Remember All the Good the Purge Does - A Polite Stranger Story

Chapter One

My fingers tapped impatiently against the steering wheel as I drove down the main street towards the grocery store. My eyes glanced back and forth between the clock and the road. 4:24 PM. I bit my lip in frustration as I stared at the red light in front of me, waiting for it to turn green. Maybe it was the worst idea to do last-minute grocery shopping on the deadliest night of the year. Purge night. A night where everyone can let out their frustrations. By let out their frustrations, I mean kill. As the New Founding Fathers of America took control of the United States, this night has become a playing field for all the psychopaths, for the people who can kill anyone that even looked at them the wrong way. They claim it is in response to rising crime rates and unemployment. However, in reality, the Purge is their way of population control, with the poor and the homeless suffering the brunt of the carnage every year...

I nearly jumped out of my seat when the car behind me began to honk. I blink rapidly, noticing the light had turned green and who knows how long I had dazed out to not even notice. I pulled in the parking lot of the grocery store, watching as many last-minute grocery shoppers ran towards their vehicles with their carts filled to the brim with food, aid kits, even weapons in case they were the targets for tonight's events. I parked my car, quickly climbing out. The fast I can get everything, the faster I can get home. I grabbed a cart, briskly going down each and every aisle, picking things up as I go. As I turned into the last aisle, I noticed a group of people looking at the selection of masks. Purge masks. One of them stood out, however. He wore a uniform unlike the rest of them. He goes to the same university as I do. I quickly look away before they could notice my stare.

Nervously, I walk past them, careful not to make any eye contact or potentially make any sort of contact with them. The last thing I want is trouble on a night like this. I look at my phone, looking through the list of foods my mom had sent me to buy. I grabbed the spices that were on the list, attempting to hold them all at once. As I went to toss them into the cart, one of them fell out of my hands, causing the rest of the spices to follow suit. Just my luck. I bent down to pick them up when I noticed a shadow looming over me. The person bent down and helped me pick up the spices. I looked up after setting down the ones I picked up. It was a boy. He seemed... familiar, besides the uniform he bared. His hand that held the last remaining bottle extended out towards me. I look at it and then at him before carefully taking it out of his hand. I purse my lips as a form of thank you before walking past them, heading to the cash register.

"You know it's very rude not to thank me for my kind gesture." His voice said behind me. I sighed, keeping my eyes forward as the line moved up.

"Sorry, my parents taught me not to talk to strangers," I said, hoping my response would discourage him from continuing the conversation. He chuckles.

"What's so funny?"

"I wasn't aware that mommy and daddy taught you to be rude and inconsiderate to a polite stranger who merely just wanted to help." He said calmly. He was calm but the choice of words made it sound harsh and menacing. I decided to ignore his comment, placing all the groceries on the conveyor belt. I paid for my groceries and placed the bags in the cart to head out towards my car.

I reach for my phone, looking at the screen. 3 missed calls from mom. I noticed that time had in fact flew by. 5:36 PM. Shit. I sped towards my car, quickly opening the trunk to toss the bagged groceries inside. As I closed the trunk, I suddenly felt eyes burning in the back of my head. My instincts told me not to turn around and get into the car. As always, I ignored my instincts, turning around to see the stranger staring right at me. His frown slowly turned into a smile that sent chills down my spine. Bingo. It suddenly hit me where I knew him from. I had a class with him and his pompous asshole friends. He wasn't just any guy. He was a rich boy. He was a boy who always got what he wants and if he didn't, the Purge gave people like him to use that sense of superiority against defenseless people. He gives me a slow wave before he is out of my sight.

I climbed into my car and peeled out of the parking lot to get home as soon as possible. My phone begins to vibrate, and I pick it up to answer, "Hey mom, I'm on my way home. Remind me to never do last-minute grocery shopping three hours before the Purge." I joked, trying to ease my nerves from the recent events that had occurred.

I pull into the driveway of my parents' house, seeing one spot on the driveway open. Dad's spot. He must be running late. I parked my car before getting out to grab the groceries and rush inside to help my mom make dinner. I open the front door, struggling to keep all the bags in my hands. I pushed the door close with my foot, hobbling towards the kitchen as I struggled with the weight of the bags.

"Amy, sweetheart, thank you for running to the store for me!" My mom exclaimed as she started to cook dinner, running around the kitchen to grab everything she needed.

I began to unpack the groceries and put them into the refrigerator and the cabinets. "Yeah, no problem, mom. Next time, just tell me I'm your least favorite instead of sending me to my death." I joked, causing her to laugh. "So... need any help with dinner?" I asked, hoping she'd say no.

"Actually, you can, my least favorite. Start on the salad why don't you." She said as she chops some vegetables, tossing them into the pan. I groaned loudly before walking over to the fridge to grab the vegetables needed for the salad. As I chopped the vegetable, I listened in on the interview happening on live tv. I put the knife down after hearing the spokesperson talk about how great the Purge is. "How great can it really be? Killing innocent and defenseless people is so great." I said sarcastically as I continued chopping vegetables.

"Amy, remember all the good the Purge does. Crime is down and so is unemployment." She argues. I scoffed, looking at her.

"You can't be serious. You and I both know the Purge is bullshit propaganda to push their agenda for population control." I said. Before she could respond, the front door opens.

"Honey, I'm home!" My dad yells from the front of the house. I quickly grabbed the remote and shut the TV off before my dad could see what we were watching and then start arguing with me about the Purge and all its greatness.

"In the kitchen!" Mom yelled. I watched as my dad walked into the kitchen with a bouquet of blue flowers. Baptisias. People display those flowers in front of their houses during the Purge to show they support the night. If those flowers aren't displayed, however, they might become targets of Purgers. "I'll put them in water and put them outside."

After talking about Zoe, my sister, my dad walked out and headed towards his office. Mom quickly grabbed the remote and turned the TV back on. I stared at my mom as she looked up at the TV, listening to what the doctor that was being interviewed had to say. I sighed and placed the chopped-up vegetables into a bowl, ready to serve. "Watch the stove for me. I'll put these flowers upfront." She said as she walked out of the kitchen with the vase in her hands, heading towards the door and leaving me alone with my thoughts. I suddenly thought back to the grocery store and my encounter. I shook my head, trying to forget about it.

Mom came back in, silently setting down a plate she had in her hand. Must be a plate full of those cookies that our neighbor Grace bakes every year before Purge night. We never eat them. She probably poisons them. I helped her gather plates and utensils. "Yeah mom school's great. Thanks for asking." I said as I grabbed the last plate and stacked it with the others. She sighed. "Can't you just forget about the incident? Please? It was a mistake."

"A mistake that could have cost you your scholarship to that school and a mistake that cost that man's job." She scolded. Clearly, she still hasn't forgotten about the relationship I had with my professor.

"Look, I said I was sorry. It was a mistake. Reminding me and making me feel bad isn't going to change things." I snapped as I grabbed the plates to take them into the dining room. As I turned around, I jumped, seeing Charlie's stupid robot toy. "Hey freak, stop sneaking up and come down for dinner."

"Hey, don't call your brother a freak." Mom said as I walked out of the kitchen. I rolled my eyes, setting the plates down on the table. Now I remember why I moved out of the house. The constant criticism and helicopter parenting to make sure I'm the perfect child. I sighed, staring at the table. I slowly stare up at the clock on the wall. 6:00 PM. One hour before all hell breaks loose.

Cast:

Florence Pugh as Amy Sandin

Rest of The Purge Cast as Themselves