There was always a twang of anxiousness that clung suddenly the day of. Something that wasn't there the previous day because it was just another normal day. Then, almost miraculously, when the clock hit twelve signaling the next day it was almost immediate, the tense nervousness that polluted the air.

Suddenly people were more quiet, tense. They simply didn't speak much and when they did there was an underlying edge to it ,"Please stay safe". Smiles were forced, fake, but not impolite, talk was minuscule. People hurried, back and forth, here and there.

It's the same every year on this exact day, March twenty first, the night of the annual purge, where all crime is legal for twelve hours.



 

6:00 P.M. | Los Angeles, CA




The streets of Los Angeles are chaotic. There's screaming, yelling, people running, and the purge has yet to even commence. Even with the windows rolled up and the music blasting Kelsey can hear the panic, and even with the doors locked securely, she still feels the crippling sensation of fear.

In the passenger seat of her boyfriend's Mercedes she fidgets aimlessly, twisting her fingers and fumbling with the radio station with shaky hands. Though it only seems to fuel her nerves, she keeps stealing glances at the open GPS. Of course her boyfriend had to get the most complex one so she's a little confused and it frightens her that she can't tell how long it will be until they're actually home.

Brad, her boyfriend, doesn't seem to mind though, singing along to the music, hands gripping the wheel casually. His nonchalance only ceased to add to her apprehension.

"Would you stop that?" He snarls, referring to her insistent fidgeting. His brow is creased in annoyance and this isn't the first time he's snapped at her today.

"Sorry" She mumbles, reaching to change the station again only to flinch when he slaps her hand away.

"Seriously, stop!"

"Can you stop yelling at me?"

"You're being annoying" He mutters in reply and she rolls her eyes, whipping around in her seat to face him.

"Yeah? Well so are you! What's your problem?" She countered, crossing her arms tightly to regard him with a look of disdain and thinly veiled patience.

He shoots her a look of contempt, opening his mouth to retort only for the car to jerk suddenly, the sound of the side scraping evident even amongst the noise outside. Brad halts to an immediate stop, stomping on the break. They both jerk forward and there's a small pause as they're pulled off to the side of the bridge. The thing that wrenches them back to reality is the sound of someone desperately trying to open one of the car doors. Brad slams on the gas, the car jerking to life.

"See what you made me do?!" The veins are prominent in his neck and arms as he yells, eyes darting wildly on the road, and he's definitely speeding.

"I didn't make you do anything! If you'd focus on the road-"

The time reads six-twenty when they run off the road.

Suddenly, everything is mute and somehow it seems as if the accident is happening in slow motion. One minute they're arguing, screaming and yelling at each other, the next they're desperately reaching for each other as they're jerked out of the car, the momentum yanking her out of her seat and directly through the windshield. Her eyes unconsciously squeeze shut, but she can't feel a thing, not even when she crashes through the windshield, shards of glass lodging themselves into her skin as she's sent flying, or the resonating smack as she lands lands harshly on her back.

She attempts to open her eyes but they feel too heavy, the pain too excruciating, and she blinks once, then twice before it all goes black.













6:56 P.M.



Kelsey groans, cracking an eye open. Everything is momentarily disoriented, but it's dark, and she abruptly panics.

In her panic she attempts to jump up, but bites back a scream at the pain that rips through her back. Swallowing the metallic taste of the blood in , some crusted around the corners of it, she takes a few deep breaths to ease the pain and calm herself so she can think clearly.

Her watch is broken she notes in dismay before the smell of smoke catches her attention. The car is crashed into a brick wall, the entire left front crushed, smoke seeping from the damaged ends. The passenger side is mostly unscathed by the building, a plausible explanation as to why she was thrown through the windshield. If not, she would have  been crushed.

Suddenly, panic shot through her and she couldn't think straight anymore, because, where was Brad?

That's when she notices the backseat door was open, a trail of bloody footprints leading from the damaged vehicle, but there was no Brad in sight. In fact, the streets seemed pretty abandoned themselves, but just when the thought struck her it was already too late.

"This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the annual Purge. At the siren, all emergenceny will be suspended for 12 hours.

Non-compliance with any of the aforementioned rules will result in death by hanging. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, up to, and including Murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire and hospital aid will be unavailable until Thursday morning, March 22, at 7 AM, when The Purge concludes. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn.

Your government thanks you for your participation."



The siren echoed loudly in her head as it blared through the city and bone chilling fear crept in her spine, the pain in her back momentarily forgotten as she shot up. She stumbled, gripping the brick wall as she fumbled on wobbly feet.

It was in that moment that complete and utter chaos broke loose. She heard the shouting before she saw them, people, some on motorcycles, most on foot, armed, some with guns shooting mercilessly, others stabbing whomever in sight without relent. Besides the streetlights, the city was illuminated by fire, which only ceases to increase the severity of the situation.

The only positive outcome of the accident was the alleyway in which she hid and while she was glad, she was fully aware that she couldn't hide there all night.  Surely, the smoking car would eventually attract attention alongside the bloody footprints.

She definitely had to move, and fast.

Her jersey was torn down the side, blood seeping from a cut in her side that she hadn't noticed before. She ripped a strip from the torn jersey before tying the rest in the back, tying the strip of cloth around her waist to at least attempt to stop the bleeding. Gently, she removed her watch, snatching broken shards from her torn skin and placing it lightly on the ground, trying to be as silent as possible.

Deeming herself ready, she crept down the other end of the alley, breath hitched as she felt her way along the brick wall. Once at the end, she took a deep, shaky breath before peeking around the corner.

The street on this end was abandoned, save for a few fires and forgotten weapons strewn on the cracked concrete. Her best option was to run, to keep running until she couldn't anymore. It was pathetic and a little sad, but it would have to do. She could only hope to survive this night.

Relief flooded her momentarily when she spotted another alleyway adjacent  to the one she was currently occupying. For a moment, things didn't seem so bad, but all too soon they proved to be much worse.

Headlights, multiple at that, began to approach on the abandoned road. She began to panic, fingers shaking, almost losing grip on the brick wall as she took another peek. Sure enough, multiple vehicles were approaching.

Kelsey counted four bikers, doing an assortment of wheelies, donning eery white masks that sent chills up her spine. They were surrounding a large truck.

She couldn't cross to the other alleyway now, but she definitely had to hide as there was no way they'd miss her. Just as she turned to head back to the other end she noticed a figure at the end of it. There was a man brandishing a machete and he was coming straight at her.

Kelsey took up her best option, she ran.

She ran straight into the abandoned street, the man yelling after her, directly in front of the bikers. Pain shot up in her back and she winced stumbling.

The alleyway was curved so they only way in was through the bikers, impossible.

Said bikers immediately stopped upon noticing her, but none made a move until the man chasing her came rounding the corner too, brandishing the machete maniacally.

That's when they sprang into action.

The one on the far left sprang up from his bike, smacking the man in the face with the hilt of his pistol. Kelsey didn't see much after that, but she did hear the strangled grunt the man let our upon being struck. She decided to take this opportunity to make a dash for the alleyway, stumbling to her feet and taking off.

Almost immediately, another one of the bikers was before her. His hands flew to her neck, grabbing and gripping. She let out a strangled yelp as he slammed her down, back meeting the concrete roughly.

Tears brimmed her eyes as he choked her and she struggled, fruitlessly.

"Please" She whimpered, surprised at how faint her own voice was.

Her vision began to spot, arms falling limp to her sides as she gave up. His grip only loosened slightly.

"Wonwoo!"

A voice called out in warning but it was already too late. For the second time that night, she out.