The van rattled, clunking along the road and jolting every now and then. Every time the vehicle went over a pothole, Leon's stomach lurched. He glanced around - there were eight other people crammed in to the back of the van. They were in David's van. David Waters. Leon didn't know him that well, but he knew that he was very good friends with his now deceased father. None of the teenagers knew why, but according to David, they were targets of the state. He told them if their lives meant anything to them, they would get in the van, shut up and wait for further. Most of them did as they were told - those that didn't would die, or so David said.
They had been sat in here for over an hour now. Around half an hour ago, the van had stopped and David had got out the van for a while. Fifteen minutes later he returned with a whole load of gear - a couple of tents, some sleeping bags, dozens of water bottles and several cans of food that would probably last two weeks between the group, if rationed. He threw all of this stuff in the back of the van beside the teenagers who were sat, silent. Nobody questioned him, for some reason. Maybe because they just didn't care anymore. He returned to the drivers seat without an explanation and continued driving.
As he sat there, the events of the night ran through his mind.
8:54 PM
Midcreek Park.
Leon was sat on a park bench beside Benjamin. They both had a view of the town from where they were sat. They could see the school, and the lights eminating from it. It was the prom today. They weren't saying anything, but they could tell both of them were thinking of school. After a while, Benjamin broke the silence. "I wouldn't have gone anyway. It's stupid." Leon shrugged, lighting a cigarette and placing it in his mouth. "I don't know. I would have probably went." Leon glanced back at his friend. "Don't know who with, though." Benjamin smirked. "I heard you-"
Benjamin's sentence was shattered by one of the loudest sounds that Leon had ever heard. He spun around and looked back to the school. Well, there wasn't a school anymore, just a huge cloud of smoke. It was a long distance away, but Leon could see the smoke was coming towards them at a rapid pace. "Holy fuck!" Benjamin and Leon leaped from the bench simultaneously.
They both stood still for several seconds, before Benjamin suddenly began running towards the flames. "What are... you..." Leon began to mumble. Benjamin spun around and glared at him. "My family, man! You're family." Leon stood still. Numb. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Minutes passed like they were hours. In the distance he heard a gun shot. He turned his head and looked over - it was Benjamin. He'd been shot by a soldier, who was running off in another direction. Leon ran over to Benjamin and leant down to see his friends face. Benjamin looked up at him with fearful eyes before taking one last action in his dying breath - yanking his chain from his neck and handing it to Leon.
Just then, a hand rested on Leon's shoulder. He looked up, it was a man - a man he vaguely recognised. "We need to get out of here... now." David said.
Leon sifted through his pockets. He hadn't checked what was in them, and although it was of no great significance, he thought he might as well, to pass the time. There was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, naturally, as he always carried that sort of thing with him - there was his house key, which he no longer needed, so he dropped it to the ground. Finally, there was one last thing. The chain that Benjamin had worn on his neck. Of course he was completely torn apart from losing his brothers and his father, but, deep down, he missed Benjamin most of all. Leon took it and solenmly placed it around his own neck. He sighed and rested his head back, only to be jolted forward again as the van stopped.
Several seconds later, the back doors of the van burst open. "Alright, ok, everyone out!" David yelled, his throat clearly damaged from having to shout constantly. The teenagers all began to pile out of the van. Leon looked around and realised that it was now very dark, probably around 10PM. He couldn't quite tell where they were at first, but he soon realised they were in the heart of a forest. Probably one of the nature reserves. "Listen, I don't have time to explain..." David shook his head. "This is a mess..." he muttered to himself. "Okay," he snapped, when he had organised this thoughts. "Take these supplies, and go out in to the wilderness. Do not contact anyone... in fact, give me your phones, all of you." It was a little of a strange request, and at first, they were reluctant to hand them over. "Listen, if you have your phone, you can be tracked. There are soldiers hunting you down. Give them to me." After some time, and some convincing, they had all handed over their phones. One by one, David snapped them all.
"Okay... right..." David put his head in his hands, trying to figure the situation out. "Look," he threw a very simple-looking phone in Leon's direction, who caught it. "I'll be able to contact you on that phone. Turn it off, only check it once a day. It's not being tracked, but we have to be safe. Just- just stay in the woods and don't talk to anyone, okay?" He turned and ran back to his van. "I have to go, but I will contact you. Okay..." Soon, the van screeched off down the dirt road and left the teenagers dumbstruck.
Leon stood with the phone nestled in his hands and looked at the gear on the floor. "Right..." he said in the most controlled voice he could muster before lifting two of the rucksacks on to his shoulders. "We better get out of here."
They had been sat in here for over an hour now. Around half an hour ago, the van had stopped and David had got out the van for a while. Fifteen minutes later he returned with a whole load of gear - a couple of tents, some sleeping bags, dozens of water bottles and several cans of food that would probably last two weeks between the group, if rationed. He threw all of this stuff in the back of the van beside the teenagers who were sat, silent. Nobody questioned him, for some reason. Maybe because they just didn't care anymore. He returned to the drivers seat without an explanation and continued driving.
As he sat there, the events of the night ran through his mind.
8:54 PM
Midcreek Park.
Leon was sat on a park bench beside Benjamin. They both had a view of the town from where they were sat. They could see the school, and the lights eminating from it. It was the prom today. They weren't saying anything, but they could tell both of them were thinking of school. After a while, Benjamin broke the silence. "I wouldn't have gone anyway. It's stupid." Leon shrugged, lighting a cigarette and placing it in his mouth. "I don't know. I would have probably went." Leon glanced back at his friend. "Don't know who with, though." Benjamin smirked. "I heard you-"
Benjamin's sentence was shattered by one of the loudest sounds that Leon had ever heard. He spun around and looked back to the school. Well, there wasn't a school anymore, just a huge cloud of smoke. It was a long distance away, but Leon could see the smoke was coming towards them at a rapid pace. "Holy fuck!" Benjamin and Leon leaped from the bench simultaneously.
They both stood still for several seconds, before Benjamin suddenly began running towards the flames. "What are... you..." Leon began to mumble. Benjamin spun around and glared at him. "My family, man! You're family." Leon stood still. Numb. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Minutes passed like they were hours. In the distance he heard a gun shot. He turned his head and looked over - it was Benjamin. He'd been shot by a soldier, who was running off in another direction. Leon ran over to Benjamin and leant down to see his friends face. Benjamin looked up at him with fearful eyes before taking one last action in his dying breath - yanking his chain from his neck and handing it to Leon.
Just then, a hand rested on Leon's shoulder. He looked up, it was a man - a man he vaguely recognised. "We need to get out of here... now." David said.
Leon sifted through his pockets. He hadn't checked what was in them, and although it was of no great significance, he thought he might as well, to pass the time. There was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, naturally, as he always carried that sort of thing with him - there was his house key, which he no longer needed, so he dropped it to the ground. Finally, there was one last thing. The chain that Benjamin had worn on his neck. Of course he was completely torn apart from losing his brothers and his father, but, deep down, he missed Benjamin most of all. Leon took it and solenmly placed it around his own neck. He sighed and rested his head back, only to be jolted forward again as the van stopped.
Several seconds later, the back doors of the van burst open. "Alright, ok, everyone out!" David yelled, his throat clearly damaged from having to shout constantly. The teenagers all began to pile out of the van. Leon looked around and realised that it was now very dark, probably around 10PM. He couldn't quite tell where they were at first, but he soon realised they were in the heart of a forest. Probably one of the nature reserves. "Listen, I don't have time to explain..." David shook his head. "This is a mess..." he muttered to himself. "Okay," he snapped, when he had organised this thoughts. "Take these supplies, and go out in to the wilderness. Do not contact anyone... in fact, give me your phones, all of you." It was a little of a strange request, and at first, they were reluctant to hand them over. "Listen, if you have your phone, you can be tracked. There are soldiers hunting you down. Give them to me." After some time, and some convincing, they had all handed over their phones. One by one, David snapped them all.
"Okay... right..." David put his head in his hands, trying to figure the situation out. "Look," he threw a very simple-looking phone in Leon's direction, who caught it. "I'll be able to contact you on that phone. Turn it off, only check it once a day. It's not being tracked, but we have to be safe. Just- just stay in the woods and don't talk to anyone, okay?" He turned and ran back to his van. "I have to go, but I will contact you. Okay..." Soon, the van screeched off down the dirt road and left the teenagers dumbstruck.
Leon stood with the phone nestled in his hands and looked at the gear on the floor. "Right..." he said in the most controlled voice he could muster before lifting two of the rucksacks on to his shoulders. "We better get out of here."