Gwen's POV

I walked down the empty street in the rain and kept my head down. The sun had set an hour ago. The street lights flickered and one died as I passed it. A chill wind blew and slapped rain against my face. I drew my black jacket tighter around me. A poster fluttered against the cracked pavement of the road, pinned there by the wet evening. A faded face and smudged print stared up from the street. Another missing poster. They were everywhere these days. So many people disappeared almost daily, not to mention the disease that racked the land, looters, and murderers. With no police, crime was rampant. It was dangerous to be out after dark. Like I was.

It wasn't intentional. I was combing the streets, the empty houses, the dead bodies lying in the street gutters, looking for money, food, clothes, blankets. My brother was sick, and my father had disappeared months ago. I'd lost track of time. And I'd found nothing.

I shivered, whether from rain or fear I didn't know. I didn't want my face to be on a missing paper. I crept closer into the shadows. I couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't there. I thought of the pocketknife deep in a pocket of my black jeans. It wouldn't do much good against more than one person.

I still remember the day. It was only a few months ago, which was why the street lights still burned with no one to change them. The bombs had come. I don't know how many people survived, but not many in our town. And no one had come to establish leadership. whenever someone here tried, everyone else rebelled.

I laugh when I think of my old life. Back when I was carefree, in school, I had a boyfriend, my brother was fine, I dyed my hair... I miss that.

The sound of something scraping against the pavement jerked me from my thoughts. I froze, fear filling my body. My sharp eyes looked around the alley. No one was there. Must have been a rat. Even so, I walked faster, glancing over my shoulder. And then I started to run. I smacked into a large, dark form.

The person grabbed me, pinning my arms to my sides. I screamed as loud as I could, hoping to buy some time. No such luck. I struggled, kicking and yelling and throwing my fists back against my captor. I wasn't sure what they would do if they caught me, but I knew what they usually did with girls.

"Help!" I shouted to the empty street. Maybe there'd be someone in those falling down houses who would be brave enough to help. But I knew there wasn't. I threw my weight backwards and kicked again. I only managed in moving myself, and not the person. I twisted my head to look at them, my hair falling into my eyes. I got a good look of my kidnapper. all I saw was an iron face.

"Please!" I shouted to whatever was inside the metal helmet. "Please! My brother! Please!" I choked on my own words. Dread and grief twisted into my stomach and up my throat. This thing wasn't going to let me go. I kicked again, and thrashed around, finally freeing my arms. I punched and gasped in pain. The whole thing was metal. A metal suit. This wasn't a normal kidnapping. Suddenly, the thing dropped me. I hit the concrete hard on my left shoulder and cried out.

My black combat boots lashed out at the metal face leaning over me. Another one came from behind. I tried to stand up but a large metal hand pinned me back to the pavement. I spun and twisted, like a fish out of water. I felt a sharp prick in my right arm and turned my face towards it. The second metal person was holding a long needle full of neon blue liquid and pushing it into my arm. I felt a pulse beating hard there, like when I got cut sometimes. The blue liquid drained. I saw my veins, turning blue with whatever poison was inside.

I could only stare like an idiot until the needle came back out. Then I kicked and thrashed around again. The first metal person's hand was gone. I flipped my self onto my stomach and then up on my feet and took off. I could feel the poison numbing my arm. I had to get home before the rest of it took effect. I ran faster, but the world began to spin. Round and round the houses and the street. I stumbled and my vision blurred. I clutched my head in dizziness, trying to stabilize. The world spun faster. colors changed. Black dots swam through the air. Then the street was in the sky.

I barely felt myself falling. I was distant. The world around me was clouding over along with my own thoughts. I only recognized the black door and cracked steps of my house. So close. I tried to crawl forward, by the poison was paralyzing. "Mom!" I yelped. My own voice sounded like I was underwater. It felt hard to breathe. "Mom!" This time it was only a whisper. A black metal face appeared over me. My eyes involuntarily fluttered closed.

I felt a jolt. My eyes popped open. I couldn't see a thing. "I'm dead." I tried to whisper, but it came out a scratchy croak. My body was cramped, curled into a ball. One of my legs was twisting the wrong way. It felt numb. My eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. I could make out a dark green fabric thing all around me. I was in a sack. I wasn't dead. My shoulder, head, and arm still hurt. My veins weren't blue anymore at least. My head was throbbing. My vision still wasn't completely clear either.

I was tired, so tired. An inky blackness was fighting it's way back into my head. I couldn't think of anything. Questions and worries tried to form, but I was too drugged up for them. My eyelids grew heavy again. "Don't fall asleep." I whispered, twisting my wrist backwards to pinch my arm. I didn't even feel anything in that arm anymore. I didn't feel anything anywhere. With a start, I realized that my eyes had closed. I tried to pry them open again but they were glued shut. I felt sleep coming over me in a wave of blackness.

My head sunk under the water of unconsciousness and I was drowned by a dreamless sleep.