"Veri Jones"

(Warning: This chapter contains some gore. You have been warned.)

Veri's POV:

Before the apocalypse, 2027

I graduated. I'm finally done with it. Now I can finally study medicine and become a doctor as planned.

My mother wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. She was happy, I smiled at her.

"Good job. I am so so proud of you." She smiled, kissing my cheek.

She pulled away; my father hugged me too.

"So... You'll leave us for the university soon, then?" He asked, I shrugged.

"I've gotten accepted, but not sure when it starts. Summer will all be all of us together, for sure." I smiled. He smiled too, hugging me again.

We arrived home. My brother put down his bags, he also came home for my graduation and will stay for a week. I wondered, how long will I have it till I'm completely done and reach my dreams.

Or the ones that I thought I wished once for before. But now I wasn't certain, but it was all planned out already so I just had to nod and smile and agree.

We all sat down for dinner. The dinner table was of chatter, but I wasn't in any of the conversations. I just pushed the food around the plate with my fork, my brother tapped my shoulder.

I glanced up at him. He moved his head towards the door.

"Excuse us." He said, we got up and walked out. It was a chilly evening; he patted my shoulder.

"What's wrong? You nervous about all the university shit?" He asked, I leaned by the wall, sighing.

"I don't... Know. I guess." I shrugged. I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted.

"I'm just not sure if it's what I want. That's all." I sighed. He sighed too. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me.

"Don't rush it. We're just humans. We're just simple humans." He whispered, I felt comfortable, comforted in his arms.

He smiled.

"Come on." He grabbed my hand, we walked back inside. I sat down by the table, giving them all a smile.

"We're just humans" his words echoed in my head. We are just humans after all. Simple beings with no reason to worry, right?

But when the future is right in your eyes it's scary. Right before your eyes like a choice you could never make.

That's scary is it not?

I sat in the balcony. I sat alone; I felt a little sick. My head was full of thoughts and I didn’t know how to keep them away.

He yawned behind me, I turned to look at him. I jumped a bit, not realizing he might’ve been there the entire time. He smiled.

I moved a little to the side, to give him space to stand or sit down next to me. He didn’t. He kept his distance by a little, but still stood near me.

“Still stressed about all that shit?” He patted my back, I breathed out.

“Yeah. A bit … A lot.” I sighed. It was a lot to handle. I was going to make my own choices in a few years, have a family, decide over myself and all. It scared the shit out of me. Why?

I have no idea. No idea at all. My plan was to just make my parents proud, happy. But my own future? My own life? I never thought of it like that. That I’m doing it for myself, not for somebody else.

He sighed. He sat down, handing me a cigarette, I shook my head, refusing to take one. He shrugged. He lit one up and blew out the white smoke that was disgusting for me. How did he find smoking enjoyable when it just smells already disgusting?

“So, what would you like to do yourself?” He asked, looking at me. I looked at him. I sighed. I shrugged; I didn’t know what to say to that question. What answer felt good enough to say, because all the ones that were in my head felt so wrong, fake. Funny, cringe even.

“Well … I always liked ... Writing?” I spoke. I wasn’t sure, I just tried to come up with a hobby that could be into some career later on. At least.

“Don’t rush it.” He smiled. He patted my head. I looked up at his palm, it had a scar in the middle. I looked at it.

“What happened to your hand?” I looked up at him, I was holding his hand. He gently let go.

“Accident.” He smiled. I rose an eyebrow. I sighed, just nodding.

“Alright. I believe you … For now.” I smiled back.

After the accident, 2031

I stared down at his bloody hands. He gasped for air, the broken mask of his had shattered into pieces of a small glass, some stuck in his leg, causing it to bleed. I cocked the gun, pointing it at his head. I stared into his eyes.

Tears rolled down his red cheeks, his eyes full of fear and … Anxiety. Will I really have to take a life today? I didn’t wish to do it. But he was a threat. Either me or the wounded attacker.

I loaded the gun, holding it to his head. I glanced away. Either you or him. Don’t hesitate. Shoot.

I felt my hands trembling. I can’t kill a person. I just cannot. I cannot take an innocent life. No way. I cannot. My hand was shaking. I closed my eyes.

I pulled the trigger. I waited for the sudden push of force, but nothing happened.

There were no bullets in the gun.

The guy breathed out in relief. He started laughing, wiping his tears off, but just started coughing and choking on his breaths. The air was too toxic to breathe.

I stared at him. Suddenly, looking at how pathetic he was made all my empathy go away. He was selfish. He cared only for himself.

He was laughing not because I didn’t kill him, he was laughing at me. Because I chose not to kill him and he was laughing at me, as if he wanted to provoke me into it.

I grabbed a knife out of my back pocket of the pants, pinning him to the ground, pressing it to his throat. He inhaled sharply, blood rushing down his chin.

“Fuck you, you annoying rat.” He spat blood at my mask, I sighed. I drew the knife, the guy fell lifeless on the ground. A puddle of blood surrounded him, soaking his clothes, soaking the ground.

I felt sick. I felt so sick.

Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up.

I grabbed my bag and just started running. I started running wherever my legs took me, whatever direction they took me. I was trembling. He was the first person I’ve ever killed. And the last.

May 3rd, 2032

I stared blankly into the distance. I sighed, turning. She had her arms crossed, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

“God. What is it now?” I muttered, she sighed. She put her arms down, looking at me. She wiped the dust off of my cheek.

“Things aren’t going well. There have been reports of riots.” She spoke up. I scoffed. I leaned by the window, the light above us flickered for a second.

“Riots? For what reason now?” I kept my cold expression, but I was worried. The number of riots increased. I thought we were giving them everything, but I guess not enough.

“I’m not sure. They just ... Riot and riot for stupid things I guess.” She shrugged, letting out a sigh.

“Oh?”

“Oh.” She let out another sigh, leaning by the wall. I looked at her, she didn’t seem pleased by delivering such news to me.

“I see then.” I sighed, nodding. I got up and patted her on her back.

“It’ll be alright. Come on, let’s go?” I glanced at her.

She nodded, looking up. I started walking down the hall, she followed behind me.

Carter’s POV:

The day of the explosion of the Freaks Clan, an hour later

I coughed out. I felt like my lungs will collapse. Like it’ll just fuck up a lot, but it didn’t. My leg was in terrible pain, I managed to slide out from under the ruin.

It was all ... Gone. All of it. I looked around, I limped, trying to find at least one survivor. One that at least was still alive, amongst all of the dead people I never probably got to meet.

You better not be dead, Alec.

I spotted a familiar face. I ran towards the body, noticing it was Veri.

Veri Jones. The leader of the clan exploded.

The clan shattered into pieces because of jealousy and power. Was it necessary? Was it really that necessary?

I ran up to her. Her face was pale. It had no color within it, but I started shaking her. With at least some hope that she was alive. That she was just passed out. Only … passed out. That was my only hope.

I shook her. I didn’t stop, just continued shaking her until I felt like my hands and arms would give out.

“WAKE UP!” I yelled out, I tried to wake her up, but there was no response. No, she couldn’t.

She can’t have passed. She just can’t.

I tried shaking her again until I accidentally put my hand towards the side of her chest. It felt warm. I lifted it, fresh blood still on my hand. Her body was cold already. Which meant she passed just recently.

Tears filled my eyes. No. No, no, no.

It can’t be. Someone must be alive, right?

You must be alive, you have to.

Warm tears rolled down my cheeks. I grabbed her hand. I lowered myself and just screamed. I screamed not because I was scared, I screamed because it hurt. I closed my eyes and just screamed from the top of my lungs, just letting it out.

I’m stupid. I’m really stupid. I shouldn’t.

Tears dripped on the sand, soaking it. I sobbed, my sobs were loud and ugly, but I didn’t give a shit. Why? Who could’ve done something as horrible as this?