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I grabbed a sandwich and called to Marcus. "I'm heading out." My boyfriend was still in bed. It was smarter to leave early. Talents roam around during the day. His slumped heady gave a weary nod. I pushed through the lichen and out into the alley. The warehouse was at the end of an alley in a broken down city. Me and Marcus chose this place because it was near to our flat. We managed to get enough food and furniture inside to sleep comfortable and full. This food wouldn't last forever so it was my job to get more food. I jogged down the alley. My trainers were damp from puddles and the sky was grey. The street was silent. I flicked my head this way and that, pulled up my hood and started to walk down to the apartments. I kept my head down and hurried at a fast pace. It was painfully silent. Once upon a time, the city was bustling with music, dancing and noise. I stared dully as a feather whisked past. Smiling was hard, these days. I slipped inside the broken door and sprinted the rest of the way to our flat. It seemed empty. Most of the surviving furniture was ripped or in pieces. I made my way through the unsteady flooring to the kitchen counter where i opened our food cabinet. I didn't care about what I chose. I just bundled everything in. A creek up the stairs made me freeze. I was all ready to leave. My food was in a stuffed backpack. I darted behind a ruined sofa and clutched my hand to my mouth. The Talents. I could recognise their stench anywhere. The man was moving about the room and I heard him shuffling around in his pocket. The noise of a radio piped up. "Flat 101 is empty." The man droned.  I heard his footsteps recede and the slam of the door as he went into the next flat. I got up and bolted down the stairs. I heard the footsteps behind me. "Hey! Get back here!" My heart pounding, I darted round a bend and wrenched open the fire exit, flinging myself into the nearest bush. I was crouched, terrified, as the bulky man ran past me. I got a good look and realised it was the chairman. He was so jolly and fun and my heart broke a little more. His face was grey and his were fully black. They had no sparkle. No pupil. They were brain-dead and I trudged my way back, feeling sorry for myself. Where the man's heart should have been, there was nothing but a black hole going right through him.8964 copyright protection90ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0o3iyv35O4 維尼

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