The Purge

It was the evening of March 20th.

Me and my friend Tom were standing in his backyard, leaning against the white-washed screendoor, with a beer each in our hands. Tom was staring at Miss Remon's house, who had the lights in her kitchen on; she was most probably going through her midnight wipe-down.

'That stupid lady,' Tom said in a gruff voice.

'Remind me again why you hate her so much,' i said, taking a sip of beer.

'I just hate people who think they're better thane everybody,' Tom replied.

'That's not Miss Remon.' I countered. Tom gave me a small smile. He was a few years older than me, but i was an inch taller than him. It was unsettling, to say the least.

'Sometime when you grow up, you'll understand human nature, kid,' he said, ruffling my hair annoyingly. I didnt argue.

We stood there for a few seconds, until i asked, 'How's Kate doing?'

Tom shrugged.

'Same as ever- she cut her finger yesterday though. Pretty deep.'

'Is she okay?' i asked, concerned. Tom shook his head.

'It got infected,' he shrugged. 'Had to drive her to the doctors'. It was an abscess by the time we got there.'

I winced, but mainly because Tom had delivered this news so unsettlingly, like it didnt disturb him at all. He took another sip of beer and continued, 'Natasha's being a downright brat. Yesterday, i had to throw her in the garage because she wouldnt do her homework.'

'Was it difficult?' i asked non-chalantly. Tom shook his head.

'Basic rationalization,' he said. 'And i told her how to do it about a hundred times.'

'Well, sometimes it just doesnt stick in,' i said lightly.

Another few seconds of silence.

'So,' he said, crushing his now empty beer can in his hand and looking at me seriously. 'Derrick, do you Purge?'

I laughed loudly.

'You dont ask somebody if they Purge, Tom,' i said. 'It's almost as if you're asking me how much money i make. It's rude.'

Tom gave me that small smile again. He bent down and grabbed another can of beer from the six-pack at our feet.

'I think that the Purge is a good idea,' he said casually. 'Really cuts back on budgets for the government.'

Another dark joke. Being in Tom's company wasnt altogether pleasant. His dark jokes, the profanities he slipped in normal conversation didnt relax somebody.

He saw the expression on my face and laughed.

'Loosen up, Derrick,' he chortled. 'Stop taking everything seriously.'

'Yeah, sorry.' i said, trying to sound amused. 'Its just that, since the Purge's coming up, I've really been on edge.'

Tom stopped drinking and looked at me slowly.

'You're telling me you're afraid of the Purge?' he asked.

'I have a family, Tom, if that's what you mean.' i said bluntly.

'That's not what i meant,' he said baldly. He leaned forward. 'So you dont Purge, huh?'

I took a deep breath and shook my head. Tom laughed.

'It's a pity, really, I would've taken you with me when I go out tomorrow.'

My stomach dropped.

'You-you Purge?' i asked, trying to keep my voice steady, my grip loosening on the beer can.

'Course i do.' he said, taking a sip of beer. 'And i tell people that i Purge, i dont keep it to myself, you know.'

My stomach did a backflip.

'Anyway, its getting late,' Tom said abruptly. 'I'd better get to bed.'

'Right,' i said, a little too quickly. Tom smiled again.

'Good luck, Derry ol' boy,' he said, a gaunt smile lighting up his face. 'You'll need it tomorrow.'

I didnt say anything. I leapt over the fence that seperated Tom's house and my own and walked over to the backdoor, wrenching it open. As soon as i was inside, i clicked the lock and breathed a sigh of relief.

'You're back.'

I jumped, and turned around. My wife, Natasha, was sitting at the table, bleary-eyes, her red-hair tied back into a ponytail. Her hands, petite and white, were clutched around a steaming mug of hot water. Her expression was skeptical.

'Yeah,' i said, sighing with relief and filling myself a glass of water to wash down the beer.

'So?' she said expectantly. 'Does he Purge?'

I gulped, and nodded. Natasha's face lost colour and she placed her face in her hands.

'Hey,' i said, approaching her and holding her hands. 'Dont do that. You know i wont let anything happen to you, right?'

She nodded.

'Have i ever let anything happen on any Purge?'

She shook her head, sniffling.

'But we have to do it that way, wont we?' she said, and for the first time, an eagerness sounded in her voice. I grinned.

'Yeah,' i said, and we both wore identical smiles, and a manic gleam that showed mirth beyond measure.

The next morning we went about our own business. I cycled around the neighbour hood, and saw my neighbours boarding up their houses, shopkeepers locking their stores and ones with glass windows using re-inforced steel to board the large windows. The police station was locked, and so was the ambulance.

By the time i got back, lunch was ready. Me and Natasha ate and lay on our bed for that occasional afternoon siesta.

When the alarm woke us up, it was 6:30 p.m. Just as we got out of bed, my favourite announcement in the world sounded:

'This is not a test. This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the Annual Purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted. Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning until 7 a.m., when The Purge concludes. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn. May God be with you all.'

The siren sounded, an eerie bone-chilling noise. My wife smiled at me, that manic, evil grin that i reciprocated.

We changed into black clothes, wore gloves, and face masks. My face mask was the one of The Blackface Purger, and Natasha was the demon girl. We didnt need guns, when we had axes and knives. Natasha grabbed two knives and i hefted my axe.

We exited the house through the back door, and i heard the siren fading in the distance.

I had to narrow my eyes so i could see through the mask. I looked at me wife, and she smiled at me. I smashed my axe right through the fence which i had jumped over the night before, and came into Tom's backyard. His backdoor, windows, and screendoor, were all boarded up.

I stepped forward, and smashed the wooden planks barring the screen door. I grinned at my wife.

'You take Tom,' she told me. 'And Kate wont be alive tomorrow.'

The sun was dipping below the horizon, turning the sky all shades of red, pink and golden.

I stepped into Tom's polished kitchen. We stepped into the hallway connecting all the rooms of the house, and i heard a scurrying in the basement, and a woman's scream echoed from upstairs. The manic grin lighted Natasha's face, and she started to climb the stairs as quietly as she could.

Meanwhile, i made my way to the basement door, and when i reached it, i struck the doorknob with my axe, and kicked it open. The basement's light was on, and Tom was standing stock still against the pool table, his eyes wide with fright.

'P-please dont hurt me!' he cried, running around the pool table. 'Who are you?'

I placed my gloved hand on my mask, and pulled it up gently. Tom's mouth fell open.

'Derrick?' he cried incredulously.

Suddenly, there was a scream from upstairs, followed by a thwacking sound.

'Kate?' Tom cried, his expression disshevelled. He looked at me, his face contorted with fury.

'What have you done?' he screamed. 'What've you done?'

I approached him slowly, axe swinging lazily in my hand.

'After tonight Tom,' i said, placing my finger on my lips in a shushing gesture, 'there'll be no dark jokes. No beer sessions. No annoying gestures.'

'Derrick, we can work this out,' Tom gibbered, backing up against the wall. 'Please-just dont-'

But at that moment, i leapt onto the pool table, and jumped into the air, bringing my axe down on Tom's head.

Blood immeidately burst from it, splattering my mask, which i had placed on my face as i had been advancing on Tom. He gave a high-pitched scream, his knees buckled and hit the linoleum floor. I wrenched my axe out and struck his throat- his voice cut off. I lifted my leg, and kicked him in his mutilated face.

His lifeless form hit the ground with a thud, and i watched as the blood seeped out of the two large wounds.

*

The next day, the newspapers listed the murders that had been carried out during the Purge.

'Derrick, look!' Natasha cried.

I looked at where she was pointing. The name showed the name of our neighbourhood, and each and every person who had lived in this neighbourhood was murdered, including children, except one house that belonged to Derrick and Natasha Federman.