Scriiiii....!!
Mia's car swerved left and right.
Trying to regain full control.
The claw just a few inches away from Liam's head retracted. Liam sat still, quiet.
*I could have just died a second ago*
Replaying in Liam's mind over and over.
"Liam, snap out of it!" Mia yelled, noticing him lost in thoughts from the rear-view mirror
Swerving into the main road, attempting to shake this creature off the hood.
"Down there" Ethan directed, holding on to the vat-girl tight.
Mia, grabbed the gear tightly then swiftly, shifting to 6.
The car zoomed through the top of a bridge a few meters away from the Harbour, then skilfully and hastily, stepped on the throttle.
She pulled up the hand brakes and gave the steering wheel a swift urgent turn.
The car screeched, swerving to the left. The sudden halt forced air out of our lungs, as well as sending the creature off the car into the river down the bridge.
"Holy shit!" Mia reacted. Her head near the steering wheel.
We came out of the car, checking if the monster hard for real been dealt with.
Mia looked down from the bridge, eyes filled with assurance. With that we both took a sigh of relief.
But Liam?.
Ethan turned towards him.
He stood beside the car, quiet, calm.
"Dude you good?" Ethan asked, noticing an expression he have never seen him express.
"Uhn?" He answered.
Mia, noticing this strange behaviour asked, "Liam, everything is all right?".
He looked at her then spoke, "I'm good dudes, just bummed out we couldn't keep that creature as a trophy". "It would look pretty along with my wild creatures collection", he added giving a reassuring smile.
"Yoo, so I'll catch you guys later, ok?", "got to get back to my dudes at home" he added, turning towards the bridge path.
"Bye", he bade, one arm in his pocket the other waving casually in the air as he walked away.
Ethan and Mia stared at him as he gradually faded in the distance.
I could feel Ethan's questioning gaze, but all I could do was keep on walking.
***.***
"2:00 pm, the patient is vibrant and appears to be in good health" a man from behind a computer spoke, typing down the information.
"Name: Liam Angelo, age: 23, blood group: 0-, skin type: white, height: 170cm, weight: normal, expulsion level: stable, origin: Italian" the man 's finger flew across the mechanical keyboard.
"Hmm, heartbeat is stable and the blood pressure is...." "....normal" a lady added, a pair of stethoscopes on her palm resting on Liam's well-figured chest.
She wore a lab coat and a pair of glasses which complemented her magnificent beauty. He lips were painted with red lipstick and her blond hair, nearly packed to the back and held with a band.
She's a doctor, gently doing a brief check up on Liam.
He sat on a table, shirtless, revealing his well cut abs and chest.
"Please Liam, for formality sake we would need your name and address, if that's ok?" she asked, putting on a smile.
"Sure" Liam agreed.
"My name is Liam Angelo, I live at 23 Grazialo way, Medowbell".I stated, looking in her eyes.
"Any other questions" I asked putting on a seducing smile.
"Nothing more", she replied, her eyes locked with mine.
I wore back my white T-shirt.
"Ok that's everything", the doctor said going towards a small cupboard then resting her stethoscopes and report card on it.
"Ok checking out" the man behind the computer answered.
"So big man, a check up? That's not your normal style" she spoke stepping towards me.
"Hmm well, you can never be too careful" I replied grabbing her by the waist.
"You're not doing drugs now?" She whispered leaning close to my face.
"oh?, I thought you liked your men 'Bad' " I whispered back leaning in closer to her.
I could feel her warm breath warming my lips as she drew closer. She soft lips, gently pressing against mine. Then gave a gentle turn before separating.
"Seriously babe, are you ok?", she asked, her voice calm, gentle and soothing.
"Of course my love" I answered.
"Good, then I need your ass out of here and back home before six ok?" she spoke turning back towards the cupboard.
"yeah no problem", I replied coming down from the table then headed towards the door.
"Later nurse" I giggled exiting the room.
"Doctor!" she rephrased, focusing on the record card in her hand.
I stepped out of the hospital into the open street.
In post-apocalyptic times, the closest thing you can get to a decent building are structures with chipped paint, cracked walls and partly covered in radioactive mosses.
The sky was orange seeming that if the sunset, and slowly the wind blew, gently it went but one could feel it slowly eating it's way through one's skin.
I took the route by my left, walking down the road to the place I called home.
After 20 minutes of walking I sighted a familiar gathering just up ahead.
"Not this bozos again" I murmured.
"Hey yo, check it fams, it's Liam" Patrick alarmed. Patrick was well known for his dirty-white armless and blue baggy jeans. Along with his gang of jobless idiots, who did nothing but take, steal and oppress the weak.
I remained quiet, walking past them, then one of his goons grabbed me by the shoulder, and pulled me back.
"Hey my boy, my man Patrick here was talking to you" he spoke, then punched me in the gut.
"Shit!" I reacted, clenching my belly.
"What do you shit-heads want?" I asked, gasping for breath.
"come on boy, don't let us remind you of your manners" he spoke.
Patrick stood there quite for a while, then uttered, "take what he got and give him a little parting-gift".
*****
30 minutes later I stood in front of a big building. On it were big windows, all covered with coloured glass and at the top hanged a big cross.
Grr!
I grunted, stepping into the Church.
Bruised all over, blood stains on my shirt, bleeding from my lips. I slowly dragged myself into the empty building and sat gently on one of the chairs.
"Uhhh..."
I gave out a subtle exhale, my head lifted, gazing on the pulpit before of me.
"Com'on big man..." I whispered. "This can't be how my story goes right?" I continued whispering.
Tears rolled down my eyes.
"Com'on..." I murmured, gradually closing my eyes falling asleep.
Wind hallowed through the open vents. The meowing of cats and the screeching of little critters bounced along the wind. As the sun finally sat, the sky turned dark blue, glimmering above with stars.
*I was back in the car with Ethan and Mia. The car swerving left and right when suddenly*.
*Bang*
*A long claw tore through the roof, directly in front of me*.
*My eyes wide open and so did my adrenaline spike*.
*Immediately everything began to blur*. *"Li-am"* a voice echoed admits the haze*.
*Rough in the ears, like the scratching of metal spoon against steel pipe, then the voice repeated*, *Li-am*.
*I turned to find the source, but saw nothing*.
*Liam!*
*The face of a disfigured man yelled appearing before me.*
Instantly I opened my eyes.
I was still at the church. Laying on the chair.
My heart racing, my hands shaking.
"A dream" I whispered, slowly standing up to head out.
I stood by the door, my back resting against the door frame, panting.
"shit!" I exclaimed, feeling pain all over.
*I won't be able to walk home*
Pinn!
A car honked.
I turned towards the direction and found it to be a Taxi.
"Gott sei dank!" I exclaimed again.
"Do you need a ride young man?", a voice emerged from inside.
Slowly I dragged myself towards it.
"Thank you sir, i... I really appreciate it, but I don't have any money on me, I got robbed" I explained.
"Oh, boy if you ain't got no payment then I ain't got no service" he phrased, before driving off.
"Shit!".
"I looked down the road, the thought of my destination hit me like a stone wall. Why did I have to leave so far? I whispered".
Then my phone buzzed.
Uhn? I reacted pulling it out from my pants. Of course those bozos didn't take my phone.
Because leaving in post-apocalyptic times, one thing that drastically reduced in value was phone. No matter the type, because the few things accessible where highly restricted and dated till the day before the apocalypse.
No current update, trend, app, video, tool, stream. Nothing.
Everything torn down along with the internet.
My phone buzzed again before displaying a small pop-up
-A beep from Teresa-
"Hmm she must be wondering where I am" I murmured, gently returning it back in my pants and walking home.
I kept on walking for a while then arrived at Modown lane.
Standing in front of a club. Music playing from inside, the yelling cheers and laughter echoing out, but, what stole my attention was the lady who stood in front of me.
Her blond hair extending to her boob region. She wore a big grey purple-stripped sweatshirt, which stopped just below her thigh. Her feet covered with long grey stockings, covered in big furry slippers.
Her expression was cold and her brown eyes, staring still at me.
Then at an instant tears rolled down before she ran and hugged me.
"Liam you idiot, you scared me", " I thought something bad happened" she whispered, crying.
"Oh, my bad, I thought nurses don't get worried about their patients" I whispered back.
"Doctor" she corrected, turning her gaze to my face.
"Oh my goodness, who did this to you?" she asked, analysing my scars and wounds.
"Oh that?" I started. "It's just a scar no big deal" I replied.
"Hell no!" "give me names, and I'll teach them a lesson, I bet you" she asked angrily, pulling out her cell phone.
"Teresa? It's ok trust me, I was running when I fell". "They don't even hurt at all, swears!" I whispered softly to her.
"Bullshit!" she answered, scrolling intensely on her cell.
Gently I placed my palm over the screen, "trust me babe, I fell".
She looked at me, her eyes locked with mine, indeed she didn't buy the lie.
*Huuu*
She gave a sigh. "And it doesn't hurt?" She asked.
"Not even a bit", I answered.
"You're a terrible liar" she added, supporting me inside to the top floor.
We entered the club, went straight in an elevator behind the bar, then Teressa pressed button 8.
The elevator beeped several times before it finally stopped and opened.
It opened directly into a big room.
The room, filled with about 20 people.
Few guys, mostly ladies.
The smell of weed and cocaine enveloped the entire room.
Stacks of cash seated on tables around.
Everyone sitting at different corner of the room, gambling, getting high, counting bills and so on.
"Enzo!" a man yelled.
He sat behind a big desk at the opposite side of the elevator.
"Where've you been, man?" he asked, standing up from his seat.
He stood up tall, about 180cm. His relaxed orange dyed hair generously complimenting his Italian appearance. On him were a white sleeve shirt neatly folded at the arms, a black straightened slim-fitted trousers and a pair of black leather shoes.
Above his neck collar, exposed part of his Chinese symbol tattoo drawn on his neck, and some part of the tattoos on his arms were visible as well.
His brown short mustache and beard, made him every girl idea mafia date.
He walked towards me, flaunting his shiny golden hand rings and neck chains.
"You son of a bitch, I should finally set you free of the world" he said, immediately pulling out a pistol and faced its nozzle at my head.
"Shit" I exclaimed.