The Storm of Apocalypse

Chapter One: Part One [1]

IT WAS PAST eleven o'clock in the evening and she was still busy cleaning up the tables of the diner where she worked for eight hours every day. She was wiping the table with a cloth when she heard the bell attached to the door ring, followed by heavy approaching footsteps. She took a deep breath, trying to contain her frustration. The sign hanging on the door said the diner was closed, but the stranger seemed to have ignored it.

"We're closed," she said without even turning around.

But the guest didn't answer. As she finished cleaning a table, she turned around only to see a woman in her twenties. She had short black hair. She wore jeans, a black shirt, and a pair of white shoes. She looked familiar but she couldn't figure out the exact time they had met. She felt chills. Something was not right.

"Hello, Mycenia."

"H...How did you know my name."

"We knew each other for so long but you just don't remember it. But listen to me...you're in danger and I'm here to restore your memories."

"Stay away from me." She stepped back.

"You need to trust me. We don't have much time." She took steps closer to her.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" she shouted in fear. "I'm calling the police."

She was about to scroll through her contacts when all of a sudden, she heard the sound of cars approaching the diner. She looked outside through the glass window and saw three black vehicles parked in front of the diner; two vans and one SUV. The doors opened and men in black hopped out of the vehicles carrying guns. She froze in fear.

"Get down!"

Everything happened in a flash and she found herself lying on the floor. The glasses of the window shattered into pieces. She covered her ears as the ear-piercing sound of gunshots filled the air. Shattered glass rained over her, some nicked her skin, and some just fell to the ground. Cold blanketed her body She never felt frightened like this before. She looked around and saw the woman crawl towards her. She wanted to run away but had no energy to do it. She couldn't move, she was like nailed to the floor.

"This is what I'm fucking saying!" said the woman who stopped in front of her. "You're the only hope we have from getting out of this."

She never had time to react when the stranger held her temple. She jolted when a cold electric shock-like sensation flowed through her whole body. In the blink of an eye, scenarios flashed right in front of her. Events that she didn't know first if it already happened or was about to happen. But as her mind processed every single scene, she realized it was her memories. They were the things that she felt missing in her whole life.

Happiness, sadness, fear, anxiety, guilt, and terror. She felt them all at once. Pain wrapped her head as the gaps in her memory were filled. And when it all stopped, the pain remained. Her hands were shaking and she was panting. She was horrified. The shooting also stopped. The tears that welled in her eyes streamed down her cheeks. She stared at the woman in front of her and finally recognized her.

"Arlette..."

But her attention shifted to the door where men came in flooding. Her gaze focused on the imprinted logo on their black uniforms. She felt anger; her rage pushed every drop of fear out of her body. Every single shard around them vibrated. Before they could open fire, she extended her right arm and opened her palm. And just as they pulled their trigger. Every bullet stopped and remained mid-air as if there was a barrier between her and the armed men. Her hand was trembling as the number of bullets in the air increased. When they stopped for a reload, she dropped her hand and the bullets fell to the floor with a clatter.

She stood and raised both of her hands. The glass shards from the floor moved and floated. She screamed. In one gesture of her hands, the shards flung to the men. They were swept off the floor and bashed to the wall where they were impaled by hundreds of glass shards. She heard them groan in pain. She was panting when she watched them fall to the ground with their blood flowing out of their punctured flesh. None of them stood back up.

She looked outside when the SUV speeded away. She stared at the surroundings for a minute to check if there were any threats. Confirming there were none left, she gazed at Arlette. Her lips curved into a smile as she approached her with an embrace.

"T...Thank you for coming and saving me," she said and broke their hug. She looked around at the mess of the diner. She took a deep breath. "I guess I'm fired now."

"We need to go now. More of these men are coming."

She removed her apron and threw it on the side. "Yes and I fucking deserve an explanation on why you blocked my memories and let me live in a life where I need to work in a diner with shitty customers."

They walked out of the diner and the crisp sound of glass shards they stepped onto filled their ears. But when they got out of the door, they both heard a groan. They turned around and saw one of the men was still alive. He was struggling and trying to keep himself alive. Arlette went back inside and touched his temple. The man froze and Arlette closed her eyes. She watched her read his mind and go through his memories. A few seconds later, Arlette groaned and let go of him.

"Let's go," she said when the police siren from a distance became louder and louder.