#75 - STORY IDEA 2 (teaser 1)

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14 Hours - R5 In The Purge

"Where is she?" I huffed. "She has about 4 minutes before the carnage begins."

"She'll make it, Rocky. You know Ellie, she likes to make an entrance." Ross walked past as our metal window protectors descended. There was then a couple knocks at our door. Jackson sprung up, opening the door for his sister.

She came in tired and worn out, but not even a 12 hour shift and the date changed the smile on her face. Her brother hugged her tightly, their moment marked by the earthshaking sound the protectors made as they slammed down.

The twins lost their family to a group of people who took their house by storm in the last Purge night. Their parents were innocently shot to death along with their baby sister, who was barely 5. What woke them up and got them out of the house was the smoke; those people also set their house on fire.

Afraid they wouldn't survive this year, I invited the girl from my art class and her brother to stay with us for the night.

"Is it time yet?" She spoke quietly as she approached me.

"Soon, but you'll be fine," I moved stray strands of hair from her bun behind her ears. "I promise you."

The TV, which was previously playing some random series flipped to the royal blue background and the monotone voice that has haunted us for 9 years. Even through the metal, it was audible from the speakers downtown. The city was silent. "This is not a test. This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the Annual Purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government-"

Ellie broke within second, whimpering quietly beside me. I placed a protective arm around her and lead her away, to the kitchen. "Ellie, listen to me."

"I'm trying to. I'm trying." Her hands trembled over my own. "It's just too much. Why does this happen? How does killing cleanse you?"

"It doesn't, Ells. Those people, they're sick." I told her. "But you're safe here. We're behind these metal protectors and we will spend 12 hours in the safety of our house, and we will definitely not leave the house."

"Okay." She said softly, then massaged her temples. "I'm going to shower, okay?"

"Of course. We'll pick a movie or something." I told her as she walked away. The sound of gunshots and screaming followed her, but this time it didn't seem to affect her.

"Where's Ross?" I walked into the living room.

"He went up to his room whilst the announcement came on. He doesn't like it very much." Mom replied. "Is Ellie okay?"

"Yeah, she's gone to take a shower. You okay, Jackson? Need anything?"

"I should be okay, thank you." He smiled brightly, a contrast with the news revealing countless deaths, 5 minutes in.

***

"Can you pass me the plates, Rock?" Riker asked from the dining table. I slid them across the counter. "Ellie's taking ages."

"Girls," Jackson chuckled, helping him set the dinner table. "She'll be down soon, the smell of food will attract her."

We all produced some kind of laugh before returning to the unbearable silence. That, however, was quickly interrupted by a scream from upstairs. I dropped everything from my hands, running upstairs. "Ellie?! Ellie, is everything okay?!"

She was stood in Ross' bedroom, the window wide open and a note in her hands. Her terrorised eyes looked to me. "He's gone. Wrote that he had something to put straight and tonight was the only night in which he could do it. He's on his way to a friend's house."

I took the note from her hands, staring at it as if it would give me answers. "Where in the?"

There was a gunshot, hitting the glass on the window. Immediately I pulled Ellie down under the bed as a machine gun began to relentlessly shoot into the room. "It's okay, Ellie. You hear me?" I shouted above the gunshots. "They can only hit above the windowsill if they're shooting from down there, okay? Army crawl with me to the door."

"No!We'll get killed!" She shouted in return.

"We have to! Let's go, just follow my lead!" I said, and we quickly crawled to the door, rolling out from whatever was left of it. I stood up, keying in the code beside the door to make another metal protector come down.

A heavy breathing Ellie stood beside me. "Why do you have them?"

"In case one of us turns rogue on this hellbent day." I ran a hand through my hair, pulling it up. "Where could that son of a bitch be going?"

"Let's go and tell the others." She turned around, walking downstairs.

Nobody dared say a word after we explained what just happened. Except Ryland. "Shit."

"I heard him talking to somebody,"
All eyes flicked to Jackson. "Some guy called Miles."

"I know him. Let's go get him." I announced. They all looked at me weird, until I produced a Glock from my back pocket.

"We have one gun between ourselves. Nice." Riker laughed. "We're dying today."

"Make that three. Plus a knife." Jackson produced his own gun and an army knife. "Ellie.."

She reached for her work bag, then threw the arm on the table, crossing her arms. "You're not going without me, Jackson."

"That's fine by me." I said. "We'll be back with him, Mom."

"Slow down," she stood beside Dad, both teary eyed. "Let me have one last good look at you all."

"I promise you, we'll be back safe and sound." I smiled encouragingly. "Let's go, lads."

Myself, the twins, Riker and Rydel got into the car. Ryland hopped onto his motorbike, following close behind.

Beside me, Ellie clutched my hand as we drove over the bridge, catching glimpse of somebody being launched off a skyscraper, their screaming body hitting the ground in the distance. She winced. "You're okay, I promise."

"Okay." she choked out. The car began to slow. "What's happening?"

"Look ahead." Riker said slowly. Before us was a white van, and at least 10 mercenaries stood in front, guns and weapons in hand. Ellie gasped.

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