When Humanity Lost

The First Abyss

Thomas pushed himself. He got to the school.
It was gone. He fell to his knees as all that was there was a perfect hole through layers of earth that haven't had oxygen in eons.

"Derrick, Michelle. -sniff- Kids." He sobbed to himself.

"hehehe! De stop! we're not spost to play tag! where is Toe! Mike, you said he was running!" A small child spoke behind Thomas.

"M, you're so dumb! Toe is right there being a big loser!" a different child said.

"Thomas! Turn around, dude!" a friendly voice called

As Thomas did, both Derrick and Michelle pushed his back to the ground and pilled on him.

"Wha- WHERE WE'RE YOU KIDS DOING?!" Thomas exclaimed with fear.

"We skipped too! We are cool too, yea?!" Derrick asked in excitement, not knowing why Thomas was terrified.

"Hey, we got company. Let's go. My car is over here." Mike said as he pointed toward the street Thomas came from.

"Wha-what the fuck are they?!" Thomas asked as they all got into the car.

"Can't explain sumthin I know nuthin about dude." Mike said as he burned his tires, getting out of the parking lot.

Mike started "Want to get your M-"
"No." Thomas interjected.

"Why?"

"She wouldn't last long either way."
Thomas just looked forward, and the car was silent.

"Toe? How did you get a phone? Mom doesn't have one." Michelle asked.

"Mike gave me a spare for when I missed classes." Thomas said, still starting forward.

A long silence stood in the car.

"Tom? Have you heard of Teratomas?" Mike asked

"Yea, we learned about them and how they got controlled to grow organs for hospitals." Thomas said with confusion.

Mike nodded, "We need to get to my dad's place." He said as he pulled up to a gas station, "its abandoned. Let's grab supplies, kids should be fine if they stay in the car."
He stared the kids down and gave them each a small gameing phone.

The boys walked into the store and loaded up the car's trunk with waters and things that would keep everyone feeling full.

They got 4 gas cans full and filled the tank before taking off. After a few hours, the kids were asleep in the spacious back seat.

"I have a theory." Mike said

"Shoot."

"What if the teratomas became conscious? They know what we do with them and are spreading like a virus?"

"Stop playing with my paranoid side, people are just getting violent and holes are just appearing its fine...

.. its fine right?" Thomas asked in a shaking voice

Thomas sat, hands on his head, mumbling to himself. his head was spinning in fear.

"Monsters were not teratoma made, no way. There has to be some other reason? Mom. she got paid from the government because she grew things for people right? he smokes and drinks, but those don't affect the whole-"

"Yo, man. Shut the fuck up and listen to music, chill out it will get fixed soon enough, what's the military for if not for these things?" Mike said as he cranked up his radio but only a little to not wake the kids.

"We are 4 hours from my dad's. Rest dip shit."

Thomas managed his breath and reclined his seat.
He closed his eyes for what felt like a moment.
He was still in his seat, good, but there was something wrong.

"AHHHH!!" Thomas screamed in pain. There was a tree branch in his leg. "Yay, when did I order extra splinters on the drive?"

He pulled the branch out inch by inch as he didn't have the strength to get it in one go. When he got it out, he looked to the back seat.

The kids were bloody and limp. Each had a branch peirce a vital organ. Derrick was on top of Michelle pushed apart by the branch that killed them both.

"No, no no no!" Thomas sobbed. He uncliped himself only to realize Mike was gone.

-Crack-

Thomas perked up like a cat in the sound of a snap of a stick.

-Crack-

Another, closer.

-CRACK-

The tree fell that the car hit.
"Shit, what the fuck, they are out here too?!" Thomas said softly.

it spoke in a mid tone in broken English.

"Kids are dead. Sad. Teen. No meat. not worth."

It turned and left.

Thomas checked his phone. It was still operational.

He looked back to the kids.
He took time to dig a shallow grave for each with his hands. They were light but heavy on his heart.

He marked their Graves with the branches that took them from him.

He was only a short walk from where they were going. "I'll ask Mike why my only fucking family is gone." Thomas said in pure anger and started off into the dense woods.