"When we walk in here were only getting the things on the list. The goal is to spend the least amount of time possible in this town, ok?" Arbus whispered as we walked into the store. The aisles had been mostly trashed and ever so often I could see one or two valuable items. "...and there is nothing here," I said kicking an empty bean can. "Stop making noise. Kai, get over here." He whispers shouts. This is actually...not that bad. I thought there would be clans of people killing each other in the streets or something but... it's pretty quiet. "And you told me to chill. Arbus, I'm going to go and find the things on the bottom half of the list. You know... so we can spend the least amount of time here." I smirk walking off to the frozen aisles.
"Ohh I didn't think these would still be working with all this fire stuff around here," I say to myself as I open the refrigerated door and grab some waffles and slide them into my bag. I love waffles. I think we needed... a pack of green peas, why? There wasn't much that was requested from the frozen section so I walked back through the other aisles searching for Arbus. "Arbus?" I say looking around. Where did he go?
"I got you." I heard a mysterious deep voice with a teasing tone say before I was yanked backward.
"Aahh!" I [Arbus] can hear Kaito screaming as I put the last of the items on the list into my bag. Shit, I knew he was a liability. I should have given him a gun but he'd probably hurt himself. I run out of the storage area and past multiple aisles littered with these green and black flags; quickly glancing at each aisle till I stopping when I see Kaito standing looking very terrified in front of a tall and very lean man. His hair was quite long including his scruffy beard mostly covering his face except for his hazel eyes that stood wide and stared straight at me as he held a gun to Kaito's head.
"You thought I wouldn't find you? You let him run around without a gun. Quite stupid on your part, buddy." he sneered
I don't know why he was talking like he knew me.
"Give me the food. I wouldn't want to blow off his pretty little head." the man says stroking Kaito's hair. Kaito was shaking in fear as he stares at me. What is he talking about? I don't even know this man. "The shelves are empty there is no food. Just let him go." I announce
He chuckles waving his gun for a moment before pressing back onto Kaito's head. I could see the fear in Kaito's eyes as he let out a shaky breath. "Naw, I'm not going back empty-handed. I'll have to take him if I don't get my food." He said his other hand grabbing Kaito's waist. His hand quickly traveled down to Kai's thighs. There was no negotiating with this dude. I slowly try to move my hand toward my handheld transceiver. "Aye, you better stop inching your hand to where I can't see before his head has a bullet planted into it." I raise my hands up "I don't have food, man. That's what we're looking for." I say, he tilts his head to the side. "You think I'm stupid? Everybody knows after the first two weeks there is no food. You wouldn't be here unless you found something." He said taking a step back. "Arbus just give him something-anything." Kaito pleaded "We don't have anything, Kai, " I say attempting to move a bit closer. I dont know who the hell this guy is but im not giving hi anything. "Time is ticking boy, " the man says taking another step back as I took another forward. His hand now holding onto Kai's crouch making him whimper in pain. The man seemed like he was insane which might be true but he wasn't stupid, he was trying to keep the same amount of distance away from me as before. He was talking so much that if he wasn't insane he was definitely stalling. If he was stalling then who for? "You know who were the first people to die... I mean besides most of the children of course?" he said and it didn't sound like a question. "The women. And since the chaos spread so fast the few left are in hiding." He said his grip on Kaito growing tight. Kaito's eyes were bringing with tears as he held back his cries. "But once in a while, you can find a person like this. Very androgynous-looking. Rare. Clean." He said sniffing Kaito's hair, to which Kaito jumped looking very uncomfortable.
There has to be more of them, but where?
"Well, anyway time's up!" he blurts quickly with a suddenly serious look on his face pushing the gun to the side of Kaito's head.
I [Kaito] wait for the gun pressed against the side of my head my eyes closed shut as he clocked the gun. "Bang!" I hear him say before he pulls the gun away from my forehead chucking to himself he turns around laughing as he waves his gun around. "I can't kill you, at least not yet," he whispers in my ear before turning around with a smirk across his face. I cant stop myself from shaking in fear and mostly disgust. He then whistles loudly in a particular tune. Soon I could hear steps coming from behind us. "Crawler, you signaled for us, this better be good." I hear a man gripe among more footsteps. I turn my head shaking to look at the person speaking. The man had green and black stripes under his eyes with a clean shave unlike the rest of the men behind him. "He's got food!" Crawler says to the green-striped man. "Oh really? Well then he wouldn't mind sharing now would he." The man said taking steps toward us. I look over at Arbus whose hand was now touching the button of the handheld transceiver. My eyes widen "Who's this pretty little thing. The man said gripping my chin. I yank my face away in repugnance. "Can we keep him?" I hear another man say to which the man nods and continues walking toward Arbus. Crawler lowers the gun from my head releasing his hand from my crotch and pushes me back into the hands of the other men. "Now you wouldn't mind handing over that food. We have a village to feed," he says with a smile. I pull away from the men who were touching me all over shoving their hands away but they held me firm. "I don't have anything," Arbus said angrily. I hear the clocking of a gun my head snaps up. The green-striped man was now pointing a gun at Arbus. "Do me favor. Empty the bag," he orders with a smirk. Arbus sighs and empties the bag of all of the food he had picked up. Damn, why didn't he just do that from the beginning? Was he gonna let me die? "So...you didn't feel like listening until the gun was pointed to your head. You didn't give a fuck when it was pointed at mine." I fumed glaring at Arbus who rolled his eyes. "A lovers' spat how cute." one of the men said. "He's not my fucking lover he's supposed to be my best friend which he is failing at!" I hissed "This is all the food, now let him go," Arbus said raising his hands as the man signaled for one of his followers to pick the food up. The striped-faced man laughed loudly. "Oh no, we're keeping him. But you, you are welcome to stay here," he said walking backward. I feel myself being lifted. "What? No! Let me go!" I yell banging my fist against the back of the man caring me over their shoulder my legs kicking in the air. "Keep still, damn it." the man carrying me grumbled griping my leg. I look at Arbus "You better find me." I mouth angrily, squirming in the man's grip. They walk out of the store and down the block turning into an open alley where they tie me up in the trunk of a black pickup truck. I sit between Crawler and the guy that had carried me. They start the truck and bag out of the alley and start driving. I never picture myself getting kidnapped. But I will haunt Arbus till the day he dies if I die with these grimy men. Who knows where their hands have been. I know the world is ending and all, but dude no one's chomping all the deodorant, fucking use it. I don't know why they are taking me. I don't have anything, only frozen peas, and waffles. And I'm saving those waffles!
I look at the men at my sides. I move my arms over my bag and look around again. I look up at the sky. I find myself wondering what the color of the sky was again. I was beginning to get used to the hopelessly smoky grey.
I [Arbus] walk towards the door of the store and hear the sound of a vehicle driving off. "Damn it," I run to my car and get in and follow them. "Dad! T-they took him." I say into the transceiver. My eyes dart up the road. I hear the transceiver static cut out, "Who? What happened." Dad says "Kaito, They took him. I got to go get him." I said watching the truck turn the corner. "Did you get the supplies?" He asks I sigh. "Yes," I say and I hear a sigh of relief coming from him "... but they took all of the food." I finished turning the corner. "Damn it, Arbus!" he curses "You better get all of the supplies back along with Kaito. You better have a plan, don't die." He says "Ok, I got this." I respond my foot pressing down further onto the gas.