Mia's car swerved left and right, trying to retain stability.
The claw just a few inches away from Liam's head retracted. Liam sat still, quiet.
I could have just died, stuck on replay in his head.
"Liam, snap out of it!" Mia yelled, noticing he's stillness.
"Down there" Ethan directed.
Swiftly she gripped the gear hard, shifting to 6.
The accelerator spiked.
Skillfully pulled up the hand breaks then gave the steering wheel a swift urgent turn.
The car screeched, swerving to the left.
The sudden halt forced air out of our lungs, immediately throwing the creature off the car into the river below the bridge.
"Holy shit!" Mia reacted. Her head near the steering wheel.
Quickly we jumped out.
She ran towards the edge looking down below.
Is it gone?
"Yes" she muttered, sliding to the ground for breath.
Ethan then turned towards Liam.
He stood beside the car, quiet, calm.
"Dude you good?" Ethan asked, noticing an expression he have never seen him express.
"Uhn?" He answered.
"Liam, everything is all right?" Mia asked, noticing his calm mood.
"I'm good dudes," he replied. "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, I got to get back to my dudes at home" he spoke, turning towards the bridge path.
"Bye", he bade. One arm in his pocket the other waving casually in the air as he gradually faded in the distance.
(Liam pov)
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 echoed from behind a computer.
"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, neatly held to the back with a band.
I sat on a table, shirtless, revealing my 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."
"My name is Liam Angelo, I live at 23 Grazialo way, Medowbell".
"Any other questions?"
"Nothing more" she replied.
Her eyes locked with mine. While I wore back my T-shirt.
"Ok, that would be all"the nurse said walking towards a small cupboard then placed 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, are you?"
"oh?, I thought you liked your men 'Bad' " I whispered back leaning in closer to her.
Her warm breath slowly warming my lips as she drew closer. Then she kissed me.
"Seriously babe,"
"are you ok?", she asked.
"Of course my love" I replied.
"Good, then I'll need your ass out of here and back home before six ok?" she commanded, returning to the cupboard.
"yeah no problem"
"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.
The harsh gentle air that slowly burns the skin blew around softly.
In post-apocalyptic times, the closest thing you can get to a decent building are structures with chipped paint and cracked walls partly covered in radioactive mosses.
The sky was orange seeming like sunset.
I took the route by my left, walking down the road to the place I called home.
Under 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 pulled me back.
"Hey kid, 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 warned.
Patrick stood there quite for a while, then uttered, "take what he got and give him a little parting-gift".
*****
"Dum asses" I whispered, standing in front of a big building, bleeding and bruised all over. On it were big windows, all covered with coloured glass and at the top hanged a big cross.
I grunted, stepping into the Church.
Slowly dragging myself into the empty building and sitting gently on one of the chairs.
"Uhhh"
I gave out a subtle exhale, my head tilted up, gazing at the pulpit before of me.
"Would this be how it always goes?" I whispered. "This can't be how my story play right?" I whispered futher.
Tears rolled down my eyes.
"Com'on big guy..." 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.*
Instantly I opened my eyes.
My heart racing, my hands shaking.
I was still at the church, laying on the chair.
"A dream?" I questioned, slowly standing up to head out.
Gently I stood by the door, resting my back against the frame, panting.
"shit!" I exclaimed, feeling pain all over.
"I won't be able to walk home".
Pinn!
A car honked, slowly winding down its window. "Do you need a ride young man?", a voice emerged from inside.
It was a Taxi.
"Gott sei dank!" I exclaimed again, slowly dragging myself towards it.
"Thank you sir, i... I really appreciate it, but I don't have any money on me, I got robbed".
"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, and the thought of my destination hit me like a brick wall. "Why did I have to leave so far?" I whispered.
Suddenly my phone buzzed.
Uhn?
I pulled it out from my pants. Of course those bozos didn't take my phone.
Because leaving in post-apocalyptic times, phones were as meaningless as paper. No matter the type, dew to the fact that 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 walked home.
I kept on walking for a while before arriving at Modown lane.
Standing in front of a club.
Music played from inside, the yelling cheers and laughter echoed out loud. 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 that instant tears rolled down her eyes before she ran to hug 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 some scars no big deal" I replied.
"Hell no!" "give me names, and I'll teach them a lesson, I bet you" she requested 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!".
"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, not wanting to 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, walking straight to an elevator behind the bar, then she pressed button 8.
The elevator beeped several times before it finally stopped and opened.
It opened directly into a big room, filled with about 20 people.
Few guys, mostly ladies.
The smell of weed and cocaine enveloped the entire room.
Stacks of cash neatly stalked on the tables around.
Everyone sitting at different corner of the room, gambling, getting high, counting bills and so on.
"Enzo!" a man yelled from behind a big desk.
It sat opposite 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 dream.
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.