Control Freakz

by Evans, Michael

  “Guys, stop.” Ethan’s calm, but serious voice suddenly broke the silence as he trained his eyes ahead. I could feel my body tense up, as my eyes wandered through the night sky searching for one last beam of light.

  “Shit,” Ethan cursed to himself. He looked up, distraught. In the blackness of the night I could still vaguely see the outline of two figures ahead, but clearly Ethan was able to see more through the ICL.

  “They see us,” he said.

  “Okay, and . . . ” I squinted forward, waiting for more.

  “And the boy has a gun out,” Ethan said. “Holy shit!” Ethan ducked instantly, as Hunter and I scrambled to the ground.

  It took another moment for my mind to register, but it finally came to me that the loud bang in my ears was the sound of a gunshot, which meant a bullet headed inevitably right toward us. I winced, as the bullet connected in a thud with the sheet of rock next to us. Holy crap. I let my entire body sprawl out on the dirt path, as my every muscle began to spasm with the sudden explosion of fear and panic coursing through me. Hitmen. My whole mind began to run rampant with fear as a jarring scream exuded from my throat.

  “Hey, stop it!” I could hear Hunter’s voice boom off the rock next to me, as his body pulled away from mine and stood up. “We aren’t hitmen! We’re just kids!” The sheer desperation oozed from his voice, as he made one last attempt at keeping us alive.

  My eyes stared forward with terror as they continued to charge at us madly, and the boy still had the rifle trained in his hands to fire directly at us. What should we do? I scrambled backward on the coarse dirt beneath us, hoping that my body would somehow stumble upon an escape hatch. But this time I could feel the cold, restricting hands of death enclose all around us, giving us nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. A soft, cold gust of wind whistled through the mountain air, and I could feel my body shaking as the anxiety coursing through me suddenly drove me to the point of insanity.

  “Please!” Hunter roared, as the pair came within fifty yards of us. If the man was a good shot, he might have been able to hit us. “We won’t hurt you, I promise! Just don’t shoot!”

  I could see the two dark figures suddenly stop, as they both glanced at each other for a second, before the boy lowered his gun. What the hell?! I put my hand on my chest and looked up at the stars above in complete shock. My chest pulsated in and out erratically, and there was a hazy film draped over my vision, as my brain struggled to process the chaos. I could feel the fear coursing through me overloading my nerves and literally sending my body into a state of paralysis.

  “Hey!” It was a deep voice, yet I could tell it belonged to a young man. “Stay down! We are coming over!”

  My head laid, unmoving, against the dirt beneath, as the crunch of the people running toward us reverberated in my ears. Are they gonna take us to one of the cleansing facilities? The horror inside of me spiked to new, dangerously high levels as the thought flashed through my mind. I could feel the sudden, overwhelming urge to jump up and ask them to shoot me, as my brain went into a frenzy trying to avoid the impossible amounts of trauma and pain that I would have to face there.

  “No!” The word came instinctively as I sprung off the ground. “End it now, please!” Tears started to pour down my face as my legs shook wildly; they were so weak and emaciated that they could barely support the weight of my own frail, upper body.

  I opened my eyes and stared forward at the rather tall, built man who continued to sprint forward, and was now only yards away. My whole body froze, even with the darkness of the dusk that was settling over the lands around us, the bright fire of hell seemingly scorched through the desert grass and fauna around us.

  “Hey!” The man yelled as loud as he could, but I could sense a nervousness to his voice. His big arms vibrated madly, as his voice cracked. “Everyone put your hands up!”

  I obeyed his command without question. I could feel my body conforming to the will of death that began to clench its fists tighter and tighter around my throat, strangling me with fear, and terror until my lungs began to give out under the immense pressure.

  “All right.” He sighed, and opened both hands so that the gun dropped against the mountain floor. “My name is Carlos.” He extended his hand outward. “It’s nice to meet you guys.”

  Excuse me. I stared at him with my mouth draped open in complete and utter shock. What the hell just happened?!

  “I’m Ethan.” His voice was ominously calm, yet I could see the shock in his wide brown eyes. “Ethan Blaine.”

  “And I’m Hunter Lee.” Hunter shook Carlos’s hand firmly, and I could see a wave of relief release the tension from his body.

  “And you?” Carlos’s outstretched hand was now right in front of me, and he looked at me with his warm, glowing eyes. Even in the dark, his medium-brown skin, thick eyebrows, and short, neatly combed, black hair was visible. His body was large, and his head literally towered above me as he tried to force a smile.

  “I’m Natalie,” I finally managed to croak. “Natalie Parker.”

  “Well, it’s good to know you are actual people.” Carlos laughed for the longest time, and I could see the paranoia slowly leaking from his eyes and making its way into his body that appeared dirty and tired. Like most of us, he was wearing a pair of torn up shorts, and his blue, tattered shirt looked black in the tinge of the night. “Here’s my sister,” he said, and nudged the little girl forward, who’d been hiding behind his knee. “She’s a real person, too.”

  I took another deep breath, trying to let some of the shock of the moment release from my body. We are gonna live! The anxiety and terror causing my body to convulse evaporated from my veins and flew off into the air like smoke.

  “Hi,” she tentatively spoke, as her eyes wandered around nervously. “My name is Dulce.” Her voice was soft, sweet, and high-pitched. I could instantly feel my heart ache for her as I noticed the dirt coating her pink shirt, and her soft, brown skin that shimmered in the last dim light of twilight. I couldn’t help but notice her long, thick, black hair that was tied back gracefully in a ponytail. The hurt in her wide brown eyes, and innocent face caused my weak heart to literally snap in half.

  “That’s a sick name.” Hunter smiled, trying to make her feel more comfortable, but I could already see her trying to climb back into the shell behind her brother.

  “I’m really freaking sorry about that, guys,” Carlos cut back in, looking at us all apologetically. “We just . . . I just thought you all were hitmen.”

  Damn, well that’s what he thought. I could feel a bit of annoyance urge me to instinctively snap back at him, but I sighed as I realized that these poor people were in the same situation as us. I even managed to smile about it for a second. We both thought each other were hitmen. I shook my head at the irony and sadness of life. Imagine if they had killed us? How dumb they would feel?

  “It’s all good.” Hunter spoke up before Ethan managed to say any wise-ass comment in return. “Really, don’t worry about it.” Hunter cracked a smile. “We thought you guys were hitmen as well.”

  “Well, no shit.” Carlos shook his head and stared at the ground in frustration. “I charged with a rifle aimed straight at you guys! I don’t even know what I was thinking. If you guys were hitmen, we would have been dead before we even saw you.”

  Hunter put his hand up. “Dude, don’t sweat it. It was just a misunderstanding. It’s—”

  “Yeah, but don’t ever try and scare me like that again,” Ethan interrupted. “I almost shit my pants.”

  “I’m so sorry about that.” Carlos peered down at his sister, who began to inch out from behind his leg. “Really, genuinely sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” Hunter bent down. “See, here’s your rifle back.” Hunter picked it up and handed it to Carlos. The sleek, black color to the barrel almost blended in with the darkness.

  “Thanks, man.” Carlos patted Hunter on the back as he swung the strap on the rifle around his back, where he also carried a blue,
draw-string bag.

  “Wait,” I cut in, a wave of curiosity and confusion starting to overwhelm me. The shock was finally beginning to leave my system, and I could feel my brain starting to process my surroundings in real time. “Why are you guys out here this late? Are you guys headed to the top of Camelback Mountain?”

  “Yes, we are.” Carlos looked down at Dulce, and she nodded hesitantly in return. “At least we hope we are.”

  “Yeah, we are headed there as well.” Ethan spoke eagerly, as the fire in his eyes glowed sporadically like two lone fireflies in the night sky. “Do you guys know anything about it?”

  I felt my legs start to move forward in pursuit of Ethan, who’d already begun to move ahead of the group toward the summit of the mountain. I could see the nervous, impatient energy emanating off Ethan in his quick, long strides and short, haste words.

  “No, not really.” Carlos glanced up at the top of the saddle of the camel-shaped mountain. From there we would inevitably be able to view the large hump of the camel, and we would either die instantly, or live in pain to see another day. “Some people from one of the groups we were staying with had heard about it, and they decided to go check it out and see if it was real. They never came back, so we decided to take our chances.”

  There was a quick pause, and I could feel a sharp burning sensation in my thigh as we powered on up another steep step leading to the summit of the mountain. Well, great. I could feel my stomach sink, as the hopeful feeling in my heart suddenly vanished. They didn’t come back. I sighed and a new wave of fear began to inundate my veins.

  “Shit,” Ethan said, and I could see the pent-up frustration begin to leak out of him in his narrowed eyes and sharp tone. “We don’t know anything either.”

  “I think it’s supposed to be secret.” Carlos stared at a rather large cactus beginning to grow over the path, and subtly rubbed his hands against its bristles.

  “Well, we want to be let in on it.” I could feel the eagerness and desperation literally clawing at my insides for answers.

  “Yeah, but if more people know, then the PSA can find out.” His brown eyes went wide and I could see his fists clench up. “And no one would want that.”

  Hunter chimed in. “Who or what the hell is the PSA?”

  “Protection Services Agency.” Carlos rolled his eyes and his nostrils flared as he loudly exhaled. “Those fucking bastards.”

  I glanced at him, confused, and almost tripped on one of the steps going up.

  “Who are they?” I asked.

  “The people who took all my cousins, killed my dad right in front of me, and ruthlessly kidnapped my mother years ago.” Carlos tried to keep his emotions at bay, but I could see the flood of trauma, sadness, and fury threatening to spill out of him into an absolute mess on the floor. Then, out of nowhere, he madly chuckled. “The people who are supposed to be protecting us from the evils of this world.”

  Is that what they are called? My mind flashed back to the image of the bulky men in black suits who’d tried to take us all away. I could feel a cold shiver run down my spine, a combination of the chill brought by the darkness of my thoughts and the air.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Hunter spoke softly. “We lost all of our families as well. We have all lost everything.”

  “It just doesn’t make any fucking sense!” Carlos’ voice boomed off the mountain wall and echoed into the aura of lights shining from the city. “Why us? Why do we have to suffer, when everyone else gets to just keep on living their normal lives?”

  “Carlos.” Dulce looked up at him with her big, dark-brown eyes. “Stop it.” Her voice was shaky.

  Carlos sighed, and stared out into the darkness, allowing a heavy silence to settle in with the darkness to create an ominous vibe to the atmosphere.

  “I don’t know why either.” Ethan glanced at the top of the saddle of the camel-shaped mountain that was nearing closer and closer with every step. The moonlit desert fauna lined the path and dotted the side of the mountain, seemingly clinging onto life as the dirt all around them slowly eroded down the rock face. “But we have to find out.”

  Carlos’s eyes lit up. “Yeah.” He smiled, and I could see a bit of excitement in his face. “You’re right.” But then he sighed, and I could see the sadness and regret return to his eyes. “But we might not know the truth until we die.”

  “You don’t know that.” Dulce now spoke up, and her voice cracked with innocence and fear. “Carlos, stop thinking like that.”

  “I’m just trying to be real.” He rubbed the top of her head with a soft hand. “But don’t be scared. It will all be okay.”

  “You don’t know that,” Dulce said.

  I couldn’t tell whether she was trying to make fun of him or not.

  “You’re right. I don’t.”

  I could sense Hunter glance at me as a thin silence coated the air. The dull sounds of the insects buzzing around and distant echoes from the streets radiated like waves into my ears. A thin, hazy film layered over my eyes, and the faint glow of the moon combined with the thousands of lights emanating from suburbia below almost made it impossible for me to see straight forward.

  I took another deep breath, letting the anxiety and pain leave me like blood gushing from an open wound. And there was so much blood from my gaping wound, that I was practically bleeding out and drowning in a pool of anxiety and pure pain.

  The summit of the saddle of the camel was nearing close, and my whole spine convulsed with fear as a low rustling in the desert grass echoed in my ears. Crap. My entire body tensed up and my hands began to tremble as Hunter put his hand on my shoulder and urged me up the next step. I heard a sharp click as Carlos cocked back his rifle and aimed it into the grass.

  Carlos narrowed his eyes. “I don’t see nothing.”

  “Get down. We can’t be sure.” Ethan’s eyes wandered the landscape, searching for predators as he tried to crouch down and covertly hide in the open blackness. “Nope.” Ethan motioned with his hand and stood up. “I think we are all in the clear.”

  I winced as another round of searing pain shot through my legs. I could slowly feel my entire body collapsing even under the immense will of the adrenaline. My feet ached, my tongue, was cracked and dry, and my stomach felt dead with the debilitating hunger that was beginning to eat its way through my insides. It was only a matter of time before the hunger would begin to take over and eat my entire body from the inside out.

  “What was that?” Hunter’s eyes darted to the right.

  “Stop it, man.” Ethan laughed. “We know you are just fucking with us.”

  “No, I’m not.” I could hear the seriousness in Hunter’s tone and see it in his blue eyes, that now looked hard like ice. “I can feel it. We are not the only ones here.”

  “Then who the hell is here?” Ethan shot Hunter a baffled look, and his eyes were wide with trepidation.

  Then, almost as if they were answering Ethan’s question, there was another rustling that tingled my spine and caused every hair on my body to stand up, but this time the shuffling came from either side of the path as we approached the top of the saddle. No. What the hell?! No, this can’t be happening.

  I felt my body freeze with the overwhelming amounts of fear and shock coursing through me. Every single muscle in my body started to spasm as they became overwhelmed with the amount of commands being sent both instinctively and from my brain. I clung desperately to Hunter’s solid body as several figures emerged from the darkness like servants of the grim-reaper, and each of their guns represented the staff of death that was inevitably about to hook around us.

  “Get the fuck off me!” Ethan bellowed, and the ferocity of his voice rung in my ears, as a gunshot echoed through the night sky.

  No! No! My mind began to go into a panicked frenzy as my body went loose and prepared to succumb to death. I decided to finally give up and to finally accept my fate in this world. But right after the cold, meaty hands of a government agent wrapped around m
y mouth and neck, I began to feel my entire body suddenly have an allergic reaction to the touch of death. I squirmed madly, making one last desperate attempt at life, that was fleeting long before the last rays of light were extinguished by the darkness that seemingly enveloped everyone and everything.

  “Put her down, bastard!” Hunter screamed viciously, and I could hear the thud of his foot kicking the back of the legs of the man, who had his arms wrapped around my throat.

  I horridly coughed as the life was beginning to slowly die inside of me while my lungs and muscles became practically useless due to a lack of oxygen. Then, the grip of the large bear-like man loosened around my throat as he stumbled with surprise. I continued to wriggle around madly until finally I managed to break out of his chokehold. I took a huge inhale of air, trying to rejuvenate my tissues that were starving for oxygen, and I could feel the urge suddenly erupt out of me, like a cannonball that was headed for imminent destruction. Run! Fucking, run! Now!

  I busted my ass down the mountain as fast as night. Like a river, I rushed down the mountain stopping at nothing, until I hit a jagged rock. And just as a river would, when I hit the rock in the middle of the pathway, I crashed right into it, and my whole body flew in different directions. For a few seconds, all I could see were colors. Then there were shockwaves of pain throughout my whole body as I landed hard on the rocky surface and skidded down the mountain. Then my worst fear came true as I felt a man’s hands slide under my body, lying limp on the trail. I could even feel the blood running out of me, but I was too weak to even think about how many bones I’d broken. I was even too weak to wonder where this man was taking me, or why he was taking me there. All I could focus on was the pain, which felt like millions of tiny little nails stabbing into me. I looked around one last time in a half-conscious state.

  One second, I saw the stars and the beautiful night sky. The next, I saw nothing.