heading here."

He turned it on and showed me the texts from the beginning.
***
Elena
9:01 "Where are you guys? Are you ok?" We are headed to next town to tornado shelter."

Teri
9:02 "At hospital. Allen said it was safer. Everyone we know is here."

Elena
9:02 "Is everyone ok?"

Teri
9:03 "Everything's crazy. They have us going down to the basement.

9:05 I hear noise. People are screaming. Some kind of banging."

Elena

9:06 "What do you mean?"

9:07 "hello?"

9:08 "Teri?

9:09 "Answer me!"

9:10 "Whats the noise?"

Teri

9:12 "Gunshots. They are coming for us. Help."

***
I gave the phone back to him, shocked and more scared than ever.

"I don't understand..." I mumbled as I lowered my head.

"Neither do we......but we think it's the same guys who bombed the city."

My head shot up. Who were these people they were talking about? He continued.

"Just think...  if these guys are bombing the city and targeting people.. it would make sense for them to go to the hospital. More people would go there than anywhere else. You heard that girl Teri. Those fuckers had guns. They came for them like a wolf coming for chickens. They came right for them... as if they knew where they were..."

It all sounded like some crazy conspiracy theory, but it made the most sense in the crazy situation. He was right, though, They told us they had a safe place at the hospital in case of emergencies, I barely remember a teacher mentioning it in an offhand comment. . If they weren't at the shelters, they'd go there. It was safer. That building had survived most disasters, and could treat anyone who was hurt.

"But why wouldn't they just bomb them?"

"Their basement is deep and protected my concrete. That's what my pops says. It's been around since he was a kid. Hell, its more secure than this place. Bombing it wouldn't even get close to the people. My guess is is that they had to make sure the job was done."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That's impossible. That's horrible. It's disgusting. My stomach churned at the thought of all those people dying by the hands of these mysterious, evil men.

They went on.

"Damn man, it's a bloody war out there. It's got to be the Chinese man I'm telling you. Those guys are up to no good"

"These fool's got us right where they want us man. We're sitting ducks."

Sam spoke up in the midst of their conversation.

"... if you're right about that... and how they are targeting people.... that means they're coming here next."