THE THINGS I NEEDED TO SEE

It’s a good day

Sunlight was shining on my face. I moved my hand to cover my eyes and inhaled the fresh air coming into the gas station. My body was missing my bed, the hard tile made my back a little sore. I sat up and looked around me. Nothing looked out of place and I spotted more things I didn't see last night. So I went on another shopping spree. I found a toothbrush, some ancient gum, and a pack of cigarettes. Everything was unopened, and I figured, since I was probably going to die out here, it wouldn't hurt to try smoking. I was strolling through the gas station when I stopped in my tracks.

"No way" I said aloud.

There was a pair of cute brown aviator sunglasses on the display I moved last night. I started smiling as I put them on. This made me feel better finding something I can enjoy wearing and there were no clouds to hide the sun today. I walked outside the gas station, the glass breaking under my shoes again. Last night I must have been blind because now I could see bikes near the left side of the building. Maybe the world wanted me to live, things started to feel easy. There was a good selection of bikes I could choose from, but one of them was a sunset orange with dandelion stickers plastered all over it. I eased the bike up and slipped my beach bag on the right handle. The back tire was a little flat, so I struggled to peddle at first, but it still worked. My goal was to follow the road and see where it leads to. Very soon I will need food and water. Today would have been a good day for rain.

The heat started to make me tired and my skin itched for a shower. I had been riding this bike for what felt like an hour and I was still in the middle of nowhere. I bet that guy had water with him. That's all I can think about now. There's probably some water in the forest nearby, but I didn't want to stop riding the bike. My focus switched to how amazing it was being here. The roads were empty and the plants moved with the wind. I finally got to be free and do whatever I wanted. There were no rules to follow outside the community. Most of all, I didn't have to think about the bodies my parents had hidden in their closet. I lifted my left arm in the air so the breeze could hit it. I looked up at the sky and smiled. This is what I wanted, I needed to forget. My attention was back on the road as I peddled harder, I noticed there was a weird gray line laid across it. Soon I realized it was barbed wire. I didn't have time to react and what are the chances my tires would hit one of the barbs? I closed my eyes and cringed as my bike came up to it. I felt my body lift forward off the bike, then I flew for a second. I hit the pavement hard. My right arm and the side of my face started to burn instantly. My ears were ringing, but I knew for a fact I could hear someone walking towards me.

"Get up" a woman ordered me.

The guards found me and now I'm being arrested.

"Get up" she repeated.

I got up and looked at her. Her black eyes and short red hair were intimidating. She wasn't dressed like a guard, she looked normal. There were 2 other people with her and it's no surprise one of them was the guy I met yesterday.

"We just want what's in the bag" she said.

I laughed at her, then picked up the bag.

"Take it." I offered, holding it in front of her,

She snatched it and dumped it on the road. All I saw was disappointment on her face. The guy I ran away with came over and started digging through my stuff. He murmured all kinds of curse words to himself.

"Lev, stop"the woman said to him.

Well, now I know his name. He walked off and made sure not to make eye contact with me.

"I'm sorry, are you guys upset?" I asked sarcastically.

Right after, I felt the woman's fist connect with my face. I stumbled backwards and stared at her. I'm getting sick of these people.

"I have a feeling you know more than you let on about your sadistic little town, so you're gonna work for me and anything you do find that's valuable is mine, not yours," she demanded.

She whistled and waved her hand in a circular motion. A black truck drove from the road ahead then parked. Lev walked to me with cuffs he pulled out of his pocket. He grabbed my arms and in a quick motion he clipped the cuffs around my wrists, then he pulled me to the end of the truck.

"Put her in." the woman said loudly.

Lev and the other person lifted me up to put me in the cargo bed. Once I was in, I sat up.

"Don't jump out." Lev snapped.

He slammed the tailgate and got inside the vehicle with everyone else. I could feel the truck start moving. I'll admit it's faster than the bike I had. At least I could get some water. I can't go scavenging for this lady if I die of dehydration. The road became more bumpy the further we got. Never in my life have I been in a car. My dad told me my mom used to get car sick all the time before they had to get rid of theirs. I think that's what I'm feeling right now. My salvia was building up in the back of my throat, and I was becoming nauseous. I wish I knew more about my community, I would understand what I saw in my parents' closet. Suddenly, I moved my head to the side of the truck and threw up. The feeling made me even more sick. Once I was done, I laid down on the truck bed. My vision became blurry, and eventually I couldn't see, so I knew I was going to pass out. After today, I might as well let it happen.