Chapter Three
It is the third day that these brainwashing maniacs have taken over the city. I am surprised at the amount of damage that they have managed to do in these three short days. Lucas hasn't smiled since our game of chess. I don't blame him, in fact, I think that may be the last time I smiled as well.
Almost everyone's faces are tear-stained and eyes are bloodshot. Hardly anyone leaves their houses now for fear of becoming the next subjects in their twisted experiments. No one comes back from those alive and unscathed.
There have been stories coming around about the lineups on the roofs. Fights over ammunition. Unsavoury things that no one wanted to eat before have become much more appealing in the eyes of some. None of these events are attempts to fight back. They're just pitiful ways to lose, to drive themselves into the ground.
If I could, I'd be leading a rebellion right now. The last time I tried to leave the house, I found myself standing thirty centimeters away from a gun. I knew it was loaded. After all, what else would have put a dent in those airtight doors of steel? I'm not sure if it's just cruel fate that I had enough sense to slam the door on them or if it's a promise of hope. All I know is that I'm alive and Lucas is too.
I sat in my chair with a vacant expression, not even wanting to do anything. I felt sick. As though it would have been best if I was leaning over a toilet instead of just sitting here. No child should see their parents with the same blank face that I was displaying. Yet there was Lucas, studying me with the same blue eyes that belong to my soldier. I dare not say that I notice the resemblance, as the seconds are ticking on, Lucas's anger towards his father is growing.
"Mom," Lucas started. His countenance was so full of expression that it woke me up from the stupefied state I had been in. "Dad is in Somalia, fighting off more of these monsters. He's not going to rescue us." The statement hit me hard, like a slap in the face. My face burned with the impact. It stung so much that tears fell from my eyes.
Lucas must have seen this as an opening as he continued with his speech. "They're going to wait until we all kill ourselves or become so wasted that we'll be their puppets to control. We need to escape. You need to stop waiting for your prince charming. He's not coming."
"What do you suggest?" I asked.
"That we get ourselves captured - alive." Lucas suggested.
"What?" I gawked. All this time we had been attempting to avoid capture. To not fall into the hands of the maineiacs.
"When we get captured, we need to make it very clear that we are the family of Nathaniel Taylor. They'll take us to someplace where he can save us. To taunt and gload. Then you can have your knight in shining armour come and rescue us." The idea made perfect sense. It only took me a few seconds to piece it together. If we wanted to get captured it would be so easy. They were literally rounding up whole groups of people off the streets and shipping them off to wherever they fancied.
"I prefer my knight in a shiny bullet-proof vest." I whispered. Lucas laughed a little at this.
"Now, stop crying." Lucas insisted. I smiled and tried to do as he bade me. "We have to get captured."
