the purge ○ matthew

03

03.

March 21, 2015

7:00 PM

Olivia Coleman

The screeching sound of the Emergency Broadcast System about to announce was extremely, unbearably irritating, but I bet it got everyone's attention like its purpose. After the screeching sound was a long beep until a robotic-like voice of a woman played.

"This is not a test. This is your Emergency Broadcast System announcing the commencement of the Annual Purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government," she reported. "Weapons of class four and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted. Government officials of ranking ten 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 fro twelve continuous hours.

"Police, fire and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7 am, when the Purge concludes. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn. May God be with you all."  Once the robotic voice ended, the horrific sound of the siren went off, and that's when the grocery store went chaotic - as well as the people outside, from what I could see.

Matthew and I exchanged looks for a couple seconds, but neither of us moved - we were still shocked. We then moved our gaze to the cashier boy who looked as terrified as we were, but we didn't know who to trust and whom we shouldn't.

Maybe this boy was a murder. Who knows?

Instead of murdering us, the boy cowered and sprinted away, off to hide somewhere.

"Olivia, we can't stay here! Come on!" Matthew yelled over the screams and the ruckus going around us. So far, I haven't seen anyone get murdered in the grocery store, but I bet there are already harsh amounts of lifeless bodies outside.

"But the-" I pointed to the food and Matthew cursed before yanking on my backpack, forcing me to take it off. He then stuffed a few of our things in it and zipped it up and threw it over his shoulder.

"Let's go!" He ordered and began to walk fast, me following very close behind him.

"But we didn't even pay!" I called, my breathing hitching out of nervousness and anxiety.

"It's the Purge, Olivia. Nothing is illegal!" He yelled, frustrated with me as he led the way. I wanted to cower in a corner at the moment and sob; everything was just so terrifying.

"I don't- I don't want to go out there, Matthew!" I screamed with a few tears sliding down my eyes, paranoid with the thought in my mind that once I step foot outside, someone was going to slice me. It wasn't safe in the grocery store - it wasn't safe anywhere - but at least all that's going on in there was running, no murdering.

"Fuck's sakes, Olivia!" Matthew grouched and grabbed my hand tightly, dragging me out of the grocery store and to the darkening outside, keeping me close to him at all times. 

My eyes widened and I nearly gagged, seeing a couple of dead bodies on the ground and murderers running and hiding, waiting for their next victim. I prayed to the gods out there that I wouldn't be the next victim, or Matthew because I wouldn't know what to do and how to get home if he got murdered.

"We have to run, Olivia." Matthew told me and that's what we did. With Matthew still grasping onto my hand with a tight grip, we both broke out into a sprint and ran back to Cameron's house.

We reached Cameron's house in about five minutes, and what I was expecting to see was Lauren and Cameron safely sitting on the couch, probably hugging each other and worrying about Matthew and I, wondering where we were. But that was not what Matthew and I saw.

The situation turned from barely a code green to a code red when we reached his house and the front door was already wide open.

Now, what I was expecting to see was Lauren and Cameron safely sitting on the couch, probably hugging each other and worrying about Matthew and I, and wondering where we were - but that's not what Matthew and I saw.

---

shoot me.