On Top//Topper Thornton

twenty seven

"What?" Kie asks.

"They're going into the alley," JJ states.

"Go around back?" Kie asks.

"Yeah. We'll meet them on the other side," JJ tells her.

"Okay," Kie agrees. "Hey, be chill. Be chill."

"Yeah, sure," JJ says.

We drove off looking to find the alley. We lose site of Pope.

"Look, where did they go?" Topper asks.

"What if they went underground? Because in C.H.U.D., when they took people down into the sewers, it would turn the humans into humanoids 'cause of the radiation. And then all of a sudden..." JJ starts.

I make a face. "JJ, focus. That doesn't make any sense. None of your C.H.U.D. references ever make any sense. It's not real."

"Right. Sorry. Did you see him?" JJ asks.

Kie shakes her head. "No."

"Where could they go?" Topper asks.

Finally we find a way into the alley. We park the truck and head to find Pope. I hear what sounds like people fighting. Kie, JJ, and I take off running. Pope and the guy that opened the door are one the ground wrestling. JJ kicks a taser towards me and I pick it up.

"Come on!" Kie shouts.

"Pope!" I shout.

"Pope, come on!" JJ shouts.

Pope pulls himself up off of the guy.

"Come on!" Kie shouts.

Pope punches the guy in the face.

"Pope!" Topper shouts.

"Go! Just leave him! Leave him!" JJ shouts.

We rush back to the truck and pile in.

"Go! Go, go, go!" JJ shouts.

"Who were those people?" I shout.

"We're getting the hell out of here," JJ states.

"That was crazy. Let's get out of here," Pope says.

JJ floors it and the tires screech. "Here we go now!"

"I think he's following us," Kie warns.

"This is a one-way," Pope tells JJ.

"Go left," Topper tells him.

"I know," JJ assures.

"Go that way," Pope says.

"This is a one-way!" Pope and Kie shout at the same time.

"They're following us," Kie warns.

"Hey! There's another car! Turn now!" Pope shouts. "Turn! Turn right!"

Just before we hit the oncoming car JJ turns right. Two people walk out into the middle of the street and JJ barely misses them.

"Look out!" I shout.

"Oh my God!" Kie shouts.

"What the hell?" Topper shouts.

"Get out of the road!" JJ yells.

"Those were people! Jesus Christ!" Pope shouts.

"That was evasive driving technique right there, y'all," JJ says.

"Where we going?" I ask.

"Hang on. I'll lose him," JJ tells us.

He suddenly turns left causing all of us to shift to one side of the truck.