[8] Ants

With a pounding heart and the taste of bile still lingering in my mouth, I strained my eyes to make out the scenario ahead. The area around the loot box was dense with the blue of our uniforms. The reds had been momentarily repelled, pushed back by sheer force of numbers and a collective desperation.

The growing excitement in the air was palpable. People chattered nervously, and those who were closer to the box relayed its contents to those further away. The murmur of "machetes" traveled quickly, turning the anxiety in the air into a cautious sense of empowerment.

I found myself instinctively shuffling forward with the crowd, like moth attracted to flames of violence. The crowd was thick, and hands reached into the box with a frantic urgency.

The glint of cold steel shone in the midday sun. By the time I got to the loot box, there were only a few machetes left. I hesitated for a split second, the weight of the reality hitting me again. Holding a weapon would make me a more active participant in this bloodbath.

Do I really need this?

But…

Before I even realized, I already wrapped my fingers around one.

What am I even doing?...

The distant shouts snapped me out of my thoughts. Before we could even fully comprehend what was happening, the horizon was awash with a sea of crimson, a tide of desperate opponents bearing down on us.

A collective gasp rippled through our ranks, and almost instantaneously, chaos erupted. Our momentary sense of empowerment shattered, replaced by raw, unbridled panic. Those at the front began a frantic retreat, pushing and shoving against those behind. A cacophony of cries filled the air: shouts of warning, screams of fear, and the shrill sound of whistles from some unknown source.

I felt the push from behind, a forceful shove that caught me off-guard, making me lose my grip on the machete. It clattered onto the cobblestone path, quickly forgotten in the ensuing chaos. Before I could regain my footing, another wave of retreat bowled me over. The world tilted as I fell, and the hard ground met my side with a jarring thud. The wind was knocked out of me, replaced by an all-encompassing pain.

Faces, both familiar and unknown, loomed above as boots and shoes pounded around and over me. Each step on my body felt like a burning brand, pain lancing through every nerve. Disoriented cries of "Move!" and "Get up!" reached my ears, but my body refused to respond. Every breath became a painful, conscious effort.

Crawling with every ounce of strength left, the rough texture of the alley's pavement grated against my skin as I managed to pull myself into its shadowy embrace. The narrow alleyway was a stark contrast to the open space I had just escaped from. The looming brick walls on either side provided a brief respite from the sun, but it was the sudden quiet that stood out the most.

Gasping for breath, I stumbled to my feet and, using the wall for support, began a slow ascent up the rusty, rickety fire escape of an adjacent abandoned apartment building. Each step creaked ominously, the metal structure having seen better days. After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached a cracked window leading into one of the upper floors. Pushing it open, I entered the dimly lit room, dust particles dancing in the scant rays of light that filtered through the broken glass.

Making my way to the opposite window, I peered out, looking down onto the street below. From this elevated vantage point, the brutality of the scene was laid out in full view. The once-empty streets of the ghost city were now a battleground, painted in violent strokes of blue and red.

Soldiers clashed, spears in hand, the sound of metal meeting metal echoing off the buildings. Workers, now armed with machetes, swung wildly, their faces etched with terror and determination. The clashing bodies created a haunting, chaotic rhythm of thuds, screams, and the screeching of metal. I could spot bodies - blue and red alike - strewn haphazardly across the pavement, casualties of this relentless game.

It's all pointless…

It's all pointless…

It's all pointless…

Q: Would you have gone for the loot box or stayed back?