Chatty Town

Chapter Seven : Finding Solace

Dem turns around and sees me frozen where I stand. He shakes his head and grabs me by the elbow and starts running towards the door to the auto shop.

"Snap out of it! I need you with a clear head!" Dem's words feel hard, as they reach my ears, like a fist.
I turn around to look at the kids running after us. Such short legs, yet they're gaining on us like an adult would.

Another gunshot and it brings me out of the haze. I'm here again. All of me.

I turn and start running on my own again. Each step against the concrete sends needles up my legs. Dem turns around and shoots three times. I run ahead of him, now only a meter from the door. I'm so close. 

Another bullet leaves its chamber. The sound is deafening. And suddenly I'm pushed forward with such incredible force put on my right arm. I fall to the ground. Pain runs through my arm and I grab it with my other hand. It's wet. Warm. I'm bleeding. I've been shot. I've been shot by a 3 year old.

I let go of my arm and look at my hand now painted red from my own blood. Dem fires another shot and turns around, seeing me on the ground he yells at me to get up.

I shake my head, This isn't real. This can't be real. 

Dem grabs me by the arm and yanks me off the ground and one of the toddler's bullets ricochets off the parking meter and I hunch my back to the sound of it being so close. Dem pushes me to the door and I stumble into it.

"Guys, it's us open the damn door!"
The door creaks open instantly and Wren steps out with her gun in hand and shoots at the toddlers as Dem and I run in. Wren comes in after us and Merrick closes the door and starts locking all of its locks.

Dem bends over, holding himself up by the armrest on the couch. "Did you leave any of them alive?"

Wren cracks a smile and nods her head up, "Come on, Dem you know better than to question my sharpshooting."
I scoff and speak before I even know it. "They're just kids!"

Wren looks at me and starts walking towards me "Kids, my ass! They stopped being kids the second they got injected with Gelium! But who cares about that right, Chatty?"
Dem fixes his posture and puts his arm out to stop Wren from taking another step towards me. "Wren, she's not one of them."

Wren's sarcasm pounds against my ears "Oh! She's not?! Why didn't you tell us?" 
Merrick ignores her and shakes his head, "Why don't you think she's one of them?"

Dem walks over to me and grabs my injured arm and I wince. "Because she couldn't move after she saw them. Practically killed herself because of it, too." He lets go of me and he looks at the brown bag I brought in from out there. He crouches down and starts looking through it.
Wren grunts, "So what's in there that's so incriminating?"

Dem shakes his head "There's just clothes in here."
I shake my head and open my coat and pull the sweater wrapped book out. "It's because it's not there."
Dem looks up at me and stands up but Wren grabs the book before he can.
Wren unwraps the sweater with a scowl. "So what is it then?"

I take it back from her and unwrap it myself while glaring into her eyes. "It's a book."
I hold it fully unwrapped in my left hand and Dem takes it from me.
He skims over the solid army green cover with gold stamping, reading aloud when he sees it. "Finding Solace."
Dem looks up at me and then flips open the book.

Wren huffs, crossing her arms she sits on the arm of the couch in defeat.
Merrick, "Are you sure?"
Dem nods.

A guy from the crowd exhales, "Aren't they all supposed to be ashes now?"