“What do you want?” the pudgy man asked.
He cocked his head at him, a genuine expression of confusion washing over his face. “What do I want? Your ears, I just told you that.”
The man produced a knife and brought it high above his head, the blade glinted in the sunlight causing Gemi to close her eyes against the glare. That’s at least what she told herself; really she didn’t want to see another person’s life taken and not be able to stop it.
A commotion erupted behind them. Gemi opened her eyes and was faced by a group of people dressed in military gear, all holding massive guns. Taking advantage of the distraction the large man crawled out from under the man wishing to kill them and with a surprising amount of agility for his size sprang to his feet and ran for the door.
The crazy man growled and charged at the group knife held high. Gunfire exploded before he was close enough to cause any damage and dropped him to the ground like his many victims. That was Gemi’s cue; she pushed herself up from the ground and bolted for the door ignoring the pounding in her head and the way her muscle didn’t want to cooperate with her.
Gemi threw herself at the door slamming hard into the lever and flinging the door open wide. The sunlight was blinding, but it didn’t stop her from seeing the mayhem surrounding her. Utter chaos had engulfed her town. Smoke billowed out of buildings and cars lay upside down on sidewalks and in the middle of the street. People ran everywhere; it was hard to tell who was normal and who had lost it.
Squinting hard Gemi was able to make out the figure of the chubby man running across the street and to the garage. That’s when she remembered he took her keys and had every intention of leaving her there stranded.
She ran after him, whispering a prayer that she just blended into the chaos. Gemi reached the edge of the sidewalk as the man entered the middle of the road. A car flew into view out of nowhere, striking the man with incredible force. His body slammed hard on the hood, bending in places where the body generally doesn’t before flying across the road and landing on the hot cement with a sickening thud where he didn’t move. The car didn’t slow its momentum; instead bee lined right for him, running him over with both sets of tires before screeching to a halt. The reverse lights flicked on just as the car flew backwards and back over the tattered body of the chubby man.
A horrible wail built in Gemi’s chest and was pouring from her mouth before she had a chance to stop it. Far too much happened in a short time. She had seen things that only existed in books, things that she never believed could all be true and now all of were happening at once. Her brain couldn’t process anything else.
All eyes turned towards her drew by the cry she couldn’t stifle. The sane people, the kind she should have been part of used her distraction to run away fleeing in all directions but towards her. Other eyes stayed. The ones that showed a glint of instability, the kind that screamed at her the things they wanted to do, and the things they planned on doing.
Gemi clapped a hand over her mouth. It was too late. She was made and her mental inability to deal would now be the reason she got killed. Slowly she backed away, trying to align her path back towards the building she escaped from, towards the military men with big guns she hoped had not lost it.
As if answering her plea the door behind her flew open and the military group poured out of it with guns raised. They fired in all directions as they made their way from the building out towards the street.
One of the men in the group made eye contact with her, his face going from a blank almost bored expression to utter anger in a split second. Gemi closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands to drown out his face and the slaughter of people who mere hours ago had been normal, kind and obedient chippers.
CHAPTER TWO
Gemi closed her eyes tighter, clutching her hands to her ears. Her head swam, ears ringing fighting to dull the chaos all around. Panic ripped through her chest as the world slipped out from under her feet, a blackness closing in as quickly as her heart throbbed in her chest.
Muffled voices shouting still trickled in. Her shaky legs gave out unexpectedly, forcing her to fall into a crumpled mess on the ground. She clamped her eyes tighter, still pressing her hands against her face.
Screaming, she could still hear the screaming.
Hands grabbed at her shaking her whole body violently. She was jerked upright and spun to face the man who had seen her earlier, the man who was yelling now. He pried her palms away from her ears and once again all the chaos hit her full force. Gray eyes started back at her, hard and angry.
"What is wrong with you lady? I said we have to go, now!"
Gemi stared her brain not willing to accept or comprehend the urgency.
"What?” she stammered.
"Now! We have to go now!” Without another word he turned to run, grabbing her arm roughly to drag her along with him.
Together they ran through the streets of her neighborhood, or what was left of it. Fires burned, storefronts shattered, and blood, so much blood lined the path. It was as if a tornado had ripped through the center of town, leaving nothing but destruction and death in its wake.
Gemi forced her eyes to stay open for fear of falling. That did not stop the tears from streaming down her face. She had lived in this town for the last seven years. A town she had grown to love despite its monotony. A town that would never be the same. She knew these people, the ones who lay lifeless in the street and the ones who had taken the lives. They had been her cashiers, neighbors, and bus companion on days where she didn’t want to drive. They had been normal working-class people like herself until this morning.
The man jerked her arm harder, his fingertips digging into her skin as he pulled her in closer to him. It was clear that they were conditioned for this, as their bodies moved effortlessly. Even the man next to her hardly seemed bothered with her as an added burden.
Amazingly her feet were able to keep up with the pace laid out before her, fear keeping her moving. It didn’t stop her body from screaming in pain with each step, reminding her of the not so gentle fall down the stairs.
They kept taking quick turns down side streets, avoiding all main roads. It was not long before even she was turned around. Escaping and making it back safe to her home now was out of the question, so she ran on her legs burning in protest.
Shouts rang out nearby followed by rapid gunfire. Gemi glanced around. The noise was close, too close. Where were they?
“Stop!” she screamed moments too late. Their side path ended abruptly flowing right out onto Main St. They must have turned onto a back road she had once frequented to work, although now a ghost of what it once was she could still recognize the buildings that lined the road.
The sights in front of them made her head spin once again. Countless bodies lay sprawled across the ground some mutilated to the point where you would never recognize them as human beings. They had stopped right in front of a group of five, drenched in red and all holding outsized guns almost identical to the ones the military group carried. From places on the ground she could make out patches of brown camo like her group. They must have gotten their weapons from them. Over took them somehow.
Gemi's eyes met one of the men's, the one in the center and her blood ran cold. He smiled at her, a hollow menacing grin and wiped the blade of the knife he was holding on his blood-splattered pants. The man grasping her arm took a step back and pulled her with him.
“Run, run now!” he yelled. Without hesitating everyone turned on their heels and ran back the way they had come.
“Come back little piggy’s!” the grinning man called after them. "It's time for the slaughter!"
They ran faster than they had before twisting and turning back the way they had come. Gemi's legs ached in disapproval her lungs burning with each ragged inhale. She was never big on exercise and as a general rule avoided anything physical due to her general gracelessness. Her body begged her to stop, a thought she dare not give into. She knew the moment she too
k even a seconds rest, her legs would never begin again, so she pushed on, summoning all of her strength to keep up. She had to be strong, had to pull through this.
Gemi strained hard over the sounds of their footsteps and her own gasps, but did not hear even the faintest noise of pursuit behind them. Had they lost them? Please. She begged internally, please let them be safe for the moment, just a moment to catch her breath.
“I think we lost –” she began, but the sound of a vehicle revving up behind them cut her short.
Without thinking she twisted over her shoulder to glance at the new danger coming up quick at the rear of them. She felt it then, her feet losing their footing and even the man dragging her along couldn’t keep her upright. The ground came at her fast and hard. Her chest made contact first, knocking what air she had from her lungs and then she was rolling, her bare skin scraping across the road. Her arm ripped free from the man's grip taking bits of her shirt with it. It took a few beats for even him to realize what had happened before he came to a screeching halt. He turned quick, anger and confusion etched across his face.
The next few seconds felt like ages as the world continued to spin around her. Gemi laid flat on her back as both the man and the car raced towards her, gunfire erupting from both directions. She glanced to see that the rest of the group had come back and were unloading their weapons towards the car, sparks flying as bullets met their mark.
The man reached her sliding to a kneeling position beside her. “Are you ok? You need to get up, we need to get out of here.”
Gemi propped herself up on her elbows, “Yeah, yes I think I am. I just need help up.”
The man stood offering his hand. Gemi reached out and grabbed a hold, his large calloused fingers wrapping around hers. He pulled, helping her find her footing, and then it was gone. She fell back on her butt, her hand losing its grip. The man yelled out in pain grasping at his shoulder and falling to his knees as red liquid leaked out from in between his fingers.
The car came to a halt right in front of them, blocking them from the rest of the group. “Enough!” a male voice called as the door flung open. The man from earlier stepped out, mouth still twisted in an evil grin, followed by the rest of his men all pointing large guns towards the others. “I could have easily killed you all, I still could. But I think I am feeling charitable and I'll tell you what, I will settle for just one of you, as you all watch of course... I only want the girl.”
Gemi turned to face him. The sight of him terrified her. He cocked his head at her, his smile widening. “I just want you.”
Gemi had no words.
“Fuck off dick.” the man beside her growled through clenched teeth.
The grinning man wagged his finger in the air, clicking in disapproval. “What manners you have! I offer this generous deal and you throw it in my face! You're lucky I am so forgiving. So once more, the girl, now! I won’t ask again.”
Something came over her then. Something that told her she needed to protect these people. It was irrational and stupid, but she gave into it in the heat of the moment.
“Ok.” Gemi stood with her hands in the air surrendering. “Just let them go.”
The man erupted in insanity-laced laughter. “Brava young lady Brava!” He reached out and grasped her arm, twisting and pulling it hard forcing her back to his chest. He placed a blade against her neck, the metal cold sending shivers down her spine.
“Now then. Kill them all!”
“No!” Gemi screamed fighting against his grip. The blade cut into her skin turning from cold to hot as her blood coated the edge.
The men in his group whooped and laughed, racking their guns.
Gemi closed her eyes tight.
The laughter stopped at once as shots rang out. The unpleasant smell of gunpowder filled her nose making it sting. And then it was silent.
The knife pressed to her throat fell to the ground with a clank followed by a loud thud. She was no longer pressed against the man’s chest.
“What the hell took you so long?” a voice called out.
Gemi opened her eyes and looked around. Their attackers were on the ground motionless. The group she was with stood in a loose circle talking amongst themselves as if they hadn’t just been attacked. As if a madman hadn’t just tried to kill her and all of them. It was odd to say the least.
“Well that was stupid of you.” The man who had been shot stood and walked towards her. “Did you not stop to think there was a reason we weren’t fighting back too aggressively? We had eyes on us the whole time.”
“I didn’t… I didn’t know.”
“You’re bleeding, here.” He pressed a piece of cloth to her neck.
Gemi winced.
“It’s not too deep or anywhere vital. I think you will be ok.”
“Ok.” She was still in a daze. Nothing made sense yet. “Your… your arm.”
“I’ve had worse.” He pulled away from her and put the cloth back in his pocket.
A group of three walked towards them dressed in the same gear as the rest of her group.
“You know it’s kind of hard to pinpoint your location when you’re running around like a mouse in a maze! Who’s this?” One of the men nodded towards Gemi.
“My… my name is Gemi.”
“She’s a civilian that Jaxton decided to bring along. Don’t ask me why.” the one female member called from the circle.
“I can tell you why, have you looked at her?” one of the other guys said smirking and winking at her as he walked by.
Gemi glanced to the ground fidgeting with her hands.
“We should leave, the gunfire will bring more this way.” Jaxton called to the group and then turned back to her, “You good to run again? The van shouldn’t be too far this time.”
“Yes, I think so.”
Jaxton walked away without another word to her. “Let’s move out!”
A black odd looking van was parked a few blocks away in a back alley. It was long and devoid of any windows in the back part. The paint had peeled leaving rust marks to mare the surface. It looked like it could have been from the old times, but she wasn’t sure how they would have even come across one. Old cars weren’t the safest.
The group unloaded their gear in the back and drank water while talking. The original group catching the other’s up with animated arm movements and loud chatter. Like they weren’t worried about everything that was happening around them.
“Here.” Jaxton handed her a bottle of water and walked away. Gemi gulped it down letting her immense thirst overrule etiquette. She sat down on the back end of the van stretching out the muscles in her legs. They tightened with each movement. The thought of running crossed her mind, slipping away before they noticed. But then her leg cramped and she knew that she wouldn’t make it very far.
“This is dumb, how do you know she isn’t going to go bat shit crazy? Patrol and report back, not pick up strays.”
Gemi glanced around the side of the van to see the group whispering in a circle.
“Come on, her?” Jaxton whispered back. “She is as pleasant as the rest used to be. Besides, we don’t even know who all is being affected yet. They think it’s just one batch.” He rubbed his hand across his forehead. “I couldn’t just leave her there to die.”
“One batch? Did you see how many psychos were on the street? She could easily snap at any second and gut you like a fish.” The woman speaking glanced towards her.
Gemi ducked back out of view and grabbed for her water. A couple silent minutes passed and Jaxton came back around the corner.
“You ready to head out?”
“You can just take me back home.”
“Home? And where was that, back where we pulled you out of?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Not only is that dangerous for you, but it would be dangerous for us to get you there. Or do you not care at all what we have done for you?” he was yelling by the end.
“Of course I do
–”
“If she is dumb enough to want to go back to that mess, let her.” The woman whispering about her before had walked up behind Jaxton. “Problem solved.”
“Enough Kai,” Jaxton spoke through clenched teeth.
“What? I’m just saying you are going to have a lot of explaining to do. What part of intervene when it is the last option do you not understand? There are other divisions for cleanup. And she is just a liability.”
“I said enough!” Jaxton slammed his hand down hard on the side of the van, making both Kai and Gemi jump.
“Fine. Don’t whine to me when she tries to kill you in your sleep or something,” Kai mumbled as she walked away.
Gemi slid away from Jaxton, keeping her eyes planted on the ground. Her brain was still having a hard time grasping everything that had transpired this morning. She would never get used to people yelling at each other.
“Hey, I’m sorry about that. She can be a pain.” He reached out to touch Gemi’s shoulder, but she shied away from him, jumping off the edge of the van and walking to the other side.
“It’s fine,” Gemi muttered, sliding in between the wall and the van and pressed her forehead against the brick wall. The coldness of it an instant relief to her flushed skin. She breathed in deep trying to calm her senses. They would take her who knew where, with no possible way back. What if they meant to harm her like they had to so many others already? That’s ridiculous, she thought. If they wanted to hurt her, they had plenty of time to do so already. They could have just left her to die in the streets.
“Hey there little bird.” Gemi jumped cutting her train of thought off short. She turned to face the speaker; it was one of the other men from the group, the one who had winked at her earlier.
“What?” she whispered.
“I said are you ready? We are about to head out.”
“Oh, ok.”
“I’m Sann by the way.” He smiled at her. An actual genuine smile that made her fears retreat to the back of her brain for the time being.
“Gemi.” She smiled back at him, stepping out from her hiding spot.
Paroxysm Effect Page 3