Disclaimers: I don't own Glee or the Purge.
A/N: Inspired by 'The Purge' which is a movie about a futuristic society where the US Government had ratified a new amendment after a destructive economical collapse that resulted in never-before-seen crime rates and poverty. The Purge is an event that occurs every year from 7:00 PM on March 21st to 7:00 AM on March 22nd, of which during that time, any known crime (i.e. murder, rape, breaking and entering, etc.) is legal, and all services (i.e. police, fire department, emergency medical services in hospitals, ex. emergency rooms, etc.) are closed.
I know it's supposed to be put in place in 2014 but for the sake of the story, let's say it was sooner. Set during season 3, Santana and Rachel are both single.
A/N 2: The villain is nameless on purpose. I want you to picture him as the boy next door or your usual cashier or the man you see everyday in the subway or the man who's always standing outside your grocery store or even a total stranger. He's everyone and anyone.
Warning: threats of all kind (implying intention to rape but rest assured nothing happens.), violence and deaths (as usual, not Pezberry because I love them too much ^^)
Survive the Night
March 21st. 6:59 PM. Lima, Ohio
Santana finished checking the doors, windows and the alarm before sitting on her couch in the living room. She turned the TV on just as the opening of the Emergency broadcast System started.
"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 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted.
Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge 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 7am, when the Purge concludes.
Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn
May God be with you all."
The emergency siren wailed through Lima.
"Let the nightmare begins." Santana stated before turning the TV off.
It was another Purge day for Santana. She was used to them by now but it was the first time she would be alone for it. Every year at this period, her family would go to their vacation home in Mexico to avoid this bloodbath. Not everyone was able to do that but her parents had connexion so she never questioned it.
The Latina was supposed to go with them but a mandatory Cheerios practice changed her plan. Indeed, Sue Sylvester had decided a week before the Purge that they all needed extra practice until the 21st March inclusive. Although it was clear to everyone that it was more a self-defense class than a cheerleading practice, Sue refused to let Santana miss it. At least, their coach gave them some pepper spray, a pair of brass knuckles and a first aid kit at the end of the day.
Even thought they were usually away during the Purge, her dad had installed a high quality security system to protect the house and their belonging during their absence so she guessed she should be fine. 'Better be safe than sorry.' Santana thought as she made her way to the basement where her dad kept his guns. She put her key into the lock of the gun safe, opened it and grabbed her Beretta. One of her uncles was a hunting aficionado and had taught her how to shoot with that gun. She liked the impression of power it gave her but she always refused to kill an animal during their trip, preferring cans and empty bottles as targets. Since her coming out, her uncle refused to talk to her but she still cherished the memories, especially now that she was stuck alone in her house on a Purge night. She took some ammo and a flick-knife before closing the safe.
She put the gun in the waistband of her jeans and walked back to the living room. She decided to watch the news for a while before making dinner. The night would be long and she needed to keep herself busy to not think about what could happen. But no matter what, she needed to stay alert, just in case.
March 21st. 11 PM. Lima, Ohio
Santana had decided to go into her room when the screams and sounds of shattering glass began to get more frequent. From her bedroom window, she had a good view of her street and it allowed her to check if someone was coming closer to her house.
She already had a few scares since the Purge had started and she was feeling less and less safe as the hours were passing.
The Latina was just coming out of her en-suite bathroom when she heard someone shout in the street. She made her way to the window and discreetly looked outside. She could hear the voice coming closer but there was no one in sight. After a while, she decided it was probably nothing and went back to her bed. As soon as she sat, a bloody scream echoed through the empty street, a lot closer to her house than she would like. She was rooted to the spot, like this scream had awoken all her fears. She had heard too many stories about The Purge, what people were capable of when there was no law to stop them. Perfect soccer mom would burn the neighbour's garden because it was prettier than hers, this normally shy geek would smash the window of a video games shop and steal everything he could or even this dad tired to be yelled at by his boss who would take his shotgun and blow his head off. People who were good citizens 364 days of the year could become monsters, just because they could. But she also heard stories about what some perverted guys could do to pretty girl like her and it was a lot scarier than death itself.
Another screech broke her out of her daze. Santana took a few deep breaths to calm herself and slowly approached her window. A girl was running in the middle of the street, pleading for help. This voice, could it be? No, it was impossible. Her mind must have gotten fuzzy from all the emotions she had felt tonight. But then she heard it, closer this time and even more desperate. She took a step away from the window and went to her desk to find her binoculars. Brittany had bought them for her a few years ago to watch the ducks fly away. She had never used them for that but it was the thought that counted anyway. The Latina rummaged through her drawers before finally found them. She grabbed them and went back to the window.
The raven-haired girl put the binoculars to her eyes and started to pan the street until she saw the girl. Mary Jane, short skirt, argyle, this mouth, this nose… Now there was no doubt in her mind, Rachel Berry was in the middle of her street, on a Purge night and she was clearly in distress.
"What the…" She started before looking at girl again. This time, her eyes fell on a huge muscular guy who looked far too amused by the situation to be innocent. When he moved closer, she noticed the huge hunting knife he had on his belt. "Fuck!" She could hear Rachel scream and scream again as the man was coming closer to her. She slid against her wall. "Shit, shit, shit, shit! What am I supposed to do? What is she even doing here? She lives in the other side of town. And she's UNARMED! She's crazier than I thought, it's not a day to play Buddha and this fucking peace and love shit!" The Latina rambled at loud. She couldn't let the diva be hurt 150 yards away from her house. But was if he wasn't alone? What if his friends were hiding behind bushes, waiting for someone to go out to attack them?
Santana heard a loud shriek of pain followed by a wicked laugh. She looked through her window again and saw Rachel lying on the ground, seemingly hurt. She must have fallen in her hurry to get away from the man. "Fuck!" She cursed again. She needed to do something and she needed to do it quick. She took her gun, put the flick-knife in her pocket and grabbed the baseball bat she always kept in her room. Maybe if she scared him, it would be enough.
The Latina didn't bother to put a jacket over her tank top and rushed through the stairs. She took a deep breath before turning down the alarm and slowly opening her back door. If this guy had some friends around, it was more discreet to make her way through the backyard than open her front door. She silently snuck up along the wall of her house, constantly checking her surrounding for any sign of movements. When the area seemed clear, she edged her way closer to Rachel, hiding behind everything she could.
The tall man was next to the diva now but he wasn't moving. The raven-haired girl was glad his back was turned so he couldn't see her. Once close to them, she stayed silent and waited for her opportunity to strike.
"So you made me chase you for a while, babe. Now that I caught you, I want my reward!" The man said.
"Please… Please, just… le…let me go." Rachel stuttered frightened. "I can… I can give you money, please don't hurt me." She begged.
The tall man laughed devilishly. "Aren't you precious!" He took a step closer, oblivious to Santana approaching behind him. "I'm gonna have so much fun with you."
"I don't think so." The Latina stated before hitting his back with her baseball bat. The man fell on the ground with a thud.
The diva eyes went wide when she saw the raven-haired beauty. "Oh my god, Santana?" She breathed out before sobbing.
"It's okay, Rachel, I'm here." Santana tried to reassure her. She kneeled down next to the girl but all of a sudden, she felt a hand around her neck, just before she was smashed backward into the ground. She thought she hit him pretty hard but clearly it wasn't enough. It took her a few seconds to recover but the man took advantage of it to punch her. She could hear Rachel scream next to her but the girl seemed incapable of helping.
The dark-haired man kicked her in the guts before taking a step back. "You sneaky bitch, I haven't seen you coming."
"That's because your fat ass is too slow." She replied between gritted teeth. She was struggling to breath because of his kick but she refused to show him weakness. They needed to go back to her house and soon because the longer they were staying outside, the more likely they would die before sunrise.
"And she's feisty on top of that. This night keeps getting better." He said with a grin.
The Latina saw Rachel lean forward to grab her baseball bat but her hope was short-lived since she wasn't the only one. Indeed, the man saw her too and quickly backhanded her. The diva yelped in pain. Santana tried to stand up and that was when she felt the knife in her pocket. Her gun had slid away when the man dragged her toward the ground. She could see it but it was too far out of reach, so her knife was her only chance or rather their only chance because she didn't come out of her house to save the Hobbit just to come back without her. She just needed to wait for the right moment.
"I don't know with whom I should start. And with what? I have so many ideas!" The muscular man exclaimed happily.
When he looked at Rachel, Santana discreetly grabbed her knife. Now, she needed him to come closer. Using all her bravado, she sneered. "Well if you want to fuck me, let me tell you that I'd rather fuck her for the rest of my life than you for 2 minutes. And god knows she's fucking annoying and she can't dress for shit. So I guess you should kill me now and put an end to my misery."
It seemed to do the trick since the man surged forward to hit her. The raven-haired girl rolled to the side to avoid him and stabbed his thigh in a swiftly move. He growled in pain. She crawled to grab her bat since it was the closest thing to her and once she had it, she smashed him hard on the head with it. The man hit the ground but she decided to hit him a few more times on the back. She didn't want to kill him, she wasn't ready for that, well if you could ever be ready for that, but she wasn't against paralysis.
Santana heard Rachel call her name, asking her to stop. She made sure he wasn't moving before rushing to grab her gun. She didn't want to kill anyone but it didn't mean she wouldn't if she had to. She kneeled down next to the diva except this time, she kept her eyes on the man lying on the ground. "Are you okay?" She asked.
Rachel nodded. "I think so. But we need to move. I think he has friends somewhere." Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming and crying.
"Okay, let's go back to my house." The cheerleader replied. She helped the girl rise from the ground but she fall back instantly.
"I can't walk." The petite brunette sobbed.
"Fuck!" Santana cursed. She looked around her than at the unconscious man. "Okay, I'm gonna carry you." She gave Rachel the bat and the gun before adding. "I need you to have my back, can you do that?"
The diva stared at her in panic. "I…I just. I…"
"Berry focus!" The Latina ordered. "I can't believe I'm going to say that but it's not the time for you to be speechless. I need an answer, can I trust you?"
It seemed to be the right words to say because Rachel nodded firmly before saying. "You can trust me, I have your back."
The cheerleader slid her arms underneath the diva's knees and behind her back before lifting her. The brunette gripped the gun and scanned the horizon for any sign of threat. Thankfully, they reached the house without mishap.
March 22nd. 1.05 AM. Lima, Ohio
Santana put Rachel down on the couch before rushing to the back door and locking it. She set the alarm on and let her exhausted body slide against the door.
They stayed silent until Rachel spoke. "Santana? Are you okay?"
The Latina chuckled humourlessly. "Peachy!"
They fell into another silence until Santana rose from her spot and walked toward the basement.
"Where are you going?" The diva asked worried.
"In the basement, do I need your authorisation for that?" The raven-haired replied.
"No it's just…"
Santana turned around to take a look at the girl. She raised her eyebrow. "Just what?"
"Don't leave me here alone." Rachel answered, darting everywhere except at the girl.
"Berry, we're both hurt and we need to barricade ourselves in case this fucktard comes back. You still have the gun and I'm just going downstairs to grab some supplies. I know I'm awesome but I think you can live without me for 5 minutes."
The diva nodded wordlessly. Santana rushed downstairs and walked toward the gun safe. She needed more guns, just in case. She grabbed the shotgun, two hunting knives and her father's magnum with some ammo before closing the safe. She looked around the room to find her old Cheerios duffle bag. Once she spotted it, she put all her stuff in it. She paused a minute to think. 'We need to secure the house, if this douche comes back with his friends, we're screwed. Why did Berry have to be outside in the middle of the night? And why didn't I ignore her like everybody else in this street? Because I have some fucking principles, that's why! I could be in Mexico right now. This Purge is so fucked up. Is it really worth it? Fuck, I don't have time to think about this shit, there're more urgent things to do.' She grabbed a flashlight and a first aid kit before going back to the living room. Rachel was still seated at the same spot, staring at the nothingness. The Latina walked into the kitchen to get some water and food and went back to living room.
"Okay, so I've got what we need." Santana stated, grabbing the magnum to put some ammo in it. Rachel's eyes widened in fear. The Latina chuckled. "Relax Berry, I saved your ass out there so I'm not going to kill you here. Besides, this is a new couch and blood stains are hard to remove."
"I don't think it's a time for jokes, Santana." The diva snapped.
The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes. "And I don't think it was a time for you to be outside, Rachel!" She replied mockingly before putting her gun in the waistband of her jeans.
"You don't even know why I was there!" The petite girl cried. "I…"
"Shut up!" The cheerleader cut her off, putting her hand in front of the girl's mouth. "Don't raise your voice. We don't know if someone is around the house."
Rachel frowned before removing Santana's hand. "This was unnecessary." She huffed.
"Listen, we don't have time for this. We need to secure the house. So now, can you walk and help me put some furniture in front of the doors and windows?"
The diva slowly stood up from the couch and walked a few steps. "I think it should be okay for me to help."
"Good. When it's done, we'll check your injuries."
March 22nd. 2.20 AM. Lima, Ohio
Once they barricaded themselves inside of the house, Santana led Rachel to her en-suite bathroom to take care of their wounds.
The Latina helped the diva first, stating she could wait since no one hunted her like a deer through the streets of Lima.
"So, what were you doing in my neighbourhood? Are you stalking me or something?" The raven-haired girl asked to break the silence.
"Ah ah. Very funny." The brunette deadpanned, sitting on the toilet lid.
"I know, I'm hilarious but seriously, what happened?"
Rachel sighed wearily. "I was alone in my house and…"
"Wait, you were alone?" Santana interrupted surprised. "What about gay dads?"
"They got stuck somewhere on their way home and decided to stay at a friend's house." The diva explained. "They were worried about me but I told them it was too risky to come back and that I should be fine."
"Yeah, same here… Well not that they wanted to come back for me but I told them it should be fine with the kickass security system we have." The Latina shrugged. "So what happened?"
"I was trying to block the noises out with music…" The brunette started.
"Of course you were…" The raven-haired girl muttered.
"Santana!" Rachel said exasperated. "Do you want to know the story or not? If you want to than stop interrupting me, it's rude." The tan girl rolled her eyes but didn't say a word, letting the girl continue her story. "Anyway, I was in my room, listening to the original soundtrack of Wicked when I heard a loud banging at the door. At first, I thought it was nothing but then there were some loud knocking at the windows and the banging at the door became more insistent. I took a look through my window and I saw three men trying to break into my house. I started panicking and then one of them shouted. "Let's take care of the fags." That was when I knew I needed to leave." The diva stopped talking abruptly, a sob coming out of her mouth.
Unconsciously, Santana started stroking the girl's arm for comfort. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me."
The petite brunette stayed silent, trying to compose herself. After a moment, she cleared her throat and spoke again. "Luckily there is a tree close to my window and when I heard them break a window downstairs, I strode over the windowsill. I waited for them to go inside before climbing on the tree. Then I don't know what happened, I lost my balance and fell. It took me a few minutes to recover before I was able to stand up. I had kept the key of my car with me just in case so, I run toward it and drove away as fast as I could."
The Latina nodded to show the girl she was still listening while disinfecting the wounds on the diva's knees. The girl had some nasty cuts and bruises on her back from her fall but the cheerleader couldn't do much about it.
"I tried to go to my dads' friend's house but half way through it, I stumbled across a car crash. The cars were blocking the road so I couldn't go further. When I tried to turn the car around, a truck was blocking me. I knew it was a trap so I got out of the car and ran. A man started to follow me and at some point, he threw a rock at me. I fell but I was able to run away. I have no idea how long I ran but I ended up in this street. Last thing I know, you were standing in front of me with a baseball bat and the man was lying on the ground."
"I heard you scream from across the street." The raven-haired girl informed. "Well, I didn't know it was you at first but then I recognized your horrible clothes."
Rachel looked at the Latina in the eyes and grabbed her hands in hers. "Insult aside, thank you, Santana. You saved me. You did what no one else in this neighbourhood was willing to do. You put your life in danger to help me and it's something I will never forget."
"No need to get all mushy." Santana stated, trying to deflect the emotion of the moment. "I know you're loud but I mean, you're a good singer. You should use your voice for something else than scream bloody murder."
The diva stood up and hugged the girl. "I know what you are trying to do but thank you anyway."
The Latina patted the girl's back a few times before breaking the embrace. "Whatever, now move, I need to check my body for injuries." She tried to remove her tank top to take a look at her stomach but hissed in pain.
"Let me do it." The brunette offered, moving closer to the girl.
"No, it's okay." The cheerleader responded dismissively.
"Santana, please, it's the least I can do." Rachel insisted.
The raven-haired girl sighed. "Fine! But if you wanted to cop a feel, you could have found something else."
The diva rolled her eyes. "How can you even make jokes right now is beyond me." She slowly removed the girl's tank top and gasped at the sight of the bruise.
"What should I do? Cry in the corner?" Santana retorted, looking at her belly.
"I guess not." The petite brunette replied, her fingers hovering above the purple and green abdomen.
"Or maybe you want me to go outside and sing Cumbaya with all the psychos?"
"Can you be serious for a minute?" Rachel snapped. "This looks pretty bad. Do you have an ice pack?"
"It's in the kitchen and we can't go there so it'll have to wait. And don't tell me what to do or I'll kick you out of here." The cheerleader warned.
"No you won't." The diva stated assuredly before taking a wet washcloth to slowly dab the girl's busted lip.
The Latina hissed in pain. "Ouch, it hurts."
"Sorry." The brunette apologized sheepishly.
March 22nd. 3.15 AM. Lima, Ohio
They were back inside the house for a couple of hours now and there was still no sign of the man that attacked them. Santana wanted to relax but a part of her knew something was off. It was too calm outside, no scream or shattered glass noise had been heard for an hour and it put her on the edge. It was like the calm before the storm and 7 AM couldn't come soon enough. Her psychic Mexican third eye was telling her to hide as fast as possible.
Santana had forced Rachel to change in jeans and tee-shirt, arguing it would be more convenient if they had to flee the house. The diva was crying on and off since the past hour but the Latina couldn't really blame her for it.
The tan girl was keeping an eye on the street, trying to catch every movement while the brunette was lying on the bed, listening to every sound that was coming from outside. When Santana finally joined the diva on the bed, the small girl started fidgeting on her spot.
After a few minutes, Rachel cleared her throat. "Can I… I mean, can you…" She stumbled on her words.
"Just spill it!" The Latina urged.
"Can you hold me?" The diva blurted out.
Santana blinked a few times, not sure she heard correctly. "Come again?"
The brunette sighed. "I… I know you heard me, Santana. So if you don't want to just say so…"
The Latina opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she was trying to come up with the something to say.
"Just forget I even asked." Rachel said with hurt in her voice before moving away from the taller girl.
"Wait." The raven-haired beauty grabbed the diva's elbow before she could move further. "Just…" She sighed. "I swear if you tell anyone we cuddled, I'll ends you, got it?"
"I am not forcing you to do anything Santana so…"
"Shut up, Berry." Santana cut her off, pulling the tiny girl against her. "Come here before I change my mind."
The diva sighed wearily but quickly relaxed into the embrace. Once again, silence settled around them. The brunette was absentmindedly tracing patterns on the Latina's arm, giving her goosebumps.
"Did you mean what you said to this man earlier?" Rachel questioned out of nowhere.
Santana frowned, left it to Berry to ask random questions. "What?"
"About hum…fucking me…" The diva blushed at the word.
"Seriously Berry?" The raven-haired girl asked in disbelief. Of all the things the girl could remember, it had to be this one.
The brunette was about to answer but they were interrupted by the doorbell. They froze. The bell rang again but this time, it was followed by some banging at the door. The girls stayed on the bed, holding their breaths and hoping that anyone who was at the door would leave.
Suddenly, loud voices could be heard around the house and it was enough for them to panic. Santana grabbed her shotgun and walked at the window. She could see shadows moving but couldn't distinguish any figures, or people.
After another moment of silence, they heard a man speak through a megaphone "Ladies, I know you're hiding in this house. You see, you messed with the wrong guy. You should have killed me when you had the chance because now I'm pissed. I also took the liberty to bring some of my friends who seem eager to meet you."
"It's him!" Rachel whisper-yelled.
"Fuck!"
"What are we going to do?" The brunette queried in panic.
Santana looked around her. "We need to hide."
"Where?" The diva asked. "We are already hiding in your room."
"I have a hiding place in my closet. I put booze and stuff that I don't want my mom to find. Both of us can fit in it." The Latina informed while moving closer to her closet.
Rachel frowned "Are you serious?"
"I really don't have time for your judgmental opinion right now, so either you come with me or you find somewhere else to hide"
The diva pursed her lips, not sure what to do. It might not be a good idea to split up after what happened. The two of them held each other's gaze until Rachel gave in and joined the Latina.
Santana opened the door to reveal some sort of supply closet. The diva looked at her questioningly so she explained. "I was stocking my clothes here before my dad created a walk-in closet when we remodelled my room." She shrugged. "Now I just put all my shit in it." She kneeled down and pushed aside a big toy box before hitting the wooden panel behind it. They heard a click and a little door opened.
"Are you sure there is enough space for the both of us?" The petite brunette asked sceptically.
"Yes or I wouldn't have suggested it." The Latina assured. "We used to hide here with Britt when she felt overwhelmed by the world. Now get on your knees and go inside." She smirked.
Rachel ignored the comment and looked one last time behind her before making her way into the hiding place.
March 22nd. 4.30 AM. Lima, Ohio
They were in the hiding place of Santana's closet for past 30 minutes now and if they weren't so desperate, the Latina could make a hundred jokes about it.
The raven-haired girl had heard a few people broke into her house 10 minutes ago and both girls were bracing themselves for the moment when they would reach her bedroom.
Rachel began to hyperventilate more and more each passing second and Santana had no idea if someone could hear her from the other side of the closet door.
"Rachel, I need you to calm down." The cheerleader whispered softly, not wanting to upset the girl even more.
"I'm trying." The diva replied, shaking from fear.
Santana grabbed the girl's hands in hers. "I know, but try harder okay?"
When someone barged violently into the room, Rachel whimpered and shook even more. Santana needed to keep the girl's mind away from what was happening. She was sure that covering the brunette's mouth with her hand would make it worse so on a sudden impulse, Santana kissed the diva. Rachel froze and her eyes widened in surprise. The Latina kept kissing the girl's lips, putting her hand in the brunette's hair to massage her scalp. It was something that always helped her relax and she hoped it would work for Rachel. What she wasn't expecting however, was for the diva to relax and kiss her back. It was tentative at first, like Rachel wasn't sure if she was supposed to reciprocate but it quickly turned explorative then delicate and slow, as if she needed time to absorb every sensation.
They kept kissing for a minute until Santana remembered where they were. She broke the kiss and drew back. They stared at each other, eyes full of questions, until someone spoke in Santana's room. "Wherever you are, we still have a few hours before the end of the Purge. It's plenty enough to find you both." They heard the man rummage the room and the closet for 10 minutes before leaving. Santana felt like she had stopped breathing during all the time he was there.
A few minutes passed before the man who attacked Rachel spoke through his megaphone. "You have an hour starting now to come out of your hiding place or I'll set this house on fire. In the meantime, we're gonna have a little party."
Santana saw Rachel panic again so she leaned forward to peck her lips before cupping her cheeks and looking into her eyes. "It's okay." The Latina mouthed. They stared at each other until the brunette's breathing slowed down. When the cheerleader was sure Rachel was okay, she searched around them for her notebook. She used it to write her thoughts or even lyrics sometimes but she didn't want anyone to find it so she hid it in here.
As soon as she found it, Santana switched the flashlight on and opened the notebook. The diva looked at her questioningly, wondering why she needed a notebook right in this instant. Without a word, the Latina took the pen stuck between the spirals and started scribbling something. Once she was done, she showed it to the small girl.
'We can't stay here, I'm sure he's not bluffing about the fire.'
Rachel shook her head vigorously. She opened her mouth to speak but the Latina stopped her, shoving the notebook in her hands. The diva pursed her lips before taking the pen and write.
'Are you crazy?! There are at least 3 people out there! How do you expect us to leave without them noticing? Maybe we should try to give them something? Money, jewellery, anything they want as long as they leave us alone. I'm sure we can find something.'
Even in the middle of a crisis, Berry needed to talk, or well write, in paragraph. Santana sighed and took the notebook. 'Keep it short, we don't have all day! The only thing they want is your ass Berry, stop being naïve! We need to take them down 1 by 1.'
The Latina saw a flash of hurt into the girl's eyes but the diva looked away and started writing down her answer. 'Santana, it's suicide! If they are all like the man who attacked us, we stand no chance! Can't we go out by the window or wait for them to start a fire to leave? '
'Berry, if we stay here, we'll be dead in an hour too! At least we should try! Other options are too risky.'
'Do you at least have a plan or are you just going to go out there and hope for the best?' Rachel handed the notebook back at the Latina with a scowl on her face.
Santana was about to write back when they heard music bust through the house. She smirked, it would help them go unnoticed. She was just hoping they were all scattered in different rooms because if not, they would never survive the night or at least, they wouldn't emerge from it unscathed. She took the notebook again. 'Music will help cover the noises. We need to wait a little. Hopefully, they'll drink or become less alert. And yes, we're gonna go out there and hope for the best. If we're lucky enough, they'll split up at some point. We'll use our knives in priority. Guns would alert the others.'
'We? Are you expecting me to hurt them? I only hold a gun once before tonight and that was because dad insisted I learn some basics.'
The cheerleader had to roll her eyes at that because seriously, it wasn't like they had a choice. She didn't want to kill or hurt anyone tonight but she would do it to save her life and Rachel's. 'It's lex talionis, kill or being killed. I can't do this alone. I'll use the knife but I need you to watch my back with your gun, just like you did in the street. Can you do that?'
The brunette looked at her classmate for a moment before nodding. Santana quickly showed Rachel how to remove the safety catch and how to release the magazine if it was empty. She knew the diva was freaking out internally but they didn't have a choice. She was just hoping the girl would be able to use the gun if she needed to.
The Latina gave a knife, the bat and the Beretta to Rachel and kept the shotgun, the magnum and the other knife.
March 22nd. 4.50 AM. Lima, Ohio
They emerged from their hiding place but stayed in the closet to listen to their surrounding. Santana made sure the way was clear before kissing Rachel languorously. "Just in case…" She stated before pecking the girl's lips again. "Survive the night." She added before leaving the closet. Rachel smiled involuntarily before focusing her attention back on the situation.
Santana slowly stepped into her room and looked around; it was a mess. The fucker who was there had ransacked everything and for that, there would be a hell lot to pay. She took a step toward the bathroom but froze when she heard the flush. She glanced behind her and rushed against the wall next to the bathroom door before motioning for Rachel to stay in sight as a bait. The tiny girl's eyes widened in fear when she understood what was happening but it was too late to move. The man emerged from the bathroom and smiled widely when he saw the diva. He tried to speak but the Latina moved forward and smashed the shotgun butt into his face before he could alert anyone. Santana strode over him and without thinking, she crushed his larynx a few times with the bottom of her weapon. She only stopped when Rachel gently grabbed her elbow. She looked at diva, fright written all over the girl's face then at the man who seemed to have stop breathing.
The glee captain stood there frozen for a few seconds, shocked by the violence of the scene. She couldn't help but stare at the lifeless body on the bathroom floor. She could hear the labored breathing of Santana after her adrenaline rush. The raven-haired girl looked shaken too but after a minute, something seemed to click inside of her and she finally moved, darting behind her before closing the bathroom door.
The petite brunette took a step closer to the man but the Latina grabbed her shirt to stop her. "I am just making sure he's dead." She whispered. Santana nodded before aiming at him with the shotgun. Rachel hesitantly approached the man's body and placed two fingers on his carotid artery to feel his pulse. "He's dead." She stated, walking back to her spot next to the girl.
"One man down…" The cheerleader replied in a shush voice, trying to calm her shaking hands and pounding heart.
"Why did you kill him? We could have tied him up and gagged him."
"Are you serious? So he could come back next year or in the next hour if one of his buddies found him before we could escape?" Santana questioned in disbelief. "No way. I know you don't like it but, believe me or not, I don't either."
"I know. It's just…" Rachel began before stopping to hold back her tears.
"I know it's hard…" The Latina whispered before squeezing the small girl's shoulder. "But you can't break down right now. Sue taught us some survival stuff this week and it might come in handy after all. But now, we need to move before someone starts looking for dead meat." Santana looked at Rachel one more time before opening the door and poking her head out to make sure no one was in her room.
Once it was clear, they excited the room and carefully walked toward the hallway. If they wanted to escape, they needed to reach the ground floor.
March 22nd. 5.15 AM. Lima, Ohio
They had checked every room on the first floor without seeing anyone until they reached the parents' bedroom next to the staircase.
Santana pressed herself against the wall and slowly leaned to take a look into the room. A small brown-haired man was filling his bag with her mother's jewellery, oblivious to their presence. She motioned for Rachel to guard the door before tiptoeing toward the man. Once she was at his level, she raised her shotgun to hit him but he seemed to sense something and stumbled to the side at the last minute, making her hit the dresser with her weapon instead.
The small man surged toward the Latina, tackling her to the floor and falling on top of her. He smirked at the position they were in before slapping the girl across the face. "Nice try bitch, but I was faster." He laughed sneeringly as Santana struggled to escape. He put his hand around the cheerleader's neck and started strangling her, leaving her gasping for air.
Suddenly, Rachel appeared next to them and hit the man's back with her baseball bat. This time, the brown-haired man was to focus on Santana to avoid the blow. He fell to the side but quickly stood up to face his attacker. The diva took a step backward, clearly afraid of him.
Santana was still lying on the floor, trying to get her strength back. When she saw the small man grab Rachel and push her violently against the corner of the desk, her body seemed to restart. She grabbed her knife in her pocket and plunged to stab the man, hitting him in the stomach before he could hurt the brunette. The cheerleader hastily removed the knife from his abdomen and stabbed him a second time in the chest, letting his body fall next to Rachel who was sitting dizzily on the floor.
The raven-haired girl tried to reach for the brunette but she moved away when she saw Santana's hands covered in blood. The Latina looked back at her hands and noticed the blood. She darted toward the door to make sure no one was coming before wiping them on her jeans. "It's okay, Rachel, it's just me." She whispered, her voice hoarse after the strangulation.
Rachel surged forward and hugged the girl. "I thought he was going to kill you and then me."
"You and me both, Estrella, you and me both…" The cheerleader breathed out, squeezing the diva tightly before breaking the embrace. "We need to move! We made a lot of noises and they might have heard us despite the music."
They both rose from the floor and cautiously made their way downstairs.
March 22nd. 5.51 AM. Lima, Ohio
"The clock is ticking." The muscular man who attacked Rachel announced loudly. He made his way upstairs and called his friends. "Jim? Paul?" When no one answered, he walked toward the parents' room and found Jim lying lifeless in his blood. "Fuck! Those bitches killed Jim." He yelled "Steve, Jason, cut the power and watch the exits." He ordered.
The girls were hiding in the guest room on the ground floor when the house was plunged into darkness. They had tried to go to Santana's father's office to flee by the window but the leader of the group gave the alarm before they could reach it.
It was when they heard random gunshots two rooms from theirs that Santana knew they had to leave the guest room and more importantly the house, as fast as possible. The men seemed to get restless and were starting to shot everywhere in hope to make them get out of their hiding place.
Two men stopped in front of the guest room door and started talking. "How long are we going to do this? They promised us we could have fun with those girls but so far, all we got is the stuff we stole in that bitch's living room." Jason complained. "It's almost 6 A.M, if I knew it was going to be like that, I would have stayed at my place and taken care of my sexy neighbour and her daughter."
"Yeah, me too… I'm gonna keep an eye on the exits, keep searching the rooms." Steve ordered before moving away.
Once Santana could no longer hear the men near their position, she grabbed Rachel's hand and slowly opened the door. She made sure no one was in the hallway before dragging the diva toward her father's office. When the Latina heard a voice, she stopped dead in her track, making the brunette bumped into her because of the grip they had on each other's hands. The collision made the raven-haired girl move forward and slam against the side table, sending the vase standing on it crashing to the floor.
Rachel's eyes went wide in horror. She quickly darted behind her to see if someone was coming and when she looked in front of her again, she saw a man standing in front of Santana with a wry smile.
"Look who's here! You gave us some hard time ladies but I finally found you." Jason said happily.
And then everything happened in a blur. The Latina surged forward to stab Jason but he easily dodged the attack and pushed her violently against the wall. Her shotgun slid at the other side of the hallway. Rachel took a step back, frightened by the man in front of her but when she saw him grab Santana and take his gun, she pulled out hers and shot him without thinking. Even wounded, the man raised his gun and aimed at her, forcing the diva to pull the trigger once again. He fell on the floor next to the Latina.
The raven-haired girl blinked a few times, trying to get her focus back after hitting the wall. She stared at the body next to her, then at Rachel before looking back at the body. The brunette approached her slowly and helped her stand up. The Latina nodded in a silent thank you before grabbing Rachel's hand again. They heard footsteps coming their way, forcing them to turn around and run toward the living room instead of the office.
Their run was abruptly interrupted when the muscular man came out of nowhere with a knife in hand and stabbed Santana in the guts, letting the girl collapse on the living room floor.
"Santana!" Rachel screamed.
"I missed you precious!" The tall man exclaimed before grabbing the diva by the hair and dragging her to the couch. He was limping due to his wounded thigh and it was obvious that he was in pain but his revenge seemed to be stronger than any other feeling. "I can't believe two small bitches like you gave me so much trouble. I could really cut your throat right now but I need to stay calm because I have other plans."
The diva whimpered as she stared at Santana's body on the floor. The girl wasn't moving and the brunette couldn't see if she was breathing or not. She focused back on the madman in front of her just as he decided to violently punch her in the face. She let a cry of pain escape her before losing consciousness.
As soon as she woke up, the brunette felt something restraining her wrists. She sat up hastily and looked frantically around her. Her hands were tied up with some rope, Santana was still lying on the floor and the man who had hit her had taken their weapons and was now putting some DVDs in a bag. She tried to get up without catching his attention but he turned around at the same moment.
"Good, you're awake. I didn't want to start the festivities if you couldn't appreciate them." The muscular man said with a demonic smile. "Steve, she's awake. Drag your ass over here!" He called his friend while unbuckling his belt.
Rachel's eyes went wide when she understood what the man was about to do. Panic took over her body as she rose from the couch and tried to run away from him. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough and he easily grabbed her by the waist and threw her on the floor. She yelped in pain as her back hit the hardwood floor and unconsciously looked toward the Latina for help.
Steve chose this moment to emerge from the basement and took the time to look around him. "Damn, why did you kill the chica over there, she was hot!" He said when his eyes landed on Santana.
"She was enraged! I'm sure she would have ripped off your balls with her bare hands if you had tried something." The leader replied. When he saw his friend stare at the Latina's body, he added. "Well, if it's not a turn off for you, you can still do it. I'm sure the body's still hot."
The diva was in tears, she wanted to puke, she wanted to scream, she wanted to take Santana and leave. If she couldn't, she just wanted to die because death was a thousand times better than what was going to happen to her and god forbid, Santana's body.
Steve seemed to contemplate the idea before shrugging and moving next to Santana. Little did he know that the girl had regained consciousness a few minutes ago. The Latina played dead until the man was close enough for her to grab the gun that she could feel in his waistband while he was hovering above her. In a matter of seconds, she grabbed his gun and shot him twice in the stomach before pushing his body to the side and aiming at the man next to Rachel, shooting him in the head before he could do anything. His body hit the floor with a thud, blood pooling around him.
Silence settled in the room. They stared at each other, pale-faced, none of them daring to speak, afraid someone would burst into the room to attack them at any moment. When it was clear that they were the only people alive in the house, Santana tried to move but froze when she felt the burning of her abdomen wound intensify. She cried in pain which seemed to break Rachel out of her torpor.
The brunette struggled to stand up but after a couple of tries, she succeeded. She grabbed the knife on the floor and tried to cut the rope around her wrists but the task turned out to be more complex than she anticipated. Quickly understanding that she needed help, she made her way toward the Latina and sat next to her. "Santana, I need you to cut the ties around my wrists if I want to help you, can you do that?"
The raven-haired girl simply nodded and took the knife with a shaky hand. She cut the rope and put the knife down.
"Thank you." Rachel smiled tiredly before squeezing the girl's hand. "Now I need to ride up your top so I can take a look at your wound, is that okay?"
Santana nodded once again. "If I… wasn't in… so much pain… I would do a… a joke about it…" She stammered due to the pain.
"I'm sure you would." The diva replied to humor her. She lifted the girl's tank top and gasped before covering her mouth with her hand.
"That bad?" The Latina questioned, slowly closing her eyes.
"It's…" The brunette needed to stay positive. She couldn't say the cut seemed deep and nasty. The Latina needed her and it was her mission to make sure she would be okay. "I'm sure it will be okay. I need to get you to the hospital as soon as possible though. Let me grab the first aid kit, I need to hold a gauze compress on your wound to stop or at least reduce the bleeding."
When Rachel came back, Santana still had her eyes closed and she wasn't moving. "Oh my god, San… Don't die on me!" The petite girl started panicking, shaking the Latina's body to wake her up. "Santana, you can't die. We just… I just… Stay with me okay. The Purge is going to be over soon. Please, don't leave me."
Santana's eyes fluttered open. "God Berry… I'm not dead… yet… Calm down."
"Oh my god." The diva breathed out, sighing in relief. "You scared me!" She took some gauze and put them on the wound, applying some pressure to stop the bleeding.
"You won't get… rid of me so easily." The Latina said with a painful smile.
"I wouldn't dream of it." The brunette smiled softly, using her free hand to gently stroke some hair out of the girl's face.
March 22nd. 7 AM. Lima, Ohio
The siren wailed through the town. The Purge was over. They survived the night…
"Thank god, it's finally over..." Rachel exclaimed. "I hate this day."
"Me too…" Santana replied.
"Saturday, I'm taking you to the restaurant." The petite brunette stated. "Breadsticks I assume?"
"Why?" The cheerleader asked confused. "To thank me or something?"
The diva shook her head. "No, actually like a date but I guess it could also be considered as a 'thank you for saving my life a few times during the purge' gift."
The Latina stared at her. "You saved my life too."
"Yes, but if you had stayed inside and ignored me like everybody else, they would never have broke into your house." Rachel explained. When she saw the girl was still staring at her, she rushed to add. "Or well you know, if you don't want to I understand. I can bake you some cookies or buy you a gift certificate or..."
Santana grabbed the diva's hand and squeezed it, hoping it would make the girl stop talking.
"What is it? Are you in pain?" The petite girl questioned concerned.
"No… Yes. Just shut up."
"Hum, alright…" The diva replied with hurt in her eyes. "I understand. It was just a spur of the moment ac…"
Not having the strength to talk too much, the tan girl simply covered the singer's mouth with her hand. "Listen…I want to go on… a date with you, 'kay." She assured. "But right now? You really need to bring me to the hospital… or… I won't go anywhere with you in the future."
Rachel grinned in spite of herself. "You're right, we need to prioritize our actions and going to the hospital is the first thing to do." She agreed. "Where is your car?"
"In the garage. Key in the kitchen."
"Okay. I'm going to move the car out of the garage and put it in the driveway. I'll come back to get you once it's done." The diva informed her "Will you be okay?"
"I think I can… survive 5 minutes … without you." Santana tried to joke but it was getting harder to breathe and she needed to keep her strengths.
"I'll be right back. Just stay awake…" Rachel hesitantly leaned forward and pecked the Latina's lips before rushing to the kitchen to take the car key.
Santana watched the diva leave with a lazy smile on her face before taking a slow and deep breath. "At least something good came out of this night…"
THE END