Part 1: The Runaway

  Chapter 6: That Night at the Clown Motel

  “How did it come to this? Me fighting my own brother!” Aina yelled dramatically. She was pressed against an old gas pump, a few feet from DD.

  “If we’d have met on a different battlefield, perhaps we still could’ve been siblings, friends even!” Scott yelled. He was pressed against DD’s car across the old road, Trent was hiding in one of the rooms of the Clown Motel, watching Aina.

  “We need to take them out DD, there’s no other choice.” The blonde haired girl nodded at Aina, and cocked her gun aggressively.

  “Have you seen DD yet, Scott?” Trent yelled down to the parking lot, so Aina couldn’t hear. He shook his head back to say no. “Shit.”

  “I’m going in.” Scott said.

  “I’ll cover you.” Trent said, cocking his gun with one hand like in an old action movie.

  “Damn, nice cock.” Scott noted.

  “You said it that way on purpose.” Trent complained as Scott smiled at his own joke.

  Scott ran from cover towards Aina, who he knew from experience at the shooting range that he was a terrible shot. Aina began firing, the shots going wide of Scott as DD suddenly turned around the side of the gas pump. Scott realized he was in the middle of the road, fear filled his face as he knew his time was done.

  DD looked down the scope, her open eye locked on target. She pulled the trigger with a click. The round flew true and impacted Scott in the chest. He spun dramatically before falling onto the old road, his body now limp in the moonlight. DD looked over to congratulate Aina, but when she did she found her partner downed.

  “Aina no! She was so young!”

  “It’s just you and me now DD!” Trent yelled from his window perch. DD’s hand was shaky on the gun now, could she really shoot him?

  “I’m not sure I can do this Trent!” She replied shakily.

  “Me neither honestly!”

  “But we have to.” She said, mostly to herself. She jumped from cover and opened fire, pelting the window, but Trent’s cover was better, and soon a shot found DD’s stomach. She coughed and flew forward, before landing face first on the Nevada dirt. Trent rushed out to her and took her hand.

  “I’m so sorry DD.” He said.

  “No, it had to be one of us.” Her hand went limp, and her eyes closed. The peace was suddenly interrupted by Scott’s laughter.

  “Nice job everyone.” He walked over to where Trent was helping DD up.

  “I really thought you were about to confess your undying love to Trent for a second DD.” Aina was chuckling by the empty gas station.

  “That was such a good shot DD.” Scott was brushing paint from his solar gear. “You sure you’ve never shot a gun?”

  “No, and I assume a real one is harder than paintball.” She was brushing paint from herself as well.

  “Alright Scott you win, this was a fun surprise.” Trent handed him back the paintball gun.

  “Now it’s time for sleep I guess, in the spooky motel!” Scott wiggled his fingers menacingly.

  “I don’t believe in ghosts.” Trent noted.

  “Can I pee before we do anything else crazy?” DD asked.

  “Of course.” Scott said, gesturing to their room. DD walked to the bathroom, past all the damn clowns, and froze.

  “What the fuck?”

  “What’s wrong DD?” Scott asked, running to check on her.

  “Who the fuck steals a toilet?” She points to the floor, Scott joins her, and notes that indeed, there was no toilet. Only an outline of where one used to be on the ruined linoleum floor.

  “I mean I would.” Scott noted.

  “I mean me too. Wait, did you though?”

  “No.”

  “So what the fuck?” Suddenly the two jumped as the front door to their room slammed shut.

  “Jesus Christ.” Scott said, holding his chest.

  “Was that you Trent?!” DD yelled, and received no response.

  “Trent?” She was getting scared now.

  “Okay they’re fucking with us.” Scott assured as the silence continued.

  “I’m going to go check on them.”

  “Alright Aina, that’s enough joking around!” Scott said. “Aina?” No response. “Trent?”

  DD moved to Aina’s door and ripped it open, that was when a bucket full of water crashed down on her. Laughing filled the room as DD threw the bucket aside, thank god she had solar gear on, only a little got through, a cold stream of water was sliding between her breasts. DD walked up to Trent in the neighboring doorway. “I will get you back.” Poking him in the chest while she spoke. “You will both feel my revenge when you least expect it.” Scott was also laughing behind her. “Were you in on that?” She turned aggressively.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “No, but I wish I was.” Scott joked. The groups’ laughter was cut short as the ground briefly shook. The earthquake immediately left DD with an uneasy feeling, a chill, the sensation she was about to vomit.

  “Oh no.” She whispered. Scott was tiptoeing into the room next to her and made a small gesture she should follow. Every inch they moved felt like a mile. The outside was an uncomfortable level of quiet.

  “Are we thinking that was a normal earthquake or a Trawler?” Trent whispered.

  “Let’s just wait a few minutes so it passes if it’s a Trawler.” Scott replied as he put an arm around DD. “DD you’re shivering, are you okay?”

  “Fucking Trawlers, not again.” The girl was shaking almost uncontrollably.

  “DD you have to stop shaking, if it’s a Trawler it’ll be able to sense it.” Trent begged. Suddenly there was a sound outside, a slight clang of metal.

  “The bucket. It’s right outside.” Scott said worryingly. “DD I’m begging you, stop shaking.” But the girl was shaking harder now, the others could all hear her breathing becoming sharper as well. The bucket rolled in front of the door and DD let out a scream, followed by the sound of crying. Scott and Trent were already lowering themselves to the ground slowly when a figure entered the room, but not a Trawler. It was smaller. The animal looked at them inquisitively.

  “A raccoon!” Aina squealed a little bit.

  “It must’ve been scared of the earthquake too.” Trent noted.

  “Don’t we look like idiots.” Scott laughed a little. The three quickly realized DD was still softly crying a little.

  “DD it’s okay, it was just a little raccoon.” Scott pointed to the creature and it ran off.

  “I’m really really scared of Trawlers okay? Also that’s not the only reason I’m upset.” DD was becoming more and more aware now of the warm liquid running down her legs and pooling in her shoes.

  “Oh no DD your pants!” Aina pointed out. There were very obvious dark gray wet marks on her pants on the inside of either leg, leading back to her crotch.

  “That’s so embarrassing!” DD whined.

  “It’s okay DD, we won’t mention it.” Scott said as the girl sniffled.

  “Unfortunately you’ll have to put up with it for a few more minutes. We’ll want to wait a few to ensure there aren’t any actual Trawlers nearby.” The four stood still as DD’s pants got colder and felt more gross by the minute. Finally after about ten quiet minutes had gone by, DD started walking out of the room.

  “You guys won’t watch me rinse myself right?” She asked, looking back at them.

  “No you’re good.” Scott was smiling. DD walked outside to her car, her pants were incredibly cold and wet, and every step in her shoes felt like walking barefoot in mud. She grabbed her last clean outfit from the back, setting it aside, and shed her shirt and bra as well as her solar gear, which they’d kept on for paintball safety.

  She walked up to the truck and unhooked the hose.

  “That was so gross. Right in front of Trent too!” She let out a small scream as she shed her shoes and socks, pouring the shoes out onto the ground. She unbuttoned her pants and slid them off, along with her boxers, the garments glistening a little in the moonlight as they settled on the ground. She opened the hose and soaked the soiled clothes for a second. She then turned the hose at her chest and looked up, the Nevada sky was alight with a nearly full moon, and countless stars and colors. It was beautiful honestly, a wonder of the world in her eyes.

  The water was freezing as it hit her body. Thank god it didn’t really get cold at night here. She lowered the cold water to her lower half and rinsed each leg quickly, before shutting the hose back off. They didn’t have much water so she couldn’t fully shower. She stood dripping wet for a few more seconds looking at the purples and blues of the night sky. Apparently before the collapse you couldn’t really see the sky this way. She supposed that was something positive about being alive now.

  She shook herself out a bit and walked barefoot over to the car again. She sat in the back, the material of the trunk still warm on her bare skin. She lifted her last shirt from the side, a simple blue tank-top.

  “Eh, I don’t need a bra for sleep,” she said, and tossed her brown bra back in the box. Those things were uncomfortable anyway. Next, she pulled her blue panties on one leg at a time, looking down at her thighs, covered in scars. She always said she’d stop doing that, but when in the moment it was a hard instinct to fight. This was the real reason she was scared to let people see her legs. They’d see how weak she was. Is. Propriety was a part of it, sure, but she felt it was odd of her to be so much more afraid of letting the skin on her legs show. Grabbing her favorite pair of blue jeans, she covered all the bad memories. DD’d favored the blue outfit for a long time, it was her favorite color, and her mom always told her to enjoy the little things in this life. She tried her best, usually.

  She locked the car and returned to her friends after tossing the dirty clothes on top of her car for the sun to dry in the morning.

  “You’re okay, right DD? Like honestly?” Trent asked as she entered the room again, thinking more about her clear and obvious panic attack and not the accident.

  “Yeah just, really embarrassed.” She said as she tossed her solar gear on the bed. “I blame you guys for the bucket of water.”

  “You’re not mad about that, right?” Trent asked.

  “Oh no I’d do the same thing to you guys. Also I will get my revenge when you least expect it, like I said.” She smiled.

  “You’re doomed Trent.” Scott noted with a laugh.

  “Yeah I know. Remember when someone told her about April Fool’s day?” Trent noted.

  “Ah yes, my favorite holiday.” DD rubbed her hands together in a sinister fashion.

  “Our favorite holiday.” Scott pat her on the back.

  “On a scale of one to ten, how dead are we?” Aina whispered to Trent.

  “Pretty dead, if she’s kept doing pranks the last eleven years. They invented a stink-bomb somehow when we were fifteen and I still haven’t figured it out.” Trent whispered back. Aina shivered.

  “So, have we done enough dumb shit today?” DD asked.

  “Yeah, I feel like today was a winner.” Scott replied. “You know, minus the raccoon attack.”

  “Alright I’m going to bed. Get the fuck out!” Aina said, pointing the trio to the door. They proceeded out and back over into their room.

  “We should sleep too.” Trent suggested. The trio of childhood friends laid down next to each other on the floor as they had many times as kids, and closed their eyes.

  To Be Continued