Virgis Finn's Story

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The mornings were always easier on Carter. Every morning he was able to escape his reality for about an hour and be someone completely different, completely free from his life. Well, perhaps not completely free. The reason mornings were so easy for Carter was because every morning, Carter would wake up at least an hour and a half before anyone else in his house and he'd get ready for his typical morning ritual. He'd wake up before the sun was creeping over the horizon and he'd slip on his Nike's, a pair of sweats and a hoodie. He'd then tip toe his way down the stairs and out the back door that led out to the backyard from the kitchen. He hated using that front door, it was so heavy and big, all it ever did was groan loudly when someone pulled it open. This had become a ritual for Carter ever since he turned 19. He thought for sure his dad would teach him how to drive but he's never been more wrong. The Weeks may have been capable financially but even the richest of the rich weren't able to drive around leisurely like they might have been able to years ago. Daniel Weeks knew that driving was just simply out of the question for this family. So instead, he ran. Carter ran until his body nearly gave out under him, until the muscles in his legs twitched and his feet ached.

Carter wasn't the most healthy guy, mentally speaking that is. He suffered from a crippling depression and anxiety that destroyed him. So that's why he ran. He ran because it was the safest and healthiest outlet for him. He knew that if he didn't have a good way to let loose, he'd let loose on himself and others. Carter had a blindness to him when he was in a rage. The worst about it all was that it probably scared him more than it scared others. He never knew exactly when he would snap but he was terrified of the things he'd be capable of if he did. He knew his family watched over him and their shoulders for the day that Carter let loose and that saddened him. He didn't want his family to be scared by him, so he ran to let out any bottled up feelings that possessed him.

Step after step, foot in front of the other. Carter liked the way that running felt to him. The way his heartbeat slowed down, the way his body felt in sync with the rest of him, the way the wind caught his hair the way his breath slowly escaped his lungs, the calming serenity that came with running was the reason he felt okay most days. Blocks away from home, the dark still following him through the streets, the rain started to pour down. Soaked from head to toe, Carter just kept moving. With every step he took, thunder rolled. Every now and then a bolt of lightning lit up his path back home. He loved running with nothing else but the sound of nature nibbling on his ears.

Carter turned a few corners and started making his way back home. He looked at his watch which indicated he'd need to get home soon if he wanted to be showered and ready for the day before anyone else in his house got up. He sprinted the last mile to his block, then slowed down to a jog so his body could adjust. He rounded the corner of his house to the backyard, climbing the stairs to the back porch. He peeled off his wet layers, leaving him in boxer briefs. He pushed through the quiet kitchen door, B-lining to the laundry room where he plopped his wet clothes in the hamper, and made his way up to his room. He pushed the door closed behind him and locked it, before leaning against it and taking a few couple of breaths. That had been a good run, he could feel it in his bones, in the twitches of his muscle. He peeled off his briefs and stepped into the shower, heating the water as hot as he could manage. A warm shower would be necessary after a cold rain like that, to keep from getting sick.

Dressed in dark khakis, a blue button down and a pair Sperry's, Carter made his way down to the kitchen. There was 15 minutes until everyone would be up and Carter wanted to enjoy his last few minutes of serenity. He poured himself a cup of apple juice and made himself a bowl of yogurt with granola oats and fruit. He sat down to slowly eat while the world around him slowly woke up.

There was a faint ringing in Carter's ears that drowned out the sound of the chaos that began to occur around him. His mother would be running around, tights up one leg and half way down the other, two different types of shoes on her feet, her hair running wild as she looked for her paperwork for the plethora of properties that needed to be documented and sold. His father would be slowly waking up, slowly making himself and any who wanted a cup of coffee, and his sister as always would walk around the room complaining about the way life is unfair towards her and only her. Carter drowned these moments out, they were routine. These moments defined Deja Vu. He kept to his own while the world slowly escaped its fantasy and entered Carter's reality.

The ringing was gone and Carter was suddenly tossed back into a world he hated being in. He could hear his father sipping on his coffee muttering that the Network had been down last night and that it was probably due to some bugs. Daniel Weeks remembers when the Network was first being used, glitches and bugs left and right. Riley, his sister, complained that she was able to talk to Seth last night because of the outage. Sydney Weeks grumbled and moaned about the Big Brother Network and the possibility of them finally having shut down because they realized they can't run other people's lives. Carter scoffed without realizing. The Weeks, in unison, looked at the dazed boy. "So it lives," his mother joked. Carter smiled his charming smile as he came to, "Time to get you guys out huh? Let's go." The Weeks each grabbed their belongings, kissed each other goodbye for now and went on their way.

Riley and Carter climbed on the bus as it stopped in front of them and took their usual seats. Carter with Ed and their friends, Riley with a few freshmen who laughed too loudly at 7:30. The rain had only intensified from earlier that morning and the winds had begun picking up, rocking the bus. A paranoid and anxious Carter kept his eyes moving to the sites outside. The sky darkened and before anyone knew it the hail pellets were the size of golf balls, breaking through everything. The bus jolted to a violent stop and everyone's neck snapped back and forth. A couple of heads smacked against the seats and other then a few mutters, the bus was unusually silent. Carter stretched his neck out to see what was going on. Unsatisfied with the view he stood to ask what was going on. Before he could utter a word, his life slipped out from underneath him and the bus lurched forward, sending Carter to the front, all the way from the back. The bus cracked and groaned just as Carter did. He landed on the side of the bus, he noticed it was almost upside down before his vision went completely black and he passed out. The last thing he saw was his baby sister being thrown out the bus' front windshield and a black sky that was sure to swallow everyone up.

Virgis woke up groaning at 6:00 A.M. He smacked his hand on his dresser and a lamp fell off it, as he looked for the snooze button. Finally, he rolled out of bed and unplugged his alarm. He hated alarms, because he can't ever have an excuse to be late for school. He was up until 2 because a new club opened in town and he and some friends snuck in. he sighed as he put on a shirt, looking back on all the fun things they did last night. He heard his parents fighting, yelling at each other over everything. He blocked it out and got in the shower. In the shower he couldn't hear anything and lost track of time, just tuning the world out. The next thing he knew it was 7:00. He quickly opened the shower door and slipped and fell out, and quickly got up, brushed his teeth and hair, got dressed, brushed hair again, slipped again, and ran down the stairs. He ignored his mom crying because he couldn't do anything about that, or else he'd be yelled at. He turned the t.v. up loudly and got out some cheerios. Cheerios always cheered him up. Heh, cheerios... Cheer... He laughed at his own jokes and realized he'd been eating for 10 minutes and only got 3 bites. He tried to quickly snarf it all down. He watched some recorded television, even though most people used their tablets. He preferred old fashion television. He wore a red and green striped plaid Flannel button up shirt with and light brown cargo shorts. He looked at his tablet, which still wasn't working. He really wanted to post his milk moustache on social media but he couldn't since the network was down. Well, he just hoped it would get working soon.

He put away his cheerios and sighed as his father slammed the door and drove away. His mother went into their room crying and Virgis sighed. He was tired of this routine, every day, every night. People wonder why he parties so much, but it's not like he can tell them it's because his father is having an affair and is always drunk and yelling at him and his mom. So he just parties. He doesn't do sports or study all day. That'd take active parents or quiet parents. He doesn't have either. So he goes out with friends. He forgets everything about his life, grabs some friends, and does crazy things, dangerous things, and fun things. Virgis knows every awesome place in the town and even out of the town. He knows lots of the alcohol stashes, best clubs, and places to party. He's in on the all the places and times people meet and is at all of them. If he never has to be home it's like home isn't a problem, so he never is. Then every Thursday he rushes to the library to cram out all of his last minute homework he neglected to do. That is his life. Oh and then there's school.

Virgis gets on his shoes and rushes out the door to the bus stop. He stands there and realizes he forgot his backpack. he runs back inside and gets it and runs back out just as the bus stops. He hops on in and goes to sit down in the middle of the bus. Some people are talking about the crazy club last night. Virgis joins in on talking about it, laughing loudly. They had a lot of fun, danced a lot, and did some ridiculous things. As everyone was talking Virgis noticed the crazy hail. It was hitting hard. He'd heard of some freak storms with big hail, that could even break windows, but he never had experienced something like that.

Virgis neglected to notice that it got worse as he went back to talking. He was so into talking about last night he didn't even feel the jerk. The world just went black. He woke up laying in what he thought was the row, but then he saw the bus was turned over. He had a terrible headache and his ear was bleeding. Everyone around him was screaming and Virgis was struggling to get up. He somehow managed to pull himself up, which was actually easier than getting out of his bed. He ached everywhere, and then he saw a body outside. He gagged and looked away. then he saw Carter pinned and yelling for help.

Virgis wasn't too strong but he thought he might be able to help, considering Carter really did need it. Virgis stumbled over to Carter and said, "Okay I'll help you get out! Push on three!"
Virgis grips the seat, bending down. "One... Two... Three!"
Virgis pushes with all his might, trying to get the seat off.

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The bus groaned underneath everyone as each one picked themselves up and helped someone else. With every step, the bus would creek. They needed to get themselves to safety otherwise they'd all end up hurt, or worse. Carter's eyes continued to frantically search for the help that didn't seem to ever arrive.

He groaned and turned, trying to slip out from underneath the chair. Seconds later, the help he wanted came. A guy he knew to be Virgil? Virgin? V-something and a girl, Tallia, came over and looked him in the eyes. "I'll help you out. Push on three." With profound desperation in his eyes, Carter nodded and on the count of three, Carter pushed with everything he had in him, yelling as loudly as he could while he pushed.

With a great heave on both sides, the chair slowly moved off his body. Carter laid on the ground for a quick second, trying to hold onto that last breath that nearly escapes him. "Thank you. Thank you." He breathlessly cried. He propped himself up and creeped through the broken windshield to the girl who laid broken on the ground. He was getting beat by hail but he didn't really care. He needed to see who the girl was. He couldn't see his sister inside the bus.

The panic came back, invading his gut. He could feel an emptiness deep inside his stomach. There were tears on his cheeks before he even reached the girl. Her dirty blonde hair out of her face and that last breath that he was hidden somewhere in his lungs escaped quickly. Carter began hyperventilating and screaming, "No. No. Please God, no." Carter couldn't seem to catch his breath but his knees grew weak and he fell to the ground. The girls face was scratched and broken. Her cheek swollen from where her face smacked the pavement.

Carter's hand shook violently as he reached out to grab her. He cried as he pulled her body onto her legs. "I'm so sorry. Riles I'm sorry." He whispered to the lifeless girl. The hail pellets grew more aggressive. If Carter didn't move into shelter, he'd end up dead too. But he didn't show signs of moving. He needed to be pulled away by force.

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Virgis stretched his arms out, aching from lifting the seat. "That seat is heavy, we should try a window or door!"
Virgis looks around. He realizes they don't have much time to get out of the bus. Everyone is panicking. He can tell if he gets a door open and announces it, everyone will freak out. He sighs and looks at his options. He could try to get the main door open, a window open, an emergency door, or the hatch. He goes for the emergency door. He looks around one last time, knowing people will get hurt. He yanks open the emergency door and alarms blare in everyone's ear. He stumbles out for a second is get's pelted with hail, and he stumbles back in.

He yells to everyone, "We're going to have to make a break for it! We run into that building!"
The hail is so bad he knows if they don't leave soon they will all die. That means they will have to leave people behind. Virgis gulps and looks towards the door.

Adrien

Adrien looked over to the kid now standing hesitantly by the door and grabbed him by the shoulder. When the kid, 15 years old or so, turned to look at him, his eyes were wide with shock.

"Kid, get something hard, a binder or something, and hold it over your head! It'll protect against the hail! Go!"

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Virgis nods and grabs his backpack, and hold it above his head. He looks back at the bus one more time, and runs out, he gets hit in some places but it's not too bad. that's when he sees Carter. Virgis almost stops, but knows Carter won't come no matter what he does. He doesn't even really know Carter... So Virgis keeps running towards the building. He doesn't look back. He doesn't want to die, so he runs.

Virgis keeps going towards the building, ignoring his surroundings until he gets to the door. Then he looks back, to see if anyone else made it. At that moment he thinks of his father. His father should've stayed, because now his mom is alone, at home, in this hail crying. He just hopes someone will make it.

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Virgis saw the guy Adrien running towards him. He saw the hail get even worse, and Virgis became extremely scared now. He never really thought about what had happened. The bus crashed. This hail could brake windows, and people. There were bodies. This was a natural disaster. He could've died. It all was starting to sink in. Everyone he knew could be dead! Virgis started to think more and more about it. His life could be changed forever! What if the storm destroyed his house! What if all of his friends were dead laying the street. Virgis could be left alone. What if his dad made it but not his mom or his friends. He'd be left with...

Virgis was forced to snap out of it when he saw Adrien fall. His legs were exposed completely and they took a beating. Adrien pulled himself to a wall and then slumped over. Virgis stood there for a second. What if he was dead. Thankfully, he breathed. Virgis ran over to him and kneeled down checking a pulse just to be sure. He wasn't hurt too bad, but his legs hurt and he had to run so hard he probably passed out from exerting himself too much or pain. Virgis tried some faint slaps to get him up, but couldn't. So he looked around and realized it was some superstore or mall. Well... that was lucky. He could go for medical supplies or wait for people... Virgis decided to wait for people, because he couldn't really do anything for Adrien until he was awake. So, Virgis stood by the door, arms crossed, trying to keep warm, and waited for someone else to make it to the store. Though for now... He was alone.

Somewhere, Oliver lost Edward, and his head snapped in every direction trying to at least get eyes on his boyfriend. Paranoia climbed it's way up his throat, sending anxiety through his body. The calm was starting to wear off, panic setting in, and he didn't even realize he had lost Tallia until someone was talking to him.

Adrien. The new kid, who looked like he was actually somewhat in control, if that was even possible in this kind of situation. He asked a question...what did he ask? How bad it was? "Uh..." Ollie's throat felt dry, constricted, but he swallowed passed it and shook his head a little. "I...I don't know?"

"Try to keep her back straight, if she's got spinal damage you can make it worse." Right. Spinal damage. Oliver nodded a little, brow scrunching in thought. Jen didn't weigh much, and she was small, but how...He lifted her, carefully, maneuvering her body to get her legs around his waist, chin sitting on his shoulder. It was difficult, and slow, because small as she was she was only dead weight...and not helping him at all. One hand went under her to support her weight, the other pressed gently against her back to keep her secure.

Alarms came out of nowhere, blaring over the noise already gathered in the bus, and Oliver stumbled back out of surprise alone before twisting around to see what had caused it. An emergency door was open, a Freshman looked shocked, Adrien was barking orders that Ollie couldn't hear over the noise.

Then the two boys were running, out in the motherfucking hail, and Oliver finally realized that was what they had to do. Get out, because they couldn't stay here. He took a deep breath, checked his hold on Jen one more time, then forced his way across the bus once more and to the open door.

It was a stretch, and dark, the clouds were pitch black, shocks of purple lightening striking across them, hail and rain falling so thickly he wouldn't even recognize the Superstore if it wasn't lit up. But there it was. Salvation. "This is crazy," he whispered to himself, but after a few deep breaths he did it...he took the plunge...he stepped out.

It was cold. Colder than any of the millions of ice baths Ollie had ever taken, each drop of rain piercing, and the hail felt like he was playing dodgeball with golf balls. So he ran. He ran despite what the pain in his leg told him, despite the way his hurt arm was screaming when he held Jen closer to his body, and he ducked his head towards the ground and prayed that he would make it. Prayed like he never had before.

And then suddenly...it was all over. No noise, no coldness, no pain, just...nothing. Oliver jerked his head up, glancing around the well lit store that seemed to survive in it's own universe where everything was fine...until a shock of thunder sent him a mile in the air.

Adrien was on the ground...passed out, probably, but there was another kid. A kid he knew, something Finn, the same kid that had opened the emergency door. He nodded his head a little, mostly in recognition, before bending his knees and easing Jen onto the floor.

He didn't even allow himself a second to think before he reached back and grabbed his hood, throwing it over his head even though he knew it wouldn't protect him from anything, and then turning and running his stupid, suicidal, ass back towards that damned bus.

"Edward!" the name left his mouth before he even consciously meant it to, but he didn't think he could really be heard, not over the pounding of rain and hail. He could barely even see, but that didn't stop him from trying. "Edward!" His legs carried him to the front of the bus and he paused for a moment, thinking he'd found him, but it was Carter instead.

Carter...who was bent over the body of Riley Weeks. His baby sister.

And quite possibly getting beaten to death.

"Christ, Carter." Oliver jogged a few more steps, wrapping both arms over Carter's shoulders and giving him a pull. Oliver was strong, no doubt about it, but he couldn't pull Carter if he was holding his sister too. "C'mon, man, let her go. There's nothing you can do, okay? You gotta let her go. Come on, we can't stay out here."

The hail was still coming down, beating against his head, his shoulders, his back. It didn't only hurt but it was annoying as hell, and he knew skin had broken even under his hoodie. They had to move, there was no other option.

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Virgis saw someone come in and nod at him Virgis started to relax. At least he knew everyone wasn't dead. He set down a girl and then said something... Someone's name? He look worried and Virgis heard an E but that was it and the guy ran out. Great. He knew the kid was a loner but you don't go back out, the storm is crazy. So... Virgis was stuck with two unconscious people. Yay. Virgis had a dollar so he went to a vending machine and grabbed a bottle and tried splashing Adrien and Jen with some water and then went to see what the hell that one guy went to do. Then he saw him bend over Carter. Virgis debated whether to go help him. He decided not to, and to watch the unconscious people.

Joy. Virgis was the babysitter. At least they were sleeping... Kind of... Anyways Virgis took a look around. the place was well stalked. Suddenly a few rapid bursts of lightning scared him and he jumped, and dropped the whole water bottle on Adrien. Virgis sighed, and hoped that didn't wake him up. This day was going so well, what could go wrong. he probably shouldn't have thought that.

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There was chaos going on in every corner but Carter was far too occupied crying over his sisters body to notice the world falling apart behind him. The hail pellets were beating against his back, his neck, his arms. They were surely breaking skin and raising welts but his attention couldn't be broken. Carter whispered to his baby sister. He sang a song to her that his mother used to sing to put them to bed.

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine.

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine.

He rocked back and forth with his sister still in his lap. Around him Virgis had made it to safety, Adrien just barely. He had no idea where his best friend, Edward, was but he was sure he was fine. Better off than Carter, that was for sure.

As everyone ran for safety, Carter mourned. He knew he had to escape the violence of mother nature. He couldn't move though. His body was frozen from the shock. Moments later, Oliver appeared to Carter's rescue. He wrapped his arms over Carter and tugged. Carter was just too much to pull if he was holding onto to Riley. "C'mon, man, let her go. There's nothing you can do, okay? " Carter shook his head, choking back tears. There had to be something, Carter thought. He was desperate for anything. "You gotta let her go. Come on, we can't stay out here."

Carter reluctantly nodded. He gently pulled his sisters body off him and onto the ground. He got up with the help of Oliver and darted to safety, inside the mall entrance where a few had made it to. Carter needed to pull himself together but he wasn't sure he knew how. He looked around for anything that could occupy his mind. He saw Adrien on the ground, passed out but shortly after come to."Let's get inside." How he managed to get the words out, he had no idea but he did. "Is there anyone else?" They needed to get everyone to safety, and quickly.

Carter let go.

It was kind of surreal to watch, and Oliver had to admit he wouldn't have blamed Carter if he had chosen to stay. Ollie was an only child, he had no idea what that blood connection to another person felt like, but he couldn't imagine...honestly, if he had more energy, he'd probably shed some tears.

Instead, he helped pull Carter to his feet and gestured to the store before they both took off again. When they made it back Adrien was coming to, and he felt a surge of relief for that. At least he was alive, and from what Oliver had seen back in the bus, capable. He nodded along with Carter's words, but only then seemed to realize they weren't completely inside the store.

Double doors, the first layer was always unlocked but the second wasn't. He knew that because he suddenly realized where they were, Greenway Superstore. He'd worked there for a couple of weeks last summer.

Oliver sighed, resting his hands on his knees and taking a few deep breaths to ignore the pain his body was trying to warn him about. "You'll have to break in, but it shouldn't be hard. If I remember correctly there's a Pharmacy directly on the right".

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On a level of one to ten, this weather was probably a 15. Mother Nature was being severely aggressive. She had it out for someone and was taking it out on everyone. There was no escaping her. At any rate, they'd be taking on her wrath head on soon enough if they didn't prepare for it.

Edward had attempted to fight her by going out to see if there was anyone else that needed saving but unfortunately, mother nature was winning. Carter turned back to watch as the bus creaked, groaned and caved. It was heartbreaking to watch as a bus that just a little while ago was filled with 30-some odd students, now only a handful stood by, alive.

Carter turned his attention back to the small group that had made it out with him. Adrien had seemed to take control of the group. Carter didn't really like that. He acted as though he owner shit but Carter knew all the kid was good for was his surgical skills. The kid started demanding and setting the rules. Carter wanted to step up and break the kid down and let him know that this wasn't a republic government. But before Carter could let off his steam, the boy collapsed and started gurgling blood.

Carter immediately entered survivor mode. "Ed, Virgis, Oliver, help me." The guy walked up to the door and started trying to pull it open. "We might have to break it. We need to get him help. Tallia, flip him so he doesn't choke on his own spit." He stepped away to the other door and elbowed the door hard enough to break it and kicked the glass on the bottom. He crawled through, unlocked the lock for the doors and called the boys to help him pull through the injured.

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Virgis jumped when Adrien came to. At least he didn't punched him. Virgis had been punched before and did not like it. So Virgis was about to say his name but then people came and well... Yeah. It wasn't the worst group of people but he didn't know very many of them well besides Delaney and the twins a bit. He was about to go out because some of his friends were in there, and maybe he could... Then the bus completely was demolished. So Virgis just stood there. Staring.

His friends. Some of his best friends. he had just been out with them last night. People that actually liked him not just because he could have a good time. They were... Dead. The windows smashed, the roof being beat down, and he remembered people crushed by seats. their friends wouldn't leave them, and were in shock. So people were crushed and dead or slowly dying while the others sat there screaming or staring blankly while they were waiting for the inevitable death. They would be pound to death. People under seats would starve or bleed to death. Then there was Virgis. Who stood there and knew it happened.

He bent over and nearly hurled, and choked back some tears. I mean this wasn't a movie. This wasn't his dad yelling at him. This wasn't his mom crying. this definitely wasn't a math test, popularity competition, a fight, or a game. This was us and the dead people. It was the mother nature and it's victims. We were the only ones who would survive. People might think some of those guys still have a chance... But they don't. They will all die. Ever single one of them.

Virgis just kept thinking about it until he heard someone yell his name. He was suddenly snapped back into reality, and understood. He knew a lot about medicine, so he ran to the pharmacy, as fast as he could once the doors were open. Some people had cuts so he quickly grabbed wraps, bandages, gauze pads, and those kinds of things. He knew some cuts would need stitches and some cuts would need cleaning, so he grabbed some peroxide, needles, and a tiny towel to bite. Then he found some painkillers and some medicine to reduce fevers just in case. he couldn't carry much more, so he got two blankets, some ice packs, and some anti-nausea pills because some people could not stop puking, and he did not want to puke because of them puking.

So Virgis hurried back to the group as fast as he could, without dropping everything. He knew some people could be hurt bad, so he tried to do his best. People needed him. In school it's not like that, people are mean... But right now, right here, defines the truth of who you are. What people did now showed their true colors. So Virgis made it back where everyone was and set the supplies on a table.