Citadel City of The Condemned

 "Aright it's time." The man says.

 He heaves himself into the car and looks around at all of us. As before, he smiles at me. He pulls out his pistol and brings it to my temple. My heart paces faster as his fingers get closer to the trigger and I let out a sigh when he pulls it away and places it on my lap. He pulls out a key and releases me from my restraints.

 "Allow me to introduce myself. My mother didn't name me properly because Robert isn't a proper name, so I called myself Teri. It means soil. That is just between me and you. Outside of us two, I am known by many names but the one you'll hear a lot is the Black Gun. Namely because of my beautiful black skin and the guns I use. It's also because the last thing any of my foes ever see is the darkness after I'm done with them." he says

 He pushes the pistol into my hands and points at everyone else in the car.

 "If anyone of them moves before I'm done with freeing everyone, I want you to shoot them. If you fail to do so, you just might find out one of the other names people call me."

 With that he moves on to the next person unlocking the chains that bind them. I hold the gun pointed at anyone who even as much looks at Teri wrong though it's not of much use because of the fear that swims in the air.

 Teri frees the last person who just happens to be the biome boy who is unconscious. He carries the boy on his shoulder, exiting the car for some time. He returns smiling.

 "Now then. Everyone get out and go straight into the building that's open. A woman will be there waiting for you," Teri says.

 ***

 I sit on the floor of the room that I was allocated wondering. Why exactly I'm not right now in a cell in the Patch fearing that some gruff is going to use me the next day as a punching bag for looking at them wrong, is my biggest question. Who is Terri and why he spared us is another but right now what rings in my mind is why I still have his pistol.

 The man Terri did not seem like a fool. He didn't seem like one to forget the very thing he used to murder seven people in front of me to a skinny man. I rub the scar on my naked thigh staring at the pistol on the metallic bed. Is it meant to be a message? Is it a show of force and power? Or does the gam just expect me to shoot my brains out in despair?

 I would not count it out as it has crossed my mind a lot today. It hit me as I showered for the first time in weeks that there really was no reason to keep on living. My sister had been my only reason to survive and now that I was too far from her to offer any help, I might as well as be dead. Yes perhaps that is the best thing to do. Die and be gone from this cruel world.

 I am a coward. This I know so even as the thoughts flood my mind, I know I do not have the courage to kill myself. Maybe it's more of selfishness than fear but still I can't bring myself to do it. A selfish coward, ha! 

 Staring at the gun nae helps me to get any resolution so I decide to lie on the floor and find some sleep if there be any for me. As I get into my favourite position, I hear the faintest footsteps pass my room. Terri said no one was allowed out of their rooms for the whole night and anyone who did would get a bullet between their eyes. I sit up wondering who would be as stupid as to decide to challenge the Black Gun on the offer of death.

 Then funny as it is sudden, I hear the latch on my door clicks. It's almost the same sort of lock as the ones used in the holding cells back in Acropolis, so I know that means my door is open. Instantly by instinct, I leap onto the bed reaching for the pistol. My heart beats faster and I realize that I am just afraid to die.

 A long breath passes between me and whatever is outside that door but nothing ever comes. I get off the bed slowly trying to regulate my breathing to get rid of the noise. My left hand reaches for the door as my right clutches the gun. I push on the door gently and true to my suspicion it swings open enough for me to see that the hallway is all dark. I'm not sure whether Terri mentioned anything about the lights but something deep inside me feels the chill in the air.

 I push the door a bit more open and just as I peer further into the hallway, I hear a scream from a little far away. Without mind to thought I rush towards the scream, gun in hand shaking. I slip and almost fall as I round on what I think is a corner from what little I can remember. The screams sound closer and louder now as I increase my pace.

 As I inch closer to the sounds heart pounding, one voice stands out. Terri! The Black Gun is under attack? Impossible, my mind says but that is his deep voice turning into an alto. Finally, I see rays of light coming from a door ajar a few metres from me. I stop running and clutch the pistol firmly with both hands. I edge closer to the door and peer inside.

 Immediately, I meet Terri's eyes as he kneels on the floor. A hooded black figure holds him by the neck punching hard into his face. Blood is spattered all over the floor next to Terri and his left eye is all swollen. A moment passes as he takes the punches never breaking eye contact with me. He tries to mouth something to me ere a punch connects with his face. Terri spits teeth onto the floor his face in a grimace. He tries again and I see the word, 'run' form on his lips.

 Run. That word has been my culture ever since I was born. Well that and poverty but running from my bullies, from the Acropolis Guard and even my Da whenever he was angry is what I have always done. The fact that I'm not in the Patch and that Terri did not kill me when he easily could have make me feel like running is not an option.

 Instead, I raise the pistol higher aiming at the hooded figure punching Terri. I pull the trigger four times and sure as there are rats in the Gutters, the bullet connect with the figure. For a minute it stops and I think I've got it but it turns around and looks at me.

 Two things: I discover a new fear and I piss myself for the first time in fifteen years. The warm liquid washes over my bare thighs as I stare into the scariest thing I have ever seen. It's face is like a mess of burnt flesh with black oil dripping from the sores. The holes in its nose seem to bleed of the same thing as the sores and the holes in its cheeks ensure I can see the grotesque mess that is its mouth.

 More out of fear than survival instinct, I fire more bullets closing my eyes as I await the punch that's gonna knock out all my teeth. 

 It never comes. I open my eyes slowly half hoping to find myself back in my room all this having been a terrible dream. Terri lies on the floor instead and on top of him is the monster that was trying to kill him. It doesn't move. I move a bit closer to the two and poke at the thing with my foot, the gun still pointed at it. Again it doesn't move.

 This time I use more force with the prodding and the monster falls off Terri. He looks up at me with his good eye and I think he tries to smile at me even as the light in the room dims. I try hard as I can to widen closing eyes but soon the room becomes black.