| The Interrogation |

XXX Chase

We spent the day just like Axel and I said we would. We searched stores and abandoned houses for food. We were quite successful, well when I mean successful I mean we got dinner for all twenty-teens. We walked throughout the city. It really was a mess, buildings were all unstable and were crumbling before my eyes, and every few hours we would hear rumbling and then a weak building would fall. It was quite dangerous scavenging for food and water bottles, one fifteen-year-old girl was almost squashed by a huge cement beam in a parking garage we had to pass through. Many of the teens started to complain since we have been walking for miles.

"We will never get back to the park by nightfall if we don't turn around now!! And my legs hurt!!" I glared at the boy who called himself Sam, as he was about to complain again. He quickly closed his mouth and shut up. That's good I guess I frighten him. Ha. That's a funny thought. I smirked and turned around but was interrupted when a hand caught my shoulder. I turned around to see deep blue eyes staring into mine.

"He is right." She says. I looked in awe as she talked. "We need to turn around or find a place to stay for the night. And we have to do it fast before nightfall." She was beautiful! And she was my age, her strawberry blond hair was cut neatly at her shoulders; her beautiful eyes seemed like an endless abyss of deep blue wonder--

I shook my head, I shouldn't be having these thoughts no matter what my feelings are. "Axel!" She yelled in his direction. Axel whipped around with a scowl on his face.

"What? Do your legs hurt too?" He said sarcastically, man he never skipped a beat that's for sure.

she scowled at him, probably losing her patience.

"Yes. But that's not important." She said this fiercely, which made Axel's sarcastic expression falter for just a second. "Here are our options, we turn around and go back to the park, or we find a place to camp." She glared at him daring him to try to prove her wrong.

"Fine." Axel replied hotly. I could see that Axel had finally met his match and I looked at her in amazement.

XXX Adeline

The whole was just sucky and I was just sick of walking! I also do not feel guilty for any action I took to make Axel and Chase make camp. We walked for a while until we found a building that probably won't fall on us. It was an old magazine store and it seemed the most stable.

It was freezing! But it wasn't like they had wood, so they used the pages of the magazine store's magazines and books. We ripped the magazines and books and put the pile in the middle of the store, Axel then made a little fire his working lighter he found in one of the deserted grocery stores. Soon they had a fire going in their little camp. I sat on the floor by the useless fire. The carpet was pointy and itchy, it was faded and stains littered the floor.

Chase sat across from me, he kept on staring at me. Do I have something in my hair? Or do I still have that canned chicken salad stuck in my teeth? His mopy black hair almost reaches his eyes, oh and his eyes that peirce your soul. I was growing more insecure by the second! A hot guy is watching me? There must be something in my hair! Ugh! I just couldn't take it anymore. "What!?" I said.

I think it took him a second to realize I was talking to him and he quickly looked away. I was pretty sure he was blushing, but it was hard to see his face. He looked back, and sheepishly smiled at me. What's with this dude?

"Sorry, I was spaced out." He averted his eyes awkwardly

"Uh-huh," smooth, yeah right, I didn't believe him one bit.

"I've never seen Axel lost for words before." He must be replaying it in his head. "I admire that." He says with a dreamy smile playing in his lips.

"Thanks" I turned away and laid on my side. Trying not to show my smile. My first smile all day.

XXX Chase

I watched her turn around. Basically mesmerized I replay the conversation. God! Why did I have to be so awkward? I should have known I was staring for way too long. My cheeks heated as I relived that embarrassing moment when she caught me staring. Wanting to just swallow myself up I layed on my back. I looked at her one more time, then fell asleep.

I woke with a start, someone put their hand over my mouth! I kicked and squirmed but someone else put their knee on the small of my back. I tried to yell or scream but the hand covering my mouth blocked any sound from coming out. I bit the hand that was covering my mouth.

"Frick! He bit me! Somebody knock him out!" The stranger hissed trying to be quiet. Then I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. My head swam and I saw stars. I tried to escape or make some kind of noise, but the next blow was harder than the last one. Blackness blanketed me and I floated away into the welcoming arms of nothingness.

I awoke to harsh whispers and the memories came flooding back. There was no light in the room sense he didn't sense any light beyond his eyelids. I tried to make my breathing slow and to sound like I was still sleeping. But it was too late. Someone smacked me harshly, but I refused to open my eyes, still trying to play the act of still being asleep, but I was backhanded. Pain shot in my neck. My eyes flung open.

I was in an old diner, Half of the roof caved in and one of the walls had collapsed. My arms were tied behind me with duct tape and my ankles were taped to the legs of a red and white checkered diner chair. The place was all checkered which made it very ugly. I'm not sure why someone would paint everything in their diner checkered white and red! It must have looked repulsive to any interior designers when this place was in business! I looked toward my captor. A tall thicker figure walked towards me.

"Don't fake sleeping, It was pathetic." He smirked at me and threw his face into mine. I could actually see his face now. He had a thicker face and frame with light brown shaggy hair. His nose had a bunch of freckles and he had brown eyes. He wore the same outfit like everyone else. I'm guessing he was trying to be intimidating but with his nose almost touching mine, It was just plain awkward and I almost started laughing.

"What's so funny?" He sneered.

"Nothing," I say as I shrug trying not to laugh. He stepped away from me.

"This is going to be simple, you answer my questions, and we let you go," I smirk at him.

"And would if I don't," I say smugly. His face darkens and he steps forward and tipps my chair backwards. I was confused for a second but then my heart raced. I didn't see it until now. I was on the edge of a massive sinkhole in the middle of the diner. If he tipped my chair over the edge, I would probably land on my head after falling a 10 foot drop. I shivered at the thought of what it would do to my spine.

"That's what I'll do." He grinned evilly at me. What a jerk.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" I look at him with an amused expression, trying not to show the horror that I'm feeling. He looked at me snidely.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" He tilts my chair back to normal and I almost sigh in relief. He crossed his arms and watched me expectantly.

"Uh-huh. Um well there's not much to tell, I woke up with a huge headache, that was fun. I don't know where I am. And I also don't know who the heck I am except my name is Chase and I think I'm roughly around the age of 16. Oh yeah! I must survive The Phases." I roll my eyes trying my best to sound bored.

"I don't believe you." He said coldly. This jerk! What else am I going to say? Does he want me to confess something I'm not! Idiot.

"Um. Well I don't know what I can do to make you believe me. Do you want me to make something up? Uh yes, I used to work here in this diner. I wouldn't look in the bathroom, I haven't cleaned it in months. Are you happy?" I said sarcastically. I got punched in the stomach for that one. Not like I was surprised. I closed my eyes and hunched over for a second trying to keep my luxurious canned tuna dinner from coming up.

"Want to talk smack again?" he whispered loudly which defeated the whole point of whispering. His spit was getting all over my face when he talked! Does this guy swallow?

"That sounds like a good idea." I wheeze, "but I think your spittle not getting all over my face would help. Geeze I'm pretty sure you have a medical condition!" I start laughing but my stomach starts to hurt and my laughter turns into wheezing. His face turned red in anger and he grabbed the collar of my shirt and raised his fist. Oh crap, maybe I should of just shut up! Just as his fist was going to connect to my face—