The End [Completed]

17

Sitting in a locked storage room with Adam, I try to take stock of everything that has happened to me in the past few months. My dad is captured and being tortured in some place I don’t know, most likely by the government trying to end the world. This same government is after me and has tortured me, because I know too much. And now they’ve found me again. Adam and everyone I’ve met is in danger because of me. And I’m so pathetic, I can’t even save myself or my family.

Tears fall from my eyes as I realise how cowardly I am. “Cat, no, no, no. Why are you crying?” Adam asks, sitting next to me on the floor and putting his arm around me. He’s always there for me, even though I haven’t seen him in a couple of days. Ever since our argument it’s been kind of rough between us.

I felt so many confusing feelings for Adam. He was my friend, but ever since I’d seen him with Casey at the cafeteria I’d felt uncomfortable about it. I didn’t like their closeness. I was not one to be possessive, but Adam was mine. I don’t know why I had turned away when he leaned in to kiss me either.

He’d been hanging out with Casey a lot more and I had been busy worrying about my own problems. I didn’t have time for him and maybe that is why he’d gotten so angry that day. I felt guilty about him always being there for me when I needed him and me never being there for him. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also knew that I had more important things to take care of. He deserved better than me and I decided that maybe Casey was better for him instead.

He’d been through so much in his life, a physical abuse I didn’t understand before the mental institution. After the torture I had endured of my own, I now knew the mental toll it takes on someone to have to live through something like that. And he’s lived it a lot longer than I have. I made a mental note to be there for him more. And as for Casey, I’d try and find a way to like her too. For his sake. I didn’t want to lose my only friend because of my selfishness.

“We need to find a way out of here.” I said to him, pulling out of his arms I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. Standing up and drying my tears with the sleeve of my suit. I walked to the door to see if I could hear anything from the other side of the door. “It’s quiet. Sounds as if they’ve gone.” We’ve been sitting here for a few hours, so the chances of them still being here is slim.

Adam opens the door and peers out slowly, motioning for me to stay silent and follow him, we leave the storage room behind. Moving as quickly as we could through the corridors, peering around corners before we move to the next corner. We finally escape the bunker unscathed and unseen.

Being on the surface for the first time in weeks. The first thing I notice is the devastation that the bombs and the weather has caused on the town before us. Most of the buildings have been levelled. The few that stand are not in good states and I can’t help but suck in a sharp breath at the sight. Glancing at Adam I notice the tear forming and before it falls he looks away and it is gone again.

“We have to move quickly and find a place out of sight Cat,” he says as he starts running across the damaged street toward one of the buildings that’s been destroyed but still somewhat standing. Underneath is a parking lot, “We should be ok here for a few hours” he says.

We crawl under the most sheltered part of the lot and as we settle in, we hear a grunt in the corner, not far from us. Adam puts his finger on his lips to gesture for me to keep silent as he goes to see who it is.

Slowly he creeps toward the groan of a man. “Gunner?” he asks shocked. “Adam?” Gunner replies genuinely relieved. Gunner was hurt but it wasn’t too badly. There weren’t any open wounds. The damage must be on the inside. “Can you stand?” I asked him. He nodded and groaned as he stood up, but he came to our corner, and sat down next to us.

“They took Alora,” he explained. “I don’t know how they knew how to find us. Someone must have given them exact directions. They killed most of the other community members, children too.” He said with tears in his eyes. I’ve never seen a grown man cry. And this was a huge one.

“First, they took Casey and the others, and now Alora too? I have to go and get them.” Gunner said “Wait, they have Casey?” Adam asked shocked at the news “Yeah, Casey was part of the mission to infiltrate and capture the president. He would’ve come here for questioning and then it would have been your job Adam, to take over. You would have ended this war.” “Take over in what way?” Adam asked “You guys keep mentioning that but not saying what you mean.”

Gunner clarified, “Cat is powerful, but think of her as the body guard to protect you” Adam laughed “shouldn’t I be the one trying to protect her?” “You’d think so, but because she has more than one power, she is stronger than any of us. Ones body can only withstand a certain amount of energy. Cat’s can apparently withstand a lot more than us. She’s the only person we know of that has more than one power. You, Adam, are the Peacemaker. We want you to lead our world to peace.”

Adam didn’t respond to this and I didn’t know what else to think other than I need to save my father first, the rest could come later. “They have my father too” I told them. “I saw it in a vision, or a dream, either way I need to save my dad. If he’s still alive.”

“Then that’s what we need to do” Gunner said “We’ll head to the castle and save them. I don’t know how we’re going to get it right, since Cat still hasn’t unlocked her true potential yet.” “Castle?” I asked “yeah, the president resides in a castle, cliché, right? The castle is on an island not far from here. We could get a ferry and head out. Hopefully without anybody seeing us.”

“I have no problem with that Gunner, but I feel you need a few days to recover first.” I said to him. He wanted to protest, but just as he was about to stand up, he sat back down again, his face wincing in pain. He nodded in agreement and fell asleep, or most likely passed out from pain.

Adam offered to go and look for a shop to loot for medication for Gunner and food for the three of us. I wanted to go with him, but he insisted he go alone so that I can keep a look out for Gunner. Reluctantly I agreed and felt Gunners head, he was breaking into a sweat and I noticed he had a fever. I asked Adam to bring fever medication too, if he could. Giving me a last hug and telling me to stay quiet and stay safe, he left.