⁰⁰ ▇  ¨. ༢ ͎۪۫  𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆 ... ❜

━━ ❛ the 𝒆𝒏𝒅.  ❜ ‧˖˚. ☄︎ ͎۪۫  ◞⁺.
❪ part 00. location: unknown.
©kiiizones, all rights reserved ❫.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑼𝑵 𝑯𝑼𝑵𝑮 in the middle of the sky. The windows were sealed to shut the heat out. Dust clung to the air and to their clothes. An emptied jug stood on the coffee table opposite the small television. The house was so stifling, every movement felt like trying to move through treacle. It was better just to stay put. So they sat, hand in hand, pretending to watch the fuzzy screen. Anything to ignore the heat.

Today was a bad day. Usually, the heat wasn't as penetrating. It had its waves, midday, three to five. But it didn't often stay this hot round the clock. Days like this meant that sleep wasn't going to come easy.

She held her daughter's hand. Though shared body heat was often advised against during temperatures like this, she couldn't let go. The grip was limp and barely there, but it was like relief. Like ice. It kept her awake and it told her that the heat couldn't go on for much longer, even if it was a lie.

The couch was old and sunken in the middle. The television omitted no sound, she had switched it to mute to help her daughter sleep. She sat, alone, in the stuffy, muggy silence of their home.

Maybe that was why the knocks on the door were so loud. Or maybe, it was because whoever was knocking wasn't going to knock again.

She rose slowly, her daughter's hand falling onto the sofa instead. She stared at the door, hands clenching into fists, before relaxing them. It's just a round check, she told herself. They're coming to ask how much water you've got stored.

She looked through the eyehole, but it was layered over with a thick film of dust. She swallowed. Whoever was on the other side would be getting impatient by now. She turned her gaze to the loose floorboard under the couch, where, tucked underneath it, a rifle was stowed away. Only for emergencies, she reminded herself. But who knew whether this was an emergency or not?

A voice suddenly burst out on the other side. "Open this door or we will enter by force!" It was robotic and aggressive. She flinched. Definitely an emergency.

She raced to the floorboard, hands splintering into the wood as she tore it off and let it fly across the room and thud against the wall. There was a shudder through the house as something heavy collided with the door.

She reached down and pulled out the rifle, loading it with shaking hands. There was another hit against the door.

"Mum?" She turned to glance up at the couch. Her daughter had woken up, stumbling barefoot on the wooden floor, and was eyeing the rifle in her hands with frightened eyes.

"Get behind me." She stood up as another thud sounded. The hinges trembled and the door groaned against the force. It barely had one more knock to go.

She finished slotting the last bullet in, but she was too late. The door flew out, smashing into the floor. Men in black masks and black gear flowed into the room with sleek metal weapons. She barely had time to react before two large gloved hands yanked the rifle from her grip and threw it to the floor. She felt a hand clasp around her wrist, and she was spun round, back thudding into someone's chest as they brought her other arm round and kicked her legs out.

She sprawled onto the floor as the last man came through the doorway. Her face smashed into the wood, and she felt her nose break. Blood began to stream into her lips, salty as it hit her tongue.

She locked onto his beetle eyes, and felt bile brew in her throat. "You're not taking her. You can't take her. You've taken enough from me." Her voice cracked. He barely responded.

"Quiet!" She felt something hard smack against her shoulders, and let out a cry as she tipped back onto the floor.

"Mum! Mummy!" She lifted her head as far up as she could, half her face was wet with blood and sweat.

"Baby! Baby, you can't trust them! Don't trust —" She heard a gunshot, and suddenly, all she could feel was fire. Fire in her veins, fire in her chest. The hottest flame she had ever felt, and it was coursing through her like molten instead of blood. She barely had time to scream, when the last gunshot sounded.

⁰⁰   ❛ 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆  . . .☄︎ ⋆࿐໋ ˖

if that wasn't dramatic i dont know what is. gah i love this book so much u have no idea how excited i am to share it with u guys hsbdhdjdsksk. if you enjoyed this prologue please let me know, every vote & comment is appreciated! hope ur looking forward to the next chap!

love, 𝒓𝒊𝒓𝒊. *♡・.