That uncomfortable quiet came back, this time accompanied by darkness and soft, faint winds. It was pitch black out now, leaving only the weakened street lamps to shine our way through the darkness as we paced back and forth. Mia stared at me as I tried to configure my thoughts into words that made sense, but it didn't work. Instead, it just sounded something like gibberish and angst.

"I know it sounds crazy, but - it wouldn't be the first time the government has done something like this...treating the poor like trash" I whisper

Four years ago I was 14 and I ran away from home. Although, that might not be the right word for it. I just wanted to walk around without the supervision of my mother. She was always extremely overprotective as I was her only child and I easily got myself into trouble.

This seemed like a good idea though, and in theory, I still believe it was a good idea. However, it is one I still struggle with to this day.

While exploring, I found a capsule - this was the first one I had ever seen. I didn't even know what it was at first, not until Eli eventually told me a little while after. I kept it in my pocket and would figure out what to make of it later. As I started to continue my mindless wondering, out of nowhere, it happened.

A load rumble erupted in the street and hoards of people came running. They were far away, but not far enough that I couldn't feel the ground shaking from underneath me as they got increasingly closer.

I didn't know what was going on or whether or not I should've been afraid.

A woman grabbed me by the shoulder and yelled at me to run, run as far away as I could. She was walking with a cane and had a pained look on her face. She couldn't run.

I started to protest initially until I took one more look at the stampede that was behind me. A faint gas started to hover over them. It was almost like hands, grabbing them and as they fell to the floor, they slowly started to die.

That's when I knew I should've been afraid.

I couldn't just leave the woman there, but from the look on her face and the way she shoved me away, I could tell she had already accepted her fate. I then thought of my mother. The gas was coming from the direction of my house. Would I be able to save her? Would she even want me to risk it, or would she too look at me the same way the woman did with urgency in her eyes? I didn't know what to do but before I knew it, I was running. I ran and ran, probably faster than I had ever run before. I didn't know where I was or where I was going, I just knew if I kept running it couldn't catch me.

I took shelter in an abandoned car. I rolled all the windows up, locked the doors, and sunk into the backseat. I covered my mouth with my hands and closed my eyes. I could almost feel tears falling as I heard bangs on the door as the stampede grew closer. I couldn't do it - I couldn't open the door, then I'd get sick too.

I had my eyes closed for so long I had fallen asleep or had been so afraid that I panicked and blacked out. All I knew was when I woke up, I was somewhere that wasn't the inside of a strangers car. I was terrified because everything was black and it was hard to breathe. I tried to reach my hands forward through whatever was blocking my vision. The elasticity of whatever it was formed around my hands and kind of stuck to it like glue. Then I heard a scream.

A burst of light invaded my eyes and I gasped for air. I was in a trash bag. I must not have been there long for I was sure if I was I would've suffocated.

Men and women in gas masks stood around me. They looked afraid yet almost annoyed.

"What's going on?" I pleaded, not understanding what was happening and why I was trapped in the black plastic.

A man simply responded in a muffled tone, "We thought you were dead"

I didn't know how to deal with that answer. You thought I was dead so you put me in a garbage bag? I shuttered.

When I looked around I noticed tons of bodies closed up in garbage bags.  Everywhere.

I felt sick to my stomach and then I realized something -

I instantly jumped up, which startled the people around me. In almost a pit of insanity, I started to pry open the garbage bags that surrounded me. I wanted to know if she was in one of them.

The strangers tried to stop me, but they didn't get to me fast enough.

    I began to feel some sort of hope. I hadn't seen her. Could she have survived? Was I worried for nothing?

But then, I saw her.

She was cold and white. Her skin no longer a soft brown. Her eyes were open with fear, black hair tousled. I shook my head over and over as tears started to form in my eyes. I closed them - I closed my eyes after closing hers. I held her hand. It was still soft and gentle. I wanted to scream, but I could hardly catch my own breath.

"How could this happen?! What did you do?" I yelled at them, as they pull me away from her.

"I love you," I said to her, only I knew she couldn't hear me.

That was the day my mother died and that was the day I knew, we were nothing to the government, but actual garbage.

Mia continued staring at me, understanding why I felt the way I did as I quietly relive this moment in my head. At this point, guards started to emerge from the darkness, most likely trying to listen to our conversation and usher us inside. She comforted me, pulling me in for a hug and whispering in my ear, "Don't worry, I've got a plan"