Waking up to a strange rumble and the slight screams of people–I jolted right before my father shook me.

JEREMY(DAD): Oh..! Good, you’re awake..!

JEREMY(DAD): Come on..we have to pack up and move..!

Not understanding what’s going on, I said.

DEREL: W-Where’s mom? Chris?

Shifting next to me–Chris eventually awoke from all of the noise.

The same could be said for my mother.

UNCLE CARL: It looks like they struck once again…

With a deadpan expression–uncle Carl just stared at the TV.

With all of us staring at the news–mechanical terminators with what looks to be systematic flesh–are killing and mutilating any person in their path.

Soon the news stations went dead and the internet connection went limp.

JEREMY(DAD): (Breathing deeply) Looks like we can’t wait any longer..

Picking up on my fathers suspicious behavior once more. I looked at him knowingly.

He ignored my stare.

UNCLE CARL: Alright then, it's best each one of you take these.

Unclipping a suitcase–a multitude of firearms, specifically recent models of the twenty fifty five soberwar concurrent militia AMT’s was given to each of us.

DEREL: W-What..!? G-Guns!?

Uncle Carl just looked at us briefly.

UNCLE CARL: These will keep you alive–enough for you to run.

Unironically gulping my saliva–I could only feel the blood in my heart rush towards my head as reality started to settle in.

Touching my shoulder–Chris looked at me sterningly.

No words were shed–but the understanding of the situation ironically calmed my nerves.

Turning to look at uncle Carl–everyone followed his lead.

UNCLE CARL: Follow me–we’ll head for the docks. Shouldn’t be far from here.

Walking down the stairs of the hotel–the screeches of blood curdling screams echoed from the tops and bottoms of the corridors.

Chilling my bones to the core.

UNCLE CARL: Don’t stop walking–and check your corners.

Clenching my teeth from my pounding heart; I tried my best to not let it escape.

Finally hitting ground zero–uncle Carl cautiously opened the door alongside my father and scanned the surrounding area.

Pointing their guns from corner to corner–the lobby was a bloodbath.

With smears and stains across the walls–each painting looked sinister and full of malicious vigor–watching how each victim was torn to shreds and exposing their guns and brains in all kinds of forms.

Keeping my own guts from spilling anything–I hunched over, gazing at the reddening carpet.

Despite the surrounding area of gore–the carpet, already with a red dye, stayed the same. Except some parts were wet and some–gastly show colors of bone fragments.

I could have sworn I saw a separated foot of a little boy–with a sliver of leg bone sticking out and blood flowing like a sickened miniature fountain.

Although I was unsure what kind of gender it belonged to–seeing as to how it stood next to a blood stained backpack of polka dot ponies.

As we moved towards the exit of the twisting doors–we soon made it into the streets, hugging corners of each building like it was our last.

Seeing the dock from afar–its shabby wooden structure brung doubt into the already limited room of anxiety within my stomach.

Finally throwing up whatever dinner I had left over–Chris and my parents quickly rushed towards me.

CHRIS: D-Derel..! Y-You okay..!?

DAD: Derel..!

I looked up–with concern alongside fear on their faces, I felt guilty they would worry about me.

DEREL: I-I’m-

Unable to finish–I felt a strong force pushing me before the skewing concrete broke my fall.

DEREL: Dah!

Being pushed away by Chris–she looked up with unadulterated fear.

Standing right in front of me–was one of those machines.

Its lingering mechanical mass of phony flesh stared with the same seeping red hatred as those from the day.

Seeing its transparent latex skin show its metallic skull–the barrel of a structural cannon gun aimed right between my eyes.

Before I can fully sing a prayer–loud gunshots flinged in the air.

Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam!

As the machine walked calmly. Chris gripped my arm and pulled me up to run.

As each of us ran towards the dock–my mother shortly fell behind, with my father turning around–shooting at whatever was coming our way. He distracted it enough for my mother to fall into my arms.

Finally making it to the dock–I screamed for my father as uncle Carl clicked his holographic wristwatch.

DEREL: D-DAD! COME ON!

Running with a determined but fearful face my father looked for plea as my blood stood frozen.

Seeing not one–but three of these mechanical machines after my fathers life. I gritted my teeth and pointed my gun at the things.

CHRIS: N-No! Don’t! You might–!

Ka-Blam!

Wincing my eyes shut–I quickly reopened them and rang out a scaling shot.

Ka-Blam!

Flinching past my father–the clash of ricocheted bullet shards hit its mark.

Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam!

With two more shots–I hit another one, though only one

CHRIS: S-Stop! You might!

VOICE: GUUAAHH!

My father screamed out in pain.

DAD: A-Aaugh..!

Without realizing it–the second ricocheting bullet hit my father in the leg. Stinging me with an even more unexplainable despair.

Finding tears welling up and eventually breaking out–I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

PSSSHHH-FWSSH!

Hearing something emerging out of the water–the voices of those around me faded as I only kept staring at my fathers’ injured leg–my infinite regret.

With him looking at me knowingly–he only gave a kind and saddening smile.

Before the smashing of his skull was all I heard.

As they dragged me through the fish-smelling pier–I could only scream in hysteria–reaching out my hand–I looked at my dad for the last time.

Unconsciously knowing that we will head for a new land.

Without him.

DEREL: DAD! DAD! JEREMY!!