We're a Broken People Under Loaded Gun

They wanna keep us here? Over my dead body. They say these “soldiers” can't be outdone, outrun, but they haven't met us survivors who will do anything to escape. Especially now. The ground shakes, the air filled with fog, smoke, and a terrible roaring. The buildings are crumbling to the ground with their remaining skeletons being the only means of hiding.

Why would they want to keep us here? So we suffer the same fate as them when its not even our faults for this apocalypse? It doesn't make sense, but who said it would? All I know is that I have to leave this place.

People are running in all directions. You don't know they're there until they run right into you. Everyone panics as the growling grows louder. I crash into the chain link fence along with several others. This isn't the way out. We begin to climb as best we can, the rusted, jagged metal cutting into my hands, slicing open my ragged clothes.

I'm pulled from the fence, but I clench on to it, the metal digging into my bleeding palms. Its no use. I'm still pulled down, but I hit the ground running, striking out at my potential captor. My fist slams into their gas mask, splitting open my knuckles.

These people that worked for the government, supposedly lived in finery. Being trained and pampered in the best conditions while we're left to starve. But we're better adapted. We can breath this air, they can't. We're taking that to our advantage.

Where to go? Where to go? That's all I can think. I've forgotten everything, but to run. Run. There's a thundering groan as a building collapses, its bricks falling around me like a rain shower. I throw my arms over my head, feeling the debris hit my torn sleeves as I run through it.

I hear a machine gun join the din. So now they're trying to shoot us? What point is it if we're all stuck here and die anyway?

I'm running along the fence, searching with my stinging eyes for a way out. There it is, a small hole, just big enough I might be able to fit through. I go head first, trying to pry the torn pieces of metal apart farther. I'm half way through, but I'm snagged. Crap. I struggle to release myself, then feel what I feared most. Hands pulling me back. No! No! No! I cling to the fence, claw at the dirt, kick out at the hands that try to keep me from freedom. They'll have to shoot me first before I give up.

My foot gets a hard hit in and the grip's loosened. I spring forward and am practically out. I hear a loud bang and a burning pain fills my side, but all I can think of is I'm free! I sprint away into the fog.

Rumors said people would be waiting at the edge of the ocean to take you away from this hell. With the world ending would the boat just get swallowed up? I didn't care, I was out!

The fogs beginning to diminish, the roaring and shaking still happening. I'm finding it hard to stand and my side's starting to kill. I reach across to rest my hand on it and I feel something wet. I stop for a moment to look at it, seeing red dripping from my already bleeding palm. I look down at my side, seeing a large blossom of dark spread across it.

The adrenaline's gone and I'm realizing that I didn't get out unscathed. I quickly begin again, my hand pressed against my throbbing side, hoping to find help before I pass out or worse.

Minutes–hours–tick by and I'm still alone on the barren waste land with blood running freely in between my tightly clenched fingers. My legs are shaking like the ground and I stumble, barely able to catch myself before continuing forward. The fogs still there, but I see something. It’s a bright speck of light floating in the midst of the fog.

As I draw closer, I hear voices, rambling on about a boat. A boat! Along with the distant roaring, I'm hearing the crashing of...waves on land. I can't see anything and my legs give out, but I crawl forward, still clutching my side.

The world's beginning to tilt when I see shapes, figures of people.

“Help...” I gasp, my tongue feeling like lead.

The voices grow louder and the shapes more distinct as they come running towards me. The world's upside down now as I stare at the people who are gathering around me.

“You came from the City?” a male voice asks and I can barely nod.

There's murmurs, I can't make any of it out. I'm lifted by gentle hands and my own hand falls to my side, swinging heavily below me. My eyes are closing against my will. I can feel my heart slowing as the blood--like my life--drains from my body.

My eyes finally close as I hear a female voice whisper, “You're safe now.”

Safe. Free. I am both of those. I can neither hear nor feel anymore. I'm floating in darkness. I must have had to die to be what I wanted, but I don't care. I am no longer broken, no longer under loaded gun. I am free. I am saved.

As these last thoughts pass my mind by, in the darkness I see a blinding white light. I'm finally home.