New Eden-World's Near End

Chapter Three

The force of the hit sent Bradley tumbling out the door. He felt a sharp pain and his vision bloomed white as his head smacked the top of the doorway. He mumbled a curse and rubbed at his forehead. Brandon scrambled out behind him.

What the hell was that? What hit us? Bradley wondered. He looked around, but couldn't see because the fleeing crowd had reached them.  Feet pounded in the rain around him as people scattered and screamed.

"Come on, man!" Brandon urged as he grabbed Bradley by the arm. "Get up! We gotta run!"

Bradley let himself be yanked up and followed after his friend. Brandon was already ahead with Kay and her brother. Kay was shouting for her dad. Bradley swiveled briefly but couldn't make out who was who in the madness. Mr. Fletcher was nowhere. Bradley cursed and tried to keep up his pace. He was slowing down. He could see Kay and Brandon ahead drawing further and further away as the crowd grew larger.

"Kay!" he shouted. Please don't leave me behind.

Suddenly the man running next to Bradley did a hard turn and a jump, bumping into Bradley. Bradley stumbled and paused to steady his step and was shoved hard from behind. He slammed into the side of a car, rebounded, was shoved again and down he went. Bradley scrambled and tried to push himself up and was kicked in the head. His face smacked the wet asphalt and he tasted blood. He was pinned down. Feet stomped around him and on him. If it weren't for his backpack Bradley thought his spine would've been crushed.

Come on, Bradley, get up! He screamed to himself. Do something! Get up! Move!

Eventually there as a break in the crowd and Bradley managed to crawl on his hands and knees behind a car.

Just what the hell was going on? Bradley wondered as he looked about in the rain. What the hell was everyone running from? But then he got his answer a second later when a creature that resembled a huge bug leapfrogged over the hood of a car and landed on the back of a guy running past. The guy went sprawling and he screamed a terrible cry as the bug bit into his shoulder.

That was all the motivation that Bradley needed. He was up and running, sprinting like hell and all its demons were hot on his heels. He was one of them now. One of the crazed people in the masses, running for his life.

No way! No freaking way! What the hell was that? Bradley had only gotten a glimpse of the creature, but he saw enough to know that it wasn't anything natural and that it was dangerous. The way it had attacked that guy-it killed him for sure. There's no way that happening to me. No freaking way!

Bradley pushed, shoved and jumped. Never before had he been more of an athlete. Suddenly a guy rounded the corner ahead yelling his head off. Then came more people behind him. Then came more of the bugs chasing them.

Bradley cursed and ducked into the alley to his left without thinking. He ran a short way and was almost out the other end when a bug appeared. It saw him. The creature let loose a chattering cry and skittered toward him.

Bradley skidded in a backpedal that almost landed him on his ass, and ran back the way he came. There was door he had passed that he aimed for now.

Please be unlocked. Please. It was. Bradley slipped inside and slammed the door behind him. Without waiting to see if the bug could open the door or not, he bolted. Bradley had found himself in the back room of a store. He wasn't sure what the name of the place was; they sold clothes, but that was barely a concern right then. He had lost them; Brandon, Kay and her brother. In all of the chaos he had lost sight of them and then the bugs showed up. Mr. Fletcher had said to head home. He knew where Kay lived. He could probably get there from his current location, but Bradley wasn't one hundred percent sure of that. With the bugs running around attacking people, he didn't know if even leaving the store was a good idea, but he had to do something. He had to move!