Hurt Reality

CHAPTER SEVEN: “What makes you the boss of me?”

There were now ten total survivors when the three girls returned. The four newcomers had just arrived into the city from a bus they found. There were Asian twins, named Jun and May, a girl with dark hair named Dess, and an airline pilot named John. Also, there was a British girl by the name of Emily.

Kristin instantly warmed up to Dess and Emily. It was nice to have some girls her age around. However, May and Jun seemed to always stay a distance from the rest of the group as they traveled through the city, searching for other survivors.

“So,” Dess was saying, “we found the bus and it was empty. So we drove here.”

“They picked me up right inside the city limits, pure luck really,” Emily spoke up.

“How so?”

“I was so scared to leave my apartment yesterday, but I needed to get some food, so I left. Just as I left my building, I saw the bus drive by.”

“Okay, so what’s up with the twins?” Jeff asked, walking up to them.

“Oh, the older one is May, she’s the one who looks like her age, maybe younger. Jun is the conservative dressed one. You’d never guess she was the younger, right?” Emily explained.

“I’ll go out on a limb here and say they were born on May 31st and June 1st, right?” Kristin said, laughing a little.

“That’s my guess too,” Dess said, “Only May speaks English. And even then, it’s usually something negative.”

Kristin looked at Jeff, “Sound familiar?”

Dess looked at the others, they were behind them, by about 20 feet, oblivious to the conversation about them.

“What’s with you guys? How’d you guys all meet up?”

Kristin laughed, “Long story.”

***

As the group reached the center of the city, they noticed that the potholes that were scattered around had gotten larger.

“How do you think that happened? All the holes I mean?” Emily asked.

“Not sure. Pete fell into one, he said there was something inside it,” replied Kristin.

“Huh…He sure about that?” Dess asked.

“Positive. Have you seen my shoe?” Pete remarked. “Speaking of which, do you think we could get some different clothes and stuff? I’m startin’ to smell.”

Jeff walked by quickly, heading toward one of the buildings with one of the holes in front of it, “You’ve always smelled. Fact of life you’ve always denied.”

Pete stopped and stared at his friend, jaw dropped.

“That’s just rude, man...”

“You asked.”

“So is the answer a ‘yes’ then?”

“Unless the world suddenly regains its population while we’re shoplifting, I don’t think anybody cares at the moment.”

“That’s a ‘yes’ you idiot,” May quipped from behind Pete, before shoving her way past him.

“Hey! Don’t be so rude! There’s like, a whole street for you to walk on, why walk where I walk?” Pete yelled after her.

May stopped and turned around to face him. She was close to the edge of one of the potholes.

“What makes you the boss of me? You have no idea what my family has gone through to get here, and then have this happen and leave me with my sister! We fought our way up from the bottom of the crowd – “ she shrieked as a dark…thing – reached up from the pothole and grabbed her ankle and with a quick jerk, pulled her down inside.

“May!” John yelled and ran toward the hole. Everybody got to the edge and stared down inside, trying to find any sign of May.

There was nothing. Not even a sound. No screams, no tearing of flesh, nothing. Complete silence.

“Oh my god,” Emily whispered softly.