Alone

Chapter 10

"Angie? You need to get up honey," I hear my mom's voice through my sleep.

"Wha...?" I say, still groggy with sleep.

"They're evacuating the city, we need to make it there in time for evac."

"Where's dad..."

"Angie.."

My mind snaps back into reality, "I forgot, I'm sorry," I let my eyes drop to the floor as memories flood my mind.

"There's no time for talk Angie, we have to go right now," she tells me, trying to be as calm as she can.

"Wait, where's Abigail?" I start to panick.

"Don't worry about your sister, she's all ready to go," she assures me.

I hop out of bed and throw on some clothes. We're about to leave when I hear heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. My mom looks out the peephole in our door and she rushes my sister and me into a closet.

"Angie, you're gonna have to grow up real quick in the next few weeks. You're nearly 17 now, but you're gonna have to be an adult for your little sister," she begins quickly. "Stay quiet, and don't move, no matter what you hear or see." At that, she closes the door.

I hear a knock at the door and then the sound of someone trying to break down the door. "Open up!" I hear a muffled voice.

Before my mom had time to react, the door was broken in. I hear two or three people come marching in. I didn't hear my mom at all. Where was she? Suddenly, I hear a scream and a fit of struggling.

"Ma'am, is there anyone else in here with you?" One man yells. It sounded as if they were wearing facemasks.

"No, please leave me alone!" My mom pleads with the men. I hear tears in her voice as she tries to control herself.

"We can't do that, you have to come with us or face death."

"Then I'll stay and face that risk."

"Okay, I see you won't be easily swayed."

There was a silence then a click. "Sorry ma'am, but it's too dangerous to leave you alive."

"Please...I'm not sick," my mom's voice is weak and defeated.

Tears welled up in my eyes because I knew what was going to happen. BANG!

That was it. My mom was gone. I covered my sister's mouth because I knew she wanted to cry out. I knew that I wanted to. My heart broke into a million pieces at the sound of the gunshot. That would be the first exposure we had with the ravages of this new age.

Abigail starts struggling to get out of my arms. "Abby, no," I whisper as quietly as I can.

I hear boots start to approach our place of hiding. Oh no, I thought, we were about to face the same fate as my mother. I hear the doorknob start turning, and I close my eyes as the door is slowly opened.

"What a liar," the man mutters into his facemask as he sees us crouched in the closet.

My sister is then wrenched from my lap, and I feel a strong hand grip my arm. I start frantically screaming and kicking as I'm dragged out of the apartment and down the stairs.

* * *

I woke up with a start. My heart was racing at the memory of being dragged away by those men and what they did later on to Abigail and me. I shudder at the thought and push them in the way back of my mind.

I was back at the guard tower, wait, no I wasn't. I had no idea where I was or even the others. They couldn't have left me behind, I thought to myself. But then again, I had been weak and passed out in the middle of the road, hopefully they didn't see me as a weak link and left me in some safe spot to travel alone once again.

I decided I should get up regardless to find out exactly what was happening and where I was. I was on the top floor of some house. I was getting really tired of all these houses and buildings, but I crept from the room regardless. My ears perked up at the sound of voices coming from below me, I quickened my pace and jogged down the stairs.

"Sleeping on the job again eh, Angie?" Jack said to me once they realized I was behind them.

"I-I didn't mean to," I stumbled on my words and could think of nothimg to say.

Luke got up from his seat and put a heavy hand on my shoulder. "You saved two people today, we thought you deserved some sleep," he said with a smile.

Two people? What was he...my attention turned to the stranger sitting on the end of the sofa. His face seemed oddly familiar under all the dirt and grime. I walked closer to him and I realized who he was.

"James!" I exclaimed and threw my arms around him. We stood there and laughed and cried together in each other's arms.