Marionette (A 'The 5th Wave' Fanfiction) [COMPLETED] #wattys2017

4. Light; Chapter I.

    Well that's nice. Best case scenario—I'm dead (or dying). Worst case—I'm not. The brighter it gets the more the latter seems unlikely. Shame.

    The lights stop expanding and a giant yellow school bus pulls up infront of me. I don't think I ever took a bus to school. I always walked those fifteen minutes. Seeing that bus made my chest tighten even more.

    I spin around and wait there like a deer caught in the headlights. The door closest to the driver opens and a person steps out. He's wearing a uniform and a mask over his head. I can see the big red cross on his arm even from here. He cautiously walks forward.

    “What's your name?” he asks, the question muffled by the mask.

    I stay silent. I'm not comfortable with these introductions or whatever.

    He drops the previous question. “Are you armed?” My hand automatically goes to my pistol stored in my pocket. He notices the gesture and slings an M16 from his back. Any thought of escape is as gone as most of my sanity. ️️“We're not going to harm you. You're safe now. Perfectly safe.” Just a pull of the trigger and my brains will be splattered all over the littered floor. Yeah, really safe. He holds out a gloved hand. “Give me the pistol.”

    I weight my options. In theory I could pull out the pistol and fire, but I'll probably hit an armed body part. I might get lucky, though. The problem is that he's not alone.

    I scan the bus. Kids are there. Little kids, older kids, teenagers—no adults, except for the driver and this guy.

    They're from the government, then. That's the only reasonable answer. Maybe this is where the road leads to. I must hope. Hope and faith is all I have left. And hate. So. Much. Hate.

    Giving him the pistol would mean breaking my rule to never be defenseless. It's all about the advantages. I lose my only weapon—disadvantage. I join people— advantage. I'm going to a moving vehicle/ going to get rest—advantage ×2. One disadvantage to three advantages. What have I got left?

    With a shaking hand I pass him my pistol.