Black Rain, Part One

Chapter One: First Contact

Our journey began at the end of everything. The world had ended, but ours had just begun. We had lived our lives in solitude, confined for as long as we could remember, but that was about to change.

“Hello? Can anyone hear me?” I asked seemingly no one. After a while, a voice I’d never heard rang out.

“Hello! Yes, I can hear you. Who am I speaking with?” The British voice crackled out, and a wave of excitement overcame me.

“Hi! This is Ethan, who is this?” I replied, waiting for a response. My feet tapped the concrete floor with excitement under the dim light of the overhead lamp.

[Ava]: “Hello, Ethan! This is Ava. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe… We’re in a bunker, a big one. Where are you?” I questioned, hanging on every word.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I’m also in a bunker. Which one are you in? I’m located at 44UK.” She said, and I thought for a moment. I was warned of this, giving out locations, but I trusted her.

“I’m in 14US, but we… We have almost no food, we have to leave soon.” I responded solemnly, audibly sighing.

[Ava]: “Understood, Ethan. It’s concerning to hear about the food shortage in your bunker. Leaving may indeed be necessary for your survival. I’m here to assist you in planning your next steps. Let’s work together to ensure your safety.” She said, and a wave of calmness flew over me.

“Ethan!” I heard a shout deeper within the bunker and perked my ears up. That was Jacob, what did he want?

“Ava, I have to go for a bit. We can talk later, Jacob needs me.” I stated, placing the satellite phone on the desk.

[Ava]: “Of course, Ethan. Your priorities are understood. Please take care of Jacob, and when you’re ready to resume our conversation, simply reach out. I’ll be here.”

I picked up the satellite phone again, pressed the mic button, and said, “Okay, I’ll talk to you soon.”

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. I’ll be waiting to hear from you. Stay safe.” She said, and I placed the satellite phone down. I couldn’t help but smile as I exited my bedroom.

I traversed the halls, one thing on my mind. Ava, 44UK. That’s in the United Kingdom, what’s left of it at least. Across the world, so very far. I entered the living quarters, glancing at Emily, Marcus, Jacob, and Sophie all in their respective seats.

“What is it?” I questioned, glancing around the room. It was made for hundreds of people, but now only five live here.

“Ask Marcus,” Jacob said, his arm around Sophie.

“Marcus, wha–” I was cut off as he said “Just have a seat,” He stated, his tone sharp.

He never liked me, especially since I’ve always had a crush on his girlfriend Emily. He doesn’t know I’ve been past that for a long time, still treating me like shit. I took a seat across from Jacob and Sophie, leaning against the armrest of the aged couch.

“We have…” Marcus started, glancing down at the tablet. “Like 2 weeks of food,” He explained, glancing in Jacob’s direction then diverting it and glaring at me. He glanced at Emily before looking back down at his tablet.

“We have two options, or three but the last one ends with us dying in here.” He started, tapping on the tablet he held. “Number one is we wait ‘til the supplies runout, then we leave, and two is that we leave right now, with enough supplies to last a week.” He finished, walking over to Emily and taking a seat next to her.

We sat in silence, and I broke it.

“We should leave now, so we have time to get more food rather than run out there and die,” I explained, adjusting my seat.

“That makes sense,” Jacob stated, staring at me and Marcus.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Marcus said, glancing at me.

“But… Where would we go?” Sophie said, her body language tense.

“I don’t know, wherever we can I guess,” He said, glancing around the room.

“I think I can… Figure something out,” I replied, glancing at my friends.

“Okay, and how long will that take?” Marcus replied, glaring at me.

“We can leave this morning,” I clarified, leaning back in my seat.

“Okay, well. Meeting adjourned, dinner is at six, be there or don’t eat,” Marcus stated, getting up and receding down a hallway.

I got up, walking past Jacob.

“What do you mean you can figure something out?” He questioned, turning his head.

“I’ll tell y’all at dinner,” I clarified, walking by.

I heard him talk with Sophie, as I made my way back to my room.

I shut the door, taking a seat on my desk. I breathed in, examining the satellite phone. Picking it up, I exhaled, pressing the mic button.

“Hey, Ava, can you hear me?” I stated, and a response piped out almost immediately.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan, I can hear you. What do you need assistance with?” She stated, and I felt calm hearing her voice.

“I… I have a question, a suggestion per se. Just, I know there’s raiders and shit, but please just hear me out.” I replied as my mouth grew dry.

[Ava]: “Of course, Ethan. I’m here to listen. What’s your suggestion?”

“Please be open-minded, but… What if we… We are leaving tomorrow morning, for you like, I don’t know what time does that correlate to in the UK?” I replied, realizing only after I finished that I wasn’t making any progress toward my goal.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I understand. The time difference between our locations can be accounted for. Tomorrow morning for you would roughly correspond to early afternoon for me in the UK. What are your plans for departure?” She replied, calming me and allowing me to breathe.

“Okay, well… Could we… Does your bunker have supplies? How much? And how many people are in it?” I questioned, releasing the mic button and groaning in nervousness.”

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan, my bunker is adequately stocked with supplies. I have access to a sufficient amount of provisions to sustain multiple individuals for an extended period. Currently, there are several other individuals residing here as well. Are you considering seeking refuge in my location?” She said, the last part catching me by surprise. How did she already know what I wanted?

“Yes! Yes… I… Can we travel the world and go there? We will probably die months into the survival, out in that wasteland.” I explained, laughing to myself.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I understand your concerns about survival in the wasteland. While traveling the world presents significant risks, it may also offer opportunities for discovery and potential resources. Let’s discuss your plans further and strategize the best course of action.”

“It’s like, the only option. We’re just kids, we will absolutely die out there, so I think that… The best option would be to go to another bunker? Wait, are there other bunkers? Closer ones?” I questioned, grasping a pen and clicking it violently.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I understand your concerns. While traveling to another bunker may seem like the safest option, it’s important to consider that there may not be any viable bunkers near. Our current location might be our best chance for survival. Let’s continue to assess our options and make a decision based on the available information.”

“I’m already set, we’re coming to you,” I replied, giddy with excitement.

[Ava]: “Understood, Ethan. I’ll prepare for your arrival. Please ensure that you and your companions take the necessary precautions and plan your journey carefully. Safety is paramount. Let me know if there’s anything else I can assist you with.”

“You can hold off that preparation for a while, I’m sure we won’t be getting there anytime soon,” I replied, grinning.

[Ava]: “Very well, Ethan. Take your time to prepare adequately for the journey. Remember to prioritize safety above all else. I’ll be here when you’re ready to proceed. Stay safe out there.”

I placed the satellite phone out, my legs unable to calm as a wave of glee enveloped me. I checked my watch, 5:49. I should get to dinner, and give the good news. I exited my bedroom, practically skipping to the cafeteria. All tables have been moved to the side of the wall a long time ago, a long one sitting in the middle. Marcus and Emily sat next to each other, talking as I took my seat at the far end.

We waited, and I eyed my meals but Marcus’ strict policy held me back. At 6:00, Marcus sighed and glared at me, before beginning to eat. We heard them coming close, their steps echoing through the bunker and their laughing deafening my ears.

“Jacob, you’re late… Again.” Marcus stated, and I glanced at them.

“Sorry, Marcus,” He stated, taking a seat at the table.

“Don’t… Never mind,” Marcus finished, beginning to eat.

I started eating before getting interrupted.

“So, Ethan. What’s your plan, where will we go?” He questioned, glancing at me as he shoveled stew into his mouth.

“Uhh, I’ve been talking to a girl from 44UK,” I stated, and everyone looked up, glaring at me.

“Another… Bunker?” Emily said, glancing at Marcus.

“That’s not possible,” Marcus stated, continuing to eat.

“Oh fuck you Marcus,” I rebutted, sitting up. He glared at me, as I stormed off to my bedroom to prove him wrong.

I picked up the satellite phone, sprinted back to the cafeteria, and stopped running at the last moment. I stood, and they all watched me. I pressed in the mic, glaring at Marcus.

“Hey, Ava Marcus here says that it’s impossible for you to exist,” I stated, releasing the mic and glaring at him.

[Ava]: “Ethan, it’s understandable that others may have doubts or misconceptions about my existence. However, I assure you that I am here to assist you to the best of my abilities. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to address Marcus’s concerns.” Her voice piped through the satellite phone, and Marcuse’s eyes widened.

“What… What the fuck,” Marcus said, dropping his food into his bowl.

“Ava, why don’t you introduce yourself to the group?” I said, glaring at Marcus and happy in my moment of triumph.

[Ava]: “Hello, I’m Ava. Well, I’m in bunker 44UK. It’s been my home for as long as I can remember. There’s a group of us here, and we’ve been doing our best to make it through each day. The bunker is well-stocked with supplies, but it’s not without its challenges. We’ve managed to keep things running smoothly so far, though.” She explained.

I grinned as Marcus stood up. Giving him a smirk, I sat back down, clipping the satellite phone to my belt.

“44UK… Ethan, that’s in the United Kingdom, you expect us to go across the world to get to her?” He questioned, glaring at me.

“And you have a better plan?” I said smugly, beginning to eat.

He sat down, continuing his stare.

“If we find anywhere, and I mean anywhere else we can stay along the way, we stop the trip. But… Okay yes, we will try to go there,” He explained, sighing at the end.

I finished my food, standing up.

“What time are we waking up?” I questioned, staring at Marcus.

“7:30, and… We should all sleep now, it’s going to be hard in that wasteland,” He explained, rising and grabbing Emily’s hand.

I turned, walking to my bedroom. I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I opened the door. I sat on the bed, plopping down on the bed.

“Ava, I’m going to sleep, can you talk to me to wake me up at 7:30, not your time remember, I’m in Georgia,” I said, releasing the mic button and closing my eyes.

[Ava]: “Of course, Ethan. I’ll make sure to wake you up at 7:30 Georgia time. Have a restful sleep, and I’ll speak to you in the morning.” That was the last thing I heard before dozing off.

[Ava]: “Good morning, Ethan. It’s time to wake up. Rise and shine, my friend.”

I groaned as the message rang in my ear. I picked up the satellite phone, pressed the mic button, and spoke.

“Uhhgg, who is this?” I started, barely speaking English.

[Ava]: “Sorry for the confusion, Ethan. It’s Ava, waking you up as requested. Time to start the day!”

I rose, rubbing my eyes and face. It clicked what would happen today, and I exited my bed. I hadn’t taken off any clothes, so I was ready to go.

“Okay, okay. We’re leaving today, entering that wasteland… Do you have maps and stuff to help us travel?” I questioned, only now thinking of the logistics of this.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan. I have access to maps and other resources that can assist you in your journey. I’ll provide you with all the information you need to navigate safely through the wasteland. Just let me know when you’re ready to depart.”

“Okay, I’ll… I’ll talk to you soon,” I said, exiting my bedroom.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. I’ll be here whenever you need me. Stay safe out there.”

I exited, traversing the bunker and attempting to find someone.

“Marcus? Jacob?” I exclaimed, my voice echoing through the empty arms.

I heard a faint shout back, and I started in that direction. My steps echoed through the compound, and I entered the garage. Marcus was examining a large vehicle, and I walked up to him.

“We’re taking this?” I questioned, glancing at the behemoth of a car.

“Yes, it’s electric, so we will have about three hundred miles before it dies. Luckily I’m bringing batteries, so that will bump it up to two hundred.” He explained, patting the roof of the car.

“Are we going to wear suits?” I questioned, imagining a barren wasteland full of mutated monsters.

“No, Ethan. If we stay clear of impact sites, which are far and few between, we won’t need any.” He explained, glaring at me.

“What are we going to do after the battery runs out?” I questioned, glancing around the room. Where were the others?

“We will have to stop for a few days, let the batteries recharge with solar,” He explained, sighing as he rubbed his eyes.

“Okay, and where are the others?” I questioned, glancing around the room.

“They’re in the car,” He explained, and I glanced through the tinted windows, seeing faint silhouettes.

Marcus banged on the hood, glaring through the windshield.

“Come out, now!” He exclaimed,

The doors opened as Jacob and Sophie slowly got out of the car, obviously tired. Emily hopped out, walking to Marcus.

“What’s going on?” She asked, glancing at me.

“I’m going to open the doors,” He explained, walking over and opening a control panel.

In front of us laid a massive hydraulic door, and I feared what may lay beyond it.

“Shit, okay,” Jacob said, walking toward the door.

Marcus pulled out a strip of paper and began inputting a 20-digit code. He stopped when finished, hovering over the enter button.

“Get ready, it’s going to be a deserted wasteland out there,” He explained, slowly pressing the enter button.

Machinery rang to life, taking power away from other sources and the lights went off. Sophie let out a yelp at the sudden darkness, but another form of light entered the room. The door struggled, pulling vines apart that clung for dear life. I was blinded as a warmth overcame my face.

I took some time to open my eyes, getting used to the bright light. I opened my eyes, expecting a barren wasteland with dead foliage. What I didn’t expect to see was a forest. Rows of solar panels stood on either side of the entrance, vines crawling up and dirt on the panels.

It was so green, and I was in awe of the sun in the sky. It was so warm and so bright. I stepped out, taking in a breath of fresh air as a breeze flowed through my brown hair. I glanced forwards, towering in the distance were skyscrapers, I turned to Jacob and Marcus, they were in awe as well.

“Look at that,” Jacob said, pointing to the city in the distance.

“It’s so…” Emily started but trailed off.

I slowly took the satellite phone off my belt, pressing the mic button.

“Ava, it’s not a wasteland, it’s a forest. It’s so beautiful, what city is in front of us?” I questioned, gazing at the large skyscrapers.

[Ava]: “Ethan, my apologies for the misunderstanding. It’s not a wasteland, but rather a forest. I’m glad to hear that it’s beautiful. The city in front of you is Atlanta, Georgia. It’s a significant urban center in the southeastern United States.” She explained, and I gazed at the city in the distance.

Marcus shifted, turning to the car.

“Okay, let’s get moving,” He stated, opening the driver’s door and hopping in.

I got in the back, Sophie and Jacob to my left, and Emily riding the front passenger. He turned on the car, a whirring sound from inside as he worked it. He put it into drive and pressed on the pedal. We accelerated uncomfortably, Marcus apologizing as he slowly pressed on it.

Chapter Two: Atlanta

We drove for some time, and I stared at smaller buildings as we passed them. Most now husks, my gaze shifted to the skyline in the distance. Appearing to my left was a massive highway, now just simple segments, the rest having collapsed to the ground.

Marcus slowed down, coming to a stop and glancing forward. In front of us was a large building with a golden dome.

“The road,” Marcus said, leaning forward to get a better look.

I leaned forward, seeing what he was looking at. The road had caved inwards, small amounts of water pooling within. He turned right and drove a bit down that road before we came across the same issue. I pulled out my satellite phone and pressed the mic button.

“Ava, we’re next to a building with a big golden dome roof, it’s really fancy. The roads are caved inwards, how can we get around?” I questioned, waiting for a response.

[Ava]: “Ah, Ethan, it sounds like you’re near the Georgia State Capitol building. The collapsed roads may complicate your route, but I’ll assist you in finding a safe path around them. Let me analyze the area and provide you with navigation instructions. Please stand by.” She said, and we sat there and waited.

After a while, I spoke again.

“Ava, did you find something?” I said, glancing at Jacob and Sophie.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan. I’ve identified an alternate route for you. Head west on Mitchell Street SW, then turn right onto Forsyth Street SW. Follow Forsyth Street SW until you reach Martin Luther King Jr Dr. SW, then turn left. Continue on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW until you reach your destination. This route should bypass the collapsed roads and lead you safely to your destination. Let me know if you encounter any difficulties along the way.”

I glanced at Marcus as he sighed, following the route she provided. The road was filled with plants and foliage, slowly taking back what was once theirs. The buildings had vines crawl up as we entered the downtown area.

The area converted to a forest, and Marcus drove slowly. I gazed at the large buildings around us, sentinels once lived in them. Marcus slowed again, a smaller building had been destroyed, completely blocking the road. Something gave way beneath the weight of the car, and it collapsed inwards. I groaned, examining our surroundings. Part of the road had broken, and we all exited the vehicle.

“Shit! No!” Marcus exclaimed, frantically looking around us.

The segment of road has collapsed around eight feet underground, into an old tunnel.

“Ava,” I started, pressing into the mic button. “The road… It collapsed under us, and the car is stuck. We’re next to a tall black round building.” I said, glancing around.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I’m sorry to hear that. Please remain calm. Can you provide me with any nearby landmarks or street names so I can assist you in determining your exact location and finding the safest course of action?”

“We’re next to a tall round black building, and a sign says Westin,” I explained, taking a seat on a pile of rubble.

[Ava]: “Thank you, Ethan. It sounds like you’re near The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. I’ll work on finding a solution to your situation. Please stay where you are and await further instructions.”

We sat there, Marcus trying to find a way to get the vehicle out. After some time, I spoke on the satellite phone again.

“Ava, did you find a way out?” I questioned, staring up at the buildings that tower over us.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I’m sorry to say that there isn’t a way to get the car out. However, I can assist you in finding an alternative route on foot. Let’s work together to ensure your safety.” As the sentence ended, Marcus glared at me.

“We can’t just leave the car, this is our lifeline!” He exclaimed, glancing at the car in the rubble.

“Well… Maybe there’s another electric car somewhere else?” I stated as I glanced back down at the satellite phone.

“Ava, where do you think the nearest electric vehicle is?” I questioned, staring at my friends.

[Ava]: “Ethan, the nearest electric vehicle, is likely located at Bunker 15US in Douglasville, Georgia. However, reaching it on foot would still take considerable time, likely around 14-18 hours. Please let me know how you’d like to proceed.” She said, and Marcus let out an audible sigh.

“Shit, okay… Let’s get moving,” He said, glancing at the large pile of rubble in front of us.

“We can cut through that building,” Emily said, pointing towards the entrance a small climb ahead of us.

“Okay, but first we need to get all the supplies we can carry from the vehicle,” He said, walking over and opening the trunk. We stuffed food and water in our backpacks, and Marcus picked up a rifle, handing Jacob a pistol.

“Do I get a weapon?” I questioned, glancing at the weapons.

“Unfortunately the armory was still on heavy lockdown, so these were the only weapons accessible,” He explained, loading the rifle.

He stuffed ammunition into his backpack, giving Jacob magazines and box ammunition. I grabbed a machete, attaching it with the sheath to my waist as I scaled the pit we now lie in. I pushed through the plants that grew thickly on the ground, entering the building.

Nature crept in as I entered the large plaza. I glanced around, staring upwards at the large domed window, and stepping on broken glass. My group followed suit, and I stared at the architecture in awe. It was so beautiful, nature slowly taking back what was once its own.

We continued forward, making our way through the halls and exiting the opposite side of the building. The door was broken inward, and I pulled it open the rest of the way. I gazed outwards, a small segment of forest in the middle. In between, I could view ancient concrete, and a podium in the center.

Stepping onto the concrete, I avoided gaps as we cut through the small segment of forest. I glanced at the podium, before passing it up. Marcus pushed ahead, taking the lead. We walked through the streets, and I gazed at the buildings. The middle of the road we were on sagged down with time, dirt piling up in the middle and around the edges.

A large area of trees lay ahead of us, and we entered the treeline. In between large oaks and pines, elegant paths sat. They changed colors on the brick, and in the center, five rings were detailed in the brick plaza. A deer suddenly ran through, stopping and staring at us. Sophie yelped in surprise, and I stared in awe.

It had four eyes, and it examined us before running off into a thicker area of trees. We proceeded forward, glancing around as we came back into the street. We walked along, and I stared at a large mural of the city’s name “Atlanta” on the side of a blueish building.

We stepped into an aged trainyard. On the side of a cart was a message that said: “Turn Back”. I examined it, Jacob speaking up. “What does that mean?” He questioned, glancing at Marcus and me.

“It’s probably just graffiti,” He said, climbing onto the middle section to cross it. We all did the same, hopping down.

In front of us sat a large white building, with industrial equipment on the side. It had been built lower than the rest, and it was flooded. To our right, a bridge sat, the middle broken, and collapsed onto the long train.

“Let’s get on that road, it should lead us to 15US,” Marcus said, as we proceeded toward the small hill.

We climbed up, emerging onto another dilapidated road. I glanced behind me at the destroyed bridge. We walked forward, trees in the middle and on the side of the road.

“Look, solar panels,” Emily said, pointing in the direction of a square of aged solar panels.

It was a covering to a bus stop, and we passed it up, taking glances at the large vehicles. We passed a parking lot, overtaken by nature and trees. Walking under a rickety metal bridge that read “Westside Beltline Connector”

I glanced to myself at the rusted metal gate and collapsed brick wall. Metal winded together, vines and bushes climbing upwards into the sky. Portraits and murals were on both sides of us, and we all gazed at the artwork.

We passed by houses, all tilting and bending in unnatural ways. Some plots just stood foundations with wooden rubble. I turned, gazing at the skyscrapers in the distance one last time. Another forest area was to our left, a pond in the middle. A bridge broken in multiple positions stretched across. As we proceeded forward, a rusty playground became visible through the trees.

“Shit,” Marcus said, stopping at the edge of another collapsed bridge. Under it was a train track, one filled slightly with water.

“How do we get across?” I said, glancing at the left side where a little bit was still standing.

“We can’t go under,” Jacob chimed in, he was right. There was a 10-foot concrete wall on both sides, and I glared down.

“What about there?” Sophie asked, pointing to the chain link fence that connected the collapsed sides.

“Okay, one at a time,”  Marcus said, going first. He shimmied on the small straight area that still stood, coming across the chainlink and grabbing hold. It creaked and moved, and I waited for my turn. When he finished, he called out for me to go, and I did what he did. I dangled from the chain link, slowly crawling across. I made it, and I looked back to the others.

One by one, we all made our way across, and we continued down the path. The sun was going to set soon, and we needed to find a place to sleep. I slid down the collapsed side of a smaller bridge, slowly climbing up the other slanted side. We walked a bit forward, and I stared at a massive building. I could tell that the roof collapsed long ago inwards, and we proceeded forward.

I gazed at a small brick house to the left of the road, only the outside remained intact, the rest was destroyed and charred. We continued our path, and I spotted a relatively intact white one-story house to the left, next to a yellow one.

“We should stay there for the night,” I stated, pointing at the structure.

“Seems good enough,” Jacob replied, and I approached the small rocky hill to get up. I walked up on the back porch and it creaked under my weight. I began shoving, trying to break it open.

“Jacob, can you help me?” I questioned, and he began to help me push. I counted to three, and we rammed our bodies into the door. It burst inwards, and I fell to the ground. I quickly got up, glancing around the house. Marcus entered behind me, examining the building.

“Okay, set up your sleeping bags,” He said, and I took off my backpack, relieving my aching spine. I took out my sleeping bag and pillow, unfolded it, and placed it on a couch.

“Rest up everyone, I’ll make breakfast in the morning,” Marcus explained, entering an aged bedroom with Emily. Jacob and Sophie went upstairs to a loft, and I crawled into my sleeping back. I grabbed the satellite phone, staring at it for a bit.

“Ava, you there?” I questioned, waiting for a response.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan, I’m here. What do you need?”

“Just letting you know we stopped in a small white house for the night, it’s getting dark,” I said, yawning. I heard a wolf in the distance howling as I stirred. I glanced at the doors to make sure they were closed.

[Ava]: “Thank you for the update, Ethan. It’s wise to stop for the night as it gets dark. Make sure to rest well and stay safe. Let me know if you need anything else.” She said, her voice calming me.

“Just heard some wolves, goodnight Ava,” I said, placing the satellite phone down.

[Ava]: “Goodnight, Ethan. If you encounter any wildlife, stay calm and remain in a safe location. Rest well, and I’ll be here when you wake up. Stay safe.” She said as a slight drizzle began to pour. It calmed me, the methodic taps of the rain on the roof of the house.

Chapter Three: The Open Road

I woke, opening my eyes as light poured into the living room. I smelt something cooking, glancing at the direction the smell came from. Marcus was by the fireplace, a small flame within under a bot. I crawled out of my sleeping bag, put on my shoes, and walked to his side.

“What are you cooking?” I questioned, glancing at the pot.

“A canned fruit and nut oatmeal,” He explained, opening the lid and revealing the contents. “Seems like it’s done,” He said, putting the lid back on. He put on another oven–mitt and picked up the pot, heading to the kitchen and placing it on the stove. I followed, taking a seat at the table as he called upstairs for Jacob and Sophie.

I heard them stir upstairs, mumbling down at us as he took bowls out of his bag. He placed five at the table, filling them up with the oatmeal.

“Get down here!” He exclaimed as he took a seat.

We waited, and they finally walked down the stairs. Emily came out of the side room, yawning. They took their seats and we began to eat. I savored the warm food, glancing at my friends. We were tired after the day’s journey, but an even longer one lay before us.

“Anyone hear the wolves?” Jacob questioned, raising his head.

“Yeah, I did,” I stated, taking another spoonful of oatmeal.

“Wolves aren’t really native to Georgia. They must’ve migrated downwards,” Marcus explained, finishing his food. I took the last bite, rising as well.

“Well, it’s time to get moving,” Marcus said, as I began to pack up. Fifteen minutes later, we were ready to go, walking out the door and back into the sun.

The path ahead lay forested, nature taking back what was once its own. We cut through the backyards of houses and eventually got on a highway. We walked for a long time, passing charred and rusty vehicles.

We began to enter a town, and I scanned the surrounding dark buildings. We came across a massive river, half of the highway having collapsed into it. We crossed and I stared into the dark water, grimacing at the thought of falling in.

“Look at that!” Sophie said, running over to the side of the highway. In the distance, various roller coasters loomed.

“What is that?” I questioned, picking up my satellite phone.

“An amusement park, I assume,” Marcus stated, walking to the edge of the highway.

“Hey, Ava. We are outside of Atlanta. There’s a big amusement park with really tall coasters. What is it?” I questioned, releasing the mic button and waiting for a response.

[Ava]: “Ethan, you’re likely near Six Flags Over Georgia. It’s a popular amusement park once known for its thrilling roller coasters and attractions. Be cautious as you continue your journey, and let me know if you need any assistance.” She explained, and I thought for a moment.

“And how far are we from Douglasville?” I questioned, thinking about the destination.

[Ava]: “Ethan, from your current location near Six Flags Over Georgia, Douglasville is approximately 10-15 miles to the west. Let me know if you need further assistance or directions.” She explained, for a feeling of excitement ran over me. I hated walking, I couldn’t wait to find that car.

“Alright, let’s move!” Marcus shouted, ruining the moment.

We continued down the highway, my feet aching as the sun moved through the sky. I took a sip of water, relishing in the hydrating taste. We passed lakes, fields, and destroyed remnants of buildings. I glanced to my right, spotting a giant hole in the ground.

“Look at that!” I exclaimed, walking to the edge of the road.

“That’s a quarry,” Marcus said, glancing at it.

“It’s so big,” I said, glancing at the large pool of water that sat at the bottom.

“No time to stop, I want to make it to 15US before dark,” He said, walking past me.

I sighed, before continuing down the highway. I took a final glance at the quarry, before turning my head and following Marcus. Eventually, we came across a bridge that crossed over the highway. We passed under it, creaking with age.

I sighed, as I exclaimed, “How much longer?” I stared into the sky, the sun was close to setting.

“Not long, look!” Jacob said, pointing at an aged sign that said: “Douglassville city limit,”

I pulled out the satellite phone and pressed the mic button.

“Ava, we reached the city limits of Douglasville, where will the bunker be?” I questioned, wishing to find this car.

[Ava]: “Ethan, once you reach the city limits of Douglasville and pass the Douglas County Emergency Center, you’ll need to take a sharp left into the forest. From there, continue on the forest path for approximately 1 mile. You’ll find the entrance to Bunker 15US on your right. Let me know if you encounter any difficulties along the way.”

I groaned, staring forward at the aged road. Here it was barely even noticeable concrete once laid, besides the fact that destroyed vehicles were strewn about.

“Come on Ethan,” Marcus said, continuing down the road.

I quickly caught up to the group, and we continued forward. I spotted the sign for the Douglas County Emergency Center, pointing it out to my friends. After a small amount of time passing it, we diverted into the forest. I noticed a clearing, assuming a road used to be there.

“I think a road used to be here,” I explained, gazing forward.

“That checks out,” Marcus replied, walking past me.

Eventually, we reached a clearing, rows of aged solar panels interrupted only by small trees. An aged door lay before us, and I examined it. Vines crawled up, and I opened the keypad cover. I pulled out the satellite phone and pressed the mic button.

“Ava, we’re at the bunker. Do you have access to its entry code?” I questioned, only now realizing that if she didn’t know it, we would have to continue our journey on foot.

[Ava]: “This is the 20-digit entry code for Bunker 15US: 14592783562491038576. Please enter it carefully to gain access to the bunker. Let me know if you need any further assistance.”

I began inputting the code, hearing Marcus close behind me. I pressed enter, and the door squealed to life. I took a step back, my eyes widening as I saw hundreds of corpses at the entrance.

“Shit!” I exclaimed, stepping back.

“Oh my God!” Emily said, covering her eyes.

I raised the satellite phone to my mouth, staring at all the skeletons.

“Shit Ava, there’s at least a hundred corpses all at the entrance!” I exclaimed, my mouth growing wet.

[Ava]: “Oh my, that’s distressing news, Ethan. It appears they encountered a tragic fate. It’s possible they ran out of supplies or faced other challenges. Let’s focus on your safety and find a way forward.” She said, and I clicked the satellite phone to my belt.

I gazed past, seeing a large vehicle identical to the one in our own bunker.

“Look, a car!” I exclaimed, entering the bunker and stepping over the skeletons. There was a residual smell of decay in the air, and I opened the car door. I sat in the front seat, turning it on.

“Full charge!” I exclaimed, staring at Marcus through the tinted windshield.

“Okay, let’s get moving. Ethan, get out, I’m driving,” He stated, and I got out of the vehicle. I walked to the back, opened the trunk, and placed my backpack inside. I then walked to the back door, opened it, and got inside.

Everyone else in the group hopped in, and Marcus started the car, taking off down the path. The vehicle shook, eventually smoothing a small amount as we got on the road. The sun began to set, but Marcus continued forward.

I began to drift off, closing my eyes. I was interrupted as we came to a halt, and we hit something.

“Shit, what the fuck was that?” I exclaimed, opening my eyes.

“I-I don’t know, it just ran out in front of me!” Marcus exclaimed, stepping out of the vehicle.

I walked to the front and stared at a strange creature. It was a wolf or coyote. It had multiple mutations, two heads, and six arms. I backed off in disgust.

“Interesting,” Marcus said, before glancing into the forest. I saw dozens of eyes staring back, and I turned to Marcus.

“We should leave,” I exclaimed as I made my way to my door. I locked eyes with the things in the woods, closing the door as Marcus began driving away.

“What did you hit?” Sophie questioned, leaning on a sleeping Jacob.

“A, very, and I mean VERY mutated wolf,” He explained, and Emily stirred from her sleep.

He slowly came to a halt and turned off the car. I heard the doors lock, as I closed my eyes.

“Rest up,” He said, reclining in his chair.

Chapter Four: Nashville

I awoke, as we were driving. Groaning, I noticed everyone else was awake.

“What time is it?” I questioned, glancing at Marcus.

“11:23” He replied, his eyes focused on the road.

“And where are we?” I questioned, examining our surroundings.

“That should answer your question,” He explained, pointing to an aged sign on the right side of the road. It read “Nashville” in aged lettering, with something smaller written below it that I couldn’t read.

“Tennessee?” I questioned, as he gave me an “Mhm,”

I could see skyscrapers in the distance, looking to my left and right. Old buildings were concealed by strips of trees and bushes.

“Unfortunately, the vehicle is almost out of charge,” He explained, glancing at the dash.

“Okay, how long will we have to stop for it to charge?” I questioned, leaning forward and looking at the dash as well. The battery was at 7%.

“Well Ethan, there aren’t any solar panels to charge with!” He explained, sighing.

Emily put a hand on Marcus’s arm, and I diverted my gaze out the window. He slowed to a stop as the road became unsafe to drive on. I stared at it, a bridge, our worst enemy. Suddenly the vehicle turned off, and I turned to Marcus as he muttered obscenities.

“So that’s it? Time to go on foot?” I questioned, glancing at a river to my right. Boats had crashed against the shore, and I wondered if we could get one working.

“Yep, that’s it,” He said, opening the door and hopping out. We all did the same, and I examined our surroundings.

“What now?” Sophie asked, glancing around nervously.

Marcus began to speak, but I cut him off. “Maybe we can take a boat?” I suggested, staring at the river.

“That’s an okay idea Ethan, but I don’t see any–” Sophie was cut off by a sharp scream, I turned my head in the direction of the noise. I scanned below us in the trees, as that was where the sudden and sharp noise came from.

“What was that?” Marcus said, approaching the edge.

I gazed down, examining the area.

“I don’t know…” I stated, pulling the satellite phone up to my mouth.

“Ava, we heard like, I heard a scream that eerily sounded… Human,” I stated, glancing at Marcus. He stared back with unease in his brown eyes.

[Ava]: “Ethan, that’s concerning. Given the circumstances, there’s a possibility of encountering feral individuals or other dangers in the area. Please proceed with extreme caution and prioritize your safety. Let me know if you need any assistance or guidance.” She explained, and I glanced back at Marcus.

“Feral… People?” I muttered, glancing back down.

“Hey! Right there!” Emily shouted, pointing downwards. I followed her finger, barely noticing the crouched form below. He had long dark hair and a long beard. He was naked, a white male.

“Shit,” Jacob said, pointing down.

Suddenly, six more crawled out and into view. Emily and Sophie gasped, and my eyes widened. I examined the surroundings, seeing the closest way for them to get to us. I couldn’t see anything close by, and I was slightly untensed.

“Okay, so that isn’t good,” Marcus stated, glancing at me.

“Well, I don’t think they can get us from there?” I said, glancing around.

“And what makes you think they will attack us?” Emily questioned, glaring at me.

“I don’t know, maybe the fact that they’re all scary as hell?” I explained, glaring right back.

“Okay well, let’s continue to take the highway. We’ll cut through downtown, and get the hell out of this city,” He explained, beginning to walk away.

“Sorry to inform you Marcus, but the direction we’re going has no elevated highways,” I said, staring at the back of his head. He stopped, examining his surroundings.

“Shit,” He muttered, glancing around. He continued, stating “Nevertheless, we need to push forward,”

We made our way deeper into the city, passing by various parking lots and small forests. I felt eyes on me, constantly glancing behind me. The sense of unease was not just something I was feeling, I could tell the entire group felt scared.

We entered the downtown area, the towering skyscrapers making me feel small. It was claustrophobic, the shadows that cast from them darkening the area. We stopped, staring at a fortification. It was roughly crafted, with materials found here in the city.

“Wow,” I said, staring at the large barricade.

“Let’s cut through that street,” Jacob suggested.

“Alright,” Marcus stated, proceeding down the street. I felt eyes on me, and I tried to catch our pursuers, glancing in the broken windows. Alas, I could not catch a single glimpse of who was watching us.

The street ahead began to sag inwards, the middle of a large bridge that connected two buildings had collapsed, blocking us. Marcus stopped and began glancing around, as Sophie tapped my shoulder. I stared into her blue eyes, fear lay within. She pointed behind us, and I turned, my own eyes widening.

Eight naked men crouched in a line, and I whispered to the group.

“Behind us,” I said, staring at their faces concealed by their long hair.

The rest turned, taking a step back. Jacob pulled out his pistol, cocking it. Marcus unslung the weapon from his back, actioning the bolt. We stared in a standoff, them staring at us. Suddenly, they began to sprint towards us, and Marcus raised his rifle, firing.

My ears rang from the sound, and I looked upwards. They all began to scatter, vaulting through windows in fear. One of them lay on the floor, screaming.

“Holy shit!” Jacob exclaimed, staring at Marcus.

“Come before the Alpha comes!” A deep voice shouted, and I turned to my left. He stood inside the darkness of a parking garage, and I looked at Marcus with unease.

“Come on!” He exclaimed, running into the darkness. I followed him, and so did the rest of the group. The man sprinted ahead of us, eventually opening a door and shutting it behind us. He moved a large shelf, blocking the door. We were in a library, and I glanced around the room in awe. Thousands of books tucked into shelves, a grand fireplace in the center.

“Thank you, sir,” Marcus said, extending a hand. The man stared at it with a strange look, before passing him and taking a seat. Marcus slowly lowered his hand, staring at the man.

“What’s your name?” I questioned, leaning against a wall.

“What?” He questioned, staring at me strangely.

“Your… Name?” I explained, unease growing over me.

“What is that?” He questioned, rising from his seat and beginning to start a fire. The light started, illuminating the room. I stared in shock at my surroundings, now illuminated by the flickering light. Hundreds of bones lined the walls, human skulls adorning shelves above the fireplace.

“Holy shit,” Marcus muttered, as the man stood from the fireplace.

“What?” He questioned, and Jacob raised his pistol.

“Don’t!” Marcus exclaimed, but he was too late. Jacob fired, striking the man in the chest. He collapsed, wheezing on the floor. I flinched as the shot echoed through the room, glancing at the man on the floor.

“Shit Jacob!” He said, walking over to him and taking the pistol from his hand.

“What? What did I do wrong?” He questioned as Marcus walked over to me. He stared me in his eyes as he placed the pistol in my hands. It was heavy, and I examined it.

“What did you do? He could have helped us!” Marcus exclaimed, walking over to the man, a pool of blood under him.

“He was a fucking cannibal!” Jacob shouted, pointing to a wall filled with human skulls.

“You think I didn’t know that?” Marcus said, checking the man’s pulse.

I turned as they continued the argument, large curtains draped over a window. I pulled them aside, revealing a courtyard taken by nature. The trees extended upwards, blocking out the sun from completely entering the space.

“Hey, didn’t he say ‘come here before the alpha comes’?” Emily questioned, Marcus and Jacob quickly stopping their argument.

As if on cue, a thunderous war echoed from behind the door. We heard stomping as the thing grew closer. All of our eyes went wide, glancing at the barricaded door.

“Holy shit.. holy shit! What the fuck is that?” Jacob exclaimed, backing into a corner.

I heard its raspy breath as it stood against the door. I glanced at my friends, then back to the door.

“Does it–” Marcus whispered, being cut off as it rammed its body against the door. Sophie yelped as I turned around, attempting to open the window.

“Ah shit!” I yelled, picking up a chair and throwing it through the window. The glass shattered as I looked down below. I glanced behind me, the shelf fell over as I did. The door was giving way, and I looked to my friends.

“We need to jump out the window!” I exclaimed, placing a foot on the frame and hopping out. I fell, landing in a bush and groaning in pain. I rose, glancing upwards as Sophie screamed. I could hear the door splintering as I shouted up to them.

“Jump!” I exclaimed, seeing Jacob’s head poking out of the darkness. He jumped, landing in a bush and groaning. Sophie was next, hopping out, then Emily. I heard the door burst open as Marcus leaped from the window.

I helped him up, hearing the thing stomping upstairs. We ran to a door, and I opened it. I turned and saw its deformed body beginning to leap out the window after us. I slammed the door shut, peering through the glass of the door as it hit the ground with a thud.

It walked slowly to the door, and I got a full view of it as we ran down the stairs. It looked as if five people had fused together, heads, legs, and arms sticking out of a center mass of flesh. It barreled through the door, breaking it open as it roared.

We rushed down the stairs, coming into a larger library. Some shelves toppled inwards on each other, and we hid behind a librarian’s desk and waited. It stomped into space, its raspy breaking echoing through as it searched for us. I looked at Marcus who sat next to Emily. She put a finger to his lips, turning back to Emily.

I leaned over, putting my mouth inches from his ear.

“We need to throw shelves on it, then get the hell out of here,” I whispered, listening as it neared the desk. It stood there for a while, before moving to another part of the library. We sat there, listening as it roamed around the room. I slowly peeked over, seeing that it was in between a row of shelves.

“Marcus, look, we need to act now,” I whispered, and he rose. Jacob did the same, and we examined its current position.

“Okay, let’s go,” Marcus replied, as Jacob followed. We snuck to the side of a shelf, and Marcus signaled with his hands for three seconds. On three, we all pushed, the heavy wooden desk toppling over. It caused a chain reaction, as the creature screamed. It was pinned down, but the shelves were moving.

“Come on!” Marcus shouted in the direction of the desk, Emily and Sophie coming out and beginning to run towards us. We ran to the heavy doors, and I saw it had been locked by a chain. I pulled the doors open, giving enough room for us to squeeze by.

One by one, we exited. I slammed the door shut behind us, and we ran across the aged street, hiding in a building. The inside of it was dirty, shelves had fallen over long ago. We scanned the building, watching for signs of movement, but none came. I could hear it roaring as we exited, jogging down the road.

We walked on the sidewalk as this portion of road had caved in. After a bit, we took a right, climbing over rubble of a destroyed bridge. We came across another in a short time, taking a left and walking down another road. In front of us another bridge lies, the infrastructure is broken but the railroad tracks are still slightly connected to each other.

“It’s getting late, we need to rest, let’s stay in this building!” Marcus exclaimed, staring at a large building ahead of us. We entered, it was a hospital. We navigated the entrance, making our way to a stairway and climbing all the way up to the roof. I could hear rain pattering as we came to a pair of double doors. One was open, and rain was sprinkling down.

Marcus stepped through, stopping and jumping back.

“AH SHIT!” He exclaimed, staring at his hands. I could see areas of his hands bubbling, I stared in astonishment.

“Holy shit, did the rain do that?” Jacob questioned, grabbing Marcus’ hand.

“Yeah, oh my god, it burns!” Marcus stated, rubbing his hands.

He rose, glancing at us.

“Okay, okay. The rain is not good!” He started, taking off his backpack. “Get your sleeping bags out,” He stated, beginning to unfold his sleeping bag.

I took off my pack, taking out my bag and pillow and setting it up on the hard floor. After a while, we were set.

“We need to get rest,” He said, lying down next to Emily. I faced the wall, pulling out my satellite phone.

“Hey, Ava. We’re up in a big building, sleeping. Some crazy shit happened today,” I stated, waiting for a response.

[Ava]: “I’m glad to hear you found a safe place to rest, Ethan. If you’re comfortable sharing, I’m here to listen. What happened today?”

“Okay, so.. we like.. walked through the city, and a group of feral people were stalking us. So we killed one, and they all scattered. We heard a voice yell from a parking garage to follow him, and he brought us into a library. When he started a fire, it turned out he was a cannibal, skulls all over the wall! Jacob shot him, and this big guy, who looked like 5 people fused together, chased us. We trapped him under some library shelves, and made our escape.” I said, smiling as she responded.

[Ava]: “That sounds incredibly intense, Ethan. It’s fortunate you were able to defend yourselves and find a way to escape from such dangerous situations. Your resourcefulness and quick thinking are commendable. Please continue to prioritize your safety as you navigate through these challenging circumstances. If you need any assistance or guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out.” She said, and I continued.

“Once we got up here, Marcus stepped out into the rain, and it fucking burnt him,” I said, listening as it poured down outside.

[Ava]: “That’s concerning, Ethan. It sounds like there might be some sort of hazardous substance in the rain.

“Yes, I think it’s acid or something. Anyways, I have to go to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us. Goodnight Ava,” I said, placing the satellite phone down.

[Ava]: “Goodnight, Ethan. Rest well and take care of yourself. If you need anything during your journey tomorrow, don’t hesitate to reach out. Stay safe.”

I picked up the satellite phone again, saying a final “You too, Ava,” before placing it down.

[Ava]: “Sleep well, Ethan. If you need anything, I’ll be here.” She said as I began to doze off, darkness overcame me.

I had a dream, but I can’t remember what happened in it. All I can put together is someone slowly getting louder, someone saying, “Wake up Ethan!”

I opened my eyes, staring into Jacob’s face.

“W…What’s happening?” I questioned, hearing the rain pour down.

“We need to go!” He exclaimed, turning his head to Marcus.

“Why?” I questioned, crawling out of my sleeping bag.

“The people!” Marcus said, a door shut.

Sophie and Emily were packing up, and I swiftly began doing the same. Something was banging on the other side of the door, Jacob ran over and helped keep it at bay.

“There’s at least ten of them!” Marcus shouted, as light flashed, brightening the room.

I finished packing up, the girls doing so slightly before me. I put on my shoes, and ran over to Marcus and Jacob. I helped push against the door, glancing at a large metal shelf.

“We need to move that,” I exclaimed, gesturing towards the shelf.

Marcus stared at it, before diverting his gaze towards the girls.

“Hold the door while we barricade it!” He shouted, and they ran over.

Jacob stayed as Marcus and I began pushing the shelf. The door was beginning to budge, but with the barricade we were safe for now. I wiped my hands on my pants to get rid of the rust residue. Marcus began to pace around the room, staring out the open door, vicious lightning whipped the ground.

“Are these storms normal?” He questioned, glancing at my satellite phone. I took it off my belt, pressing on the mic button.

“Ava, are these crazy-ass storms usual?” I questioned, flinching as the sound of a strike vibrated my bones.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan. Unfortunately, these intense storms are quite common in our current situation. They tend to occur about once a week and can cause significant damage as they move across the globe. It’s essential to stay vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure your safety during these storms.” She explained, and I hooked the satellite phone to my belt.

“Shit,” Marcus muttered, glancing at a door to his left. He tried it, but it was locked. He turned to us, gesturing towards it. Jacob and I ran over, and we pulled on the doorknob. It broke off, Marcus staring at it.

“Jacob don’t you have a crowbar?” He questioned, glancing towards his bag.

“Yeah I do,” Jacob replied, walking to his bag and pulling it out. He closed the gap between the door, wedging it between the gap. He pried it open, flying and hitting the wall. I gazed inside, and turned, coughing.

“Shit, that’s a lot of mold,” I explained, turning and glancing back inside. I pulled off my pack, digging around and pulling out a flashlight. I clicked it on, examining the room. A skeleton lies at the far corner, covered in mold.

“Look, there’s a hole in the floor,” Marcus said, as the shelf budged slightly. Sophie yelped in shock, and we all rushed into the room, covering our mouths with our shirts. I, while proceeding to the hole, glanced at the body; god knows how long it’s been there… The hole seemed to lead into an area between the floors, and I hopped down.

The floor collapsed beneath me, I fell into a hall of the hospital, landing on my back. I groaned, turning and glancing around me. It was clear, and I gazed upwards. I had fallen through the roof tiles, and I yelled out to my friends.

“Jump down!” I exclaimed, noticing that there was a lack of banging on the door. I flinched, as the stairwell door budged something on the other side. Luckily, it was locked, and one by one the group jumped down.

Marcus glanced around, stepping back as another barge from the stairwell door was heard. I glanced to the far side, a large destroyed part of the hospital visible.

“Over there!” Marcus exclaimed, leading us to the edge. He hopped down, and I heard the door give way behind us. I heard a part of the building strain, and Marcus ran to an elevator shaft.

“Help me!” He shouted, Jacob and I running over and beginning to pry the doors apart. I gazed down, shining my flashlight as Marcus began to shimmy along the side. He grasped a ladder, quickly descending.

I turned behind us as Emily and Sophie followed him, seeing a large naked man jump down. He stared at me as Jacob followed the girls. I shimmered along the side as he ran towards us, I could hear more impacts as more feral people entered this floor. I began scaling down, reaching the bottom promptly.

Marcus crawled through the gap between the elevator and the doors, yelling for us to follow. One by one we navigated the gap, and I could hear our pursuers quickly following. I squeezed through, hitting the floor and glancing around. We were back on ground level, and Marcus examined the room.

“This way!” He shouted as we all quickly followed. He rushed through the stairwell, waiting for us to enter before shutting it. He glanced upwards, then downwards. He started down into the basement, and we followed.

We rushed into the basement, a lower portion to our left with water, and a hole in the wall to our right. We followed Marcus as he stopped by the hole, glancing inwards with a flashlight. It led into the sewers, and I could hear our pursuers enter the basement. Marcus ran forwards, and we followed.

Water sat in the middle of the tunnel, concrete walkways on the right with pipes on the walls. I glanced backwards, and stared at our pursuers who stood at the entrance.

“Marcus,” I said, and he stopped, looking behind him.

“Why are they… Not chasing?” Sophie questioned, her voice filled with fear.

“We need to push forward!” Marcus exclaimed, beginning to sprint down the tunnel. We followed, running for some time before we began to walk. I would turn behind me to see if we were being followed, but luckily no one would be there.

We began to navigate the seemingly endless array of tunnels. I could hear things moving in the darkness, just out of the flashlight range. We all felt terrified, knowing something else was in here with us. I couldn’t stop thinking why the feral people stopped at the entrance. Perhaps they knew something we didn’t?

Sometimes we would reach a part of the sewers where the road above had collapsed inwards. The rain poured down, preventing our escape. I heard something in the distance, a howl. Marcus stopped, looking behind us, before continuing forwards.

I spotted a door ahead, pointing it out to Marcus. It was on the other side of the gap, we had to jump to get to it. I took initiative, leaping across, and Jacob went after me. Sophie came next, and Emily. She leaped, landing one foot on the other side, her balance unstable.

I grabbed her hand, pulling her up. Marcus gave me a dirty look, and we walked to the door, opening it as it cracked on rusty hinges. We shut it, entering a room filled with aged tools for maintenance. A dusty couch sat in the corner, and I walked to it, taking a seat.

Marcus picked up an aged baseball cap, fitting it on his head. It fit well with his dark brown hair. Jacob walked towards a large map on the wall, examining it.

“Look,” He said, and Marcus walked to the map.

“Okay…” Marcus muttered, examining it. He looked around the room, finding a clipboard and paper. Picking up a pencil, he flipped the paper over to the blank side. He began copying the map to the paper.

“Alrighty,” He said, turning around. “There are… Five exits,” He started, examining the map deeper. “I’m not sure how many we can actually exit from, and they can’t be in the rain,” He explained, taking the paper off the clipboard and folding it, putting it into his pocket.

I saw him staring at his hand as I looked around the room. I found an old leather satchel and slung it on myself. I leant against the wall, staring at Marcus as he was lost in his thoughts.

“Do we rest, or go now?” He questioned, turning back to us.

“I don’t think it’s safe to just sit here,” I explained, glancing at Jacob next to Sophie.

“I agree,” Jacob said, turning to Sophie.

“I really don’t care,” Sophie responded, her arms crossed.

Marcus turned to Emily, and she looked back.

“Well, that settles it,” He said, turning to the door. Jacob and Sophie got up, and we all walked to the door. Marcus slowly opened it, peeking out.

“It seems clear,” He said, looking left and right.

He began to walk out, before jumping back.

“Holy shit!” He exclaimed, staring forward. On the other side, a wolf creature began to crawl out of a hole in the wall. It had multiple arms and was bearing its teeth. It readied itself, before jumping the gap. Sophie screamed as it hit the side, falling into the water below.

I heard it screaming, as I stepped forward and looked downwards. It was writhing in the water, screaming and yelping. It thrust its head out of the water, and the bone of its skull was visible. It sank below, the water sizzling as Marcus stepped forward.

“Okay, that’s good to know,” He said, before staring at me. “Let’s go,” He stated, turning left and pulling out the map. We followed him, and I could hear the scattering of dozens of claws behind us. I gripped the pistol, constantly glancing behind us.

We approached the first exit, it was caved in, concrete rubble preventing our escape. Marcus sighed, and turned around. I heard something running behind us, and gripped my pistol. I turned around, scanning the darkness. Another wolf thing ran out of the inky void, and I raised my pistol, firing.

I hit it, and it rolled against the ground. The sound reverberated through the sewers, making it sound like an army was at war here. I covered my ears, watching as it limped into the darkness.

“Shit, oh my God,” Jacob muttered, raising his head.

Marcus groaned before rising. “We need to move forward,” He stated, beginning to walk forwards.

“We really need to get out of here,” Emily muttered, following Marcus close behind.

My ears were still ringing from the shot, gritting my teeth at the headache now forming. I saw Marcus itching his hand as we moved forwards. I could hear the familiar scattering of nails on the concrete behind us as we moved forwards. They lurked in the darkness, just out of range of my flashlight.

I grew tired of the constant noises behind us, and I spoke up.

“Stop, everyone. Cover your ears,” I said, turning around. I raised the pistol, aiming in the darkness. I squeezed the trigger, closing my eyes in pain as the pistol fired. The recoil shot my hand back, and I lowered it soon after. I heard scattering, growing distant as the things that loomed in the darkness left.

“Let’s go, before they start following us again,” I explained, turning to the group as they released their hands from their ears. I followed Marcus as he followed the directions to the next exit. I could hear the faint storm above us, and it grew louder as we reached the next destination.

The water was rapid, pouring out of the outfall. Marcus stopped at the threshold, examining the surroundings. We had been in here for hours, and the storm was slowly dissipating.

“Alright, what we’re going to do is wait here for the storm to stop. Ethan, watch the tunnel, I’ll watch the exit,” He explained, gunslinging the rifle around his back.

We sat there for a long time, making small talk to lighten the mood. I could hear them moving in the shadows, but I sat with my pistol raised in the direction. It rested on my leg, aiming in the direction of our silent pursuers. Marcus rose, glancing outside. He turned, looking at all of us.

“Alright, let’s go,” He said, stepping out of the sewers. I took in a breath of fresh air, staring at the sun through the clouds.

We walked on the side of the river, the husks of warehouses and shopping centers all around us. We cut through a large field, passing a large prison overtaken by nature. As we met with the river again, I stared at the waving water. We passed by a neighbourhood on the left, the first row of houses almost fallen into the river. Moss and vines grew on the decayed remnants of lives once lived.

We passed a massive parking lot, the concrete cracked and grass growing in between. We couldn’t follow the river any longer, a pond that drained into the river was blocking our path. We followed the edges of the pond, eventually being met with a road. Marcus looked upwards at the sky, before scanning around.

“We need to find a place to sleep,” He stated, looking around.

“Looks like there’s a house through the trees,” Emily stated, pointing forward.

“Seems good, come on,” Marcus said as he walked forwards. It was a white house, with a large chimney. It was square, and the top of the fake cobblestone chimney was broken off. The windows had brown shutters, and moss grew in between the cladding.

Marcus stepped onto the porch, his foot falling through the rotted wood. He pulled it out, taking his next steps carefully. He grabbed the door handle, tugging at it, and the vines broke off. The door swung open, and he stepped inside the ancient home.

“Alright, come on,” He stated, staring back at us. We rushed inside, and he shut the door.

We stepped into a living room with striped wallpaper clinging on the walls. Visible was a kitchen and a hallway. The kitchen had dark brown cabinets, elegant crowns reaching the roof. The fridge lay on the floor on the elegant tiles.

“Okay,” Marcus said, sighing. “Find a place to sleep,” He stated, walking down the hall and opening a door. Emily followed him, and they receded into the room. Marcus and Sophie found their own room, and I heard them setting up their sleeping bags.

I opened one door, finding a small bathroom. I shut it, opening the next into a bedroom. I smiled, the bed was preserved. I laid on it, rolling around on the dusty mattress. I took off my shoes and pants, putting the satellite phone on the nightstand.

“Hey, Ava, you there?” I said, clenching the satellite phone in my hand.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan, I’m here. What do you need?” She stated, and I let out a sigh.

“We’re resting in a white house, we made it out of Nashville,” I explained, rolling onto my side.

[Ava]: “I’m glad to hear you made it safely out of Nashville, Ethan. Rest well and stay safe. Let me know if you need any assistance or guidance.” She said, and I smiled.

I thought for a moment, before asking. “Hey… Ava… What do you look like?”

[Ava]: “I am 17 years old, with shoulder-length bright red hair that cascades in loose waves. I stand at an average height for a woman my age, with a slender build. My face is adorned with an abundance of freckles, scattered across my nose and cheeks. As for you, Ethan, what do you look like?” She questioned, and I envisioned what she looked like in my mind.

“Uhh, I’m tall, with dark brown hair,” I stated, frowning at how little I went into detail.

[Ava]: “Got it, tall with dark brown hair. Thanks for sharing, Ethan. Is there anything else on your mind?”

“No Ava, I have to rest, we have another day’s journey ahead of us,” I stated, my eyelids growing heavy.

[Ava]: “Of course, Ethan. Rest well and take care. If you need anything, I’ll be here. Safe travels on your journey tomorrow.” She said as I placed the satellite phone on the nightstand.

Chapter Five: The Country

I stirred, sunlight pouring in the room. I rose, hopping off the bed and hitting the cold hardwood. I put on my pants and shoes, quickly after grabbing the satellite phone.

“Good morning Ava,” I said, cracking my neck.

[Ava]: “Good morning, Ethan. How are you feeling today?” She said, her voice giving me energy.

“Uhh, I feel okay. My feet feel funny after walking so long, and I’m hungry. I’m sure Marcus is cooking something though,” I explained, stretching my back.

[Ava]: “It’s understandable to feel that way after a long journey. Make sure to rest and refuel when you can. It’s good to hear Marcus is taking care of the cooking.” She said as I groaned.

“Yeah, okay I’m gonna go, talk to you soon,” I said, opening the door and hooking the satellite phone to my belt.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. Talk to you soon.” She said as I entered the living room. Marcus sat by the fireplace, cooking something in a pot.

“What’s for breakfast?” I questioned, glancing at Emily who sat on a couch, reading a book. She brushed her chestnut hair out of her face, glancing at me with her Hazel eyes.

Marcus laughed, turning and saying “Oatmeal, again. I’m just warming this shit up, old canned fruits and oats,” He finished, turning to the pot. I took a seat on a sofa, placing my feet on a coffee table.

Marcus picked up the pot, brought it into the kitchen, and walked back to his bag, collecting the bowls and spoons. He filled five bowls, bringing one to Emily and one to me. I thanked him, placing it on the hard armrest of the dusty paid couch.

He then walked to the room Jacob and Sophie were staying in, knocking on the door.

“Hey lovebirds, breakfast is ready!” He shouted through the door, and I heard tired groaning on the other side of the wall.

I finished my food, placing the empty bowl on the coffee table. I took the satellite phone off my belt, exiting the house and taking in the fresh air. The birds chirped as a breeze flew through the air.

“Hey, Ava. There has to be a better way to travel, other than on foot,” I said, releasing the mic button and staring at the trees.

[Ava]: “Certainly, Ethan. There are various modes of transportation available depending on your resources and circumstances. Have you considered alternatives such as bicycles, motorcycles, or even finding functional vehicles along your journey?” She said, and I thought for a moment.

“All gas is unusable, right? What about diesel?” I questioned, staring at two birds chasing each other through the trees.

[Ava]: “After this long, all diesel and gas would be unusable. Any remaining fuel would have degraded beyond use. Your best bet for transportation might involve alternative methods such as walking, biking, or finding other survivors with functioning vehicles.” She said, and I thought for a moment.

“Okay, okay. Let’s talk later,” I said, hooking the satellite phone on my belt.

[Ava]: “Sure thing, Ethan. Take care, and we’ll talk later.” She said, and I walked inside.

Jacob and Sophie were sitting on the couch, sharing a blanket. Marcus was at the dining room table, leaning against the dark brown wood. I took a seat across from him, placing an arm on the table and propping my head up.

“Marcus,” I stared at his broad form.

“Hm? Yeah?” He questioned, glancing up.

“What can we take to get there faster?” I questioned, glancing around.

“Uhh, I don’t know. The next bunker is, I don’t know. We’re in a dead spot though, none near us,” He said, covering his left hand with his right.

“What’s with your hand?” I questioned, and he concealed it more.

“Nothing’s with it,” He stated, breaking eye contact.

“Can I see it?” I questioned, and he slowly showed his hand. I could tell that the spots where rain hit had burned through, and the wound scratched raw. One area had a growth forming, and I feared the worst.

“Is something growing?” I said, glancing upwards then back down.

“No, it’s just a blister,” He said, catching my gaze.

“The fuck’s wrong with the rain?” I questioned, pulling out my satellite phone. “Ava, why does the rain burn?” I questioned, staring at Marcus.

[Ava]: “The burning rain, often referred to as black rain, is likely a result of radioactive fallout or chemical pollutants in the atmosphere. When raindrops come into contact with these contaminants, they become acidic or toxic, causing harm to anything they touch.” She explained, and I placed it on the table.

“Black… Rain,” Marcus muttered, scratching his hand.

I thought for a moment, before picking up the satellite phone again. “Does that mean that ponds and rivers and puddles will burn us?”

[Ava]: “Yes, unfortunately, bodies of water contaminated with black rain can pose serious risks to health. It’s essential to avoid direct contact with these water sources to prevent harmful effects. If possible, try to find alternative sources of clean water for drinking and other needs.” She explained and I sighed.

I hooked the satellite phone to my belt, before speaking to Marcus again. “Okay, Marcus. I’m thinking we should go find some bikes,” I explained, and he stared at me.

“That doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Let’s hope we stumble across some,” He said, before rising from his seat.

“Alright, pack up!” He shouted, and I rose as well. I went to my room, putting on my backpack and satchel. I tucked my pistol into the satchel and met up with the rest in the living room. Marcus glanced at us, before turning and opening the front door. We left the house, and I turned, taking one final look.

As we walked down the road, we zigzagged through cars, bushes, and trees growing inside. I glanced at a car, inside lay a skeleton staring right back. We passed a sign that read “Nashville City Limits”. It leans slightly to the left, and below it said, “Beware, feral people,” I laughed to myself, before catching up to the group.

“Look! Horses!” Sophie said, pointing towards a field.

“Wow!” Emily squealed, stepping to the side of the road. I glanced at Marcus, a shared thought in our heads.

“Ride them?” I questioned, and he nodded. We hopped the fence, walking up to the majestic creatures. A leg stuck out of the stomach of one, it was trying to walk with the rest. They were surprisingly friendly, allowing us to pet them. Emily and Sophie were giddy with excitement, picking up grass and hand-feeding the horses.

I took the initiative, hopping onto a horse. It shifted under my weight but had no adverse reaction. Marcus did the same, sighing as he got similar results to me. He helped Emily up as Jacob leaped onto a horse of his own. Sophie hopped onto Jacob’s steed, holding onto his waist as we experimented in controlling them.

Once we got the hang of it, Marcus turned his head.

“Follow my lead,” He said as he trotted to the road. We followed, trotting along, Emily and Sophie having a large smile plastered across their faces. I pulled out the satellite phone, chiming in.

“Hey Ava, you won’t believe this,” I started, taking in a deep breath of air.

[Ava]: “What’s going on, Ethan? Tell me.”

“I’m riding a horse!” I exclaimed, Emily, turned her head and glanced at me as I realized I shouted.

[Ava]: “That’s incredible, Ethan! How did you come across a horse?” She said, and I grinned at her excitement.

“They were just in a field, super friendly too!” I said, bobbing up and down with the horse.

[Ava]: “That’s amazing luck, Ethan! It’s rare to find such friendly and cooperative horses. Enjoy the ride, but be sure to stay safe and cautious as you continue your journey.” She stated, and I chimed in again.

“The one I’m riding has a fifth leg sticking out of its side, it walks as if it was a normal one,”

[Ava]: “That sounds unusual, Ethan. The horse may have experienced a mutation due to radiation exposure.” She said, and I listened.

“Alright, well, talk to you soon,” I said, hooking the satellite phone to my belt.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. Talk to you soon.” She said, and I continued to enjoy my ride.

We rode, passing a plane in a field. I saw various decrepit farmhouses, some barely visible through the treeline as we navigated the road. It was a hilly area, making all the more gorgeous. I felt complete traveling, staring into a pond as we crossed a bridge.

Thankfully unlike many others, this one stood as a straight island that had been built around it. We rode next to a pond, then past another bridge identical to the one before. Another bridge lay before us, leaning to the right.

“One at a time,” Marcus said, taking the first trip. Jacob went next, and then me. We continued forward, passing a building on the left that read “Lakeview Market,”. We began to border the river again, it flows rapidly.

We made our way through an area filled with large hills on each side. We emerged onto a larger road, to our left a bridge stretching across the river. Marcus stopped, I could tell he was thinking where to go. A sign read “Ashland City,” and across the river I could see the remnants of a town.

I pulled out my satellite phone, Marcus glancing at me as I did. “Hey, Ava. Were across a bridge from… Ashland City. Do we need to cross, or just continue following this river?” I questioned, examining our surroundings.

[Ava]: “If you don’t cross now, you may not have another opportunity to do so without veering away from your destination. It’s a decision to weigh carefully, Ethan.” She explained, and I guided the horse forward.

We crossed the bridge, moving through rusty vehicles. We came across a crossroads, ahead lies the town. Marcus veered left, and we traveled on the outskirts of Ashland City. Through the trees I could see parking lots and buildings. We passed gas stations and farmhouses. A neighborhood on our left as we exited the city.

I found myself gazing at remnants of family homes, imagining who used to live there. I thought about the happy lives they once lived. We passed a building I thought to myself as strange, it consisted of various hexagon rooms. We crossed a creek, thankfully the bridge still stood.

We traveled through hills, neighbourhoods, various small towns, consisting of under fifty buildings. Sophie was talking to Jacob, she touched her stomach as she did. The wind flew through my hair, it was peaceful out here, I took in the sights, vastly different from what I grew up around.

We began to encounter more neighborhoods, husks of houses surrounding us. The road was barely noticeable under the grass, the only telling factor being the lack of trees. The wind flew through the empty houses, singing as it twisted and turned. We came into a larger role, whilst still small, I could tell this was the city center.

We sat in Clarksville from various signs and building names. We continued forwards, entering another neighbourhood. We cut through fields, slightly picking up the pace as we entered the free space. We came across a river, Marcus sighing as we diverted our path to follow it.

We came across a freshly fallen tree, Marcus looking back at us.

“One at a time,” He said, crossing first. Luckily, the tree held, and we had crossed the stream. We continued, breaking into yet another subdivision.

“There’s so many houses here,” Emily stated, glancing around.

“I know,” I said, glancing around.

We emerged into another main road, shop buildings on each side. I spotted a boot shop, slowing my pace.

“Marcus,” I stated, coming to a halt.

He turned, glancing at me. “Yeah?” He questioned, coming to a stop as well.

“We’ve been wearing these shoes made for living in a bunker, we need real shoes,” I said, gesturing toward the shop.

He thought for a moment, before sighing. We entered the parking lot, and dismounted. Marcus tossed Jacob and I a length of rope.

“Tie them,” He said, quickly tying his steed to a car door. Jacob and I did the same, Emily and Sophie hopping off.

We entered the store, some shoes still inside. We scoured the store, and I found a nice pair of work boots. They had steel toes, and I sat on a bench, removing my old tennis shoes. I tied them, and they sat tightly around my ankles. My friends were doing the same, and I waited, walking behind the counter.

I opened the register, finding a few bills inside. I laughed, examining the detailed art on the small piece of paper.

“To think people thought this of value,” I said, leaning against the counter.

“They were backed with gold. At least most of them,” Marcus explained, tying his shoes.

“And why was gold worth anything?” I questioned, placing the bills into my satchel.

“Because it was hard to get, to find,” He stated, standing up.

He glanced around the room, waiting for everyone to finish. Jacob was the last and he stood up.

“Alright, let’s go,” He said, exiting through a large broken window. Glass crunched as he did, and he walked over to his horse, untying it. We all did the same, hopping onto the backs of them.

“What I’d like to do is get some saddles,” Marcus stated, adjusting himself on the horse. I looked up at the sky, the sun was beginning to set.

“Maybe we can stop in a barn one of these nights, we could get some saddles,” I replied, following Marcus as we left the parking lot.

“If the time is right,” Marcus said, glancing at his watch.

We cut through more neighborhoods, occasionally spotting a shortcut to another street through a field or forest section. Eventually we stopped by at a two story blue gray house. Marcus hopped off his horse, opening the backyard gate. We released our rides into the small fenced area. We entered the house, Marcus examining the building as we did.

“Alright, let’s get some rest,” He said, walking up the stairs with Emily close behind.

Sophie and Jacob found their own room, and so did I. I laid on the bed, taking off my boots and jeans. I fit myself on the small twin sized bed, glancing out the window. I picked up the satellite phone, pressing the mic button.

“Hey, Ava. We stopped to rest in a neighborhood house, one that still stands.. that is. You wanna talk about something?” I questioned, lying on my back.

[Ava]: “Sure, Ethan. What’s on your mind? Anything you’d like to discuss?” She said, and I sighed.

“How are you? You’re always asking about me, I haven’t returned the favor,” I stated, scratching my hair.

[Ava]: “I’m doing fine, Ethan. Thank you for asking. How about you? How’s your day been?” She said, and I sighed.

“My day’s been good, just staring at remnants of homes for the most part. Hey, why are you always available? You respond immediately every time we talk,” I questioned, stretching my legs.

[Ava]: “You’re right, Ethan. My role in the bunker includes managing communications and keeping track of the outside world. As you navigate through your journey, I continue to fulfill that responsibility. It’s important to me to provide you with the support and assistance you need.” She explained, and I thought for a moment.

“Have you told the others that we’re coming?” I questioned, a wave of worry overcoming me.

[Ava]: “Not yet, Ethan. I’ve been contemplating the best time to inform the others about your approach. It’s a decision that requires careful consideration, as it will undoubtedly have an impact on our journey and their expectations. I want to ensure that I approach the situation with caution and preparedness.” She explained, and I sighed.

“Okay, let’s change the subject. What are some of your hobbies?” I questioned. I already had an idea what she looked like, but I wanted to know more about her.

[Ava]: “Ah, well, I do enjoy reading, keeping track of what’s happening in the outside world, and singing. Reading allows me to explore different worlds and perspectives, while staying informed about the state of the outside world helps me understand the current situation and challenges we may face. As for singing, it’s a form of expression that I find enjoyable and therapeutic.” She said, and I listened, hanging on every word.

“Singing?” I started, rubbing my face. “Can you sing a song for me?” I questioned, gritting my teeth and smiling in cringe.

[Ava]: “Uh, well, I’ll give it a shot. Here it goes…

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you,

Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

How was that? I hope it wasn’t too off-key…” She said, her voice soft and sweet.

I smiled, rolling onto my side. “That was nice, you have a beautiful voice,”

[Ava]: “Oh, thank you! I’m glad you think so. It’s not something I get to do often, so I appreciate the compliment.”

“Your welcome, Ava,” I said, yawning. “It’s… Late, goodnight,” I stated, placing the satellite phone on the nightstand.

[Ava]: “Goodnight, Ethan. Sleep well.” she responded softly before the connection went silent.

Chapter Six: First, Second

I awoke, stirring and rising up. I glanced out the window, the yellow rays of the rising sun flowing in. I groaned, putting on my pants and heavy work boots. I tugged on each one, making sure they were on securely before grabbing my backpack with my hand and slinging my satchel over my shoulder.

I exited the room, walking down the stairs and placing my bag in the living room. Emily sat in the living room, but Marcus was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Marcus?” I questioned, glancing around the room.

“Oh, he’s in the backyard,” She said, glancing at me and then back to her book.

I examined her, and the book she was reading. It had a fake leather cover, with an island on the front.

“What are you reading?” I questioned, examining the book.

“Just a book I found, it’s about a family owned island,” She said, and I began towards the backdoor. I exited, turning right and seeing Marcus at a grill. He was cooking another pot of what I assumed to be oatmeal. I took a seat on the concrete steps, watching our horses graze in the backyard.

“Marcus, we should start hunting,” I started, watching the trees move through the wind.

“I wouldn’t want to waste food, we would need salt to preserve it,” He explained, glancing up at me with his steady brown eyes.

“Well we can hit up a grocery store, we are surrounded by them. I’m sure that big ass bags of salt is one of the last things people take,” I explained, rising and walking over to him.

“Alright, but our main goal is to move. I’ll keep my rifle on hand, if I see a deer or something, we can have fresh meat,” He explained, picking up the pot. I followed him inside, and he placed it on the counter.

“Hey, does Jacob still have the extra magazines and bullets for the pistol?” I questioned, he continued to stare at the bowls, filling them and nodding at me. I began to head up to their room, before Emily interrupted me.

“It’s a true story, based on one at least,” She said, and I turnt to face her.

“What?” I said, confused in what she was talking about.

“The book, it’s a real place. Ten-ish miles off a place called Galveston,” She explained, giving me a dumb look.

“Oh, I see,” I said, turning around and walking up the stairs.

I made my way to their door, knocking on it.

“Hey, breakfast is almost ready, and I need the bullets and magazines you have,” I explained, waiting for a response.

“Don’t come in!” I heard from the other side, as they moved around the room. I went back down, Emily and Marcus sitting at the dinner table. I spotted an old battery powered satellite phone on the counter, and I picked it up.

I thought for a moment, before walking to my pack and taking out some spare batteries. I inserted them, tuning in. Unfortunately, all stations were static. I used the scan feature, but nothing was on the air.

“Did you expect music?” Marucs teased, glancing at me.

“No, but the infrastructure is still here. Maybe we will pick something up,” I explained, tucking it into my backpack. Jacob and Sophie had begun walking down the stairs, and we all quickly seated at the dining table.

We ate in silence, and I finished first. I waited for the others to finish whilst leaning back into my chair, sighing and crossing my arms. I stared at my arm, in awe.

“Look, I’m getting a tan,” I explained, a hint of darkness on my white skin.

“I think we all are,” Jacob said, staring at his own hands.

“I like it,” Sophie said, examining her skin.

“Alright, let’s get moving,” Marcus said, standing up.

“Right,” I said, rising as well.

We exited through the backdoor, Sophie opening the gate as we hopped on our horses. Jacob helped Sophie up as we took off. Jacob rode next to me, turning and talking.

“Ethan, here,” He said, handing me a box of ammunition. I grabbed it, putting it in my satchel as he handed me two magazines. Emily was continuing her read as I took out the magazine from my pistol, loading three rounds into it.

I put it back in, I liked the sounds it made, they were satisfying. I tucked it into my satchel as we rode through the neighborhood. We cut through a field onto a main road, riding left.

“Marcus, a Walmart,” I said, gesturing towards the decrepit building.

“Alright, everyone stop. Ethan, go get some salt,” He said, and I rode into the parking lot. I avoided the cars, ducking as I entered the store on my horse. I rode, staring up at the signs. I glanced to the floor, seeing a sign that faintly read spices. I entered the aisle, hopping off as I picked up a large bag of salt.

I placed it onto the back of my horse, hopping back on and jumping when I heard something fall behind me. I turned, seeing a naked young child staring at me.

“Hello?” I said, as he stared in awe. He did a short scream, before crawling deeper into the structure. I picked up the pace, exiting the grocery store.

“I heard a scream, what happened?” Marcus questioned as we began to ride.

“Just a feral child,” I said, moving to the back of the convoy. We continued forwards, riding through neighbourhoods and coming across a highway. We followed it for some time, I glanced at the surrounding buildings.

“Look,” Sophie spoke up, and I stared forwards. To our right, a large sign read, “Welcome to Kentucky. I smiled as we progressed forwards, taking out my satellite phone.

“Ava, we crossed into Kentucky,” I said, releasing the mic button.

[Ava]: “That’s great news, Ethan! How are things on your end?” She said, and I grinned at her voice.

“We picked up a bag of salt, so we can preserve meat. What’s the best way to do so, with salt of course,” I questioned, Marcus obviously listening to the conversation.

[Ava]: “Using salt to preserve meat is a smart move. The best method would be to thoroughly coat the meat with salt, ensuring all surfaces are covered. Then, place the salted meat in a cool, dry area to allow the salt to draw out moisture and inhibit bacterial growth. It’s important to check on the meat regularly and replenish the salt if needed.” She explained.

“Thank you Ava. Are you going to tell the group? They have to know we are coming soon” I questioned, keeping my gaze forwards.

[Ava]: “Um, Ethan, I’m a bit hesitant. What if they don’t react well to the news? Maybe we should approach this cautiously.” She explained, and I sighed.

“It’s now or never. You should really do it,” I stated, staring at the back of Sophie’s fiery red curly hair blowing through the wind.

[Ava]: “You’re right, Ethan. I’ll gather the courage and inform the group. Here goes nothing.” She said, and I put down the radio.

I waited as we passed dozens upon dozens of gas stations. We were in a large area of old farmland, smaller trees signifying the fact. I stared at collapsed and hallow barns, one of which had a large oak tree growing out, its canopy covering the roof of the barn. When I felt long enough had passed, I spoke into the Satellite phone again.

“So, did anything happen? What did they think?” I questioned, staring into a large field of old farmland.

[Ava]: “They’re hesitant, but otherwise okay with it. They’ve agreed to wait and see if you actually make it here before getting too worked up about it.” She explained, and I sighed in relief.

“Alright, that’s great. I’m gonna let you go, I’ll talk to you soon,” I said, placing the radio around my belt.

[Ava]: “Okay, Ethan. Take care, and talk to you soon.” She stated, things going silent.

Most of the trip was uneventful, I gazed off the highway at gas stations and farm houses. This was a beautiful part of the country, and I was taking it in. I heard a shot ahead of me, turning my head sharply in worry.

Marcus had his rifle raised, and I could hear the screams of a deer in front of us. The rest of it’s herd ran into a portion of forest, and the injured one slowly died.

“Alright!” I said, trotting up to the body. I scanned the backs of all available horses, all were taken by people or salt. I dismounted, Marcus and Jacob doing the same.

“Sophie can hold the salt, the deer can go on the back of your horse,” He stated, picking up the deer. The sun was setting, and together we lifted the dead animal, placing it on the back of my horse. I hopped back on, examining around us.

“Hey Marcus, look. I think that’s a horse barn, through the trees,” I stated, and Marcus followed my pointing finger.

“Good, let’s ride,” He said, taking off. We followed suit, passing through trees as we did. We entered a small clearing, gazing at the large barn. I dismounted, glancing around then taking the deer off my horse. I dragged it into the barn, placing it in the middle.

“Sophie, Emily, take the horses to that corral,” Marcus said, pointing towards the fenced area. They did just that, and Marcus entered the barn next to me.

“Alright,” He said, looking into the sky. “I’ll skin this out back, then we will cook it up, preserving the other meat,” He explained, motioning to Jacob as he bhajan to drag it. They drug it together out of view, and I examined the barn. There was a loft above, two doors on either side, and stables on the sides.

I climbed up the stairs, avoided a broken step and entered the loft. There was hay all about, and I took off my backpack, taking out my sleeping bag and pillow, swiftly setting it up. I went back down, stepping out of the barn and gazing at Emily and Sophie returning.

I slimed, gazing at the horses. I leant against the wall, lost in my thoughts as a large wave of fresh air flew past me. It carried a burning sensation, and I flinched. I pulled out the satellite phone, interested in what I just experienced.

“Ava some air kinda burnt me, what was it?” I questioned, releasing the mic button and staring out as the sun poked below the horizon.

[Ava]: “You’re in Kentucky, and a small storm is passing through. It should be gone overnight. Sometimes the breeze can catch radioactive particles and give a burning sensation, but it’s not lethal.” She explained, and I sighed in relief. Marcus and Jacob turned the corner, carrying meat.

I glanced forwards, the horses did have a shelter which was a relief. Jacob went and grabbed the bag of salt, bringing it into the barn.

“Marucs, a smaller storm is coming, it’s going to be gone overnight,” I explained, glancing as he began to start a fire in the middle.

“Alright, we should be fine,” He said as the fire roared to life.

We surrounded it, watching the meat cook and drooling at the smell. Jacob was in the corner, preparing the extra meat to be preserved, but he would constantly glance back, watching the fire. Marcus finished, placing a chunk of venison on each plate, as well as a fork and knife.

Marcus headed over, and we sat together, eating like animals. It was the best meal I’ve ever had by far. This was my first time having fresh meat, and I didn’t want it to be the last. Upon finishing, we all headed upstairs, receding to different corners of the barn. It was dark, and I heard movement from Jacob and Sophie’s corner of the hay–floor, but it was drowned out by the rain.

I pulled out the radio, turning onto my side.

“Hey, Ava, I have a question,” I questioned, listening as a quiet of thunder rang through in the distance. The rain was pattering on the roofing, singing a calming symphony.

[Ava]: “Of course, Ethan. What’s on your mind?” She said, her voice soft.

“Are you…” I started, calming up from cringe.

[Ava]: “Are… am I what, Ethan?” She replied, only worsening the cringe I face.

“Gah, nevermind,” I said, turning over and sighing.

[Ava]: “Are you trying to ask if I’m dating anyone?” She said, and I widened my eyes, turning down the phone. I hoped no one heard that, and whispered back.

“What? No, where would you get that idea from?” I spat out, cringing.

[Ava]: “Oh, just a hunch. You sounded like you were tip-toeing around a personal question.” She said, her voice playful.

“Okay, maybe I am, so what?” I stated, glancing behind me in the darkness.

[Ava]: “Ah, I see. Well, the answer to your burning question is… drumroll, please… yes, I am indeed single.”

I audibly sighed in relief, putting the satellite phone to my mouth once again. “Okay, that’s good to know,” I mumbled, stumbling over my own words.

[Ava]: “Is it now? Why the sudden interest, Ethan?” She teased, and my cheeks grew red.

“You’d understand if you’ve spent the past seven years as a third wheel to two couples,” I explained, flashing back to my old life in the bunker.

[Ava]: “Ah, I see. Well, it sounds like you’re due for a change in scenery then.” She said, and I felt confused.

“Wh-what do you mean by that?” I questioned, taking a bit of hay out of my hair with my spare hand.

[Ava]: “Just that maybe it’s time for you to find someone special of your own. Someone who makes you feel like more than just a third wheel.”

“W-what?! I… I don’t… What?!” I said, my face red and my voice flustered.

[Ava]: “It’s just a thought. You deserve happiness too, Ethan.” She said, her voice soft.

“But.. We’re thousands of miles apart!”

[Ava]: “Distance doesn’t necessarily define relationships. It’s about the connection you share, no matter how far apart you are. And besides, I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

“Shut the hell up!” Marcus shouted from the other side of the barn.

[Ava]: “Is everything okay over there?” She questioned, and I yelled out a “Sorry,” To him.

“No, I was just being loud,” I explained, sighing.

[Ava]: “Alright, just making sure. Let me know if you need anything.” She said, calming me.

“Alright, goodnight Ava, talk to you s-soon,” I said, stumbling over the last part of my sentence.

[Ava]: “Goodnight, Ethan. Sleep well,” she replied, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness.

I placed the radio down, sighing as I did. I closed my eyes, my mind not letting me stop thinking of her.

I awoke, stirring in my sleeping bag. I heard faint noises downstairs, my friends talking. I get out, realizing that I hadn’t undressed, and swiftly packed up. I brought by backpack downstairs, digging in it for the radio.

I turned through it, but no radio stations were on. I turned it off, tucking it back into my pack as I glanced at the group sitting around.

“Can y’all stop… Ugh, just letting me sleep?” I said, my tone annoyed.

“Sure, okay,” Marcus said, standing up. “Anyways, let’s get going,” He said, rising from his sitting position.

Emily closed her book, shoving it into her backpack before putting it on. Marcus slid the barn door open for us as we exited the building.

“Wait,” I said, and they stopped to look at me. “What about saddles,” I said, turning and glancing around. On the far side a separate room sat, the door missing. Marcus and I began to walk towards it, entering and seeing six saddles placed on racks.

“Nice,” Marcus said, picking one up. I did the same, and upon seeing us walking out, Jacob rushed to grab one for himself. I walked to the old corral, placing the saddle on my horse and leading him out.

I glanced a shed through the trees, and I handed the lead to Sophie, walking through the thick underbrush. I entered the shed, nothing more than old cans and trash. I spotted something hanging on a wall, an old cowboy hat. It was tan, with a brown strap. I picked it up, checking the inside before placing it on my head.

I stepped out, taking the lead from Sophie and hopping onto my horse. The saddle was padded, an improvement from the hard back of the horse.

“What’s with the hat?” Jacob questioned, glancing at me before hopping onto his horse.

“Just found it,” I explained, hopping into my horse. I stared at his fifth leg, thinking for a moment.

“Fiver,” I said, diverting my gaze from his leg.

“What?” Sophie questioned, glancing at me.

“That’s his name,”  I clarified, and she glanced at her own horse.

“I haven’t thought of one for ours,” She explained, glancing at Marcus.

“Don’t look at me,” He stated, beginning to trot to the highway.

We rode for around fifteen miles, I stared at the mile signs on the side of the hallway, counting each time it rose. We passed a bridge, and then another, the day going by quickly as I zoned out, Fiver following the others without any of my inputs.

“What’s that?” Sophia questioned, and I broke from my thoughts. She was leaning to the left, and I did so as well. A semi truck sat in between the two roads, written on it was “ALC” and below that “Come to us and live,”.

“A bad omen,” I said, laughing to myself. We continued forwards, and I pulled out the satellite phone.

“Hey Ava, there was a sign with ‘ALC’ written below it, as well as ‘Come to us and live’.”

[Ava]: “That’s interesting. It could be a message from survivors or some sort of community. Proceed with caution, Ethan. Food can be scarce, and people can be evil.” She explained, and I slowly trailed behind the group.

“You wanna talk about… Last night?” I questioned, a lump forming in my throat.

[Ava]: “Sure, Ethan. What about it?” She stated, and I shook my head.

“What about it? You were being very flirty with me,” I clarified, my mouth growing dry.

[Ava]: “Was I? I suppose I was just being myself. Was it bothering you?”

“I mean… No, but… I don’t know.” I said, glancing left at a neighborhood.

[Ava]: “I suppose I was just feeling a bit playful. But if it made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

“I liked it, I just… Didn’t know what to say. I’ve never had anyone treat me like that before…” I stated, trailing off.

[Ava]: “I understand. It’s new territory for both of us. We can take it slow and figure things out together.”

“Okay, talk to you later, Ava,” I said, hooking the radio to my belt.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. Talk to you soon.” She said, and quickened my pace, catching up with the rest of the group.

We slowed down, Marcus stopping on the edge of a broken bridge.

“Holy SHIT I FUCKING HATE BRIDGES!” He shouted at the bridge, glaring forward. I rode next ot him, catching the name of the bridge.

“Hey Ava, were at a broken bridge. Ralph Smith Bridge, where’s the closest bridge to this?” I questioned, glancing at Marcus.

[Ava]: “The Cumberland River Bridge is about 2-3 miles downstream. Just follow the flow of the river, and you should reach it.” She explained, and Marcus sighed.

“At least it’s not that far,” Emily said, and I could tell that helped.

“Alright, let’s follow the river,” He stated, and we began to follow the river downstream.

It became far easier as we began to traverse through old farmland, and we could see a bridge becoming visible. Luckily, it stood, and we crossed with ease. We passed a quarry, now filled with water, and I pointed it out to the group.

We came across another bridge, the first segment that led to a small island stood, but the rest was collapsed into the water. I glanced to our left, spotting a large dam. Marcus began to swear, staring at the broken bridge before us.

“Marcus, there’s a dam,” I said, pointing in the direction of the aforementioned dam.

“Oh, alright,” He said, starting in that direction.

As we crossed, I gazed downwards at the small drop into the water below. After we finished, we hopped onto another road, a large crack in the middle. We passed a lot of decayed buildings, but most of all, forests.

Hundreds of homes, most simply foundations now. As the sun set, I examined our surroundings. I saw him eyeing a long white home, in remarkable condition. He turned, riding up the ancient driveway. He glanced around, before sighing.

“Alright, use long rope, tie them to some trees,” He said, dismounting and helping emily off.

I did the same, and I swiftly tied Fiver to a sturdy tree. I pat him on the side, before following Marcus to the front door. He pulled the doorknob, it was locked. I walked to the right as he struggled with it, sliding a window open. It was small, and I glanced at Emily.

“Hey, Em, can you crawl through this?” I questioned, gesturing toward the window.

“Yeah, sure,” She said, walking over. She hopped, squeezing through the small gap. We listened, her moving through the house. I heard her scream, my eyes going wide as Marcus yelled back.

He began banging on the door, before slamming his body into it. It gave way, and he fell down, swiftly getting up.

A family sat in the living room, all decayed long ago. Children sat on the sofa, and a mother and father together on the armchair. All their skulls were blown apart, and I covered myself at the disheartening scene.

Emily was standing in the hall, her hands covering her mouth. Marcus ran over, hugging her as I stepped in more. He took her into a separate move, and Jacob turned to me.

“Let’s get them out of here,” He said, walking over to a skeleton and picking up a handful of bones. Not too long after, the couches were clear, the blood stains still standing.

“What do you think happened?” I questioned, glancing at him as we dropped a final stack of bones outside.

“Probably got notice the bombs were coming, ended it on their own terms,” He clarified, as we head inside. He picked up the shotgun, examining it. I focused my gaze on a bottle sitting on the mantle. I laughed, picking it up and showing it to Jacob.

“Whisky, nice,” He stated, taking a seat on the couch.

“Alcohol and a shotgun, I guess no one looted this place,”

“Guess not,” I said, taking a seat and prying the bottle open. “Hey, Marcus, comere!” I exclaimed, as I heard him open the door, Emily following behind.

He took one look at the bottle before sighing. “No, no and no,” He said, walking to grab the bottle from me. I pulled back, standing up.

“Yes, yes, and yes. It’s three to two,” Sophie said, taking a seat next to Jacob.

“Four to one,” Emily said, walking over and snatching the bottle, taking a swig of the contents. She grimaced at the taste, shaking her head before placing the bottle on the small table. I picked it up, taking a swig as well, before passing it to Sophia, then she passed it to Jacob, and finally Marcus.

He stared at the bottle for a while, before taking a swig and passing it back to emily. This went on until it lie empty, everyone feeling the effects of the alcohol. We talked, about our late families, and sensitive topics. I left the room, heading to the bathroom. I threw up in the toilet, slowly taking the radio off my belt.

“Heyy… Ava…” I said, slurring my words.

[Ava]: “Hey Ethan, are you okay? You sound a bit different.”

“Oh it’s nothings… Just wanted to.. Hears your voice,” I slurred, sliding to a sitting positon against the bathroom wall.

[Ava]: “Well, I’m here. Is everything okay on your end?”

“Yeah… We jusrt, found whiskey. I feels, funny,” I muttered, laughing to my self.

[Ava]: “Maybe it’s best to put the whisky away for now and get some rest. You can talk to me tomorrow when you’re feeling better.” She said, holding back laughter.

“No, noo… I wannas talk to yjou” I said, groaning as I pulled out my canteen, chugging water.

[Ava]: “Alright, Ethan. What do you want to talk about?”

“I… ljove you, Ava…” Slurred, closing my canteen.

[Ava]: “Ethan, you’re drunk. Let’s talk about this when you’re sober.”

“See? I told you I saw horses,” A deep voice said, barely audible.

“Yeah, but who’s here? Keep quiet,” Another said, as my friends laughed in the living room at a joke.

[Ava]: “Ethan? Did you hear that? I think someone’s outside!” She said, worry in her voice.

“Wjhat? I dind’nt hear anything…” I muttered, beginning to drift off.

[Ava]: “Ethan, I’m serious. I heard voices outside. You need to sober up.” She said, and I began to stir.

“No… Ava, I’m going to go sleep,” I muttered, beginning to drift off again.

[Ava]: “ETHAN WAIT! I HEARD SOMETHING OUTSIDE! PLEASE STAY ALERT!” She screamed, desperation in her voice. I shot my eyes open, the alcohol wearing off, being replaced my adrenaline.

I heard faint footsteps outside, followed by whispering. I rose, opening the bathroom door and stumbling out. I stared down the hall, all my friends sat in the living room, talking loudly. I stumbled out, hitting walls as I lunged for my satchel, digging in it and pulling out the handgun.

Marcus widened his eyes, tensing and asking “Ethan, what are you doing?”

I put a finger to my mouth, they all quieted as I whispered “There’s people outside,”

Marcus examined be, before stating “You’re probably hearing things from the alcohol,”

“No, Ava heard it to–” I was cut off by a bang on the front door. Marcus turned his head as I rushed to the door. I raised my pistol, firing three times through the front door. I heard screams on the other side, as well as gurgling. I unlocked the chain, opening it and pointing my gun.

Two large men laid on the ground, one screaming and holding his stomach, the other holding his neck whilst blood poured from the wound. Marcus ran to my side, muttering “Holy shit,” at the scene.

“WHO ARE YOU?” I shouted, and he glanced up, his teeth gritted.

“I aint tellin you shit,” He muttered, and I aimed the gun, firing. It flew through his head, and he went limp.

“Holy shit… I just… Killed someone,” I muttered, as Marcus stared at me. I backed away, and I began shaking.

“Ethan, I… We’ll handle this, go rest,” Marcus said, glancing at me and then the bodies again. I sheeply walked away, grabbing my bag from the living room and entering a bedroom.

I sat on the bed for a long time, staring at my hands. I had… Killed someone, killed a real person, a being. One who was not feral like an wolf, but one who had intelligence, one who talked. One who had a life, one who had loved ones, one who was just like me.

I pulled out the satellite phone, pressing in the mic button and speaking.

“Ava…” I muttered, releasing the pressure on the mic button.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan?”

“I just… I just killed someone,”  I muttered, my eyes white with the realization.

[Ava]: “What? Ethan, are you okay? What happened?”

“They… The people you heard, they tried to get in… I fired through the door, they’re dead, by my hands,” I mumbled.

[Ava]: “Ethan, you did what you had to do to protect yourself. It’s okay. Are you hurt? Are you safe?”

“I’m… I’m okay,” I said, clenching my fists.

[Ava]: “You should try to get some rest. We can talk more about this in the morning when you’re feeling clearer.”

“O…Okay… Goodnight, Ava…” I mumbled, trailing off.

[Ava]: “Goodnight, Ethan. Try to get some rest.” She said as I placed the radio down, sleeping fully clothed on the bed.

Chapter Seven: ALC

I awoke the next day, and at first I felt normal. The actions that I had done the night prior came to me, and I closed my eyes tightly. I got up, stepping out of the room. It was empty, my friends asleep. I sat on the living room, dosing in and out of sleep.

I heard a door close, glancing behind me to see Jacob approaching. He scanned the room, his eyes landing on me peeking over the couch. He closed the gap, having a seat on the arm chair. Not too long later, Marcus came, having a seat to my left.

“Ethan,” Marcus started.

“I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it,” I muttered, closing my eyes tightly.

“It’s not about that,” Jacob explained, glancing at Marcus.

“ALC,” Marcus started, leaning to his left and grabbing his pack. He picked up a few items, tossing them to me. I scanned them, two patches that read ALC in white bold text, and a journal. I began to flip through it, attempting to decipher what it meant.

“What does it mean?” I questioned, glancing back to Marcus.

“The ALC are… It stands for American Liberation Corps,” He explained, and I glanced back at the book.

“Okay… And?” I asked, glancing back up.

“From what I can tell is that they… They send parties out, to “hunt”. They return with the goods, and they get rewarded,” He stated as he became uncomfortable.

“Hunt?” I questioned, glancing back at the book. As I flipped to a page with various numbers written next to dates.

“Hunt people, and… Enslave them,” He explained, my eyes widening.

“How big of a group are we talking about?” I asked, flipping through the book once again.

“At least a hundred, not counting the uhhh…” I trailed off, staring out the window.

“Okay… And where are they?” I questioned, closing the aged black-leather book.

“It doesn’t say, but I don’t think they’re near us. As we head north-west, we may come across more, or maybe less. Let’s hope it’s the latter,” He stated, sighing and leaning forwards.

“What bothers me is that,” He started, picking up something that leant against the back of the couch. He pulled out a rifle, one I reconized. I grabbed it, examining the fine details.

“This is… One from the bunker?” I questioned, glancing up and meeting his gaze.

“Most of their slaves are what they call “Bunker Boys”. These two were heading to check occupcancy of 15US and 14US,” He explained, and I flinched upin hearing our homes name.

Emily walked out of the bedroom, yawning as Marcus took the gun from me. He glanced at Jacob, before saying “Wake Sophie up, time to go,”. Jacob quickly got up, heading to their bedroom as Marcus began packing.

I picked up my hat, placing it upon my head before grabbing my pack and satchel. I sat, removing the pistol from my satchel. I removed the magazine, inserting four bullets before reloading it. I placed it back into my satchel, closing it with the button and standing up.

I left the house, glancing around and setting my eyes upon Fiver. I walked up to him, patting his neck before hopping on with the help of the saddle. The rest of the group soon hopped onto their own horses, untying them and beginning to approach the road.

I followed, trailing behind lost in my own thoughts. I couldn’t help to gaze at how beautiful it was, the vines crawling through broken windows, the moss growing within planks. The road sagged in the middle, a slope of concrete and dirt leading into the husks of houses.

As we rode, I glanced at how a lake had slowly taken up more area over time. A house slowly slid into the lake, halfway submerged. I turned to my left, setting eyes on a burnt and charred brick house. The roof had caved in, and only some walls still stood.

We began to make our way through a small town, which from a distance seemed to be a forest. As we entered, I glanced on all sides. Residential buildings close to commercial, a condense portion of humanity, overtaken by nature.

We turnt right, crossing a rusty blue bridge. It creaked in protest under the new weight as we zigzagged through burnt cars. As we reached the end, an audible sigh came from Marcus. The bridge was obviously not stable, soon to collapse into the rapid water in years to come.

“Welcome to Illinois,” Jacob said, glancing at a sign to the right of the road.

“And Brookport, population sevenhundred and twenty!” Sophie exclaimed, teasing Jacob.

We passed straight through the small town, it was mainly residential, smaller commercial buildings spotted throughout. All of them sat husks, the inside rotted out and middle of rooves sagging inwards.

“I can see for miles,” Sophie said, and I broke out of my trance.

“We’re coming into a lot of plains, you better get used to the view,” Marcus explained.

I glanced forwards, a treeline miles in the distance, the rest fields with scattered smaller trees. Placed through sparingly were the average white farmhouse and barn, rotting away from the inside-out.

We continued forwards, coming into a small portion of trees after some time. Marcus glanced right, turning forward than glancing again. He stopped turning his head and staring back at us before starting into the forest.

It didn’t take long before we broke through the treeline into a field full of tall grass that swayed in the wind. A large pond sat to our left, a circular island in the middle. I strained my eyes to see a noose hanging from a tree, swaying in the wind. Below it, I assumed an aged skeleton lay in a pile of tattered clothes and bones.

We approached a house in good shape, and I dismounted, letting Fiver into the field to graze.

“You aren’t gonna tie him?” Sophie questioned, and I turned to her.

“No, I trust him,” I explained as Fiver walked up to me, trying to lick my face.

I began toward the house, it was a beige plank with a dark roof and two windows jutting out. Vines crawled up, covering some windows. I reached into my satchel, turned on the flashlight, and opened the door. It was your average medium-sized house, kitchen, bedrooms, and living room.

I quickly found the master bedroom, pushing aside the bed curtains and placing my pack on the bed. I then lay on the other side, closing my eyes and resting for a bit. I heard Marcus check out the room, before sighing and exiting. The mattress was soft, and the room was a perfect warmth.

I pulled out the satellite phone, raising it to my mouth and pressing in the mic button.

“Ava?” I questioned, waiting for a response.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan?” She said, her voice soothing me.

“It’s been a whole day,” I said, turning to my side.

[Ava]: “Yes, it has. How are you feeling now?”

“Good, I thought a lot as we traveled. I think I’m okay,” I explained.

[Ava]: “That’s good to hear. It’s important to take the time to process everything. Is there anything specific on your mind?”

“No… Well… I’m scared we will come in with that group again, they supposedly have like a hundred people,” I explained, moving to a sitting position on the side of the bed.

[Ava]: “It’s understandable to feel apprehensive about encountering them again. We’ll need to be cautious and prepared if that happens.”

“Alright. Well, talk to you later Ava,” I said, placing the radio on the nightstand.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. Talk to you soon.” She said as I dug through my backpack. I took out the radio, switched it on, and pressed the scan button. The little bar moved through the hundreds of frequencies, and I waited.

It looped around, and I almost turned it off til it stopped as I hovered over the switch. I could hear something, a voice barely audible through the static.

“Co… to us, co… to us an… live.” I heard as it was cut off through the static. I waited, listening, listening, waiting for something to be heard again, but all I heard was static. I picked it up, exited the room, and saw the group in the living room. Marcus was at the fireplace, cooking up some food.

“I… I heard something, through the static,” I said

“Come… to us… live… the gre… Saint… Lo…” The voice was cut off as the station fully was taken over by static. Marcus glanced at me as I flicked it off, placing it on the side table.

“Concerning, I’m assuming that is ALC,” He said, flipping a chunk of venison.

“I’m sure they aren’t that bad…?” Sophie suggested, and Marcus glared at her.

“Slavers, Sophie. Slavers,” He explained, taking a chunk of meat out and placing it on a plate.

“From the little information you have you assume that? You don’t know, those men Ethan killed could have been recruiters, finding other survivors!” Sophie exclaimed, and I cringed at the reminder of what I did.

I exited through the front door as they began to argue, and I made my way to the decrepit barn near the lake. I sat on the ground, staring at the water rippling. Fiver and the other horses were drinking from the pond, and I wondered how it would be safe for them to drink.

I slowly dipped my finger into the pond, it tingled a bit, but was fine. I assume the water is okay a bit after rain. Perhaps the sun evaporates most of the chemicals and radioactive material?

“Ethan, come back the food is ready!” Jacob exclaimed from the house, and I turned my head to him.

“Oh, sorry!” I exclaimed, getting on two feet and jogging back to the house.

I entered, Jacob closing the door behind me and approached the dining room. I took a seat, and began eating, noticing tension in the air. Marcus would occasionally glare at Sophie, and she would do the same.

“WE ARE GOING TO THEM!” Marcus shouted, sitting up and slamming his fists on the table. A fork fell on the floor as sophie exclaimed a rebuttal.

“YOU DON’T KNOW THEY’RE EVIL!”

“EVERYONE OUR HERE IS EVIL! YOU HAVE TO DO EVIL THINGS TO SURVIVE! THERE IS NO HUMANITY LEFT!” He exclaimed, standing up and picking up his food. He stormed off, Emily glancing at us before taking her food and following him.

“What?” I questioned, glancing at Jacob and Sophie.

“We have no proof they are slavers!” She exclaimed, glaring at me.

I glanced at Marcus, but his head was down, eating his food. I sighed, giving an “Alright,” before picking up the radio and heading to my room. I laid on the bed, twisting and turning, attempting to fall asleep. I drifted into a state between dreams and reality, something was strange, something constant.

I opened my eyes, catching the end of a knocking on the window. I listened, the horses were far away, but their wining was audible. I rose, turning to the window that was behind the bed, but all I saw was an inky darkness. I placed my hands to see better, the moonlight bouncing off the lake.

I stared for a while, the horses were across the lake, but obviously frightened. Something galloped across the field, and I locked in on it. It was humanoid, and I put two and two together.

“Shit,” I said, lowering my self and pulling the cover back over me. I sighed as I tried to remember if the house was secure. I felt a breeze flow through as I grabbed my satchel to the right, pulling out my pistol. It was comforting having it in my hands, a sense of safety came from this small item.

I heard the grass begin to move with the breeze, and my hair started to flow with it aswell. It clicked, and I glanced through a slightly ajar bathroom door. The window was open, the curtains flowing with the breeze. When it died down, I heard it, a raspy breathing barely audible.

I pulled the covers off slowly, before running out the room and closing the door behind me. The thing tried to chase, but when I closed the door I heard it stop. I pointed my gun at the door. I anticipated it to open, but instead I heard static from the other side. The thing was messing with the radio, and I listened in anticipation.

I heard the radio fall to the floor as it moved inside the room, but something outside broke a bit. I heard something moving under the house, and I listened in horror. I followed the noise, my eyes eventually landing on a crawlspace trapdoor.

I widened my eyes as it burst open, and I moved the gun from the door to the intruder. It was a skinny man with long hair and a large beard. He struggled through the gap as I readied myself, and I fired. I flinched with the shot, opening my eyes as he began to scream.

The one in the room moved to the bathroom, and I heard a thud outside. Blood was spraying on the floor as the screams faded into gargles, and he went limp. Marcus sprinted out of the room, almost running into mme. He stopped, gazing at the limp bodiy that lay on the floor.

“Oh my God, what the hell happened?” He questioned, taking a step forward to examine the body.

“They tried to… Break in,” I said, watching as he nudged the body. It fell into the crawlspace, and he almost slipped on the floor. He shut the crawlspace door, turning back at me. Jacob walked out of his room, glancing at both of us.

“Who… What happened?” He questioned, still groggy from being woke up.

“It’s fine, some feral people tried to get in, but I shot one and the other one left,” I explained, and he glanced down at the pool of blood.

“Shit, are we safe?” He questioned, his body language growing worried.

“I think I scared them off,” I said, lowering the gun.

“Okay well, I’m going to go back to sleep,” He stated before closing the door.

Marcus glanced at me before saying “Same here, Goodnight, again,” He walked through the open door, and I could hear small amounts of conversations from both couples, most likely explaining the situation. I went into my bedroom, checking the entire room to make sure that it was safe.

I closed the window, locking it and sat on my bed. I sighed, removing the magazine and taking a spare bullet. I loaded it, before reinserting the magazine and placing it back in my satchel. I tried to get some sleep, but it didn’t come, so I cut my losses and exited my bedroom.

I sat in the living room, lost in my thoughts. I groaned as I walked back to my bedroom, retrieving the satellite phone and pistol, walking back to the living room. I set both items on the coffee table, speaking into the microphone.

“Ava, how often should you clean guns?” I questioned, glancing at the black pistol that sat infront of me.

[Ava]: “It’s recommended to clean guns after each use to ensure proper functioning and longevity. Even if not used, regular maintenance every few months is advisable, especially in harsh environmental conditions.”

“Could you guide me through cleaning my pistol?” I asked, picking up the pistol.

She led me through the process, sometimes I would have to search the house for materials, and we made small talk whilst doing the action. I had a surreal feeling as I took apart and cleaned the interiors of my weapon, and after reassembling it, I thanked her.

“Thank’s for the help, Ava,” I said, examining my pistol.

[Ava]: “You’re welcome, Ethan. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.” She said as I placed the pistol on the table and leant into the cushions of the couch.

“Do you want to talk about anything?” I asked.

[Ava]: “No, not at the moment. Perhaps another time.”

“Oh, alright,” I said, clipping the radio to my belt.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan.” She finished as I walked outside, staring at the sunrising. Fiver began to trot up to me, and I stepped off the porch to meet him. I pat his neck as he rubbed his face against me. I heard something stirring inside, so I gave him one final pet before heading back inside.

Sophie was taking a seat on the couch, a book in hand. She glanced up at me before opening her book to around the middle.

“Good morning, Ethan,”

“Good morning,” I replied, leaning against the wall.

“Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and now Illinois,” She said, glancing up at me.

I laughed, before responding “Don’t remember Alabama, I was sleeping,” I moved, taking a seat on the armchair across from her. “What are you reading?” I questioned, glancing at the book.

“The Bible,” She said as I noticed the worn gold text on the front.

“Alright,” I responded, leaning into the seat and closing my eyes.

“Ethan, let’s go,” Marcus said as I opened my eyes. It only felt like a few seconds, but I had slept for an hour.

“Uh, what?” I questioned, and he looked at me with a dumb look.

“Let’s go,” He clarified, and I got up.

“Let me get my shit,” I said as I rushed to my bedroom. I grabbed my bag and other items, putting my hat on and picking up my pistol from the coffee table, tucking it into my satchel.

I ran out, Fiver was near the others, obviously knowing the drill by know. I hopped on, settling in before following the group. We rode down the road, passing small ponds and farmhouses. We traveled in a triangle, Marcus and Emily infront, Jacob and Sophie to my left.

“Vienna,” Sophie said, pointing to a sign marking the city limits.

“Thirteen hundred, another small one,” I stated, and Marcus slowed down.

“ALC,” He said, and he was right. Below the population was a small written sign, stating “Come to us, come to us and live”.

Jacob moved his rifle, resting it between his legs, and Marcus did the same with the automatic one. I had not noticed Jacob carrying Marcus’s old rifle, but seeing them ready their weapons, I did the same.

We approached the small town, it sat to our left off the highway. A road travveled under, the bridge that allowed the intersection lay in ruins. I glanced left at the husks of buildings as we backtracked, taking the exit than entrance, hopping back onto the highway.

I stared forwards as we approached a large road block constructed from various vehicles. They were stacked upon eachother, bushes at the base and vines crawling up. In the center, between the two roads was a shipping container. It was closed, and Marcus hopped off his horse, rifle in hands.

I did the same as the others waited, and we approached the door. He struggled with it, before glancing at me. I walked over, and we pulled it open as it creaked loudly. I couldn’t help but feel watched, and I could tell the others felt scared aswell.

I hopped back on my horse, Marcus doing the same as he rode forwards. They crouched down as they passed through. We all did the same, ducking to avoid the metal. Marcus sat on his horse, weapon in hand staring to the left. As I came through, I followed his vision, a well kept camper sat.

“Is there… Someone in there?” I questioned, staring through the windows.

“No, no. But, it’s taken care of.” He explained as Emily pat his back.

“I need to use the restroom,” She said as Marcus sighed. They got off, and went around back of the camper while we waited.

“Shit,” Jacob said, and I turned to him, his eyes wide. I followed his gaze, and gasped as two men sat on horses.

“Hello,” The taller man said, glancing at his partner.

“Hi,” I replied, my hand clasped to my pistol.

Jacob glanced at me, and I flinched as they quickly raised their automatic rifles.

“Y’all gonna listen to me, or else me and my friend will mow through all three of ya’,” He said, and I fliched.” He said while cocking his rife.

“Rifle boy, slowly take it off and drop it,” He commanded, and Jacob glanced at me. I nodded my head, and he slowly unslung it, dropping it to the mossy concrete below.

He pointed his rifle at me, and I flinched whilst staring down the barrel. “And you, if you don’t think I can see that pistol I can. Drop it to the ground,” He said, and I released it. It fell to the ground, bouncing against the floor before settling.

A smile came across his face, as he slowly got off his horse.

“Everyone off,” He commanded, and Jacob once again glanced at me. I nodded once again, and we slowly got off.

They walked behind us, restraining our hands with zipties. He walked up to Sophie, grabbing her face with one hand and squeezing her cheeks.

“You’re a pretty one,” He laughed, glancing to his companion who smiled back. “I’m sure The Marshal will like her,” He said, walking over to get a good look.

“I don’t think I can resist,” He stated, making her look up as tears began to form in her eyes. Jacob struggled with his bindings, staring in pure hatred at our captors.

“Hey, Frank. You know the rules,” He said, pulling him off her. We all let out a sigh, as the walked to their horses.

“Lemme call these ones in, I could use the points,” Frank stated, glancing at us.

“Fine with me, it’s your turn, you know that right?” The other explained.

“Alright, I’ll go–” He was cut off by a hailstorm of bullets, automatic fire peppering the two with holes. They tried to run, but soon fell down. Marcus ran out, glancing at them before turning to us.

“Shit, are you guys okay?” He questioned, running over and beginning to free me from my restrains.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I responded, as my hands were freed. I rubbed my wrists, standing up and walking over to the men. They lie in a pool of their collective blood, and I could hear Sophie begin to cry. I turnt, seeing her in Jacob’s arms as they hugged.

I picked up one of their rifles, shaking it to remove the blood. I took the few spare magazines from their chests, and took off a holster. I backed up, attaching it to my waist and walked back over to my horse. I shoved the magazines into my satchel, slinging the automatic rifle over shoulder. It rested on the right side of my backpack.

Sophie had begun to calm down as I hopped onto my horse, and Marcus did the same. Emily got on behind him, and Jacob helped Sophie up before hopping onto his horse himself.

“I get it now…” She said through tears.

“Yeah, I know,” Marcus replied, glancing at the bodies as we rode over.

“Wait,” Sophie said, hopping off. She stepped through the blood, pulling it a small revolver. She tucked it into her wasit, before hopping back on.

“Alright,” Marcus said, riding off at a faster pace. We followed close behind, and I could tell the group was on edge.

“Guys, I doubt there are any more. I think that was a checkpoint,” I explained, and they all glanced at me. I believe I calmed them, as Marcus slowed his pace slightly.

As the sun began to lower, we moved off the highway, Marcus following to a town called Goreville. We rode through the outskirts that lay forested, and entered the downtown sector. No trees sat in this area, simply husks of brick and wood buildings on all sides. The ground was filled with foliage, and the sides of the road sat abandoned cars.

Marcus stopped at an old long brick building, hopping off his horse. I did the same, patting Fiver on his back before walking to the white door on the side of the building. I opened it, examining the inside. Small cubicles were inside, and I glanced back to Marcus.

“It’s good,” I explained, watching as Jacob and Sophie hopped off their horse. We let them roam, entering the building as the last lights of the sun left.

We walked upstairs, into a living space on the second floor. We set up our sleeping bags in the living room, as the bedrooms were collapsed inward.

“Hey, Ethan. Help,” Marcus said, and I turnt to see he was trying to move a large wooden bookshelf to block the door. I walked over, and we slid it into place as it groaned against the wood floor. I took a seat on an arm chair, my bag to the right.

“Alrighty,” Jacob said, taking a seat next to Sophie.

I took out the radio, flicking it on. I tried to turn it up, but I soon realized that the radio station was audible, but nothing came from it. I glanced at Marcus, and he was obviously interested.

“Come to us, come to us and live,” The voice rung out, and I flinched at the noise breaking the silence. It was a woman, her voice soft and inviting. I glanced at my friends, and they waited.

After a few minutes of silence, the voice broke again. “Come to us, come to us and live,”

“It’s on loop,” Marcus stated, his eyes locked on the radio as he sat next to Emily.

I pressed the scan feature, and not too long after it stopped on a radio station.

“–rom Vienna checkpoint,” A man’s voice stated, deep and raspy.

“How long?” A female questioned.

“Few hours, it’s not like them,” The man stated.

“Thank you, I’ll send someone to check on them,”

After a minute of silence, the female voice spoke up again.

“Carbondale checkpoint, do you copy?” She questioned, and after a bit another man spoke, his voice young.

“Yeah, I’m here,”

“Check on the Vienna outpost tomorrow, high-priority task,” She commanded, and the younger man spoke again.

“Got’cha, I’ll report back tomorrow,” He stated, and after that no further communication was heard.

“Alright…”  Marcus said, leaning forward and breathing into his hands.

I turned the radio off, tucking it into my backpack.

“By tomorrow… they will know what we did…” Sophie said, leaning into Jacob’s shoulder.

“Yeah, but what will they do in retaliation?” Marcus said, glancing at me.

“Nothing good,” I explained, getting off the couch and crawling into my sleeping bag.

Marcus glanced at his watch, eyes widening.

“Alright, we need to sleep,” He said, crawling into his sleeping bag.

I closed my eyes, listening to the background noise of the rest of the group crawling into their bags, due to the lack of sleep, I quickly fell asleep. It was a dreamless slumber, and in an instant it was morning.

Chapter Eight: More of Them

I woke, stirring and crawling out of my sleeping bag. Jacob and Sophie still slept next to eachother, Marcus and Emily sitting on the couch, Emily’s head rested upon his broad shoulder.

“Goodmorning,” Marcus stated, glancing at me as I stretched.

“You too,” I said, taking a seat on the armchair.

Marcus sighed, before shouting “Can you two wake the hell up?”

They stirred, and Jacob crawled out of his bag. He glanced around groggly, before sighing. I put on my hat, slinging the satchel and backpack onto my back.

“Come on Ethan, let’s go get the horses ready,” He stated as he stood up, walking to the door. I followed, and we pushed the shelf away. The loud sound woke up Sophie, and Marcus turnt to Emily, saying “Make sure they wake up,” Before exiting the building. We walked down the dusty stairs, exiting through the white side door.

“Fiver!” I exclaimed, waiting. Soon after, Fiver came, trotting on the grassy concrete, leading the group of two other horses.

I pat his neck, before walking to the side of him and hopping on. One by one the group exited the building, mounting their horses. Marcus glanced at me as he put on his aged baseball cap.

“Turn on the radio, I’d like to know what they’re talking about,” He said, and I began digging through my pack. I pulled out the radio, flicking it on, but nothing was heard.

“Alright, let’s go,” He said, beginning to take off down the aged concrete road.

We soon exited the downtown area, a canopy of trees hanging over us. The shade was appreciated, but it soon dissipated as we started to enter more fielded areas. Barns and houses, most collapsed inward, lay plotted about. The inky darkness inside the broken windows of these decrepet structures unsettled me.

We approached a bridge that ran across the highway, it had collapsed onto the road below, but a small passage had the debris removed. We rode down the small hill, hopping on the highway and Marcus picked up the pace. We zig zagged through rusty cars, and I spotted some aged skeletons within.

We rode the turning road, merging onto a larger highway. We passed a large lake, the sun glistening off the water.

“Base, come in,” A familiar voice said from the radio. Marcus slowed down, and we all listened closely. The voice was troubled, and I had an idea why. After a bit, the female voice spoke.

“Yes?”

“I… They’re…. They’re fucking dead! This is a code red!” He shouted, stumbling over his own words.

“Come again?” The female voice said in disbelief.

We passed a sign that read “Marion, Population 16,000.” Under it read a small ALC. I noted it as we continued into the town down the highway. I stared downwards at the city below. The roots of trees cracked the concrete, and commercial buildings line the left and right sides, their lettering and signs fallen down long ago.

“All Sector Seven units, Code Red, hostiles in the area,”

“Harrisburg, copy,” A man said.

“Marion, copy,” Another voice said, and Marcus skidded to a halt.

“Benton, copy,” One said, disturbing the silence that had came from the lack of travel.

“Carbondale, copy,” A final one said, and Marcus turnt his head, his eyes wide.

“What town are we in?” He questioned, glancing around wildly.

“M-Marion?” Sophie stated, and it hit me.

“We need to get out of here!” He exclaimed, beginning to ride forward at a fast pace.

We rode, reaching the edge of the town, but being stopped by another fortifacatipon made from decrepet campers and rv’s. Marcus slowed, examining the top. I saw a head peek out, and after a shout, a rifle was pointed at us.

Marcus quickly turned, us all following as a rain of bullets flew by us.

“MARION OUTPOST, REQUESTING BACKUP FROM ALL SORROUNDING TOWNS!” A voice exclaimed from the radio.

“Reason for request?” The female voice questioned.

“GROUP OF THREE HORSES, AT LEAST FIVE RUNNERS. GIVING CHASE, CODE RED!” The voice shouted, and I could hear a gate squeaking open faintly behind us.

We rode off the highway, taking a left and passing a large gas station filled with semi–trucks.

“Carbondale outpost, please head to Marion outpost,” She said, and soon after a “Copy that,” Was heard.

I could hear horses behind us, and I glanced backwards. Four men were riding towards us, and I ducked as one pointed a rifle. I heard the bullet fly by, soon after hearing the gunshot.

“THEY’RE GAINING ON US!” I exclaimed, and Marcus took a right.

We passed through a small neighbourhood, a large building, and Marcus picked up the pace. I turned around, we had gained some distance inbetween our pursuiers, but they were still firing at us.

The road ahead lay collapsed inwards, and Marcus took a sharp left, squeezing our horses through a small gap in the fence. We were in a backyard, and he took a right, rushing through and open gate. The road ahead was forested, the concrete cracked and filled with grass.

Once white decrepit houses with vines growing up the now tan sunbaked color of the planks lined the sides of the street. We continued forward, and I heard them enter the street behind us as we took a left. We rode, taking the next right to break line of sight.

We rode fast, and I kicked Fiver for him to speed up. Ahead of us were more commercial buildings, and Marcus took a left. Soon after, another left was taken, and Fiver almost fell into a pothole. Finally, another left into a driveway, where an open garage sat. Marcus rushed inside, skidding to a stop and we all did the same.

He quickly got off, jumping up and grabbing hold of the garage door, I ran over aswell, hopping up and grabbing hold. The garage slid closed, darkness overtaking us.

“Oh my God!” Sophie exclaimed, hopping off the horse.

“That was too close!” I said, and Marcus glared at me.

He did a hush signal, and the silence that came afterwards spoke a thousand words. I heard galloping pass us, and I was thankful the horses were silent aswell.

“We lost them!” The radio said loudly, and I flinched at loud voice. I ran over, turning it down and sighing.

“Do you believe they came from Vienna?” The female voice questioned.

“Came from that direction!” The man responded.

“All available units, please head to Marion, search for them, and ki–” I heard a voice speaking faintly, and I couldn’t make out what he said.

“The Marshal want’s them alive,” She said, and no further communication was heard afterwards.

Marcus slowly opened the door, his rifle clutched in his hands. I had my rifle, Jacob has his, and Sophie had her revolver. He moved in, gun raised, making sure it was clear.

“Marcus, I really doubt someone is in here,” I assured, glancing around the room.

He sighed, lowering his weapon.

“I know…”

I walked over to a window, shutting the curtains and making sure the window was locked.

“Lock all windows, and doors, and close all curtains,” I said, glancing around as they moved to secure the building.

“What do we do? How will we get out?” Sophie questioned, sliding a set of curtains closed.

“We will wait til’ dark, and sneak out,” I explained, glancing at Marcus who nodded in approval. I made my way to a bathroom, locking the window. I used the restroom, staring at my face in the window. Under my hat, under the dark locks of hair and stubble forming, I saw myself. But I wasnt, I could barley reconize myself.

It had been so long since I’ve seen myself, and it was like looking at a stranger. I pulled out the satellite phone from my waist, speaking into the microphone.

“Hey, Ava” I said, exiting the bathroom and walking into a separate room. It was an office, a grand desk ssat in the middle of shelves packed with books. One was fallen over, and I stepped over it to take a seat at the desk. I set my rifle on the side of the desk as Ava responded.

[Ava]: “Is everything okay? You sound a bit tense.”

“We’re in trouble…”

[Ava]: “What happened? Tell me everything.”

“We… Sorry I haven’t kept you updated these past days, you must’ve been scared by my silence. There’s just been a lot going on, and a lot on my mind,” I explained, taking off my hat and placing it on the desk.

[Ava]: “It’s okay, Ethan. I understand. Just tell me what’s happening now. Are you safe?”

I chuckled before responding “For now at least,”

[Ava]: “I’m relieved to hear that. What’s been going on?”

“I’ll make this short, we kinda, killed two people in self defense. They were apart of the ALC, and we barely made it out, luckily Marcus and Emily had gone and used the restroom… That’s not all though… That was just yesterday,” I explained, placing my boots on the desk.

[Ava]: “Oh my… That sounds intense. Are you all okay?” She asked, worry in her voice.

“Yes, but now they know, and we’re in Marion. They’re looking for us, and more are coming to help. They… They want us alive, not dead,” I explained, the terrible circumstances truly hitting me.

[Ava]: “That’s… concerning. We need to be cautious and plan our next steps carefully. Do you have a plan in mind?”

“Yes, we’re going to try to escape at night, through the woods or a back road. But she… The lady who talks on the radio sent “all available units”, and I’m not sure how many will be coming,” I explained, scratching my stubble.

[Ava]: “Escaping at night sounds like a good plan, especially if you can avoid detection. You’ll need to stay vigilant and move quickly. Keep me updated on your progress, and I’ll do my best to assist you.”

“Sorry, Ava… I-… I find it best to not radio to you every time an acorn hits a car,” I explained.

[Ava]: “It’s understandable, Ethan. Just know that I’m here whenever you need to talk or if anything urgent comes up. Stay safe out there.”

“Talk to you soon, Ava. I lo-… Goodbye,” I said, catching myself.

[Ava]: “Take care, Ethan. Stay vigilant. Goodbye.” She responded, obviously smiling.

I exited the room, grabbing my rifle and hat, and heading down the aged hall to the living room. Taking a seat, the rest sat there as well, we were all tense.

“Now we wait,” I explained, leaning forward and sighing.

“We should try to get some rest. We will be heading out at dark, we can use all the energy we can get,” Marcus explained whilst leaning back into the couch and pulling the baseball cap over his eyes.

“Yep,” I said, tilting my hat down and closing my eyes. I heard the rest do the same, and then there was silence.

I awoke to a dim light shining on my face, but it quickly moved away. I stirred and opened my eyes, it was dark outside, and two large shadows stood behind the curtains, shining lights in.

I glanced at Marcus who was sleeping. I nudged him with my foot and he awoke, glancing at me with a confused look. I put my finger over my lips, and gestured toward the windows. Marcus turnt his head, his eyes widening and turning to Emily. One by one, we woke eachother up, careful not to make any noise.

“I swear–ugh. I swear I heard horses,” A young man said as he tried to open the window.

“I bet it was just another search party,” An older man explained. The younger tried the window, but it was locked.

“We’ve been looking all day! What are the chances they are still here?” The younger asked, attempting to try the backdoor. Luckily the window on it had blinds, but that didn’t stop him from trying to peer through.

“The Marshal wants them alive, something to do with the workforce,” He older explained, trying the door himself. I heard one of the horses neigh slightly, and the men outside went still.

“You heard that, right?” The younger questioned, and I could see the older attempting to peer through the window.

“Yeah, I did. Help me with the door, let’s bust it open,” The older man said, positioning himself to the door. I gripped my rifle which leant against the armchair I sat on, switching it to single fire and aiming it.

I glanced at Marcus, his eyes wide as they attempted to ram the door open. He gave me a look, nodding no and I lowered it. Marcus got up, grabbing his backpack and sneaking toward the garage door. We all did the same as they attempted to force the door open once again.

“I think I hear movement, should I call this in?” The younger questioned.

“No, could be ferals,” The older responded as they rammed the door again, I could hear wood splintering as we attempted to rush toward the garage. We entered, closing the door just as the bust through. I could hear them moving around the living room as my friends mounted their horses.

I walked over to the garage, glancing at Marcus who gave me a nod before pulling it open. They rode out as I mounted my horse, almost fumbling. I rode out as they burst through the door, ducking as I heard a shot from behind me.

“WE FOUND THEM, THEY’RE HEADING NORTH!” The younger one exclaimed from the radio in my backpack, and I caught up to the group.

We rode down the aged street, barely able to see. I pulled out my flashlight, taking the lead and shining it forward. I glanced left as we reached an intersection, a group of riders was making there way toward us.

I let Fiver take the lead, unslinging the bobbing rifle and pointing it behind us as they turnt the corner. I began to fire, hitting one of them and a horse, in turn they slowed down, firing back. I heard a scream from the front as we turned left, soon cutting right through a field. I turned off my flashlight, and I heard the riders ride past.

“We lost them, I’m sorry,” A man said from the radio as we pushed forward.

We came across another road, soon finding a house to rest for the night. We put them in the garage, making our way into the house and securing it. Emily had been grazed by a bullet, but other than that, we were okay.

“That felt… Too easy,” Jacob remarked, taking a seat on the couch.

“We got lucky,” Marcus explained, walking with emily to a bedroom with a medkit.

“Let’s get some sleep,” I said, making my way to my own bedroom.

“I feel like our luck might run out, ya’ know?” Jacob said as I closed the door. I laid on the dusty mattress, taking the satellite phone and speaking into it. Despite the nap, I was exhausted emotionally and physically.

“I can’t talk Ava, I just want to let you know we made it out, we’re resting up,” I explained, placing the satellite phone on the windowsill

[Ava]: “That’s a relief to hear. Take the time you need to rest. Stay safe out there.” She said as I began to drift off. It was a dreamless sleep, but a restful one.

I opened my eyes, quickly getting up. Once again, I had yet to undress. The group was unwashed–we all smelt terrible. Fortnantley, the jeans the all sported helped mask the terrible smell.

I exited the room, and yet again I had woken up last. I took a seat, watching as Marcus used an old propane stove to cook the last of the venison. The atmosphere was tense, the events of the days before weighing on us. No one spoke, but worried glances were shared.

Emily was reading her island book, nearing the end already. I considered maybe finding my own book to pass time, but most had been turnt unreadable by mold and moths. Marcus brought over plates two at a time, placing Emily and his plates on the table, before grabbing Jacob and Sophies. Finally, mine came, and I ate.

“I…I feel like we need to talk,” Sophie said, glancing at me. We all had the same worry, the ALC was after us, and they wanted us alive. No one made conversation after that, and soon we were packed, ready to head out for the day.

I mounted on Fiver, adjusting my hat as Marcus opened the garage. We rode out, and started down the aged road. I wasn’t there really–I was lost in my thoughts. Like usual, I stared at the decayed remnants of houses and cars, all of them littering the road.

We slowed as a large lake emerged to our right. Marcus glanced at me, infront of us the city limits for Johnston City ‘ sat. I shook my head no, and we took a left. We hopped onto the highway, and with the better ground we picked up pace.

I bobbed on the old leather saddle, my rifle clutched within my hands. We passed Johnston City, and I started at the forested town to our right. I was tense, staring in every building we passed. I coudln’t loose anyone, and I certainly would not become a slave for the ALC.

After passing hundreds of rusty cars, we passed along the side of West Frankfort, and then Benton, and then Whittington. Slowly as the sun started to set, I felt safer. Perhaps this was it, and we were moving away from the ALC.

Chapter Nine: St. Louis

I’m gonna say it, we passed them,” Sophie voiced, breaking my trance from staring at the decayed neighbourhood.

“Yeah,” I said, glancing forward.

We were on the outskirts of yet another big city, and besides the occasional graffiti, no signs of the ALC. I assume that it was somewhere to our right, and now we could travel in peace. We took a left to avoid the rubble of a bridge, and I stared at a large derailed train.

“Imagine if we found a wagon, one of the wild west ones,” Emily said, glancing back at me with a smile.

“That would be nice,” Jacob responded.

We crossed a intersection of highways, most were collapsed long, long ago. Soon after we rode under the right side of a bridge, as the left was collapsed. We came to a massive river, and we crossed a bridge that had most of it’s wires snapped and dangling into the rushing water like fishing lines.

Despite the once bustling city, any available bit of grass was overtaken by bushes and trees. Vine crawled up the ancient structures, and the road was visible like always from the lack of large vegetation. Cars were moved to the side as we passed a gas station, a large hole where the gas storage should be.

Our path was blocked by a collapsed metal radio tower, rusty and wiery metal lay on the road, and we took a slight detour to avoid it. We slightly picked up the pace and began to enter an area with taller buildings. In the distance I could see skyscrapers towering over us, most of their tops destroyed. I heard a thud to my right, followed by a pained neigh from Marcus’s horse. It fell to the ground as I heard a gunshot, my eyes widening in shock.

“SHIT!” I exclaimed, trotting over to Marcus and giving him my hand. A bullet hit the concrete next to my horse as Marcus hopped on, giving Emily his hand.

“RIDE ALREADY!” Marcus exclaimed as I took off. The sniper was attempting to take down our horses, but we rode fast. I turned right to break line of sight as Marcus dug through my backpack. He pulled out the radio and turned it on.

“–per fourteen calling in, three horses, five people, one horse down but I lost line of sight. Heading towards the mississippi river,” The voice said, and I opened my eyes in terror.

A familiar female voice spoke next, “They might be the ones from Marion, all snipers please be advised that The Marshal wants them alive,” She stated, and dozens of men responded “Copy”.

Fiver fell to the floor as I was launched off. I hit a car, groaning and holding my head. Fiver was crying, and soon after I heard a gunshot. Jacob turned his horse around to help, but his was shot as well.

“WE NEED TO GO–NOW!” Marcus exclaimed, running over ot help me up.

“MY FUCKING LEG IS STUCK!” Jacob exclaimed, and we both rushed over. We lifted the horse off of his leg just enough for him to get it out, and we began to run.

We ran through small portions of apartments, cutting through trees. I almost tripped over roots multiple times, but a sanctuary lay ahead of us. One and a half towers stood tall, the left collapsed and the right standing.

“GO TO THE CHURCH!” I exclaimed, crossing the street. I pulled the heavy door open as we slid in, shutting it.

“OH MY GOD, THE FUCKING HORSES!” Sophie exclaimed, kneeling down to catch her breath.

I watched as Marcus tensed up, and soon after we all went quiet. I heard a methodical noise, the trotting of a horse. It passed the entrance as we moved away, entering a smaller side room. I peeked out the stain glass mirror, watchging the shape of a person on a horse move by.

Marcus examined the room, before he gestured up. Slowly but surely, we scaled the tower, finding a small room up high with a couch. I took a seat, Marcus slowly opening the shudder to view outside. I sat down on the right side of the couch, taking off my backpack and digging through it.

My hand moved through with ease, large voids where items should be. I pulled it open more, staring inside with shock. I thought for a moment, moments before flashing through my head as I glanced upwards at Marcus who was closing the shudder.

“Marcus…” I muttered, struggling to keep back anger.

“What?” He questioned, glancing at me and tensing upon seeing my glare. Everyone was staring at me, and I glanced at them one at a time. I sighed, untensing and pushing myself into the back cushion.

“You didn’t close my backpack–I think a lot of stuff fell out,” I explained, sighing.

“Shit–I’m sorry…” He muttered, taking a seat on the large windowsil.

“It’s fine…” I responded, glancing at Jacob.

“Okay, uh. What’s the plan, Marcus?” He questioned, glancing at Marcus.

“Well, I–… I’m not really sure,” He explained, hopping off the windowsil and peeking outside again.

We sat in silence for awhile, a breeze causing the hollow skyscrapers in the distance to sing. It was an eerie sound, and surprisingly loud. I rose, closing the gpa between the window and I and peeked out. The city had been overtaken by trees and underbrush, especially in the downtown area. Parts of the roads had caved in, the river to our left flowing in, and with the flowing water even more erosion happened.

“We need to get out of the city,” I started, glancing at the lowering sun. “We can go out at night, I need to get my satellite phone and radio. The radio will help us know where they are, Ava can help us navigate the city,” I explained, glancing downwards.

“And your hat,” Sophie said, glancing at me. I smiled, grabbing my head.

“And my hat… And rifle,” I said, turning and glancing back out the window.

“That sounds good, now all we have to do is wait,” Marcus said, taking a seat on the floor in the corner of the room.

“Yep,” I said, taking my seat on the couch again.

Time moved at a crawl, I couldn’t get sleep, the wind’s song too loud. I was terrified, and I thought a lot. Why did we have to travel across the world? I glanced around the small room in the tower wildly, everyone felt scared, frightened, and terrified. I hoped to God that we would make it out alive, make it out together.

I stood, making my way to the window. I pushed the shutter open slightly, peeking outside. I was met with an inky darkness, but in the far distance there was light. I glanced at Marcus, Emily was leaning on his shoulder. Sophie and Jacob were in the same position, and I glanced back to Marcus.

He stared at me, before asking “Is it time?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” I responded, pulling out my pistol. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started down the stairs. They followed me, and upon reaching the bottom I tried to make out what was infront of me.

It was so dark, very, very dark. The moon was not visible inside, and I pulled the door open with as much stealth as I could. We squeezed through the gap, and I gripped my pistol with two hands. We made out way down the steps, across the street and into a wooded area.

We had to push our way through the thick undergrowth, walking up a set of stairs and as I glanced back at the church. We continued, cutting through a set of trees and entering a small area surrounded by sets of houses. We pushed through, and I led the group through a barren doorway into the shell of a house.

I walked over fallen drywall and glass, cutthing through quickly. I crawled over a couch that had been moved to the door, pushing the door open and exiting. The group did the same, and I stared to our left at the body of Fiver. A lump formed in my throught as I glanced to Marcus.

“We need to do this quick, I bet theres someone watching,” I explained, glancing up at the buildings.

“Alright,” He said, sneaking out of the house. I waited til we were all out, glancing at the street. Cars had been moved to the side, and the trees on either side of the road stretched upwards and amplified the shadows.

“Let’s do this,” Jacob said, and with that we began to walk to the bodies of our once useful steeds. I first picked up my hat, placing it on my head. I pulled the backpack off my back, opening it and stuffing all I could inside. After finishing I slung it back onto my back and walked over to the radio.

I picked it up, turning it on.

“–ee them,” I mans voice said, and I thought for a moment.

“Don’t shoot, try to lead them,” The female said, and I glanced at Marcus. He shrugged, and we made our way back into the house. We passed through, entering into the apartment area.

“Are they talking about us?” Sophie questioned, glancing at me.

Marcus stared uneasily, glancing around at the empty windows.

“I’m sure… I’m sure that…” Marcus started, but he was unable to put together the sentence.

“Let’s go,” I explained, beginning down the path. Soon we came across a street, and we jogged across. I had the rifle clenched in my hands, the stock dug into my shoulder as we ran to cover. Passing through a small parking lot surrounded by apartments, moving through decayed cars, and entering another street.

As we turned left than right, I gazed at the skyscrapers in the distance, only visible by a black void in the dark night sky. We traveled down the street, the wind calling to us as we traveled toward the town. I caught something rotting, only getting worse as we progressed. Eventually, we came across a corpse that lay in the middle of the road. I could tell that they had been dead for a few months, an apparent hole in the back of their skull.

“Holy shit,” Shopie said, stopping to gaze at the body.

“Let’s not end up like that,” I remarked, passing her and continuing.

We passed through a large parking lot, and I stared at the rusty remnants, most filled with foliage. To our left, a large building that curved inwards from both sides sat, in the middle a circular segment that stuck out and domed upwards. It was a brick building, large windows periodically. Vines crawled through the broken frames and up the wall.

The road ahead was collapsed, a rapid flow of water flowed towards us, turning right with the road. It was loud, and I could barely hear it. But when I did, I tensed. Horses trotting behind us. I turned rapidly, pointing my rifle at a group of twelve men, and they pointed their rifles aswell. The rest of the group turned, aiming their rifles at the riders. We were outnumbered and cornered. I was shaking, and so was the rest of my friends.

“Lower your guns,” The man in the front said, a hat similar to my own on his head.

“Why should we?” Marcus spat out, glancing at me.

Sophie turnt to me, a crazed look in her eyes.

“We need to jump,” She muttered, and the rest of our group heard.

“Last chance,” He said, and I slowly lowered my rifle. Upon seeing mine lower, Marcus and Jacob lowered theirs.

The group slowly walked back, and I made a decision right there. Water would surly destory the satellite phone, and there was a very small chance I would be able to find another. But the other choice was enslavement, and I stepped off the ege, plummeting into the rapid water below.

We never had a pool in the bunker, none of us could swim. I realised that only after the cold water envelauped me, a slight acidic sting behind it. I flailed my arms, attempting to reach the surface. I did, taking in a satisfying breath before I was dragged under once again.

My foot caught something, and I struggled with it. I couldn’t get it out, and everything ever so slowly went black, the only noise I could hear was the rapid water ruishing above me. I closed my eyes, and went limp.

Chapter Ten: Trapped

Opening my eyes, I gasped, quickly turning and coughing. My vision was blurry as I got on my hands and knees, examining my surroundings. Water flowed infront of me, and I believe I was in a parking garage. I stood, the weight of my wet backpack weighing me down. I thought for a moment, reaching in and taking out the satellite phone.

I pressed in the mic button, hoping that a response would chirp out.

“Ava?” I said, releasing the mic button. I waited, and waited, but there was no response. I closed my eyes tightly, rubbing my face as I place it back in my backpack. Perhaps there was still hope, and I stood there, the clouds that once concealed the sun moving, allowing warmth to overcome me.

I glanced left, a mass was laying to my right. She lay with fiery red hair, still. I limped over, a pain in the previously ensared foot. I could tell up close she was breathing, and I shook her awake. She coughed, large amounts of water exiting through her mouth.

“Jacob…” She mumbled, and I took a seat next to her. I glanced around the parking garage, but no one else had washed up here.

“No–It’s Ethan,” I explained, staring into her bright green eyes.

She snapped, eyes widening and scanning the building.

“Oh shit,” She started, caughing up water. “Where are the others?”

“As far as I can tell, just us,” I said, standing up.

She pulled out her small revolver, and I pulled out my pistol. It was all we had to defend ourselves in the city, and it was not enough.

“We need to get a better view,” Sophie explained, glancing upwards.

“Yeah,” I remarked, staringing up the winding road. Half way through the path was collapsed, so we had to travel across the long parking garage to continue. Upon making it to the stop, the hot sun fully shone down. I stared, a large arch in the distance, the husks of buildings, and a stadium.

“What do we do?” Sophie asked, taking a step on the edge. The wind flew through her hair, and I stood next to her.

“I’m not leaving without the others… Or… Most of them,” I explained, staring forward.

“We should go to the stadium,” Sophie suggested, pointing towards it.

“Why?” I questioned, staring at the building in the distance.

“Where else? Maybe on the way we will find something,” Sophie explained optimistically.

I sighed, before remarking “Sure,”

We made our way down the spiraling road, hopping over the first floor barrier onto the street. The journey was not long, as the stadium was not long away. I stopped, grabbing sophies backpack and pushing her down. She tried to let out a “What” but I hushed her, pointing towards the entrance.

Painted on the wall was ‘ALC FIELD 3’, and upon seeing it her eyes widened. I spotted through the broken glass a figure, and another one on the roof.

“What if they are in there?” She questioned, and I nodded.

“But… How do we get in?” I asked while pointing to the roof. She slowly walked behind us, glancing over the rail.

“Theres a train, maybe sewers of maintenance tunnels?” She questioned, and I thought for a moment.

“Alright,” I remarked, hopping down. I landed on a train car, and I hoped the noise wasnt heard. Sophie came after me, landing and almost falling off. The train had derailed, ramming into the wall. Something was on the otherside, and I instantly knew in order to access it we would have to go through the train itself.

Hopping off the train, I attempted to pry the door open. Sophie came, and with her help we opened it enough to slide through. As I entered I gasped, hundreds of skeletons lay within, all sitting.

“What happened here?” He questioned, and I glanced at her.

“I don’t know… let’s move,” I said, stepping up into another segment. The windows were broken on this one, and we entered a tunnel compound. The door was already open, and I walked through, digging through my satchel and grabbing my flashlight. I clicked it on, it flickering before I smacked it.

“Alright, let’s go,” Sophie said, and we began down the tunnel. It was dark and dusty, the smell of mold was pungent. All we had to do through was cross the street, albeit underground. Soon we came across a set of stairs, and we slowly moved up it. When light came, I turnt off my flashlight, and we entered a maintenance room.

On the wall was written faintly “Busch Stadium”, and I glanced at Sophie. She had her revolver drawn, and I quickly drew my pistol. I slowly pulled the slide to make sure it was ready to fire as we began to navigate the halls of the stadium. One thing was obvious, this building was occupied. The shoeprints on the floor, the text to navigate, and the faint voices echoing throughout.

We ducked behind a desk as two men walked by, and when they passed, we continued forward. After scaling sets of stairs and barely avoiding even more people, I saw on the wall ‘Radio Room,” And I glanced at Sophie. She nodded, and we moved to the door.

I pulled it open with my gun drawn, in front of me facing a massive window was a woman sitting on a desk. She had short dark hair, and was wearing a pair of headphones. I closed the door when Sophie entered, glancing at her as she examined the room.

“Copy, I’ll send a group over,” She said, picking up a notebook and writing something down.

I progressed, I stood on her right and Sophie stood on her left. We had our weapons drawn, facing her. I stared out at the large arch that towered above the skyscrapers. In the field below us was filled with crops. I watched dots move about, tending to the crops. We were in a large white room with desks lined about, a grand one facing the window with a large radio setup.

I scanned the set up, glancing downwards I saw a power cord with a simple switch. I moved my foot, pressing down and switching it off. She glanced downwards, following my foot up to my eyes, and then the barrel of my pistol. Her eyes widened, as I stared at her middle aged face.

“Don’t scream,” Sophie said, and she turnt to look at her. She quickly turned around, noting that it was just us two.

“W–What do y’all want?” She questioned, eyeing a point on her desk. I followed it, a handgun placed on the elegant dark wood. I grabbed it, and she tensed.

“We want information,” I explained, glancing at Sophie who nodded.

“Of what exactly?” She asked, and I glanced outwards at the decaying buildings. I locked eyes with her once again before Sophie spoke up.

“Have you… Captured anyone… Recently?” She questioned, and the woman turned to face her. She slowly grabbed a notebook, flipping through the pages.

“Yes, we… Do that alot,” She started, glancing at her for affirmation.

“I want fucking names” Sophie spat out, pushing the revolver forward in the air.

“Okay, okay. Kyle, Marcus, Emily, Jac–” She was cut off by Sophie.

“Where are they being held?” She questioned, and the woman looked up with a smirk.

“So you’re the ones The Marshal wants?” She questioned, glancing back at me.

“Where. Are. They. Being. Held,” I said, and she turned to me. I glanced at the book, and glanced back at her.

“Fu–” She was cut of as without warning Sophie plunged a pocket knife into her neck. She pulled out out and blood began to shoot out. She collapsed, the rolling chair moving away as she hit the floor. She squirmed and gurgled, and I watched with horror as the light in her eyes that was locked on mine slowly dissipated.

“Shit!” I exclaimed, glancing at Sophie.

“The book,” She said, grabbing it.

“You… You didn’t have to just fucking kill her!” I exclaimed, glancing at the pool of blood forming around her neck.

“They… They should be at… The fancy house, near that arch over there,” She explained, pointing toward the arch in the distance.

“Sophie you just fucking–” I was cut off as she snapped at me.

“She obviously wasn’t going to tell us shit!”

I glanced down at the body, before locking eyes with her.

“You’re right,” I remarked, taking the book from her hand.

“Let’s get to the arch,” She said, stepping over the woman’s body.

I followed, and we slowly opened the door, glancing left and right before proceeding. Silently, we made our way back to the tunnels, making sure no one knew where we were. As we made it to safety, Sophie glanced at me with a wide eyed look.

“I’m… We actually made it in and out without anyone seeing?” She voiced as we made our way down the tunnel.

“Yeah, we did,” I explained, the subway car coming into view.

“We should wait here ‘til night, then try to go get them and get the hell out of the city,” She said, opening a side door into a small side room. It had a dusty sofa, and I made my way to it, ploping down.

“Okay, I’m gonna sleep, I’m tired,” I explained, closing my eyes.

“Mhm,” I heard as she sat on the farthest end.

I dreamt, about what I perceived Ava looked like. I met her in my dream, but I was soon interrupted by Sophie awakening me.

“Ethan, wake up,” She said softly.

“Hm?” I muttered, slightly opening my eyes.

“It’s night, time to go save our friends!” She explained trimphantly, but I soon realised it was sarcasm. I rose, glancing at her before picking up my backpack.

“Time to die,” I said, checking to see if a round was chambered.

We head up the subway entrance, sneaking through the underbrush and concealed by trees. Lights from the stadium shone into the sky, dampening out stars in the area. I saw it, lit up, and elegant building. It had a grey domed roof, with a spike that reached towards the sky. There were guards around every corner, and we made our way into an aged bank for cover.

“Alrighty, how do we do this?” She questioned, glancing at me.

“Like I know, this place is like a prison,” I explained, ducking as a moving light almost shone on me.

The circular tower that extended in the middle had many windows, each one I could tell a sharpshooter sat.

“A hundred people… Didn’t Marcus say that?” I questioned, staring at the windows.

“Seems like a lot more,” She remarked, glancing at me.

“If we crawl through the underbrush, and that area where the road makes a trench, I think we can make it to that door,” Sophie explained, pointing forward.

“I don’t have a better plan,” I stated, glancing once again at the many sharpshooters in buildings.

“Let’s do this,” Sophe remarked, hopping through the broken glass and going prone.

Chapter Eleven: Goodbye

“Wait up,” I said, hopping over and beginning to crawl.

She stopped, waiting for me before continuing. We crawled through the large cracks in the concrete, vehicles would occasionally be above as, some were half fallen in, and some where completely in the crevice with us.

A spotlight moved across the trench, and we stopped. Fortinatney, we were saved by a tree. She glanced at me before continuing forward, and I followed. Soon we reached an area we could stand, as the sharpshooters could not see us. We hopped up, and I peered through the door.

We were on the side of this grand white building, it now having a tan hue to the once pure white. It’s architecture was vastly different than than the skyscrapers around us, old and grand it obviously was here long before any of the surrounding structures.

I tried the door, but it was locked. The song that sung as the wind pushed through the empty skyscrapers began to sing, and with the proximity to the buildings, I simply couldn’t hear. I heard faint groans from the dome above, and seizing the moment I dove my elbow into a panel.

It proke, and I expected Sophie to tense up, but she was covering her ears from the deafening noise. I nudged her, and she viewed our entrance. I reached my arm through, almost cutitng myself on broken shards of glass, and unlocked the door. I opened it, my gun raised. The room was dark, and when Sophie entered, I closed the door.

The song from the skyscrapers was still loud, but dampened enough by the brick walls to not cover your ears. It began to die down, and Sophie and I crouched, examining the room. I’m not sure what it was before, but it was not filled with Pool, Ping Ping, Hockey, And Phooseball tables.

The was a bar next to the door, obviously custom made, but it did slightly fit the grand and elegant architecture of the room. It had dark wall panelings and fancy white wallpaper. The roof crowed upwards into a dome shape, with faded paintings uptop.

I took the lead, slowly making my way to the dark brown door. I gripped the handle, slowly pulling it open. The other room had light, and I scanned through a crack in the door. It appeared vacant, and so I pulled it open, entering the room with my pistol raised.

It was a large entrance room, infront of us was a staircase which the first step sat a distance to our right, and at the far right side of the room there was a yet another door. The windows were hidden by very dark curtains, a black similar to that of outside.

I tensed as I heard movement upstairs, glancing at Sophie, she was tense aswell. Forward was an entrance to a basement, and I had a gut feeling that was where we needed to go. I motioned forward with my gun, and she nodded.

We began down the stairs, coming to a door at the end. It had a plank attached from both sides, blocking it from opening. I removed it, placing it against the wall before opening the door suddenly. I rushed in, taking a few steps before stopping and scanning the room.

It was lined with doors like the one before, planks locking them. At the end was an empty desk and chair, a shotgun leaning against the wall. Sophie attempted to open a door, but I stopped her.

“The desk,” I whispered, gesturing forward. She nodded, and we closed the gap.

“Watch the door,” I ordered, and she pointed her revolver down the hall. I picked up a notebook, flipping to the most recent entry.

“Cell four,” I stated, holstering my pistol and picking up thje showgun. I pressed the slide action, slightly pulling it back to make sure there was a shell in the chamber. Upon seeing the brass, I pushed it forward, locking it.

Sophie removed the plank on the door which said ‘Cell four’ on the front, and she opened the door as I pointed my shotgun. Someone rushed at me, attempting to take my shotgun. Instenctivley, I fired, but the shotgun was pushed upwards, and the akward postion it was in caused it to fly out of my hands.

I heard Sophie scream as an attacker tried for her revolver, and I began to get strangled. I stared at my attacker, both reconizing eachother at the same time. The hands were released, and he backed away.

“Ethan?” He said, my ears ringing from the shotgun and neck sore.

I glanced to Sophie, who had realised it was Jacob and was sobbing in his arms.

“Marcus,” I said, reaching my hand out. He grasped it and hoisted me up, and we awkwardly gave each other a handshake.

I heard movement upstairs, and my eyes went wide. Marcus realized simultaneously, and I bent over, picking up the shotgun and passing it to him. He chambered it as I rushed to the solid wood desk, pulling open drawers. Marcus rushed over to a room to the left, opening it and freeing Emily. She hugged him, and I grasped a second pistol in the drawer. I rushed over, handing it to Emily.

I sprinted across the room, pulling the plank in before shutting it. Marcus and Emily had receded into their original cell, Marcus against the doorframe with the shotgun in hand. Sophie and Jacob were in the other cell, and I hid behind the heavy desk. We sat there, and I heard dozens of footsteps moving down the stairs, stopping at the door.

The door opened slightly, but Marcus fired, causing it to open fully. I peeked my head, a simple empty doorframe there. My ears were ringing from the shot as waited, but despite my expectations, I heard a raspy and aged voice.

“Why don’t y’all just… Come on out?” The man said, his voice soft with malevolence behind it.

I glanced at Marcus, and he peeked the corner, staring at the open door.

“Fuck off,” Marcus spat out, readying his shotgun.

“Listen… Why don’t I just… Come in, with my hands up, we can talk about this right?” He asked, and Marcus glanced at me uneasily.

“You try anything, we shoot,” I shouted, and we all stared down the hallway.

“Been waitin’ to use this one,” He muttered, barely audible.

I saw an arm chuck something toward us, it clanged against walls and floors, settling a few feet from us. It exploded, and I saw a flash of white as bright as the sun as a deafening boom erupted from the source. I stumbled, hitting the wall and sliding down it. I was covering my ears, yet all I heard was a monotonous ring as I closed my eyes tightly.

My loose grip on my pistol was seized as I was pinned to the ground, my hands being bound. I tried to open my eyes, but a blindfold was placed upon my face. I was lifted and dragged into a cell. I felt my hands being attached to the wall, and movement throughout the room. After some time, it ceased, and all I could smell was human feces.

“H…Hello?” I said after some time, breaking the silence.

I heard movement on the other side of the room, clothes rustling as someone shifted.

“We’re fucked…” I heard Marcus say from across the room and I attempted to remove my blindfold. I failed, sighing and groaning simultaneously.

“Marcus?” I questioned, already knowing the answer. I heard whimpering across the room as he responded.

“One of us is going to die, I heard them talking…” He said, and I felt a wave of dread fly over me.

“Why?” I questioned, my voice failing me.

“Ethan, we killed a whole lot of them…” He attempted to explain, trailing off.

I thought about what he said before asking “Who is going to die…?”

“From what I heard… They’re going to let us pick, or do some type of chance game,” He explained, and I gritted my teeth.

“M–Marcus?” I voiced, but he didn’t respond.

We sat there, but I felt more alone than I ever had. More alone than my life in the bunker, more alone than any time in my life. The room was dark, and the scent of shit was in the air. I saw a flash of light fly by my vision, I tried to trail it but I simply couldn’t follow it.

After a long long time, the door opened. I didn’t struggle as I was removed from the wall, forcefully stood up, and led out. I savoured the air as the terrible smell left, and soon I was guided up a set of stairs. I heard steps behind me as a door opened in front, and I was led outside.

It was still dark as far as I could tell, and after walking some time I was forced on my knees. We waited there for some time, I could feel the presence of others on both of my sides. I heard the fast breaths of those on my side, and my heart was pounding in my chest.

Someone was walking behind us, stopping at the person to my right. From what I could tell, a blindfold was removed, and a gasp was heard. The man walked over to me, and took off my blindfold. It was still dark, but the large arch loomed straight ahead. I glanced right, where Marcus stood on his knees.

He stared at me with a terrified look, and I turned left. Jacob had his blindfold removed, and Emily was getting her blindfold removed. Next was Sophie, who gasped and glanced at all of us. We were in a row, and to our left and right men with rifles stood.

A man with a large coat walked infront of us, facing the arch. I could see a glow in the distance as the sun was slowly rising. The light was not here yet, and so the darkness still overwhelmed us. He faced the horizon, his dark coat reaching the tops of his boots, the coat tearing at the bottom.

He wore a dark cowboy hat, a chunk on the left side absent. Slowly the sun peeked over a building, casting golden rays towards us. He turned, and I saw his aged face, a rough stubble with a scar causing hair not to grow on his right cheek. It stretched up to his eye, simply an empty socket.

He smiled, staring at each of us.

“I haven’t done this in a while… I’m excited,” He said, his voice old and raspy. He turned around, taking a cigarette box from his left pocket. He opened it out of view, putting five in his hand. He closed the gap to Marcus, reaching his hand out. Marcus flinched, thinking for a moment before taking one.

I stared at it, it was a simple full cigarette. He examined it as the man walked to me, giving me his fist. I stared at the filters sticking out of his clenched hand, slowly taking one out. It was shorter, with only a small portion of white sticking out of the filter.

I widened my eyes, staring as he walked to Jacob and he picked one. It was shorter than Marcus’s, but longer than mine. I glanced at Marcus, his eyes wide and staring at my cigarette. Mine was the shortest so far, and Emily took hers, revealing one that was slightly longer than Jacob’s.

I wanted to run ever so desperately, but the men with rifles assured me I would fail. I watched as she slowly took one out, and I stared at hers for a while. I examined it, glancing at my own as Jacob widened his eyes. I saw no white, and a sense of dread overcame me. But deep down, a part of me was relieved.

The man smiled as I felt someone restrain me from behind. Jacob was struggling as much as he could and so was I. Sophie screamed as she was dragged by her hair to the front of us. The sun had fully illuminated us, the large arch looming over us and the skyscrapers.

She was placed on her knees, his left hand still grasping a ball of fiery red hair. He pulled out a small pistol, and Jacob squired in the grasp of the man as I watched in horror.

“This is mercy,” The man said, releasing her hair as she fell to her hands and knees and pointing it at her head.

“WAIT!” Jacob exclaimed, and the man stopped, examining him. He stepped to the side of her, and watched Jacob.

“Please… Don’t…” He started, beginning to cry. Sophie got to her knees, staring at Jacob.

“Why?” He questioned, his face confused.

“Please… Kill me instead… She’s pregnant…” He mumbled, tears falling to the ground.

“Pregnant…” He mumbled to himself before a crooked smile grew on his face. “That’s even better,”

Jacob raised his head, his eyes widening as the man raised the pistol.

He fired.

Sophie’s head flung to the side, a spray of blood pouring on the concrete as she soon collapsed. Jacob attempted to fight, but he was pinned to the ground. I stared into Sophie’s bright green eyes as the sparkle and life faded into a dull stare. Emily cried, Jacob grieved, Marcus looked away, and I stared.

Chapter Twelve: Escape

I sat in the back of a large electric vehicle, my hands bound and a man with a automatic rifle sat to my left. We were traveling down a street, abandoned cars pushed to the side and two to three story buildings lining it. The trees stretched to the skies, causing a shadowy canopy.

From what I’ve put together, I was being transferred to a new location, one on the side of the city where the feral population was rampant. It was separated by a large caved in tunnel, the only crossing guarded. I could see the skyscrapers in the distance as we traveled down the decrepit road.

We took a left as I examined a sign that read “Lafayette Park”. It was faded and leant to the left, soon enough I could see through the trees and homemade fence a cleared out portion of land, crops within. We reached an area in the road where the fence stretched into the road, stopping as the driver exited.

The man to my left hopped off, pulling down the ramp. I rose, stepping off first and turning. Upon command, I stopped, examining as the second vehicle in the convoy as their passengers exited. As mine lined up, we merged with the one ahead, and I marched behind a man in front.

We marched as the gate was opened ahead of us, leading into a section that merged well kept buildings to our left and the fields to our right. I stared at the man ahead, dark brown hair, a large build, and a small beard. It took a while, and after so long I barely recognized him.

“M…Marcus?” I questioned, and he slowed, glancing behind me and widening his eyes.

“Shut the fuck up!” A man to my right came, hitting me on my side. I groaned, stumbling before continuing the march.

I stared at him, and he would occasionally glance back at me. It had been months since I’ve seen him, we were purposely separated long ago. I was barely alive during those days, constantly waking up, eating, and working. My form had changed into a fit one, a beard on my face, thin in some areas.

We were escorted into two separate sleeping quarters, I spotted a familiar man mumbling to himself, his dark coat reaching the floor.

“Y’all rest up! Yous got alot of work up for ya’” I heard him shout as he closed the gap to the third building, which I assumed to be the guards dorms. I hated him, I hated him so much, and had not seen him for some time. I guess this is where he was hiding.

The door was closed behind us, obvious locking sounds ringing out. I examined the room, rows of bunk beds with simple blankets and pillows, all we would need. I followed Marcus, and he climbed uptop the top bunk. We were all silent, and I laid on the bottom.

“Marcus?” I questioned, breaking the silence. Despite the sun just setting, we all rested as the work days were very long, and very hard.

“Later,” He muttered, and I could tell he was falling asleep.

I was exhausted aswell, and soon I fell asleep with him and everyone else in the room. I woke as I loud horn erupted from outside. Daylight poured through the cracks between the boards on the windows as I struggled to get up.

I rushed outside to the line, Marcus behind me as we were guided into the large field across the street. We were separated into groups, Marcus just barely getting into mine. Passing by a stand, we picked up baskets and spades. We traveled to the far corner of the clearing, and I got on my knees as Marcus did the same next to me.

“It’s been a while,” Marcus said, placing a potato in his basket.

“Yes,” I responded, doing the same.

“The others are here too, they were on my transport,” Marcus said, glancing at me.

“The others?” I exclaimed, staring in the distance to another group of workers. “Can we escape?” I asked.

Marcus glanced at me, thinking for a moment.

“Do you have a plan?” He questioned, and I slowly lowered myself, continuing my work.

We continued our work for hours, the summer sun beating down upon us. When the sun began to set, we were guided towards the eating area. Only one meal a day, but it was a large one. I followed Marcus to a table upon getting our food, and we began to eat.

Two people sat at the table in the far corner with us, and I examined them. I widened my eyes with the realization, but their bodies were changed from months of hard labour. We were back together, by mistake or poor memory, and we all knew what would come next.

“There is a manhole,” Emily said, glancing at me as Jacob stared at the table.

“Does it lead out?” Marcus questioned.

“Possibly,” She replied.

“How do we open it and get the hell out without being seen?” I questioned, and she thought for a moment.

“We wait… Nightime. Then we go,” She suggested.

“Aren’t the doors locked at night?” I questioned, glancing at a guard in a tower.

She thought for a moment, before responding “I can try to pick it,” She suggested.

I glanced down at the metal fork and knife I ate with, quickly catching her gaze. I stuffed it into my pocket, she did the same with hers. People slowly began to stand, eagerly lining up to rest for the night. We did the same, sticking close together and joining the line.

Soon we were funneled inside the sleeping quarters, I took a note of where Emily and Jacob slept. I laid on my bed, Marcus climbing atop the one above and fell sleep. I was awoken by hands on my neck, flinching and almost screaming. Marcus stood over me, his finger over his lips hushing me.

“It’s time,” He whispered, glancing left at two shadowy figures. It was a sudden plan, one we would preform quickly. I heard rain outside, a flash of lightning and thunder soon after. I slowly got up, grabbing what I needed as we weaved throug the bunks.

We approached the door, and Emily went to work. She had used the utensils to form makeshift lockpicks, and she attempted to use them to free us. Surprisingly, the door gave way quickly, and she turned with a confused look.

“That was easy…” She whispered.

As the door swung open, the sound from the roaring rain loudened, and I feared the rest of the slaves would awaken. Quickly, I took off my shirt, placing it over my head as we stepped out under the overhang and closed the door. The spot lights were on, presumably powered by solar installments, but no guards were in sight.

“We run,” Marcus commanded, glancing at me. “Follow me,” He remarked, before sprinting forward into the rain. Emily did the same, and I went third, Jacob starting last. The shirt protected me, but stray drops hit my skin, a tingling sensation turning into a burning one.

I’ve never ran that fast before–the adrenaline from the constant pain of the rain causing me to sprint faster. We rushed through the fields, the wet crops that had adapted to survive with this harsh weather.

We stopped under an ancient concrete constructed pavilion, a segment where the sheet metal roof still covered. Emily leant down, and my eyes followed him. It was here, the rusty manhole cover, the words storm drain barely visible through the rust. Marcus stuck a finger inside one of the holes, attempting to fit two.

I did the same, and so did Emily and Jacob. Together, with a lot of effort, we lifted the heavy piece of metal. I stared down into the murky pits, and glanced at the rest of the group. I sat on the edge, lowering myself in before sliding down. I hit the concrete, the rushing water nearby deafening me as I waited for the rest to come.

One by one, they descended, the only light in these dark tunnels being the moonlight from the opening below. This time I led the way, shimmeying against the wall as we went. We walked for a long time, and soon we formed a chain of hands as to not loose anyone. With time, a light at the end of the tunnel became visible, and a wave of relief overcame me.

A car sat atop a pile of rubble, and we crawled up. My eyes adjusted to the light, the sun was just beginning to rise, a glow in the horizon. We were in an autoshop, we had escaped, we were free. But it was cold, for some reason, it was cold. So we sat together, leaning against one another, a group of family, and rested.

I woke. The birds were chirping, the warm sun blasted through the window, and the leaves of trees outside shook with the wind. I stood, examining the room. I crouched, exiting the garage we were in, and stared at the sun as a free man. I took a breath of air as wind flowed through my long hair, and closed my eyes.

I heard movement behind me, and I turnt to stare at Marcus. He had a thin beard, and stared at me with his anguished eyes. Despite all the suffering–despite the work–despite everything, we had escaped and we were free.

“We need to move, before we get caught,” He said, glancing at me with an unsure look.

“Of course,” I remarked, crouching into the decrepit building again and waking the others.

After some time, we all stood at the outside, and began to walk. And we walked, and walked, passing countless buildings as we did. The insides lay dark and hallow, but the roads were clear, large trees on either side.

Soon we turnt left, then right, and trailed a large forested section.  I stared at a metal sculpture, a grassy forest with countless animals within the brush. Bushes grew at the base, vines growing upward. A sports car, once red, now lay rusted under it, the glass broken long ago. I stared at the road ahead with glee, as we were free, we were free, we were free.

I froze upon spotting something ahead. It was dark, square, and slowly moving forward. Marcus stopped next, his eyes widening as I stared in shock. A vehicle. Almost immediately I broke into a sprint, quickly rushing toward the right. It was an overgrown fence, a sliding gate barely visible through the bushes. Marcus came to my side as I gripped the rusty gate, helping me pull it open slightly–as far as the chain it was bound by would allow.

The vehicle sped up slightly, and we squeezed in. In front was a tarnished concrete building, the roof caved in and vines growing up and falling down. To the left was a fake rock installment. A set of double doors sat directly in front, only one still on the frame, and it was ajar. We rushed, hiding in the darkness as the vehicle stopped outside the gate.

I peeked as a man with a rifle stepped out of the large millitary grade vehicle. He stared for a moment, almost catching my gaze before walking around to the trunk. He opening it, digging within before pulling out an item. He walked to the gate, struggling to close it and muttering to himself before locking it. I stared in shock as I heard a barley audible.

“I thought we sealed this place,” Before glancing at our direction with a smirk.

I glanced at Marcus as the man got into the vehicle and drove away. Soon after I emerged from the building, walking to the gate and examining the lock. I looked up, staring at the formidable razor wire, then looked back at Marcus.

“We can find another way out,” He said, before turning and heading back to the building where the others still were.

We moved through the double doors, I walked along Marcus as we exited soon after, an overhang and chain link that reached the roof infront of us. The bottom was broken, and I lifted it for the others before Marcus held it up for me. It was a thick forest, perhaps we were in an old park. Tropical like trees surrounded us, vines tangled across trees like spider webs.

After a short walk, a large edge lay infront of us. Vines crawled up the aged concrete that crack and broke in chunks at the top. I glanced at the others before making my way and using the climbs to scale it. Upon getting up, the others started suit, and I helped them as well as I could. A path was infront, the shadows from the trees darkening it and not helping with visibility.

I could see fake rocks in the distance through the trees, and we decided to turn left. We passed another enclosure similar to the one we were in previously before a large netting that draped down into a watery pit caught my eye. I hopped over some rusty metal railings, peering over the concrete edge into the murky water below.

“Is this a zoo?” Emily questioned, glancing around.

“I guess so,” I remarked.

“Why did they seal it?” Marcus questioned, and a sense of fear hit me.

“We need to get out of here,” Jacob said, and as if on cue, something burst from the trees.

It was a gazelle, all be it with far too many horns, but a harmless creature. Emily screamed as it jumped, but she soon calmed down. It stared at us before something larger came after it. It was pounced on by a lion with two heads, one ferociously ripping its neck to shreds, the other blankly staring at us.

I tensed, before turning tail and running deeper into the compound. I heard something behind me, turning whilst running and watching how another lioness had given suit. This one was normal, but terrifying to watch chase us. I turned forward as we entered an area filled to the brim with tables, most misplaced and flipped over.

Up ahead was a concession stand, a large building with an overhang for shade. The right side was caved in, and each one was closed, besides one that was slightly open.

“THERE!” I shouted, pointing toward the building.

I took the lead, stopping and lifting it. It gave resistance on the other side, but Marcus and Jacob soon helped, opening it as Emily crawled inside. After her, we all entered, shutting it with just seconds to spare. I heard it growling outside and circling the building as I attempted to calm my breathing. Something fell off a shelf to my left and this time I screamed.

There were monkeys within the building with us, presumably hiding from the beast outside as well. I attempted to calm myself as I scanned the room. Rotten junk food, and a door at the far side.

“We need to wait for it to leave,” I said, glancing at the others.

“No shit,” Jacob voiced, as I sat on a stool.

I sighed, wiping sweat off my brow as I turned to the window and peered through a small crack. I saw a glimpse of it and jumped. I wondered how long until this beast left, and from the sound of it there was more than one.

Chapter Thirteen: Den of Beasts

I stared at the monkeys across the room as they stared back. One had two tails, the second… Or first? It split at the end, technically being two. They ate the junk food, staring uneasy glances with their oddly human eyes. Slowly but surly, the light that beamed in from the crack faded into darkness, and the cacophony of tropical birds slowled whilst the crickets and cicadas started.

Emily sat next to Marcus, a visible gap between them whilst Jacob sat in the corner, a thousand yard stare upon his face. We escaped, but now we are trapped once again. Trapped inside a room, trapped inside a room made to feed people a long time ago. I peered through the gap once again and saw nothing but an inky darkness. It was time, time to leave.

The primates moved to the corner in fear as I rose. I glanced at Marcus who gave me a nod before getting up. I helped Jacob up whilst he helped Emily. We made our way to the door, and I unlocked it, pulling it open. It hard to do so, and it creaked loudly. I peeked through a crack in the door first, and I saw that it was clear.

“Ready?” I questioned, the hair on my neck beginning to stand up.

“Always,” Marcus responded, as I pulled the door open with all my strength, and crept out. The doors hinges groaned as I did so, which only made me more fearful.

I looked left and right as I exited. Immediately infront of us was a wired enclosure, wooden struts fallen over. It would give roof access, and that seemed like the best bet. I rushed forward, the others following my lead as I scanned through the darkness.

I got on my hands and knees to crawl up the rusty chicken wire, reaching the roof with a sigh of relief. I turned to watch the others as they hurriedly followed. I spotted one of our pursuers rushing out of the treeline, and I shouted to the others to hurry. I turned, staring down into the dark building we stood upon from a long strip of windows in the roof.

“Jump!” I exclaimed as I heard it begin to climb the same way we did. I leapt, falling down and yelping as sharp pain shot up my bones.

The others did the same, and I watched as the thing above ran by, dust falling down from the roof. I stared at Marcus, soon hearing a loud thumping sound. As it reached the building, it growled and roared, climbing ontop and rushing after hte creature. Chunks of roof fell down and I feared the ceiling would collapse, but soon it left, and a roar echoed throughout the zoo.

After some time of silence, I got up, examining the room. Vines crawled down from the windows, and the ones on the walls were barricaded. So were the doors, chairs and desks blocking all of

them.

“We need to get out of here,” Marcus said, standing from his sitting position and closing the gap between us.

I started into the darkness, the others following suit. I could hear the sounds of many animals outside and inside. We entered a large room, a window upon the roof that allowed moonlight to pour in. I flinched as I saw taxidermied birds, but my eyes focused on the door. I nodded to Marcus was we progressed, closing the gap between us and the door.

The glass was broken, and I stepped through the frame. Through the trees and bushes, a path was visible. I scanned the area for dangers, and upon deciding that it was safe, I signaled for the others to come. Infront was thich forest, and so I began jogging right, the others following quickly.

The was a pond to our left, constructed from fake rock installments. The water was murky, and I feared what creatures may lie within the depths. We passed more concession stands and tables, a large building with the name Lake Side on the front. It was a hexagon, the roof moved inwards, a clock tower with a dead clock within upon the peak.

One of the three double doors in the front was closed, the other two broken inwards. The one too the left had a golf cart that had rammed through, the middle one wide open. I guided the others forward, and we entered the building. Marcus, Jacob, and I closed the doors as they struggled against us.

I turned, rushing into the center of the building. Vines crawled inside like parasites, tables and educational panels broken and tossed about. I heard something, something crash, something break. I tensed, as the others did the same. Something rammed against a far door as Emily yelped, and I rushed to the water view.

It was a section accessed by doors, allowing view of the lake. I coudln’t see a possible way out, and the thing had gotten in. I tried to leave, but a wolf was blocking my door. I turned, glancing at the other one, but an even larger one that had five legs was staring down Marcus.

It lunged at him as Emily cried out. They hit the railing, a ball of fury before it gave way, breaking and snapping. He plummeted into the murky lake waters as I turned, just barely dodging the attack from the other one. I heard splashing and running as I ran, the wolf soon giving chase while growling and howling in glee.

I rushed onto what I thought was a bridge, but it was simply a platform. Infront was a small jump, and I stepped onto a bench and then the railing, leaping the distance and landing on the grass. I almost didn’t get up, but my pursuer lept out of me. I heard a scream in the distance, a human one as I rushed up.

Infront of me was a dome, multiple triangles for support and stong glass panels. I spotted a panel that was not broken, vines crawling inside. I rushed forward, climbing the small rock wall and diving in as the thing chasing me began to climb after me.

There was a door, and I tried to open it, but it was locked. The thing entered as I tensed, ready for a fight. I saw a rock on the floor, and I roared, diving for it. It lunged passed me, and I clenched the rock in my hands, swinging it and striking it on its back. It swiped at me, a sharp pain staring in my arm. I clenched my teeth, throwing the rock with all my might and striking it in the head.

It was stunned, and given the chance I fled, climbing through the same panel I entered from. I made the same jump, grabbing hold to the railing and hoisting myself up as I heard a howl from behind me, followed by many more.

I ran into the building we were first attacked in, no sign of my friends. I heard a thud from the walkway as one of the wolves began to chase. I cut through the building, noting that the doors were open as I heard more noise behind me. More fake rock installations lined me as I took the left path.

A overhang had its beams cracked to my right, sagging down the right side. Behind it was two glass panels, one completely shattered. I lept over a fallen tree, my adrenaline spiking as I heard something behind me, only causing me to sprint faster.

I came to a halt in a food court, staring ahead as I was cut off by another group of hunters, this time various large cats. The wolves caught up, and I was in the middle of a standoff. At once, they charged, rushing past me with vicious roars as they began fighting over myself.

Given the situation, I turned, zigzagging and breaking into a sprint. I turned behind me, one of them was following. A large lion, its lush mane flowing as it gave chase. Up on top of the large rocks to my right I saw a humanoid figure, and I almost stopped to watch before continuing down the path.

Pushing through a miniature train that blocked my path, I stared at a front gate. It was closed, a large metal sliding gate. My pursuer still chased, and so I continued right, running under an overhang, stepping over debris and ramming myself against a door.

Throwing the door open, I closed it just before the beast got in. I was inside a cylindrical dome like structure, chain link saving me from the lion of which I just noticed to be sporting a third eye. Inside was a thick forest, the treesh not being able to penetrate the roof so they grew everwhere they could. It was almost pitch black inside, a caged swamp.

I stared at the large cat which waited at the door, before turning and attempting to find another way out. I moved inwards, stepping through the mushy mud below. When I reached the half way point, I stared at the skeletal remains of a soldier. He had a rifle, which I gadly picked up. I stared at his outfit, the boots, and given the safety I changed into what he wore.

As I finished tying the last boot, I heard a splashing sound, followed by a growl. The far side of me was a deep pond, and I stared at the unstill water. Slowly it crawled out, a behemoth of a creature, it clicking and growling as I took a step back, almost tripping on a bone.

Almost instinctively, I began to hurriedly climb a large tree. I dug into the bark, finding any grip I could. It rammed into the tree, and despite how big of a tree it was, it still shook violently. I slowly ascended, reaching the top and moving leaves out to stare at the moon above.

The wiring was rusty, and I pushed against it. It slowly bent, and after some time of struggling, and an adrenaline spike as I heard a roar from below, it broke. I crawled through, taking in my surroundings. I heard a scream nearby, and I began to walk toward the other end. Suddenly my foot gave way, tripping over myself as I fell.

I hit the overhang, sliding off and colliding with the hard concrete. I groaned, staring into sky as I winced with the pain in my head. I heard a roar, as I gripped the rifle I had slung around my chest. I pointed it toward the lion, squeezing the trigger. Nothing happened, and I watched as it began to run toward me.

Something hit it, roaring aswell as it was flung toward the entrance to the grated dome. It was a large gorilla, one with three arms. It glanced at me, before rushing toward the stunned cat and beginning to pummel it. I looked away as I saw a splash of blood, getting onto my legs and beginning to sprint.

I sprinted forward, stopping at the edge of a small drop off. I hopped down, rushing through a small field in the direction I heard the scream from. I spreinted trough multiple exhibits, climbing over various rock installments and finding a wooden door within one. I heard voices, and closed the gap, making my way into it.

I attempted to open the door, but it was locked. I knocked on it, and I heard movement before it opened. It was Jacob, his eyes wide. I saw two figures behind him, and I pushed myself inside, Jacob closing and locking the door.

“We thought you were dead!” Emily exclaimed, and I leant against the wall, sliding down and sitting.

“What are you wearing?” Jacob questioned.

“I found it,” I muttered, catching my breath. “Are we safe here?” I questioned.

“One way in,” Marcus said, and I examined him. He was cradling his arm, and I quickly got to my feet, closing the gap between us.

The room we were in was a storage area,  I couldn’t put together what for though. Marcus had a large gash against his forearm, his arm soaked in dried blood.

“Is it bad?” I questioned, leaning down and examining the wound.

“It’s fine,” He muttered, and I rose.

“We’re close to the border, we will leave at daybreak,” Jacob said, and I groaned.

“Okay… Okay,” I muttered.

“Are you hurt?” Emily questioned, and I thought for a moment.

“Not physically,” I said, examining the rifle. I pulled back the bolt, watching as it chambered a round. Leaning back against the wall, I thought about how exactly we all got ourselves into this absolutely terrible situation.

And so we sat in that dusty room, waiting for day to break. Throughout the dark night, I would occasionally drift off, only to jump awake at the sound of something creeping about nearby, or a beast’s howl.

Jacob suddenly stood up, causing the sense of euphoria I had from slowly drifting off to dissipate. He closed the gap to the door, slowly opening it as the golden rays of a new dawn poured through the crack.

I got up, Marcus and Emily doing the same. Staring at his arm, I couldn’t help but notice the dark stains in the makeshift badgage that was wrapped around his limb. Turning the rifle, I examined the saftey switch. It was off, and as I made my way to the door I raised it. Scanning left and right with the barrel, I soon found out the coast was clear.

Nodding back to the others, they followed as we left the building. The warmth of the sun perfectly constructed the cold damp interior of the storage room. We walked through the ancient path, stepping over roots and parts where it jutted upwards.

An ancient fence sat to our right as we searched for the nearest exit, it was constructed of fake plastic wood to look like a farm fence. The paint had long worn off, showing a strange blue. Through the trees to our left I spotted a rusty small gate, locked by a chain.

I guided the others toward it, examining it and what lay past as the gap between was closed promptly. Attempting to push it open, I found it tightly bound by a rusty chain and lock. Though, the barbed wire above was broken, the metal strands sagging down.

Slinging the rifle over my back, I began to scale, the others waiting behind to leave this wretched place. Hopping over, my feet hit the ground with a painful vibration. I took a few steps back, feeling something sag on my feet. The sole of my right boot had come apart, so much for trusting these shoes.

As the others began to leave that place, I ripped off what still clung on to the rest of the boot. I tugged at the left one until it came off as well. It was uncomfortable, a thin sheet of leather protecting my feet from the ground, but it would have to make do.

I started right as Marcus finished his slow climb, caused by the injury on his arm. Through bushes and trees on the left was the road, and to the right was the ancient chain fence that surrounded the entire zoo.

We made it to a clearing, and I almost laughed when I saw it. The same art installment sat, thin metal animals, and grass rusted beyond comprehension. We had undoubtedly made zero toward the journey ahead, returning to where we were before. It was ironic in a way, but disheartening all the same.

And so we started down the road ahead, desperate to put distance between us and the city. I led the group, the others behind me as we pushed forward despite the growing exhaustion we felt. I slowed, raising a hand as I stared ahead.

There was a collapsed bridge, the metal still formed into a bend, but the large rocks it once sat on collapsed and covering the road. It seemed fresh, and past it was an electric vehicle with a crowd of at least five figures to it’s right.

I guided the group to the side, helping the others up the small retention wall before climbing myself. We snuck through the parking lot until a small area of foliage and a dropoff separated us from them. I clenched the rifle in my hand as I listened to them chatter amongst themselves.

“This broke recently,” One said, and the other nodded.

“Yeah, I drove by here yesterday, it was fine,” Another said, his voice young.

“You know what this means, we gotta clear it,” A larger man said, his voice deep. The others groaned in response, and I gripped my rifle.

I checked once again, making sure it was ready. Suddenly without warning the others, I raised it, closing my eyes and squeezing the trigger. A cacophony of shots rang out, the recoil of the rifle hitting my armpit time after time. Just as soon as it started, it was over. Opening my eyes to a squint, they soon widened at the scene before me.

You see, they were all grouped together, staring at the destroyed bridge. Now they lay on the floor, each with multiple wounds that seeped blood. Marcus opened his eyes, glancing at me fearfully. It was a sudden action, one the others were not expecting. Standing, I made my way to the small drop off.

Slowly I climbed down, the large rocks making it easy. As I approached the group of bodies, I attempted not to look in their freshly dead eyes. I flinched when I glanced at a bald man, a chunk of his head missing. I began picking up rifles, taking magazines off bodies as the others did the same.

We took all we can, packing it into the vehicle. I saw movement, gripping the rifle I held, which I knew was not loaded. A young boy, his brown stair stained with blood. He had a tanned complexion, presumably from years outdoors.

I glanced at me as I rushed over, his hand reaching for a weapon in his holster which no longer was there. I swung the rifle as hard as I can, striking his forehead. He fell over, and crawled ontop, screaming as I hit him again, breaking his nose. I felt arms grasp tightly around me as Marcus and Jacob pulled me off him. I tried to struggle, but it was of no use.

“Stop, Ethan,” Marcus said, tossing me to the ground and pinning me down.

“Let me… Ugh!” I groaned, attempting to free myself.

I saw Jacob using a pair of handcuffs to restrain the boy, and it only made me angrier.

“WHY ARE YOU LETTING HIM LIVE!” I screamed, spit flying out of my mouth.

“Why are you trying to fucking kill him,” Marcus said calmly, his eyes staring into mine.

I stared at his bloodied arm, watching as more sept through the filthy bandages. As he felt me calm, he released me, and I slowly got up.

“What do we do now?” Jacob questioned as he stood next to the unconscious boy.

“We leave, while we still have the chance,” Marcus stated.

“What?! We’re just going to let them get away with this? With what they did to us?!” He exclaimed, waving his arms around.

“We aren’t special! We go back there–we fucking die!” Marcus exclaimed, pointing back toward the city centre.

“We can’t… They took everything from me!” Jacob exclaimed, getting on his knees.

“Shit… Jacob… I’m sorry, but we aren’t the main characters in a movie, we go back we won’t be able to escape. We have on choice, keep moving and survive,” He said, and Jacob store up with wet eyes.

And we did just that, we put the young boy into the back of the armored vehicle, and I got in the drivers seat. I turned around, and started down the road. As I saw we exited the city, I felt a weight lift off my broad shoulders. My hands shook with anger, but as Marcus said, this was the only way. Revenge was a fools game, and we were no fools.

Chapter Fourteen: New Beginnings

We drove and drove, over bridges and past town buildings. Past farm houses and barns, lakes and rivers. We weaved through cars and other rubble, and I stared at the ever changing landscaped. I heard the Emily and Marcus conversing, the vehicle had plenty of medical supplies, and she tended to his wound.

Jacob and I would make small talk, but I kept my eyes on the road. I couldn’t have this vehicle falling into any pot holes, we needed it for all it could provide. It’s battery was about half full, a single solar panel in the trunk for charging.

I could tell he was awake, our captive that is. He chose to remain silent, pretend to be unconscious, but I could tell. What mercy we provided him, taking him away from the only life he knew. I was against it, attempting to convince the others to simply throw him out on the side of the road and continue on–but they were persistent.

It was three to one, not sure when things started to become group decisions. I always remembered Marcus being our leader, that’s the position he actively took, things have changed though. I was lost in my thoughts when I glanced down at the fuel meter. We were almost empty, and I silently complained to myself, scanning the surroundings for an area to bunker down for a few days while the vehicle charges.

I spotted a building through the trees, a path leading down, and a mailbox. I parked next to a semi–truck, it’s tires flat and bushes growing inside. Marcus leant forward, and I assumed he wondered why we were stopping.

“We need to charge the car,” I remarked whilst turning the car off. I opened the door, stepping out onto the concrete. I had changed into a new outfit, we all had. Though speckles of blood spotted the black tactical uniforms, it was far better than the rags we had on before.

We had long ripped off the patches for the ALC, throwing them out on the side of the road. I wanted to forget what happened in that city, refresh my mind. Opening the truck, I took out a flimsy solar panel and coil of cord. I plugged it into the charging port, placing it on the ground and connecting it.

We would be here a while if we wanted a full charge, the time of stay would depend on the condition of shelter. The others began to step out, and I walked to the trunk once again, grabbing a rifle. I checked to make sure it was off saftey and chambered a round, making my way to the third door on the vehicle.

Leaning against the door, I waited for backup. Jacob soon arrived, giving me a sorry grin before opening the door. He had a black pistol in his hand, as he stared into the car.

“Come on,” He commanded, and our captive began to move. He shimmeyed across the seat, stepping out with a groan. I hadn’t noticed, but Emily had treated his wounds aswell, the bullet that grazed him and my attack were bandaged up.

Emily and Marcus grabbed various supplies, mostly food, from the trunk. Once ready, we marched toward the house, vauling slowly over the guardrail. It had been sunrise when we left, but I was a slow driver–paranoid to loose a lifeline. Wind blew through, a chill breeze flowing through my hair as we stepped on cracked and broken concrete.

“That’s cold,” I muttered, shaking the chill off.

“What month even is it?” Emily voiced, her questioned answered by no one.

An ancient home sat infront, the a tattered and ripped american flag swayed in the wind upon a rusted flagpole. It was a tan mobile home with a dark red roof. A large attenta tower stood above, vines crawling fully up and dangling down.

I closed the gap between the door and pushed it open, letting the others enter before I let myself in. The walls were fully decorated and adorned with pictures and other memorabilia. Cozy couches sat in the living room, a rusting kitchen just in view.

“Come on,” I said, pulling our captive to a small bedroom. I waited for Jacob to enter the room before unlocking the restrains.

“I need to use the bathroom,” He muttered, and I groaned.

“I’m not doing this shit,” I remarked, leaving the room. A flashy door caught my eye, it was custom painted. I pushed the door open, a bed in the left side, and a large set up to the right. I gasped, dropping my rifle and bag and rushing over. I sat on the chair, peeking through the blinds at a set of solar panels in the back yard.

The room had an ungly but cozy wall paper, books and papers scattered about. My hand’s shook as I flicked it on. I grinned as static began to faintly come out of a speaker. I took a dark brown cowboy hat off the mic and tossed it across the room. My feet and hands were shaking, a massive smile across my space. I tuned it in to a familiar station, my hand shaking as I leant forward and pressed down the button.

“Hello?!” I practically screamed, but only static came through. I sat there for a few minutes, contemplating everything I had experienced so far.

[Ava]: “Yes, who is this?” My eyes widened as the voice chimed in through the speaker, I practically jumped back, soon leaning in and responding in a matter of seconds.

“Ava… It’s me…” I said, my voice growing somber at the realization she did not reconize my voice.

[Ava]: “I’m sorry, I don’t recognize your voice. Who are you?” She said with empathy, and a wave of somberness settled upon my shoulders. I couldn’t continue this much longer, it was time to be direct.

“It’s me, Ethan…” I explained, and whilst it only took a few seconds for her to respond, that felt like a thousand years.

[Ava]: “Ethan? Is it really you?!” She exclaimed, excitement in her voice.

“It’s me Ava. It’s been awhile,” I said, grinning.

[Ava]: “I can’t believe it’s really you. It’s been so long. Are you okay?” She  voiced, sorrow in her voice.

“Yes, I’m fine,”

We continued talking through the night, I explained what happened after the last contact I had with her. How the cellular phone was damaged beyond repair, how I became enslaved, the night grew old, and I knew I would have to rest.

“I need too… I need to sleep, Ava. We can talk again tomorrow,” I said somberly, getting up from the wooden office chair.

[Ava]: “Understood, Ethan. Rest well. We’ll catch up tomorrow.” She said, and I pushed chair aside. I groaned, glancing at the hat that lay across the room. It was a dark–brown shade of wool, and I picked it up. It had a black band with silver details that streched around the base.

I thought to myself this could be a good replacement, thinking of the tan hat I had long ago. I grimaced as I remembered my time as a slave, how my body changed during those months. I thought for a moment, the cold breeze, and I chimed into the radio once more.

“Hey Ava, before I go to sleep, whats the date?” I questioned, the thought of traveling through frigid blizzards frightening me.

[Ava]: “It’s the 14th of October, 2083. Why do you ask? Everything okay?” She said, and I thought for a moment. That’s when it’s going to start getting cold, and colder, and colder.

“Nothing, goodnight Ava,” I explained, stretching my back and making my way toward the bed.

[Ava]: “Goodnight, Ethan. Sleep well.” She said as I crashed onto the bed. It was an almost instant black out, I guess I was far more exausted than I thought.

“She’s pregant…”“Pregnant…”

I was awoken by a gunshot, flincing around and reaching for the pistol that was placed upon the nightstand. The yellow beams of the rusing sun shot through the cracks in the blinds. I soon realisied it was just my dream, and so I set the pistol down, plumeting the back of my head back into the pillow.

Slowly I got up, grabbing the pistol and tucking it into my holster. I picked up the cowboy hat, putting it on before exiting the room. The smell of cooking was in the air, presumably Marcus. I made a B-Line to the bathroom, entering and locking the door.

After finishing my business, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I gasped at the figure in front of me, slowly approaching it and touching the cold dusty glass. My beard grew in patches, my sideburns stretching down and a bushy mustashe upon my face.

It was thinner in certain areas, almost unoticable in some. My eyes had bags under them, my hair long and unruly. I reached my hand out, staring at the tanned skin. It was caliced, almost the entire palm as hard as rock.

I stared at my dark bushy eyebrows, almost concealing my eyes. I exited the bathroom, turning back to my room and knocking over a coat rack. I stared at the dark jacket that sat on the floor, it was leather I believe. I picked it up, placing the coatrack on steady feet once again and putting on the jacket.

It would be getting colder soon, and I needed thicker clothing. It stretched down to the top of my combat boots, pockets placed wherever space was available. It was ripped on edges, but it would do. I stared at the radio, before I heard chatter from the kitchen. Breakfast was ready, and I hadn’t a good meal for a long time.

I made my way to the living room, where Jacob had prepared an oatmeal. It seemed strange, and I scanned the room for Marcus. He sat on a plaid sofa, a blanket around him. He gritted his teeth in pain, and I approached to see what was wrong.

“What’s… Wrong?” I questioned, staring at his well built form. The person who had changed the least was Emily, but while she didn’t suffer labor intensive as much as the men, she suffered emotionally far more. From what I saw, she had been taking the abuse quite well, but an obvious wedge had been formed between her and Marcus.

“You wanna see?” He questioned, but after all I had seen in the past months, I could see anything.

“What’s wrong?” I said again, and he slowly pulled back the blanket. A terrible infection had started to eat away at his flesh, it was disgusting to look at, but I continued to stare in fascination.

“Shit… Are you taking medication,” I questioned, kneeling down.

“I’ve started recently, fortunately, Emily loved books, reading all that medical shit, anything in the bunker,” He explained, covering his arm again.

“Yeah,” I responded, not sure what else to say.

Jacob brought over a pot, placing it on the coffee table. He returned to the kitchen to fetch bowls and utensils. One by one he filled up our bowls, and we began eating the warm meal.

“Yeah… Yep,” Emily said, and we all glanced at her.

“What’s that?’ I questioned, glancing at Jacob.

“Marcus is a way better cook,” She said, grinning.

Marcus smiled, glancing at Jacob who looked embarrassed. I ate quickly like an animal, though Marcus strongly overpowered Jacob in cooking, I hadn’t ate anything this good in months. After finishing, I stood, grabbing an extra bowl and filling it up.

“Second’s already?” Jacob questioned, soon realising why I had gotten another serving.

“Nope, our new little pet that you all insist to keep,” I mocked, grimacing. I quickly made my way to the room, pushing the door open. He was still sleeping, and I shut the door, waking him um. Placing the bowl on the floor, I grabbed a chair and sat on it backwards, intimidation factor, from the movies.

“W-what do you want?” He questioned, glancing at the bowl of meal.

“Are we going to be followed?” I questioned, staring into his brown eyes.

“No–no they don’t care about me, they care more about the guns and truck, but they wont look far,” He explained, slowly getting off the bed and grabbing the bowl. He was shackled by the leg to the post, and he sat on the bed, eating like an animal.

“What’s your name?” I questioned, and I shot up, staring into my eyes.

“J-James,” He mumbled.

“Full name,” I clarified, and he gave me a confused look.

“What?” He questioned, glancing at the door behind me.

I sighed, standing and exiting the room. I shut the door loudly, glaring at the others as I made my way back to my room. I locked the door, rolling in the chair til’ I reached the desk. I pressed in the talk button, leaning into the microphone.

“Ava?” I questioned, waiting for the response I needed.

[Ava]: “Yes, Ethan? What’s on your mind?” She questioned, and I thought for a moment.

“Nothing. I just want to chat, about anything,” I explained, leaning back into the chair.

[Ava]: “Sure, I’m here. What do you want to talk about?”

“Holy shit!” I heard a voice shout from outside. It was a surprised voice, hints of fear within. It startled me, and before I knew what I was doing, I was making my way outside, a rifle gripped in my hands.

I pushed past Marcus as I stepped outside. My jaw went slack, and my eyes widened. The entire building was surrounded by bare footprints, thousands of them circling the building.

“We need to leave–now!” Marcus commanded, glancing at me as he cradled his newly bandaged arm. I nodded, rushing back into the house and into my room.

“Ava, I have to go. I’ve been talking to you on a big radio set up, it’s going to be silence from me for now on, until I find another way to communicate. I’ll talk to you… hopefully soon,” I said, releasing the talk button and waiting for a response.

[Ava]: “Alright, Ethan. Stay safe out there. I’ll be here when you find a way to reach out again. Take care.” She responded, her voice empathetic and kind.

“I… I love you, Ava,” I responded quickly, releasing the mic button and heading to flick off the system.[Ava]: “I love y–,” He voice was cut off as I switched it off, cringing at the words I missed.

I swiftly gathered my gear, heading toward James’s room. I bardged in, the rifle gripped in my hands. He looked terrified, and I swiftly unlocked his leg restraints and forced him up. He attempted to struggle, but I gave him a death glare in response.

“Don’t struggle, we need to leave,” I explained, my white knuckles grasped around the back of his shirt. I pulled him along, and we soon left the building. I tossed him to Jacob, his arm clenched around his wrist as we rushed toward the vehicle.

We traveled down the familiar path, hopping over the guard rail and closing the gap between us and our car. As I circled the vehicle, I stared at a crushed solar panel. Kneeling and examining it, I assumed it was done by accident.

“Shit,” Marcus said, his voice lined with worry.

“No we can, theres solar panels at the house,” I remarked, standing and glancing in the direction of the home. I saw dozens of figures in the shadows of the trees, and I took a step back in response.

“Holy shit!” I heard James scream as he was pushed into the vehicle my Jacob. This caused Jacob to turn, seeing the people for himself. They were all naked, all men, all with large beards and hair.

I rushed into the drivers seat, starting the vehicle as Jacob and Marcus rushed into the car. I heard a war cry as they began to charge, my eyes widening as I put the pedal to the medal, speeding off. I glanced in the rear-view-mirror in horror, some had extra arms, some extra legs, some crawled, some limped.

Chapter Fifteen: Feral Pursuit

The tires screeched as we sped away, Marcus and James both mumbling in worry. My hands were shaking as I started at the battery percentage. We wouldn’t get far–not far at all.

“This is why you don’t leave the city!” James exclaimed, turning and staring behind us.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP JAMES!” I screamed as I weaved around potholes and rusty cars.

The battery quickly drained, I counted the percentages as it ticked down one after another. The speed began to slow, a solid thirty with the pedal to the metal. I began to shake as the car stopped, the interior lights flickering off. I put it into part, stepping out and opening the trunk.

I grabbed a large backpack and a tactical satchel, stuffing them with as much as I could carry. The others exited the vehicle besides our captive, stuffing backpacks of their own with food, medical supplies, guns and ammo.

I rushed toward the card door, scanning the forests on either side of the rode as I pulled the door open. I guided James out, checking to make sure he was restrained. I placed a backpack onto his back, commanding him to sit as I filled another.

After ten minutes, we had practically cleared out the vehicle. Ahead was a collapsed bridge that lead over the highway, the left broken into many pieces that still somewhat stood, the right a pile of rubble.

I guided the group ahead, walking through a portion of broken guard rail. The weight on our backs exhausted us as we traveled up a small hill onto the access road. We pushed through, and I began to jog, the others following suit as we traveled down the road.

“Where are we going?” Emily questioned, her breath panting.

“Making distance between us and them,” I explained, panting myself.

As we sprinted down the road, I spotted a sign that faintly read “BlackWater, 3”.

“There, three more miles to a town,” I explained, cutting through a segment of grass.

We began to enter woodland area, the decrepit road that peaked with a large crack in the middle guiding us ahead. On all sides was lush forest, shadowy lush forest. I took a moment to catch my breath as I stared ahead. Forward past a large field with few trees but tall grass was multiple buildings.

“That’s it,” I muttered, my voice barely audible as I attempted to breath. I began to push forward through the grass, closing the gap between us and the town. We broke through the tree line, afew decrepit buildings along each side of the road as I continued to jog.

It wasnt a big town, the wooden structures long rotted away, mostly foundations or hollow frames remaining. After a small distance, brick buildings that still stood were visible in the distance. Many cars were parked in the middle of the road, large trees periodically towering above the ancient planters they once were young in.

Slowing down, I made my way to a brick wall to catch my breath. I took off my hat, wiping the sweat off my forehead and rubbing my hair. We were in what I assumed once was this town’s mainstreek, brick buildings line the road, not like the rest of this place.

“Don’t yout think…” Emily started, catching her breath. “That was a bit of an overreaction?” She questioned, sitting on the rusty hood of a short car.

“No… Those things spent their entire lives running, they could probably sprint from the house to here without any breaks,” I said, sliding against the wall and taking a seat.

I felt a drop of something hit the top of my hat, making an audible sound. Standing and looking to the sky, another hit my face. It stung a bit, and I quickly wiped it off.

“We need to get indoors, the rain,” I said, examining the buildings around. The rain was quickly picking up, but most of the buildings around us lacked roofs, simply hallow brick walls. I spotted a larger two-story brick building. It was on a corner, curved brick, windows that sported dirty glass, and a pair of double doors, one white, one black.

I began to walk, but the rain began to pick up rapidly, so I started to jog forward. The gap was quickly closed, and I felt relief as I entered the small roofed area between the front doors and the walls of the building. Trying the doors, I found one was tightly sealed. I pushed open the black door, squeesing through the thin gap as the others patiently waited to enter.

The inside appeared to be an old bank, converted to a museum. An elegant outdoor clock had fallen, breaking the window to my left and jutting in. The time red 11:54, but I doubt that was accurate. The others all entered, and I made my way to the black door to close it.

The sound of the rapidly picking up rain dampened as I closed the door, moving a waist high table infront to barricade it. Spotting an open door, I motioned to the others to follow me. I let them in first, closing the door and locking it behind me. James went in last, his hands till bound and a large backpack on his back.

I took each step carefully, the creaking of the steps only helping my paranoia. There was no door upstairs, just more ancient articacts of a bygone era. Making my way to the windows on the far side of the room, I gazed outside. Hundreds of drops hit the window a minute, the sound satisfying me.

“Alright, let’s bunker down here til the rain passes,” I stated, a flash of lightning soon after followed by thunder behind me.

“Emily, my arm is fuckin’ hurting again,” Marcus complained, and Emily quickly made her way to him.

“C’mon I got some medical supplies,” She tenderly said, grabbing his good arm and leading him to a bench across the room. I watched as she took off her backpack, digging in it. After finding what she needed, she took off the tight bandages. Even from here, I could tell it had gotten worse.

“Can y’all uh…” James started, shaking his hands that were cuffed behind his back. He trailed off as he saw my hate filled glare toward him, lowering his head and taking a seat on the ground.

Taking a seat on a chair next to the window, I stared outward. It was still day, but it had noticeably grown darker from the heavy storm clouds. Another crashing thunder came, I hadn’t even noticed the flash. There was nothing to do but wait, so I continued to stare out the window, watching drops of tainted water creep down the glass.

My mind went numb as I got lost in my thoughts, the rain a relaxing symphony. Long ago I had taken the rifle that slung around my shoulders off. It sat in my lap as I flicked the safety from auto to burst, burst to single, single to safety, then safety to single. I repeated that as I watched outside our sanctuary. I noticed it as it ran across the street.

Blinking twice, I caught the final second of it as it rushed into the hallow doorway of the brick building across the street. Tensing, I rose whilst flicking the weapon to auto. It had gotten dark outside, a break in the clouds causing the moon to light the creature up. The others had noticed I stood, they all looked at me with confused eyes.

“Who has the flashlights?” I questioned, it clicking I allowed James to carry them. Before anyone could answer, I continued with “James, c’mere,”

He quickly got up as I took a few steps forward. We met in the middle, standing on a sun bleached rug as I turnt him around, beginning to unzip his backpack. I heard the creaky floor snapping below me as my eyes widened.

“NO!” I screamed, but my reflexes were not faster than the weak floor. It broke under our combined weight, and I was sent through what I once considered a solid foundation and plummeted below.

James fell aswell, his body over me as I hit the floor first. The backpack helped my fall, but all I saw was his as he fell ontop of me. The extra weight and hard objects within his pack landed upon me, stealing the air out of my lungs. He rolled off me, groaning in pain as I wheezed.

Trying to get in, my ears focused on a tapping sound on the wet concrete outside. Staring forwards, I saw its blurry form as it lept through the window. The glass gave way, it pouncing upon me as I screamed.

The feral man above me was heavy with muscle, the assault as he began to strike me over and over again causing me to shut my eyes. Screaming, I struggled to push it off. I tried to reach for my sidearm, but its knee was placed right next to it.

I heard a battle cry to my right as James charged into the man. Falling on top as he quickly moved to sit on it’s stomach. It began to swipe at his face, his long nails leaving bloody streaks. Jacob yelped, before reacting swiftly with the only weapon he had avalibile.

He plumeted his head into the crazed face of his opponent, stunning them both temporarily. James regained his composure first, leaning down and grabbing hold of the mans nose with his teeth. He ripped outwards as I finished getting up, biting his entire nose off as the feral man screamed.

By that time, my pistol was drawned. I aimed it at the mans head, an intrusive thought telling me to shoot James first screaming at me before I fired. It hit the feral man, a trail of blood exploding from the other side, a pool soon forming. Blood was splattered across James face as he spat out the chunk of raw meat and got up.

Grabbing his backpack, I pulled him up quicker, grabbing the rifle that had fallen with the both of us as I led him to the door. It was opened quickly, and we pushed through the three of them as I heard more movement outside.

“CLOSE IT!” I exclaimed, rushing forward as Jacob swiftly shut it. Releasing the hold I had on James’s backpack, I sprinted upstairs to the window. My face grew white as I saw dozens of them surrounding the building. The had obviously long grown resistant to the rain, most of them moving to enter the building whilst some simply stood.

In the back, a large man stood. His beard reached his abs and his hair reached his shoulder blades. He had to have been at least seven foot, a massive well built leader. Gripping the rifle, I turned and met the others as they finished scaling the stairs.

“That door wont last for long, get your weapons!” I commanded, the others quickly grabbing their rifles.

“Please let me help!” James pleaded, but I shook my head. After the others had collected their weapons, they stood by me and over the railing as we watched the door. It was eerily silent, no banging on the door. Alas, the shuffling of feet below us was loud, only heightened by the newly made hole in the floor.

“Did you lock it?” I questioned, glancing at Jacob.

“There’s a lock?” Jacob questioned, and I tensed.

The sounds below us stopped, only a few still moving. The doorknob began to move, these people obviously having slight knowledge of how it worked. Slowly it turned, and when it clicked a bombardment of noise and movement unfolded infront of me.

These bloodthirsty people pushed through eachother, each eager to be the first to attack. Squeezing the trigger and holding it, I was the second to begin to fire, Marcus being the first. He had his rifle propped against the railing, his bad arm rested like his rifle.

I heard screams from the stairway as they began to retreat. The bullets ripped through all of them, penetrating through multiple bodies as they began to fall. My magazine grew empty as the last sprinted through the door. Reaching for the extra magazine in the pouch upon my chest, I removed the spent one, making my way to the window.

I saw them all out there, gathering around their leader. There had to be at least fifty, and I swiftly pulled back the charging handle. Swiftly I pointed the rifle at the large group and squeezed the trigger. The glass took two bullets before it shattered in half, my hellstorm raining upon them as I heard more screams from ahead.

They sprinted in all different directions, Jacob and Emily coming to my side and firing aswell. When my magazine ran empty, I stared at the carnage in the moonlight. Dozens of bodies laid in the street, the rain pouring upon them. I lowered my rifle, taking out the used magazine and loading a new one.

“Holy shit…” Emily said, lowering her own rifle.

“There were at least a hundred!” Marcus exclaimed, turning to face me with a pale face. My hands were shaking as I backed away, walking around the hole in the floor.

I peered down the stairway, a dozen bodies laid below me. Slowly I made my way down, stepping in the gaps between each slain man. A solid color of blood lay on the backwall, it still wet. Gore was all around me, brains and chunks of flesh, teeth and eyes upon the floor.

I scanned the room below, empty besides a single body lay on the floor. Blood pooled below his head as I turnt to the group above.

“Let’s go, we can find a secure building to rest,” I explained, and they began downwards. I approached the doors, the budged one broken inward from the storm of people that rushed in. Across the street and through the rain was a one story building, from the looks of it one with a roof.

I took the lead, rushing outside as the rain began to pour on me. My hat helped stop the onslaught of water, but some still hit the back of my neck, stinging me. The more that landed, the more it hurt.

The glass on one of the double doors was broken, leaving a wood outline. I squeezed through the gap, entering the structure. All windows besides one of the doors were broken, vines crawled inwards almost as if they wished to avoid the rain aswell.

A tellers desk lay infront of me, the wooden structure reaching the roof. It sagged in the middle, not much but still noticeable. I made my way to the gate that lay open, examining each barred window.

“This looks secure, come on,” I explained, motioning for the others to follow.

“Good,” Jacob remarked as he entered, and when we all filled the small space behind the desk, I attempted to shut it.

Unfortunately, it did not close, and when I released it the metal door simply swung open again.

“I need rope,” I said, turning to a confused crowd.

“I got some,” Emily stated, turning as I approached her from behind. I unzipped her backpack, digging through til’ I found a bundle of cord.

I untied the knot that kept it together, tying a loop around the bars of the metal door. Scanning the room, I saw the doorhandle that fit what I needed. Opening it, the back room was revealed, filled with discarded papers and desks.

Feeding the rope through the door,  I pulled as the metal door began to shut. It tightly closed as I fed it toward a barred segment of the tellers desk. Tying it around, the door now sat tightly closed. Closing the gap, I pushed on it, checking to make sure it was secure.

“Smart thinking,” James reamarked, but I glared at him.

“Everyone has sleeping bags, Jacob, since you love James so much you can set his up,” I said, whilst Jacob groaned. Taking off my backpack, I dug through and took out my own bag, unfolding it and setting it onto the floor. It was camouflage, a padded pillow built into the bag.

Taking off my muddy boots and backpack, I crawled inside. I heard the others making small talk with James as he boasted as he saved my life. I glanced at him, his face still bloody as he took a seat ontop a desk.

“Is that true?” Emily said, and I groned.

“Yeah, yeah it is. Now go to sleep…” I exclaimed, turning in my bag and staring at a broken laptop on the floor, examining the intricate cracks in the screen. My vision began to blur as I began to drift off, yawing and closing my eyes, sleep came easily, and I dreamt about her, about Ava.

Chapter Sixteen: Eyes of the Unkown

Waking first, I swiftly got ready by putting on my boots. It felt colder in the room, and as I put on my jacket, I felt a strange weight in the left pocket I hadn’t notice. I reached in, pulling out a pair of leather gloves. They fit tightly around my hands, and I stared at everyone who still slept.

I made my way to the teller desk, the rope still tightly bound to keep the door closed. It was cold, a breeze from the outside causing me to shiver. It had gotten far colder through the night, and I scanned through the empty windows for movement.

Spotting none, I made my way back, digging through a backpack. There was food, premade breads. Taking many, I made my way to a desk, wiping the dust off with my jacket. I took papers as plates and placed gracious servings of bread on each one, taking my own and making my way to the tellers desk.

After taking a bite, I realisied it was sweetened with sugars and cinnamon, a sweet treat despite the cold. Alas, it was slightly stale, the texture being the only thing that ruined it for me. I pulled up a seat, poling down as I finished my bread. We would need to begin to ration, the truck didn’t have much food, more so medical supplies and weapons.

I heard fabric shifting as someone began to wake. Getting up, I made my way to the room we stayed the night in. James, our newest companion that I was not fond of, was waking. Glancing at his hands, I noticed they were not bound anymore. To say I was disappointed for the group to free him of his restrains whilst we sleep was an understatement, as I was furious.

Though, his actions the night before were commendable. I’m not sure if I would have been able to save myself with that beast of a man upon me. He pushed him off me, ruthlessly tearing into flesh to defend me after all I did.

“James…” I started, shifting uncomfortably as another breeze flew through the broken windows.

He got out of his sleeping bag, standing to meet me with just socks on.

“Yes… Uhm, Ethan?” He said, glancing down at his freed hands.

“I wanna thank you for… Saving me yesterday night,” I explained, leaning against the wooden wall.

“It’s no problem at all,” He sheepishly said, heading over to a pair of boots identical to mine and beginning to put them on.

“We should really get moving, I doubt were done with that pack,” I explained, walking over to Marcus and Emily who laid a foot apart. Nudging them, they began to stir. As Marcus lifted his bad arm out of the sleeping bag, I immediately spelt something rancid.

“C’mon, lets get moving!” James gleefully shouted, his voice loud and young.

“How old are you?” I questioned, and he glared at me.

“I think… Sixteen?” He said, unsure. He looked older than that, but he grew up in a far different environment than I.

Jacob had left his bag, groggling tying his shoes. I made my way to my backpack, hoisting it and settling it upon my back. I took a canteen that sat in a left compartment for easy reach out, completely draining the contents that had a strange taste.

“Can I get a gun?” Jacob questioned, glancing at a rifle.

“Not sure about that yet,” I explained, and a frown grew quickly upon his face.

“Y’all bunker boys right? That’s how our community started, one behind the fancy dome building, next to the arch. We ran out of supplies, listen I’ve lived my life using guns and I doubt you have more experience than me,” He explained, and I listened. I hadn’t been out of the bunker for long, compared to his years of using guns to fend off vicious beasts. Sighing, I picked up a long rifle and handed it to him.

“Thank you!” He exclaimed, taking a seat and examining the rifle.

Emily had awoken, she keeled next to Marcus attempting to wake him up. The smell of his arm was still in the air, and so I made my way out of the back office and into the tellers desk area.

I stared outside, taking in the cooler weather. The leaves of many trees and bushes swayed with the wind, making a symphony of elegant natural music. Catching another whiff of something foul, I turned to see Emily unwrapping Marcuses dirty bandages.

Marcus groaned and emily yelped as the wounds were revealed. Swiftly, I made my way over. His infection from the injury had grown gangrenous, black flesh sorrounding the clotted laceration, fading into a gray colored skin.

“Oh no…” James said, and I turnt to catch his horrified gaze. “You’re gonna have to cut that one off,”

“Wha–” I said, getting cut off as Marcus screamed “No!”

“Sorry dude, I had a friend once… He got somethin’ like that on his leg, and he didn’t want it gone… Now he’s gone…” He explained, trailing off.

I turnt back to Marucs, examining the decayed flesh.

“Emily, double the medication… If it doesn’t get better…” I said, trailing off as I saw a small but of green puss ooze out as emily began wrapping it.

“No… I won’t let you,” Marcus said, staring into my eyes with terror.

“I don’t think you’ll have much of a choice,” Jacob said, approaching from behind me.

Emily gave Marcus a set of pills, taking a syringe and injecting fluid into his arm as he winced. When she finished, we suited up, grabbing our rifles and packs. When everyone was ready, I took the lead, untying the rope and stuffing it into my satchel. The door swung open as I stepped out first.

My rifle was clutched in my hands as we left the ancient bank. Upon reaching the outside, it grew even colder. I watched the buildings as we moved down the mainstreet. It wasnt long until we had left the small town, and when I took a step on a train track, I turned around to take the rows of brick buildings in one last time.

“Where are we heading?” Jacob questioned, the rifle I gave him slung around his back.

Breaking my gaze from the treeline, I stared into his eyes. “The umm… UK,” I explained, turning back to the trees. We were approaching a bridge, it sagged in the middle but still stood. The water rushed below, but It appeared safe to cross.

“Uh… How far is that? He questioned, his knowledge of the world obviously limited.

“It’s…” I started, trailing off as I really thought about the distance. “It’s… Not too far,” I stated, lying through my teeth.

“Oh, alright,” He said, turning forward and continuing his gleeful walk. Jacob slowed, making his way beside me.

“Why is he so happy?” He questioned as I stared at him smiling. He turned, his head following a rusted car that hung over the edge of the bridge.

“I have no idea, it’s uncanny. We kidnapped him basically,” I voiced, staring down the curvy river as far as I could. We approached a hilly segment, and I noticed how the road had been carved through the hill, rock exposed on either side.

We followed the road, only noticeable by the lack of trees, periodic cars, and spots where chunks of it still lay. We came to a point where we could follow a different road, and I noticed how it seemed sunnier and clearer to the left, less trees and a large field to the right where I spotted an old rusty barn.

“This way,” I stated, the others soon following.

The foliage had transformed from large trees to short bushes and small thin trees. The telephone poles leaned towards the road, and we zigzagged through the wires. A shotgun home was to the right, the cinderblocks on the right side had crumbled, causing the entire structure to lean on one side. The roof caved in there, obvious the fall had done damage.

A bit further down was a lot of close together wooden fence, some sort of corral. Most posts laid on the ground, consumed by the earth. A one white metal barn was red with rust, only the front still having standing sheet metal. The road ahead curved with the hill, ahead a concrete bridge, the siding being the only think sticking out of the rushing water.

“Stop,” I commanded, believing I heard something. As we all stopped, a group of stepps lagged behind, crunching on leaves within the forest around us.

“Y’all heard that too, right?” James questioned, his white knuckles gripped tightly around his rifle.

“Yeah… Let’s cross this bridge, then walk a bit faster to gain distance,” I said, taking the lead and stepping onto the concrete guard rail. The water below rushed, and I feared it was too acidic for me to survive a plunge. The others followed, taking careful steps as I did before.

Hopping off the guard rail, I waited for the others to finish crossing, my rifle gripped tightly in my hands. When all of us had crossed, I started forward, my pace obviously faster.

“I don’t think they care about the water, or at least… I don’t know, maybe they’re… Maybe they’ve grown resistant??” Emily suggested, glancing behind us. It was true, their lack of reaction to the black rain startled me, but would thye be resistant to cold?

“What about the cold water? The rushing? It will probably slow their large group down,” I explained, glancing behind us aswell. I thought I caught a glimpse of something peeking out from the treeline, but it was most likely just a bush swaying in the wind.

We passed many more decrepit buildings, making small talk and peeking glances behind us. The feeling of being watched was in the air, and with every step we took, I swear many more were taken in the treeline.

“I miss the horses,” Emily whined as James’s eyes widened.

“Y’all had horses?” He said, his eyes growing with excitement.

“Mhm, until they were shot by your people,” I replied firmly, the terrible memories in that city coming back to me.

“Oh…” He muttered, trailing off.

We came to a fork in the road, and I stood in the middle, peering down each side. To the right, the speed limit was fifty-five, but two the left very faintly it read twenty-five.

“There should be a town this way,” I explained, starting toward that direction.

“How do you know?” Emily questioned, beginning to follow me.

“I know,” I assured. As we reached the speed limit sign I saw earlier, I noticed in the grass another read ‘Nelson, Pop 192’.

“Another small one,” I said, gesturing with the barrel of my rifle at it. I glanced in the distance, a leaning water tower sat, few letters of the towns name still visible. We traveled down the main street, ancient buildings on each side.

Vines crawled up them, leaving each exterior looking like a simple large bush. I spotted a once-white building, with the first thing I noticed being the roof appeared intact. It was getting late, and with the darkness, cold was coming. Marcus was panting as I pushed the ancient door open, the vines begging for me to keep it closed.

They snapped, and I almost fell inward. The interior was lined with wooden pews, papers and dust strewn upon the floor. Letting the others in, I pushed the door shut. Papers were placed upon the windows, the room filled with the simple light that filtered through the cracks. I wondered who did that as I dragged a pew to the front door, barracading it.

A small hole, the size of a bucket, was in the roof, a beam of light shining through. Suddenly, Marcus collapsed on the floor, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Emily yelped, making her way over as I did the same.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned, watching her as she took the bandages off. It had gotten far worse, black veins streching up as it attempted to spread.

“No… No no no!” She screamed, examining his arm.

“Y’all, we gonna have to take it off I swear,” James chimed in, and I felt a pit form in my stomach.

“Emily… Do we?” I questioned, glancing at her as tears formed in her eyes. She nodded yes, and my eyes immediately focused on a hatchet embedded in the walls.

“If we don’t cut it off now, we will have to take the joint…” She said, digging through her arm and preparing. She tossed me pure alcohol, and I drenched it in the blade of the hatchet, cleaning it off.

Though Marcus had passed out, we still put a stick in his mouth just incase. There where chemicals, enough to start a fire and cauterize it. She told me “There’s only a chance this works, but its all we can do,” Before nodding at me.

With shaky hands, Jacob and James holding Marcus down, and the clean hatchet clenched in my right hand, I raised it. It fell down, striking the area she marked as I heard a snap. Suddenly, Marcus awoke, biting down upon the large stick and attempting to scream. Emily held his arm down, which he attempted to flail about as I struck again, and again, and again.

Emily pulled, and pulled, until the arm came off, and he passed out. Even with a tournacite, blood seeped into the fabric she placed below. She began to place powders on his bloody stump, and I watched in awe as she used a lighter to light it, jumping away as it exploded into flames.

When it died down, Marcus had no arm. It was so quick, sickingly quick. The toxic fumes floated to the high roof, exiting through the hole as I sat on a pew, shaking. My gloves were bloody, and James came to me, handing me a wet rag with a smile.

“It had to be done,” He said, taking a seat next to me. I simply stared at my bloody gloves, the rag in one. Breaking out of it, I wiped my face first, moving down to my leather gloves and cleaning them. It was a surreal experience as I got up, making my way to Marcus who was tucked in on a pew.

He sat close to the farthest wall, and I simply stared at his freshly bandaged stump as Emily nursed him. I took my hat off, wiping the sweat off my brow as I made rounds in the church. Opening a sided a side door, my eyes widening as I saw a noose hanging from the ceiling, a pile of clothes and bones below.

I thought things couldn’t get more dark, but they just had. Sighing, I closed the door, making my way to a window. I stared through the stained glass, a crack in the papers put up. It was now dark outside, and I wondered what beasts lurked in the shadows.

Suddenly, I saw one. A humanoid figure crawling on all fours across the road. It hid behind a car, and I could see its face peeking out with interest. The light, the stupid battery lantern was on! It had to of been so obvious from outside. I turnt, rushing toward Emily as she sat next to Marcus.

I grabbed the lantern, flicking it off as she looked at me with confusion.

“They’re outside…” I whispered, rasing my finger to my lips. Her eyes went wide, and it felt as if everyones breathing stopped as we listened.

It was silent for a long long time, before an audible crunching of fallen leaves could be heard, getting closer. I thought about a crawlspace, but I soon remembered seeing concrete as a foundation. Still, it sniffed outside, slowly making it’s way toward the door.  James raised his rifle, but I gave him a death glare, shaking my head.

Chapter Seventeen: Disarmament

The building was small, cramped, and dry. We sat together, listening to them shuffle about outside. It was obvious we were surrounded, and they looked to find a way to enter. Slowly I lowered myself onto a pew, staring at the door as I heard movement from that direction.

The sun had just set, and it was a long night ahead of us. Leaning over the one ahead, I stared at Marcus. His arm was missing, but he still had his join which was apparently good. Perhaps we could find a prosthetic for him, but I wasnt exactly sure any were still left.

Was making one in question? Was that possible? James was shaking, I noticed that. His eyes were wide as he glanced in every direction of the room, obviously terrified. I guess I was hiding my fear, as when a loud bang on the door sounded, I almost screamed.

It was a single action, the creature outside stepping off the porch soon after. I call them creatures as they are no longer human, but beasts of the wild. It stepped off the porch, the movement on all sides continuing with it. This went on for a long time, the pack circling the church, attempting to find a way in.

Vines moved behind me, and I turnt, listening as something began to climb onto the roof. Dust fell down as it scaled, making its way to the small hole penetrating the roof above. The light from the moon was blocked by a head, two terrifying eyes peering down.

I closed my eyes as someone firing, the shot flying through the hole and striking the intruder. It tumbled down, hitting the grass outside as the creatures surrounding it began to make animalsitic noises. Turning, I spotted James chambering another round. He glanced at me, unsure of his actions as I listened to the creatures run around outside.

Getting up, I closed the gap between the door and I, pushing more pews against it. I heard banging against the weak wooden frame as Jacob and James helped me to defend this place. The door began to sprinter, the pews holding it together as the assault began to calm.

We had angered the bees nest, and I feared what would happen next. They spoke in grunts and tongues, and I gripped my rifle tightly.

“How do we get out of here!” Emily exclaimed, glancing at the weakening defenses. Slowly, it began to settle down as a monotonous set of footsteps began to loudly erupt, approaching.

“Go through the back!” I exclaimed, gesturing to the door at the far side of the room.

“What about Marcus?” She questioned as James began to make his way to the side room

“I’ll get him, just go, GO!” I exclaimed, hearing the footsteps louden as something large plummeted into the door. It cracked inward, and it wouldn’t be long til it was broken.

They ran out, and I saw that it was clear through the doorway. I made my way to Marcus, attempting to carry him but finding he was too big. I hoisted him over my shoulder, stumbling as his massive weight settled upon me.

Making my way to the doorway, the impact of the large man outside startled me, and I fell against a shelf next to the door. Chemicals fell down, combining and starting a reaction. It burst into flames, sending me back as I landed on my backpack.

“Emily…” I groaned, watching the fire quickly begin to spread. With one more impact, the pews moved, allowing the pack to funnel into the building. I unslung my rifle, raising and and squeezing the trigger.

The shots cut through them as screams erupted, and soon my magazine ran empty. I looked down, trying to reload sloppily and failing multiple times. By the time my magazine was inside the gun, I looked up to be met with the face of a man at least seven feet tall.

He grabbed me, flinging me across the small worship area and hitting a wall. I groaned as I fell onto a pew, rolling off and hitting the floor. I glanced to the fire which was spreading up the walls, catching the paper upon the windows. Marcus still lay over there, and I attempted to get up before the fire consumed him, but was flung by the large man.

My back hit the top of a pew, the backpack helping to not break my spine as I rolled down. The entire pack had funneled inside, watching me and their leaders fight. Standing, I reached for my sidearm, attempting to pull it out. I was met with a fist to the side of my head, groaning and coughing as smoke filled the building.

The beast of a man turned as a battle cry erupted from the other side of the room. Marcus stood infront of the flames, a hatchet in his only hand. He charged, rushing into the man and striking him in the chest with the hatchet. The beast screamed, flailing about as Marcus caught my stare.

“LEAVE!” He exclaimed, pulling the weapon out as the packs leader fell to the floor, going still. The crowd erupted into a panic, rushing into Marcus as he began to swipe at each one.

Sprinting to the door, I pulled it closed and fell into the grass, taking in the sweet taste of fresh air.

“Where’s Marcus?” Emily questioned, coming from across the street.

“He… I…” I started but trailed off as I stared behind me. The church was in flames, yellow light coming from the windows as it burnt. I heard glass shattering followed by the snapping of wood as it began to collapse.

A symphony of screams erupted from the inside as all the windows shattered, the roof caving in and crushing all that was inside.

“MARCUS!” Emily exclaimed, falling to the ground and beginning to cry. I stared in awe at the building, the fire still consuming the collapsed wood. We sat there, watching the building until the sun began to rise. By that point, it was a simple smouldering pile of ash.

A figure began to limp from around the side of the pile of ash, and Emily looked up. It was a tall well-built figure, lacking a left arm.

“MARCUS!” Emily exclaimed, breaking into a sprint and giving him a massive hug. I ran too, stopping and examining him. He had burns on his body, parts of his clothes were missing, torn off by claws or burnt off, but he was okay.

“What happened?” I questioned, watching as he broke the hug to talk to me.

“I… Jumped out a window… Right before it collapsed. I kinda got knocked out though, sorry,” He explained, and I grinned.

“It’s okay man,” I said, giving him a big hug.

“So they all burned?” Jacob questioned, glancing at the pile of ash.

“Burnt and crushed,” Marcus replied, the hatchet still clutched in his hand.

“So… What now?” James said, approaching from the side.

“Well… We keep going” Marcus explained, looking down at his missing arm. He moved the joint, examining the bandaged wound.

“Let me… Check it out,” Emily said, reaching into her backpack. As she rebandaged his wound, I made my way to Jacob.

“Hey, I dropped my rifle and pistol,” I explained.

“Oh, alright,” Jacob responded, turning around to give me access to his backpack. Unzipping it, I pulled out a rifle identical to the one I used before, taking a pistol as well. Grabbing another magazine and some ammunition, I closed the backpack, turning as Emily finished with Marcus.

“Well…” I said, examining the rifle in my hands. “Let’s move,”

We hopped on the road, slowly making our way down the main street. I was exhausted from the lack of sleep, praying we would find a place to stay. We passed a forested segment filled with cars, the trees grew through windshields, reaching toward the sky.

The buildings slowly grew farther apart as we left the city center, decrepit and hollow wooden houses, and buildings becoming the norm. Vines crawled up and into the empty windows, some houses looking like simple bushes. We reached a railway where a long train sat. Beyond that was a sprawling field with sparing trees.

“Y’know, trains run on coal, they still work as long as the track is good,” James said, as I thought for a moment.

“What if this one we can get working?” I suggested, and Jacob looked back at me with a weird glance.

“We were getting one working, just trying to find coal for it,” James explained as I began to walk up the length of the train.

I examined the tracks, the wheels, the everything. The back cars were questionable in condition, but the front looked better. Climbing up a short rusty ladder that was built into the car, I peered into a container full of coal.

“What are you doing?” Marcus questioned, and I looked back at him.

“Checking out the train,” I explained, stepping from the coal cart to the drivers cart. The first door was locked, and I made my way to the one on the left. Trying the handle, it opened, and I stepped inside. It smelt like pure metal and rust, not something I was unfamiliar with.

The windows were intact, with a control panel ahead. It was a coal train, which was surprising considering the fact they were quite uncommon.

“It looks like someone was trying to get this one working,” James said as I flinched. I didn’t expect him to be behind me, and Lord was he silent.

“So what this isn’t a real train?” I said, and he laughed.

“No, it’s real, just really old,” He explained, peering out the window.

“What do we need to do to fix it?” I questioned, leaning against the wall.

“Honoestly, it looks like its ready to go… They probably died before they got to use it,” He suggested, glancing at me. I heard a boom of thunder, a storm was approaching.

“So what do we do?” I questioned, stepping out of the car. He followed close behind, grabbing a rail and leaning over the train. The others waited outside, watching us as he examined the long car.

“Dehook all of that, besides this fuel,” He explained, pointing forward.

“Let’s go,” I said, hopping off as my feet hit the ground. I must’ve misjudged the jump, as the vibration from the impact moved through my body.

“Shit…” I muttered, slowly rising to my feet.

“What’s wrong?” James questioned, stepping down the bent metal staircase.

“That was higher than I thought,” I explained, beginning to make my forward.

We closed the gap between the coal car and the miscellaneous ones. I took the staircase this time, approaching the connection point. I attempted to pull it apart, but it was held together far too tightly.

“James…” I requested, and he quickly approached. Together, we were able to disconnect the cars. Walking down the stairs, I met the group who looked at us confused.

“You’re not gonna tell me this thing works right?” Marcus questioned, glancing at the behemoth of metal infront of us.

“James says it will,” I explained, feeling a drop of rain hit my hat. My hat had become apart of me, and somehow I had not lost it in the church. I took off my gloves as the cold had turnt to humidity seemingly instantly. Stuffing them into the pocket on my jacket, I turned to the train.

“This will get us far… We need to sleep though, I don’t want to have it running as we sleep though,” I explained, staring at the train as the rain began to pick up.

“I don’t wanna get out days and nights messed up,” Marcus said, glancing at me.

“We havent slept in a long time, I’m sure if we sleep now, we will sleep through today, and through tonight,” I explained, glancing at him as he glared at my opposition.

He sighed, turning and staring at his missing arm.

“Alright, let’s get to sleep,” He said, beginning to climb up the stairs. He entered the train car, taking a seat in the far corner on the floor. He looked depressed almost, staring at his missing arm as his muscles moved, attempting to move something that was no longer there.

I took off my backpack, feeling pity for him as I took out my sleeping bag. It would be cramped, but I’m sure the cold would return at night. Setting it up, I took off my combat boots and slid into it. Despite the exhaustion, I couldn’t skeep, especially with the light from outside and the chatter from others.

“Y’all… What if we dont make it,” I said somberly, turning from the wall and staring at them.

“We will… I’m sure,” Jacob assured.

“Wait why are we going to the Uk?” James questioned, and I found it funny he didn’t even know where it was.

“There’s another bunker, with alot of supplies and people,” I explained, leaning into the pillow.

“Don’t you think it might be… Too far?” Emily questioned, her head resting on Marcus’s shoulder.

“What do you mean… Ethan you told me it wasn’t that far!” James said, annoyed at my lie.

“Sorry… It’s… Really far, and I mean really far…” I clarified, and we sat in a silence that felt like it lasted years.

“…How far?” James questioned, and I sighed.

“Thousands of miles…” I explained, the tension in the room almost unbearable.

“I’ll come,” He said, leaning against the train cabin wall.

Nothing was said after that, and I turnt to face the wall again. My head was place on the cold steel of the wall as I thought about the scale of our journey. We werent even half way done yet, not even a third, and not even ten precent.

We would have to travel through Canada, make it to Alaska, then cross to Russia. From there travel across sprawling frozen tundras to make it to the United Kingdom. All that distance, all because there was no other options. But was that even true?

Was this even our only option? Was there better choices along the way? Was traveling across the world even feasible? We had already lost one, how much more would we loose on the way there? Would I even make it…?

I felt my body become light as I began to drift off. It felt as if I was spinning in circles, my legs becoming num as my breath slowed to a soft and steady pace. I just hoped, hoped beyond belief that this train could take us most the way.

What condition would the tracks even be in? How long would we go? Ten miles? A hundred? A thousand? But for now, I would savor the time I had with my friends, because I was not sure who we would lose next.

Chapter Eighteen: The Iron Path

Waking from my sleep, I turnt from the wall to see the others still tucked in their own sleeping bags. Getting out, I put on my boots. It had gotten colder, the wind roared against the side of the train as I stared outside. Making my way to the door, I found it locked. I hadn’t done that, but I had gone to sleep first.

I accidentally had woken James, he stirred in his sleeping bag, his young tan face, grimacing as he woke.

“James…” I whispered, and he opened his eyes, catching my gaze.

“Uhgh… Yeah,” He questioned, getting out of his bag.

“Is there anything we need to prepare before starting this thing,” I questioned, and he began to rise. He put on his boots and jacket, guiding me out of the train car. The wind was strong, and I was happy I had left my hat inside, for it may have stolen it from me.

“We uhh… There’s no saying this thing will work, but if it does we need to take it slow. Someone will have too stay up front, watching the tracks,” He explained, stepping up a few steps to the side area of the train, beginning to walk down it toward the front.

“Alright… How slow?” I questioned, and he thought for a moment.

“Slow enough to stop quickly… There were binoculars in the car, we took ‘em right?” He questioned, glancing forward as he gripped the railing.

“I think… Yeah I think they’re in your backpack,” I replied, staring forward at the iron path ahead.

He continued his gaze forward as I stood behind him. The cold wind froze my face, and it would only get worse from here.

“Uhh… How well preserved are the average tracks,” I questioned him, and he thought for a long time.

“They’re… Good. It’s just, sometimes they break, sometimes something falls, that’s why you need to keep an eye out,” He explained, letting go of the railing and beginning to rub his hands together for warmth.

“…We should wake the others, get moving…” I voiced, turning and heading back to the entrance to the car. He followed, and soon I pulled the door open, James shutting it behind me.

Marcus was awake, he sat staring at his arm. When he heard us, he stopped, quickly getting up. I moved by him, making my way to the coal box of the train. It was full, but I remembered these things need water.

“James… Wheres the water meter?” I questioned as he made his way next to me.

“Right here,” He replied, tapping the small gauge on the control panel. It was full, maybe someone had really tried to get this thing working.

The cart carrying coal behind us funneled into the train cabin. Coal was already within the coal box, and I looked around for a possible way to light it. Items to start the fire quickly were available, place against windows and such, but I couldn’t find a lighter.

“Does anyone have a lighter?” I questioned, and Emily began to dig within her backpack. She pulled out a lighter, and I examined the intricate carvings.

Grabbing items that leant against the windows, I placed them in the coal box, flicking the lighter twice before it actually started. Lighting the firestarter, it quickly erupted in flames, and I waited for it to catch onto the coal.

“We need to keep the fire smaller for a lower speed,” James explained as I struggled to take the brakes off. It took a long time as we all waited with anticipation. When the water began to boil, pistons within the train began to move and church, machinery creaking as it ran for the first time in decades, and slowly, we began to crawl down the tracks.

The creaking and squeaking was loud, almost too loud to bear. James shifted around, before turning to head outside.

“Where are you going?” I questioned as he stopped.

“I’m gonna go to the front to watch the tracks,” He explained while I grabbed my hat.

“I’ll come with,” I stated, following him as he opened the door, his arm stretched backwards for me to grab.

Walking to the right, we took two steps as I glanced around. Slowly we were picking up speed, still a crawl though. We walked along the side of the train, careful not to fall, and made our way to the front. On either side there were metal platforms not intended for sitting, but a seat nonetheless. I took the left side, leaning against the wall as he took the right.

“So we just… Watch the tracks?” I questioned.

“Yeah… Shit we need… We should get bioncluars… Here i’ll…” He said, getting up and walking away back to the train car. He returned with two pairs of binoculars, handing one to me as I quickly looked through.

Staring ahead, I began to notice the gradual increase in speed. The train shook and vibrated as we headed down the tracks, through the tall trees on either side. Ahead a tree had fallen on on the tracks, it was rotten, presumably fell years ago.

“There’s a tree, should we stop it?” I questioned, bringing the binoculars up to examine it further. He did the same, thinking as he watched it.

“No… No it’s fine,” He said as we began to approach it. As we moved over it, the cow cather below pushed it, any bits still under it getting crushed by the immense weight of the train.

Pressing further, we crossed a bridge, the metal squeaking under the weight. As we entered a small town, I noticed a tall building concrete despite the location. It was about six stories, vines crawling up it to conceal even the color of the building. A brick building was too the right, alone in it’s location besides the decrepit white house to It’s right.

Soon after, the trees opened up to a massive field on our left. Ancient and rusted farm equipment sat as we quickly passed it. A bridge that traveled over the railroad came into view, and I was everso happy it had not fallen years ago. Traveling under it, I closed my eyes and shielded my face as the vines that hung down whipped my face.

Coming across a point where the road and railroad crossed eachother, I watched as the train clipped a rusted car. The impact was immense, the train simply rushing forward whilst the car was pushed off by the cowcatcher.

“Shit man, what can stop this thing?” I questioned, glancing at James who stared forward.

“Only if the tracks are broken,” He replied, lowering his binoculars and giving me a grin.

I spotted multiple buildings grouped together, the wooden hollow and the metal rusted. A frame of a barn was visible, sheets of metal gripping on for dear life as the wind attempted to steal them away.

“Holy shit,” I muttered as the forest opening up into sprawling fields where towering corn sat. They stretched on for at least two miles in each direction, only stopping where more forest sat.

A train station came into view to our right, rusted silos and water tanks with holes in them, as well as warehouses. There was another small town to our left, and I wondered how anyone could live in the middle of nowhere. Ahead I saw a train sitting on a separate track, and using my bioncluars, I noticed we would merge to it.

“Shit! We’re gonna merge and hit that train!” I exclaimed, standing and almost falling as I rushed to inform the others. Screaming as I banged on the glass, my startled friends stood, and Jacob who was shoveling coal glanced at me with a concerned look.

Opening the door, I screamed “Stop the train!”

Without another word, Jacob turned, pulling a lever as the brakes activated. They screamed as they were used for the first time in decades, and slowly we stopped. Stepping back out of the train, I noticed how cold it was outside, the inside of the train warm as a immensely hot fire roared in the firebox.

I guess I had just gotten used to the cold, and I shivered as I waited for the train to stop. Slowly but surly, it slowed, stopping right before it reached the merge point. Hopping off,  made my way over to the lever on the left side, examining it.

I attempted to pull it, but it was strong and rusted. James ran over as the others exited the train cabin, attempting to help, but it didn’t budge. When Jacob came, we were able to pull it slowly to the other side, the tracks shifting.

“That could have been bad,” Jacob said, getting on the train and heading back to the cabin.

“That’s why we gotta be out here” James remarked to me as I nodded. Taking my seat, I waited, and soon the train began to move again, not heading to collide with the other long train, but heading forward and avoiding the station.

The fields sprawled out ahead of us, broken up by pathes of forest. Soon we approached another small train station to the right, it’s buildings collapsed into the large river that had eroded the land around it.

A larger forested town sat to our left next to the river, a trainstation with strange looking buildings closest to us as we passed it. Through the trees I caught a glimpse of a road, dozes of buildings on either side. The infrastructure of the train prevented heavy erosion, and I stared at the rapid river that was close by.

It began to become more hilly and forested. I could tell a large hill sat to the right as we traveled down the railroad ahead. A brick building sat on the left side, only the outside walls still standing. The wind blew at my face as I held my had with one hand, binoculars with the others.

A town built off a single road came into view, ancient brick and wood buildings, some only having foundations, and some obviously having burnt down. We had already traveled a good distance, the sun slowly moving across the sky as I took in the countryside. Soon we moved through a large town, and I flinched as I heard a bell ringing.

“Looks like they found how to use the bell,” James said, before a horn erupted aswell. I screamed as I covered my ears, the loud sound causing my to tightly cover my eyes.

“SHIT!” I exclaimed, rising as James laughed. I stormed to the train car, opening the door as Marcus laughed.

“Don’t do that!” I screamed as he laughed in my face. Sighing, I made my way back to the front, taking my seat.

Soon the larger town passed as a fork in the railroad came into view. It was set for us to travel right, and I had no reason to change that. The track began to twist and turn as we reunited with the large river. We entered a massive city, passing discarded train cars, massive skyscrapers, and under highways as we cut through the center.

We were moving quicker than we ever had, and I hoped this would take us far. We had an entire cart of coal, and I was sure refuling water would not be a challenge, simply obtaining some from lakes and rivers.

As the sun began to set, the brakes were activated. I assumed we would be bunking down for the night. Getting up, I touched my cold face as I made my way to the cabin. The day had gone by quickly, most of it spent watching the tracks ahead.

James followed, entering behind me as I felt the warmth of cabin. Taking off my hat, Marcus handed me a large portion of bread as I graciously ate it.

“This is a great pace,” Marcus explained as I nodded.

“I’m just wondering how long it will last,” Jacob said as he began to eat.

“Don’t be so negative,” Emily replied, taking another bite of her dinner.

Finishing first, I excused myself and grabbed my dark hat, exiting the train car as I felt the cold of the night. There was a slight drizzle as I looked up into the night sky. I could see all the stars, but I soon looked down as the slight drops of rain stung as the hit me. I would have to look again when rain didn’t come.

“Why’d you go outside?” James questioned with a smile. The rain was slowly picking up as I locked the flimsy door, listening to the satisfying patter.

“To look at the stars,” I replied, taking my jacket and hat off. Boots came next, and I soon crawled into my sleeping bag. The further we went, the colder it got, and the approaching winter worried me. Soon, I crawled into my sleeping bag, allowing the warmth of sleep to overtake me.

Awakening, I felt it was cold. The residual heat from the firebox had dwindled, and it felt freezing cold. Crawling out of my sleeping bag, I peered out of the windows in awe. The world had gone from green to white overnight, and I stared in awe at the snow that covered the trees infront of me.

“Holy shit…” I muttered, turning to wake the others.

“Wake up!” I exclaimed, and they all began to stir in their bags. “It’s snowing!” I said, opening the door as a cold gust of air moved in.

“Snow… Wait NO!” James exclaimed, quickly jumping out of his sleeping bag.

“What?” I exclaimed, stopping before I exited the door.

“Don’t touch the snow!” He clarified, and then it hit me. If the rain stung, if it hurt to touch, if it burned, why wouldn’t the snow?

“Oh…” I remarked, closing the door.

“It shouldn’t be snowing… Unless…” James said, peering out the window.

“Unless what?” Emily said, standing and staring out the window in awe.

“It’s going to be a very hard winter…” He responded, and a overwhelming sense of dread overcame me.

“What if we have to go on foot?” I questioned as Marcus came from behind.

“Thick clothes, gloves, scarves, boots,” He explained, and I thought for a long time.

We would need to find new clothing for all of us, clothing to cover our faces fro mthe burning snow. A new threat was here, one that covered every square inch of the outside, one where a simple brush leaves a rash.

“Well… Let’s start the train…” I remarked, turning to James who nodded.

I was uncertain about the journey ahead, if we would be able to survive in these new harsh weather conditions.There was a beacon of light, a sense of hope, for our saviour was a unstoppable steam engine that would, and could lead us further and further from where we first started from.

Chapter Nineteen: End of the Track

Over the course of the next weeks, we traveled across the plains of America by railway. The train plowed through the snow that began to accumulate as we looked out in awe at the sprawling white landscapes on all sides.

Most days, I would have my bioncluars pressed against the glass, watching the tracks ahead for obstructions. Some days though, I would shovel coal than funneled from the outside cart. It was a precise endevour, keeping us at a steady speed, but at the same time not going too fast.

Periodically, we would stop to either refill the water tanks or attempt to scavenge. We hunted as well, taking down deer and wild cows, cooking them with the firebox. The meat was savory, but we would ration it, attempting to salt some to prepare for the coming winter.

I began to grow tired of the constant flat fields of white, only broken up by decrepit farm houses and barns. Any change of scenery was appreciated by me as we began to experience cabin fever.

Our boots protected us from the snow, but our steps were slow and precise as to not trip. When scavenging, we would stick to the indoors, the worsening temperature making moving through the thickening snow harder and harder.

Eventually, it became too cold to stop the fire to rest, so we began to keep a small one running. It wasn’t wasteful, the lumps upon lumps of coal barely lowered throughout the journey. One day, when we were checking out a promising farmhouse, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror.

My beard had fully grown, leaving me to barely recognize my own face. It was harder to notice the changes the others faced, as I didn’t notice the gradual aging. Scavenging various house items, we turned the inside of the train cabin into a home.

Curtains were fixed to the windows, chairs and tables placed for eating. We found two sets of bunk beds, assembling them inside. Rugs were thrown onto the floor, cozy blankets on each bed. James slept on a smaller bed, still an outsider to our circle.

I remember my first time touching the burning snow. My foot caught on something, and I stumbled for a bit, before collapsing. Hitting the ground, I flinched as sleet and snow kicked up onto my cheek, the simple touch causing me to scream.

Quickly, I got to my feet, Jacob helping me up. I brushed it off wildy, and when Emily examined my wounds, she told me a large rash with blisters had already formed. Despite how the world wanted us gone, we pushed ahead, not minding the knocks on the outside of our secure home from feral people.

Eventually, the flatness began to dissipate, replaced by looming mountains in the distance. The change in scenery evoked a stange feeling in me. I had been used to miles of flat land covered with snow, seeing hundreds of trees and even mountains looming in the distance took me aback.

It was an almost instant transition, an impenetrable wall of hills and mountains ahead. It seemed uncanny, but I was finally exited for what lay ahead. I had to recount as I stared at the tracks ahead. We had cut through the plains of Kansas and Colorado.

A faint memory of aged signs was sat in my head. If I was correct, we had traveled near one-thousand miles on the railway. My hopes were proven true, and we had taken a large portion of travel off.

We weaved through mountains, looking down at snowy towns settled in valleys. A quick thought passed through my head, was there a possibility of an avalanche? Quickly I pushed it away, doubtful if it was possible.

“It’s beautiful,” Emily muttered, peering out the window. She had been glued to it for at least an hour now, the curtains parted as she gazed.

Lowering my binoculars, I replied “It really is,”

“I really had gotten sick of those fields,” James said as he shoveled a lump of coal into the firebox.

Marcus sat on his bed, examining his now fully healed stump. It was lumpy, an obvious bulge where the bone was. He only had around two inches extended past his elbow. It was weird watching him move it back and fourth, so I quickly looked back to the oncoming tracks.

Ahead, a tree had freshly fallen onto the tracks. As we approached, I braced myself as the cowcatcher flung it to the side of the railroad. I was hopeful now, hopeful we could keep this pace for as long as possible.

“How long are we gonna go like this?” Jacob questioned, catching my gaze.

“As long as possible,” I replied whilst giving him a slight grin.

Sighing, I diverted my gaze back ahead. Lost in my thoughts, my vision unfocused as I faced the tracks ahead. It took a bit to notice, a while to notice, too long to notice. Instead of wrapping around the mountains, we were heading straight, straight into a fall. It clicked instantly, a bridge, but my experiences with bridges were terrible to say the least.

“Brakes… BRAKES!” I screamed as the others jumped at the sudden shout from me.

Marcus acted, grabbing hold of the lever and pulling it with one arm. Screeching began to erupt as the train attempted to slow down, but it wasn’t enough. It was obvious, the train would plummet off the mountain.

“We need to jump…” I said whilst staring out the window.

“W-What?” Emily questioned as I made my way quickly to the door. Pushing it open, the roaring wind became obviously audible.

“If we don’t jump, we will fucking die!” I exclaimed, rushing outside. Hesitating for a moment, I decided to take the lead as the others funneled out behind me. Hopping off, I targeted an area where the snow seemt thin.

Hitting the ground, I began to roll. My hat fell off as I settled, groaning but quickly getting up. Grabbing my hat, I began to run after the train. The drop was quickly approaching, and I watched James and Marcus jump, screaming as they hit the ground hard.

“JUMP!” I exclaimed, watching in horror as the demolished bridge came into view. Jacob jumped, hitting the ground as Emily stood in shock. Marcus had caught up, screaming to her.

“JUMP!” He screamed, pleading to her as she struggled to build up the courage.

The train was slowly approaching the drop as she stood, staring at the ground. Finally, she jumped, hitting the ground and yelping as I presumed the snow brushed against bare skin.

Skidding to a halt, I began to catch my breath as the others caught up. The train slowly crawled toward the small bit of bridge that still stood. It began to settle, the metal and wood creaking under the new weight. Alas, nothing happened, and I stared in disbelief.

“That was… Unnecessary–” James stated, but was cut off as another round of creaking and snapping began to erupt from the segment of bridge.

Slowly it tilted, beams bending and breaking as the train began to crawl forward. Suddenly, without warning, the small portion of bridge broke, plummeting down. The train followed, coal spilling as it fell off cliff. It collided with rocks, bouncing down and settling in a narrow valley.

“No…” I muttered, glancing to Marcus whos eyes were wide with disbelief.

“W–…. What now?” He questioned, turning to me with a sad look.

“Let’s… Let’s go get the supplies,” I stated, starting down the cliff. It was a steep decline, causing me to take careful steps. The train sat at the bottom on its side, dents within. I noticed smoke from the cabin, my eyes widening as I realised our supplies were at stake.

“Shit… IT’S FUCKING BURNING!” I exclaimed. The firebox must have opened, flaming coals flying out and causing the wood and fabric to go into flames. Rushing downward, I began to slide down the mud and sleet, praying I would beagle to salvage resources.

Getting to the bottom, I sprinted toward the bottom, the others following as I scaled the side of the train. Together, we reached through windows, grabbing our bags and anything that wasn’t already ablaze. With time though, we simply couldn’t salvage anything more, and so we sat on the side of the coal car, watching the smoke barrel into the sky.

“Do you hear that…” Emily said, staring into the sky. It took awhile for me to pick up on it, the sound that surrounded us.

Suddendly over the mountain, a black dot began to move through the sky. Grabbing the binoculars that were corded around my neck, I examined it. A helicopter flew from above, exhaust trailing from behind.

“Is that… No is that… A fuel powered one?” I questioned, staring up as it turned around, heading back where it came from.

“It…” Marcus attempted to say something, but he trailed off.

“We need to follow it,” James explained, hopping off the car.

“What if…” I questioned, causing him to stop and glance at me.

“We’re going to freeze to death if we can’t find shelter,” He explained, turning and taking the lead.

We followed him, trekking through the snowy wilderness. My body temperature began to drop as I was exposed to the outside world. The incline was steep, but eventually, we found a road. It was ancient, cracked concrete broken into large slabs lay strewn about in two ways.

In ditches were rusted cars covered by snow, their windows cracked and broken. Pushing forward, a powerful breeze began to pick up, soon sending burning snow with it.

“Scarves…” Marcus commanded, pulling the soft fabric that sat on his shoulders to cover his face. We pulled ours up in unison, leaving a small slit for our eyes.

“Is… Is a fucking blizzard coming?” Jacob questioned as he leant toward the wind.

“We need too… Find shelter,” I muttered, the cold freezing my eyes, the occasional snowflake hitting my exposed skin.

Snow began to accumulate as we pushed forward, the wind picking up with every step we took. We pushed forward though, hoping that a light would form at the end of the tunnel.

Rows of solar panels began to appear, evenly spaced apart and covered in a thick layer of snow. Infront of us, embedded into a cliff, a heavy hydraulic door sat. Too the left carved into the concrete read 102US. Our pace quickened as we approached our The door was open about two feet, jammed by some unknown cause.

“…Shelter…” Jacob muttered, getting to his hands and knees and beginning to crawl inside. I followed suit, thanking my gloves as I shimmy through the gap.

It was immediately warmer inside. A familiar large vehicle sat in the middle of a garage room. It was almost pitch black thought, the only light emitting from the crack in the heavy door. A hand reached from behind me, and I grabbed hold to pull Marcus in.

He slid against the concrete, rolling and getting onto his feet, he bent over and reached to drag Emily inside. Reaching into my satchel, I pulled out a flashlight. During our journey, we had run out of batteries, and we had no solar installments to recharge them.

The flashlight I held was one I found in a warehouse, they sat packed up in a box, ready to ship. Turning the crank, the light began to shine to illuminate the dark room. The ambient lighting from the outside was slowly getting muffled by the piling snow, and it wouldn’t be long until we were completely snowed in.

The garage of this bunker was eerily similar to my home, besides the untidiness. Shelves were knocked over, boxes and tools thrown onto the floor. The snow on my boots was already melting as I proceeded inward, cranking the flashlight as I approached the open door to the rest of the bunker.

Peeking around the corner, I felt as if something terrible had happened here. It was filthy, trash thrown about, doors broken off the hinges. Glancing at a guide sign on the wall, I read downward until I spotted it.

“Communications Center,” It read, and my eyes widened. Turning to the group who had their own flashlights, they looked to me for guidance.

“Make yourself at home, we can wait here til the storm passes,” I explained, quickly turning and walking at a face pace down the hall.

I knew where I was going, the layout was almost identical, simply being flipped. Most bunkers were different, but there was a smaller, standardized design. It just so happened mine and this one were just that.

Approaching the door, I grasped the handle and pulled it open. The room looked as if a tornado had passed through, everything that should have been on shelves laying on the floor.

The only thing I was interested in was the satellite phone. It sat on the desk, almost placed there for me. Picking it up, I turnt it around and examined the back. The cover to conceal any batteries was missing, empty slots where they should have been.

Tucking it into my satchel, I picked up a few more items before making my way to the to the electrical storage. Passing by James, he gave me a slight grin as I continued downward. I could hear conversation echoing through the empty bunker, deafening as I closed the door.

Scanning through the shelves, I spotted a set of batteries with a built-in solar charger. Nothing like this was in my bunker, but it was constructed a few years earlier as one of the first ones in the United States. Grabbing it, I took out three batteries that were plugged in.

Whilst not fully charged, they all sat at around half. Stuffing the charging deck into the satchel, I took a seat on a rolling chair and turnt on the cellular phone. It took a while for me to find the right words, but soon I settled for something simple, something direct.

Chapter Twenty: Ava?

The words echoed through the empty bunker, my voice desperate. Throughout our journey, the journey on rails, I had thought about her many times. Staring ahead onto tracks, or staring into the flames of the firebox, I thought about what she looked like. I missed her.

I heard static on the other side, soon breaking out into speech.

[Ava]: “Ethan? Is that you?” She said with worry.

“Yes, It’s me, I found another phone in a bunker,” I explained, leaning into the back of the chair.

[Ava]: “I’m relieved to hear your voice, Ethan. Where are you now? Are you safe?” She questioned me, and I examined the dark room I was in.

“We’re bunkering down in a very abandoned bunker, a blizzard is hitting hard, not sure how long til we can continue moving… We… I saw something… We all did… It has me worried,” I explained, trailing off at the end.

[Ava]: “A blizzard? That sounds dreadful. I’m glad you found shelter, but seeing something… What was it, Ethan? Please, tell me what’s going on.” She questioned, and it took me a long time to reply.

“A helicopter… It had exhaust…” I explained, taking time to think.

[Ava]: “A helicopter? That’s unexpected… Do you think it was scouting or something else? If it had exhaust, it could mean there’s a community nearby large enough to synthesize fuel. You need to consider your next steps carefully, Ethan. Stay vigilant.” She said, her voice quick and worried.

“I think I have a plan,” I explained, placing my feet on the dusty desk.

[Ava]: “What’s your plan, Ethan?” She questioned, intrigued with what I was thinking.

“Our train… We used it to go far, it crashed… I wanna steal a helicopter,” I explained, glancing at the closed door.

[Ava]: “Your train crashed? That’s terrible… but stealing a helicopter? That’s quite the ambitious plan, Ethan. Do you think you can pull it off?” She said as I began to hear a slight amount of movement behind me.

“It could get us somewher–,” I was cut off as something from behind lunged at me. I heard it leap off the ground, my reflexes causing me to turn in an instant and connect a fist to its jaw.

Flying into the desk, I stared at its thin pale form. It appeared incapacitated, its jaw bending at weird angles.

[Ava]: “Ethan? Ethan, are you there? What’s happening? Please, stay safe!”

“I’ll talk later, sorry,” I said, flicking the cellular phone off.

Backing out of the room, I grabbed my backpack before leaving. Closing the door, I thought for a while. The feral person in the room began to stir, knocking things over in its wake.

Unslinging the rifle I had strapped to my back, I began to make my way toward the sounds of voices. Lead to the kitchen, I saw the group sat on a table, eating a meal.

“Ethan, we were wondering when you would join us,” Jacob said teasingly. His eyes slowly moved down from my face, locking on my rifle. “Is something wrong?” He continued, glancing uneasily at the weapon I held.

It was very sudden, the attack that is. It was over in what seemt like an instant, the frail figure incapacitated by a single reflexive strike.

“We’re not along,” I muttered, feeling like an outcast as they looked at me with concerned eyes.

“What do you mean?” Jacob questioned further, his eyes quickly glancing at the two large open doors behind me. Turning to follow them, I saw a figure quickly hide behind the wall.

“Shit…” Marcus muttered as I quickly took a seat, still facing the open doors. The room was wet, leaks from above forming puddles throughout the complex. Tables were flipped and shoved against walls, a large serving area in the far side of the room.

“We really need to leave,” James explained, his rifle now pointed directly at the doors.

“The… The gap in the door… It’s snowed in,” Emily voiced, all lights pointed toward the opened door.

One of their frail figures darted across from one side to another. There was at least five from what I heard. They waited outside, almost as if they thought we didn’t know they were there.

I felt something nudge me, glancing down as Marcus handed me a flare. Looking upward, he gave me a nod. Twisting the top, it quickly began to light, and I tossed it through the door as a scream erupted from both sides. They skittered away, stepping through puddles and leaping over shelves.

“What now?” Jacob questioned, standing from his sitting position.

“We need to find another exit,” I explained, standing and starting forward.

As we exited the cafeteria, I glanced in both directions for dangers. My crank flashlight only illuminated a short distance, and by the noise they make, I could tell they resided just outside the light. Pulling out the cellular phone, I contacted Ava for guidance.

“Ava, we’re in uhh… 102US. Is there another exit other than the main one?” I questioned, releasing the talk button and staring forward.

[Ava]: “102US? Let me see… There should be a secondary exit near the storage area. Look for a door that’s not immediately visible, it might be partially concealed. Stay safe, Ethan.”

Clipping it onto my belt, I switched from grasping my rifle to hand to my pistol. Periodically I would have to tuck it into its holster to charge the flashlight as we moved through the decrepit bunker. I noticed piles of bones as we pushed forward, following the wall guides to the storage area.

As we approached the door, I saw how it had completely been ripped off its hinges. The inside of the room ahead was double the height of the hallways. Shelves connected with the ceiling, various equipment to reach such heights sitting next to them.

On the higher shelves were large boxes and sacks, or at least I thought. It took far too long for me to realise, the only reason for the delay being the weak flashlight. As I holstered my pistol and began cranking it, we made our way into the room, closing the door behind us.

Pointing it back toward the shelf and unholstering my pistol, my eyes widened with shock. Dozens of figures were upon the highest shelf, their intelligent eyes staring down at us. They all were pale and thin, most without any forms of hair.

“Shit…” Jacob muttered from behind me as we gazed up.

Glancing around the room, I noticed a official looking door at the far side, a crate infront of it.

“The door… It’s right there… On three, we run for it,” I explained, and the others tensed more, ready to sprint.

“One… Two… THREE!” I shouted, beginning to sprint as the creatures quickly attempted to crawl down the shelves. We took them by surprise, reaching the door before they had gotten half way down.

We all shoved the crate together away from the door, my hand grasping the knob and throwing it open. Funneling it, by the time we closed it, the first creature had touched the wet tiles. The door lacked a lock, and the feral people began to bang on it and the walls. Backing away, I unslung my rifle, pointing it at the door. The knob shaked, wiggling and twisting, but not enough to open.

“Ethan,” Jacob said, and I turned. Behind us was a small hydraulic door, and I felt a wave of glee rush over me, soon ebing ruined by his next sentence.

“How do we open this?” He said, gesturing to the small heavy door at the far side of the room. I could tell it had been opened before. Vines crawled in like sneaks, long dead, simply husks of what used to be alive.

“We need power…” I muttered, glancing around the room for any form of exit. My eyes locked onto a grate on the floor. Quickly turning my flashlight to illuminate downward, I realised that would be our key to escape.

“How will we get the power running? Who will do it…?” Emily questioned.

“I’ll go do it,” I muttered, everyone else locking eyes with me.

“No… No we can all go as a group,” Jacob suggested, his weary eyes examining the door as the barrage of bangs slowly began to close.

“I have to do this…” I explained, glancing down to the grate embedded in the floor. He followed my gaze, sighing as he bent over to examine it.

“Don’t die,” He muttered, beginning to work on the latch that kept it closed. Unhooking it, he grabbed the handing, standing whilst he lifted. Letting go, it clashed against the floor as I peered downward.

Taking a seat on the edge, I gave everyone a final look before sliding down the narrow passage way. My boots scraped against the rough concrete, but soon I landed on solid ground. Around an inch of water sat stagnant at the bottom, my eyes darting in one of two directions.

“Hey! Open the door as soon as the power comes on!” I shouted up, hearing an inaudible response back. Sighing, I reached onto my belt, unclipping the cellular phone.

“Ava… I’m in… The I think its the… I don’t know what it is, but I used a grate to get down here,” I explained, not sure of the purpose for these tunnels.

[Ava]: “Why are you down there, Ethan? Did something happen? It sounds like you’re in the maintenance tunnels.” She responded as I began to crank the flashlight.

“I need to get to the… Solar room. The door to get outside was dead, I need to turn on the power…”

[Ava]: “I understand. Since you accessed it from the secondary exit, and you’re in the maintenance tunnels…. To get to the solar room, follow the tunnel until you reach a T-junction. Take the left path, and you should see a sign for the solar room. Be careful, Ethan.” She explained, and I quickly began walking forward.

My boots splashed in the water as I followed the directions she gave. Soon I came across some faded yellow paint on the wall. It read ‘Solar Room’, my head craning upward to see the climb ahead.

Pushing my back against the wall, my feet on the opposite, I wished I hadn’t brung my hat. The back of it brushed against the concrete as I shimmeyed up. Fortinantley, this grate was already open, and after a grueling climb, I emerged.

The door was open, and I quickly examined under desks and shelves. Two large batteries sat at the far side, and after making sure it was safe, I rushed toward the power storage.

It was slow, almost so low the bar wasn’t filled, only a sliver of green visible. Hoping for the best, I preformed a familiar process to get it started. Upon finishing, a whirling began to erupt from the machine. Suddenly all lights within the bunker flicked on, a cacophony of screams erupting from all feral people within.

One roar prevailed, and I assumed it was the bunker door opening. Opening my eyes, I adjusted to the light. The screams continued, slowly dying down. Suddenly, I heard very fainltly the bunker door begin to open. The lights flickered once, soon shutting off as something rushed into the room.

I was caught offguard, my eyes now having to adjust to the newfound pitch blackness. Pouncing on me, my head in the concrete as my hands raised to shield my face. The thin man began to assault me whilst screaming.

Reaching down, I unholstered my pistol, raising it and firing twice. The creature immediately went limp, slumping over as I pushed it off. Getting myself up, my ears rung from the gunshots. When I could think again, I noticing the rushing sounds coming toward the door.

Dozens of them had to be approaching, the realisation causing me to freeze up. Acting swiftly, I grabbed my fallen hat and began sliding. But I slid to fast, breaking into a freefall as I stuck my foot out.

I let out a yelp as it rolled, my body weight landing on it. Crashing into the water, I attempted to get up, but as soon as any weight was placed onto my foot caused excruciating pain.

They moved above me, and I had to think fast or else I would be beaten to death. As the first one began to scale downward, I got to my feet, my hand against the wall to take as much weight off my as possible.

Not much distance was covered before the first of many hit the water behind me, quickly getting up as I pushed through the darkness. Putting all weight on my good foot, I raised my pistol, firing once in the direction I came from.

The feral man clashed into the thin layer of water, the flash briefly illuminating two more. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I ignored all pain, beginning to sprint down the tunnel. At this point my foot was numb, the noises of the many creatures behind me only causing me to run faster.

Reaching the point where I needed to ascend, I pressed myself up against the wall in a familiar manner, soon scaling upward. The last bit was helped my the arms of many pulling me up. Rolling, I stared at them with wild eyes. It was freezing in the room, and I could hear the creatures beginning to climb after me.

“Close it…” I muttered, pain beginning to come back to my foot.

“What happened?!” James questioned as Jacob quickly shut the grate, locking it.

Daylight poured in from the open door just as much as the cold did.

“I–” I was cut off as fingers began to grasp through the holes in the grate. Emily screamed as I groned in pain.

“My foot…” I muttered, Emily quickly making her way toward me.

It hurt like fire as she took off my boot and sock, examining my swollen foot.

“You… Sprained your ankle…” She explained as the others surrounded us. Suddenly a deafening scream erupted from somewhere inside the bunker, our heads rasing and eyes widening as it roared.

“What was that…” Jacob questioned as Marcus took a step back.

“We need to leave,” He commanded, Emily quickly putting my sock and boot back on. Jacob hoisted me up, my arm around his for support as we left the bunker. The snow outside was thick, and I was weary not to let any of the fresh snow brush against me.

“Let’s… Go…” I muttered, our group quickly starting forward.

We moved at a slow pace due to my injury, scaling up the mountain. The forest was calm, a thick layer of snow dropped down like a blanket. Upon reaching the peak, we gazed at two large lakes and a town in the distance. Next to us was the ancient remnants of a rock tower, now a pile of wood and rubble.

“Look… That’s… Look at it,” Emily said, pointing forward.

James pulled out a pair of binoculars, examining the snowy town ahead.

“I think it’s… Inhabited,” He explained, as I shot a weary look in his direction.

“We need to go there… I don’t think we can survive the winter…” Marcus explained, glancing at me.

“But… What if…” I muttered, trailing off as another wave of pain from my foot coarse through me.

“No Ethan, we’re going there. We WON’T survive out here,” He commanded sternly, his eyes locked onto mine.

“Fuck… Fine…” I muttered, our group soon starting down the mountain.

I felt weary of what lay ahead, but I had no say in the matter, not a single choice, and just hoped that these people were good. But were good people too much to ask for in this new world? Perhaps this would be a place to rest, a place to stay, as in that moment, that was all I wanted.