“For the first time in weeks, more or less since the release of the mutagen, I had the time to think about all I had been through. Strange that I found peace on the back of a souped-up ATV, going 60 miles per hour down an abandoned highway. No stranger than anything else that had happened in the past month though.
My thoughts first swam to family, but I quickly suppressed them. I guess I’d prefer hope over the truth they were most likely... well...
I forced my thoughts to another topic. The army. The government. Their apparent betrayal of me. I wondered if the small compound I was at acted on their own or received their orders from higher up. Not that it didn’t matter. Either way, I could no longer operate under the assumption that I would be treated as an equal to humans? Non-Mutants? Whatever they’d be called. This whole situation was just, just beyond description. What’d we do to deserve this?
Eventually, my focus wandered off into the monotony of the highway. The passage of distance and time. Miles and hours flew by. But some time later, my mind drifted back. Brendon was pulling the ATV to the side of the road. We must of been out of gas, or something.
Something drew my attention to the tree line. A blur of motion between two trees. The faint silhouette of a man lying in wait. Brendon dismounted the vehicle.
‘I’ve gotta refill the gas tank, run to the bathroom and its your turn to drive,’ Brendon said casually.
‘Get back on the ATV, somethings in the woods!’ I exclaimed tersely.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ a voice came.
Brendon cursed. I desperately tried to find my handgun in my backpack.
‘Packs on the ground, hands up,’ came the voice.
Four armed men arose from the tree line. We had no choice but comply. The group moved with utmost efficiency, tearing open our bags and strewing the contents all over the dry earth. They seemed to take everything in a matter of seconds. My flashlight, the food, our means of survival. Brendon’s eyes glowed an especially vicious shade of red.
‘Thank you for your purchase.’ one of the men chuckled.
‘Of what?’ scoffed Brendon.
‘Safe passage,’ the group laughed, wheeling the ATV into the woods. How quickly everything can change.
My thoughts first swam to family, but I quickly suppressed them. I guess I’d prefer hope over the truth they were most likely... well...
I forced my thoughts to another topic. The army. The government. Their apparent betrayal of me. I wondered if the small compound I was at acted on their own or received their orders from higher up. Not that it didn’t matter. Either way, I could no longer operate under the assumption that I would be treated as an equal to humans? Non-Mutants? Whatever they’d be called. This whole situation was just, just beyond description. What’d we do to deserve this?
Eventually, my focus wandered off into the monotony of the highway. The passage of distance and time. Miles and hours flew by. But some time later, my mind drifted back. Brendon was pulling the ATV to the side of the road. We must of been out of gas, or something.
Something drew my attention to the tree line. A blur of motion between two trees. The faint silhouette of a man lying in wait. Brendon dismounted the vehicle.
‘I’ve gotta refill the gas tank, run to the bathroom and its your turn to drive,’ Brendon said casually.
‘Get back on the ATV, somethings in the woods!’ I exclaimed tersely.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ a voice came.
Brendon cursed. I desperately tried to find my handgun in my backpack.
‘Packs on the ground, hands up,’ came the voice.
Four armed men arose from the tree line. We had no choice but comply. The group moved with utmost efficiency, tearing open our bags and strewing the contents all over the dry earth. They seemed to take everything in a matter of seconds. My flashlight, the food, our means of survival. Brendon’s eyes glowed an especially vicious shade of red.
‘Thank you for your purchase.’ one of the men chuckled.
‘Of what?’ scoffed Brendon.
‘Safe passage,’ the group laughed, wheeling the ATV into the woods. How quickly everything can change.