I was in gym class when it happened, they made an announcement. I was scared to death.
*Week earlier *
I was in my in the shower when I got the phone call “ Hello?” Nothing. “Hello?” I asked again, I was starting to get impatient. Whoever called must have hung up. “Ugh! Dumb prank callers go call someone that cares.” I said as I wrapped my towel around my scared body and walked to my room. I run into my big brother on the way.
“Hey!” He says “Watch where you're going.” I walk back to my room in anger. Who does he think he is, running into me and saying it was my fault! I thought. I was going through my closet when my phone rang “What now!” I said as I make my way to my drawer the number was unknown, but I pick it up anyway.
“Hello?” Nothing from the other end. “Hello?! Whoever keeps calling me better stop or I will call the police!” I said. I was about to hang up when the unknown caller said,
“Hello is this Cheyenne.”
“Yes,” I say Impatiently
“Well we have a message from your dad, he wants to know if you want to part of the….” The line went dead.
“A part of what?” I scream into the phone. I haven't seen my dad since he went missing a few years ago, we all thought he was dead.
*Years Before*
I was in my English class when I was excused to go down to the office. The secretary handed me the phone with a sad look on her face. I wrinkle my brow but take the phone.
“Hello?” I said questionable.
“Hey honey, I have some bad news to tell you.” My mom said.
“What.. what is it?” I say almost in tears.
“Your dad has gone missing and there is no sign of him. I'm so sorry honey, but the good thing is that they haven't found a body so he has to be alive somewhere.”
That's all I remember from that day. Since then I have been depressed, my dad and I were so close. He used to take me to my favorite restaurant, and he even would let me come to his work. My dad worked at a law firm, just the two of us. I miss him so much. My mom got me a therapist because I stopped eating, and never wanted to leave the house. At least I have my best friend Rebecca to help me through it all.
I stand up and I go back to my closet, I look for a black crop top and a pair of black ripped jeans. I brush my long brown hair and put on my makeup.
“Finally all done.”
“Honey, are you ready yet? Your gonna be late for school.”
“Okay!” I yelled.
I start my car and turn on my radio and my favorite song was on.
“And you are unforgettable I need to get you alone!” I sang out loud.
When I arrive I hop out of the car and run across the freshly mowed grass into the large building. I ran onto the west wing to get to my locker. I hurried to get my locker opened. I checked my phone its 8:45.
“Oh shit I’m gonna be late to Spanish!” I say as I pull my binder out of my locker and slam it shut. I almost run into Asa. tripping over his new Nikes shoes (don't ask me how I know). He grabs ahold of me.
“Oh hey Cheyenne whats up!”
“Hey Asa I didn't see you there.”
I was so excited! Asa has been my crush since the third grade he's so cute and dreamy. We just started to be friends when we became lab partners. He has perfect, jet black hair, and bright blue eyes. He is tall and athletic and has no acne! (Thank god)
“You seem to be in kind of a hurry, so I’ll let you go but it was nice seeing you Cheyenne!” He flashed his dashing smile.
“Wait! wait. I’m not in a hurry.” I was babbling
“Okay well I’m about to go get something to eat, do you want to come?”
“Yes!” I nearly screamed. “I mean yes where do you wanna go?”
“I don't know, where would you like?”
“Well there's really good burger place a few blocks from here and we can get back here in time for gym” I suggested
“Okay!” He says with his half smile.
This boy will be the death of me.
We were on our way back when a man dressed in all black runs into me.
“Oh I’m sorry I didn't mean to run into you.” I said.
“Oh it's okay Cheyenne!”
“How do you know my name?”
“Well I'm a friend of your dads, we used to work together before.. You know… Well I'm in kind of a big hurry I gotta get back to work it was nice seeing you Cheyenne.”
“Yeah you too...” I say in a daze. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen someone from my dads work.
“Wow. That was weird. He looked like he was trying to get away from someone but who knows. We should get back.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay” I was feeling queasy.
We were almost to the school when I saw a van, the people in the front were wearing these weird masks, the driver was slowing down. He was starring at me.
***
“Mom I’m home!” I say. No answer.
“Well, I guess I'm alone.” I sigh, it wasn't a big surprise my mom was probably on one of her blind dates, and my brother is with his stupid girlfriend she's way out of his league . Then there's me home alone. Maybe I should call Asa and ask if he wants to come over and watch netflix with me. I grab the house phone and dial his phone number.
“Hello?”
“Hey.
“Oh hey Chey, what's up?”
“Nothing much. Do you wanna come over and watch some TV?”
“Sure. What time? ”
“Right now is fine. Just come on over.”
“K bye, see you soon”
“K.”
The next day it was time for gym. I hated gym so much, the only good thing about it is I get to see Asa. We had just started running our laps, when there was the a loud buzzing noise and then a woman's voice could be heard in every class. I was on the far side of the gym.
“This is not a test, this is your Emergency Broadcast System. Announcing the commencement of the annual purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of class four and lower have been authorized for use during the purge. All other weapons are restricted. Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity and shall not be harmed. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime (including murder) will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire, and Emergency Medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. When the purge concludes. Blessed be our new founding fathers and America. A nation reborn. May God be with you all.”
I was hiding in the girls gym locker room when I heard a voice. She was chanting something, and there was no weapons in here so I would have to fight her with my hands. I ran at her full speed. I stop… She was covered in blood. At first I thought she killed someone but it look like someone stabbed her. I asked her who did it and she just looked at me and took her last breath.
***
It was only 12:00 AM and I had killed at least twenty people. I didn't know why but it felt good that they were only people that were trying to kill me. At least, it’s no one innocent, I think. It was all a blur. I was walking down the street when a van drove by and a couple of guys were yelling at me.
“Looking hot sweetheart!”
“Fuck you!” I yell.
I was covered in blood, there’s no way I look hot, dumb asses.
***
It was almost 7:00 AM, I was so close I had made it this far, I was gonna survive. I could hear people screaming. I saw people chopping people's heads off. People getting chopped in half. I was thinking about how my best friend Rebecca was, I was wondering how she was during all this chaos. I just know that she wasn't in school. Rebecca has short brown hair and light blue eyes that could look into your soul. I miss her so much, the last that I knew of her was she was at her mom's wedding in Alice Springs, Australia. I wish she was here, we would kill people together and she could help me find my dad. Oh my god, I'm going crazy! What's the matter with me? Where is my mom and my brother? So many things were going through my head, I had to find my dad I need to know what he has done and why.
I was walking down a deserted road when I heard footsteps. A lot of footsteps. I couldn't tell where they were coming from. They were close, and surrounding me. This time I was the target. A man dressed in black with a large hood covering his face.
“Hello Cheyenne.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Your father has told us to look for you.”
“What do you mean? He's been missing for years!”
“Well we know where he is, he wants us to take you to him”
“Take me now!” I yelled.
I was so ready to see him again, and have him hold me. I miss having the dad and daughter time. My dad was a middle age man with brown hair with little tiny gray hairs sticking out. He was tall and muscular. To someone on the street he looked like he could rip off your head in a second, but to me he was a big teddy bear.
They put a black bag over my head with a nose hole. I was a little scared, but not enough for me to cry. I needed to see him, I needed to know why he left. We stopped and I heard a knocking sound that could burst your eardrums. I heard a door opened and I was shoved inside. I almost fell but was caught by strong hands. I push away.
“Don't touch me!“
“What a bitch.” said someone behind me.
“Asa shut up! Your lucky I just didn't let them kill you!”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah, that's what I thought.”
“Can you please take this thing off my head. It stinks.”
Someone grabs the bag and rips it off, along with some of my hair.
“OWW! Watch it.” I yell
I quickly turned around and and what I saw surprised me. The people that had taken me to this mystery place. Asa, Nic, Adam, Ryan and more all the people that I thought were my friends.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“We work with your dad, he sent us to get you so no one would kill you.”
“So you knew where my dad was all along and you didn't tell me?”
“We’re so sorry Chey.” Asa said.
It felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest.
“Don't talk to me ever!” I said on the verge of tears.
“We had to keep it a secret.”
Someone put there hand on my shoulder I swing around and hit them hard in the stomach.
“That's a great welcome home.” The person wheezed.
“Dad is that you?”
“Yes it is honey.”
I turn around in tears. I was so mad at him for leaving not even leaving a note or a message.
“Why did you leave?”
“We were going bankrupt, I had to do something. The government was taking money from us.”
“So you started the purge are you kidding me? So many innocent people are dying because of you!”
“I know but I had to do something.”
“So you left mom and me for this because you lost a little money!”
“So how's your mom and your brother?”
“I wouldn't know I haven't seen either of them since this morning!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
By then they were probably dead and it's all his fault. He couldn't have done a rally or something. Well when the purge ended I found out my mom was dead and my brother was seriously hurt. But we got help before he died. I haven't talked to Asa or anyone that helped my father. They didn't say why but I already knew. They were to afraid to lose money but they were okay with people dying.