Chapter 3

They grabbed me from all sides, pulling me in all directions. One yells, the other spit's on my face growling.

"You didn't follow procedure," they hummed.

"I didn't." I agree, gritting my teeth.

"You can't run or hide from us, did you know?"

I snarl, looking them straight in the eye.

"I've already ran."

"You've been caught." They answer in monotone.

"I have."

"Where are the others." They demand suddenly.

"you tell me." I answer, my face not expressing anything. "I'm alone."

A grey men scuffed.

"We'll see about that. Hold him down."

Hands reach for my hair and draws it towards the ground, forcing me to drop. They press the side of my head on the ground hard. Forcing me and giving me no chance of escaping.

"Search everywhere." The last part was almost inaudible. "Then burn it."

"No!" I yelled angrily.

They pushed my head harder against the concrete floor for rebuking.

Ignoring me, they started tearing apart everything. Fire trailed after them as I watched everything my dad held dear burn with so much more.

The flames started to eat away with the carpet that hide the trapdoor.

I start to worry, hoping to God, it wouldn't be revealed. Or else all I have sacrificed would have been for nothing.

"There's no bloody person other than me here!" I yelled again, seething as I felt the side of my head start to beat with pain.

They ignored me at first, but then they noticed that the fire was spreading too quickly then they could search.

"Take the boy, let's clear out. If anyone else is in here, they'll burn."

I bite my tongue at that.

Grabbing me by the hair, they pull me up.

I'm roughly dragged up the basement steps, not getting a chance to stabilize myself.

Soon I'm out of the house, to the very place I knew that would end me.

The grey men light one last match towards my house, leaving it engulfed with flames.

They throw me violently towards the ground and leave me there.

"Enjoy death." One man says, kicking me down when I try to get up.

They walk away as calmly and eerily as they came. Leaving me alone on the empty streets.

Once they were gone, looking for their next victim, I continued to sit there.

At that moment, I watch my house burn and fall apart.

I wait for death to claim me, relieved to spend my last seconds on earth knowing that my family is safe in that hideout.

I waited and stared.

Somehow the sounds of my sister's and mother's screams seemed to ring in my ears for the longest of time.  I tried to tune it out but after a while I accepted it. It distracted me from the inevitable.

I wait.

I wait

I wait.

It's been minute.

I wait.

Two minutes.

Then three.

I look around.

The streets are still empty.

Ten minutes have now gone by and I grew anxious.

Usually within seconds of being released by the grey men, the invisible bullets should have been shot out already.

But as the minutes stretched, the streets remained empty.

Only the crackling of fire could be heard.

I took that as a bad sign.

They probably want me to run like all of the ones before me.

But why run?

I'm already over.

They should just shoot me now and get it over with.

Without me noticing, the sky somehow turned dark.

Grey stormy clouds unleashed heavy rain onto the broken world below.

I soon became drenched.

My house is slowly being put out.

The air became cold and chill as night fell and rain continued to pour.

I grew tired of waiting and started to wonder if I could just go back in and check on my family.

The house was put off now.

No one has tried to shoot me for the last hour.

The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was to do it.

In the end, what have I got to lose.

If I die, I die. If I don't die... well maybe life isn't as unfair as I made it to be.

I'd be the first to stay.

I got up slowly, noting not to make any sudden movements.

I waited for the impact of a bullet to hit me at any moment.

Chapter 3 

Nothing happened.

I took a step.

Nothing.

I took several more steps all the while preparing for my untimely end with each step.

I smiled hesitantly.

My hand was on the melted knob.

I just have to turn it and...

The door creeks open. Except instead of taking a step forward, I fall face first to the ground.

I barely realized the thirteen bullets that pierced my back just that minute.

I fell into utter darkness.