[ WP ] As it turns out , the desolation is not worldwide , you 've just been living on an `` Apocalypse Reserve '' your whole life .

`` Bloody hell!'' 
 
 I ducked under the table as bullets ripped through the space my head had been a moment ago. As the burst ended I quickly peeked above and fired off a couple of shots with my 9mm... only to have my gun click empty after two shots. 
 
 Shit. 
 
 Not only did I not have bullets, they now knew I did n't have bullets. As if in response, there was a exultant joy from across the room. `` Run out of bullets, bitch?'' I could just picture a shitty sneer on his face. Scum of the Earth these marauders. 
 
 I took stock of what I had. I knife, no bullets and an empty gun. There were at least two of them in this room, and there was no hope for any help. I grimaced. This was looking pretty grim. 
 
 I forced myself not to panic. *Be calm, Ellie. Think. There has to be a way out of this. * Just as I was taking deep breaths, I heard the sound of heavy boots hitting the ground, running towards me. I stayed put behind cover until I could tell he was just in front of the cover I was behind. 
 
 I exploded upwards, catching the man about to lean over with an uppercut to the chin. He howled in pain and stumbled back. And dropped his gun. 
 
 I punched the man in the stomach as he howled, clutching his face, and he doubled over, spitting blood. I cackled madly in pure, primal joy and dove for the gun he had dropped. Just as I did, I felt an itch in my shin, and suddenly I could n't run. I looked down, confused, to my leg. It was bleeding. I looked to the left, the man I'd downed was curled up in a fetal position, but *another* man was standing with a revolver, grinning. I'd been shot. 
 
 *I'd been shot. * 
 
 I blinked tears out of my eyes, not pain, the pain had n't kicked in yet, but utter despair. I'd been an idiot, how had I forgotten about the second guy! 
 
 I looked up to see the man tower over me. He smiled, a terrible smile, and pointed the revolver at me. 
 
 *If someone's up there, now would be a great time to help out. * But even in these moments I knew this was nothing but a foolish hope. No one with a heart would let something like this happen if they had the power to change it. 
 
 `` Night, night, *bitch, *'' he sneered. And I looked him in the yes as he shot me in the head. 
 
 *** 
 
 I woke with a start. 
 
 I was sitting in a chair. Just above me a dome-like thing was lifted off my head. A man in a suit was sitting in front of me with an icy smile. `` Ellie Crowell, your sentence has been served. Sign here please.'' 
 
 `` W-what?'' I managed to speak in a small voice. My heart was still pumping, and I was still scared out of my mind. *I had just died* 
 
 The man just sighed. `` Disorientation is common, it'll all come back to you.'' 
 
 I frowned. `` What do you mean, come back to me? I just *died, * mister! Shot, killed by scavengers. 
 
 The man rolled his eyes. `` Ah, Jesus. There is no apocalypse, no nuclear apocalypse. It's a damn simulation, a virtual reality MMO game kind of deal. Like err,'' he frowned, thinking intensely, `` World of Warcraft I think it is.'' 
 
 And it all came back to me suddenly. The desperate hunger, the crime, stealing that piece of bread. The `` trial,'' me struggling as they restrained me... lowered that dome on me. 
 
 It must've show on my face, because the man sighed, `` *finally* Now sign please.'' 
 
 Numbly, I picked up the pen and signed the paper, speechless. 
 
 The anger came later. 
 
 *** 
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