#survival #FoundFamily #Apocalypse #Emotional #multiplePOVs #Gritty #Angst #MorallyGrey #ChapterOne

ARI:

It was getting really late. No one actually spoke to eachother again though. Which is probably better, but it’s really quiet which is weird for us being in the middle of an apocalyptic war zone. “We should get supplies.” The girl in the corner blurts out interrupting the silence. “Oh yeah? How?” I ask testing her authority. “Split up into 

groups of two. I’ve been to this school before. There’s a supplies closet upstairs. And the cafeteria has knives and other potential weapons.” She sounds confident in her decision. “One small problem.” Kieran says. “There’s a hollow walking the building.” She pauses. “He has a gun.” Kylo tells them. “Cool. What else.” Kieran’s voice disciplinary. 

“That’s for you to figure out. I’m already good.” I say pushing off the wall. “You could go get us knives from the kitchen.” Kylo Intervenes.  “Hard pass.” “It’s not a choice.” Kieran says. “Yep. It is.” I say looking at the gun. “we- you don’t get to just decide the rules.” He says. “I don’t wanna go down to the kitchen with a hollow in the building.” I admit. He shifts his weight on the table. The room is silent for a moment. 

“We can go down with you.” Kylo explains. “What?” The girl swings her head around. “We don’t have a weapon. Or anything at all.” She says. “We stay behind him until we get to the kitchen then we grab the stuff and go. It’s easy.” “I can’t- how am I 

supposed to cover all three of you?” I say. “We can help ourselves. We know how to stay out of trouble. You’re just used to clear the building.” She says walking towards the door. “Let’s go.” I stand there shocked as everyone leaves the room. “Come one blondie.” Kieran says waving at me from behind. “Fuck you guys..” I mumble walking out the room. 

KYLO:

The hallway was very quiet. Not peaceful quiet but the kind where it feels like it’s eating you alive. Nobody looks at eachother. It feels like we all agreed on something without saying it. We don’t trust eachother enough to admit we’re scared. Everyone decided we would follow Kieran even if the other guys got the gun and the girl actually knows this place. It’s fine though as long as we don’t end up getting attacked again. 

We crept down the stairs again where shelves and furniture that were up last time are either torn up of knocked over. Kieran peeks around the corner. He motions for us to come forward. “There.” Says the girl pointing down the hall to a big entrance with two doors. 

Kieran pauses for a moment. Then he moves forward down the hall. The boy keeps the gun pointed around the room. The girls trying to take as much charge as she can right now. I’m just doing what they tell me too. 

“In here.” Says the girl pointing inside the entrance. Everyone scurries inside looking behind themselves as they enter the cafeteria. We run towards the kitchen part and everyone immediately starts going through drawers and cabinets. I decide I should probably look like I’m helping so I go through one of the drawers. 

I grab a knife. I gasp and smile. Then, a huge beetle crawls up my arm and I flinch dropping the knife on the floor. Now, because it’s so quiet and the ground is tiled. It’s 

louder than expected. Everyone’s heads snap in my direction. “Dumbass.” The blond boy with the gun tells me groaning. There’s a distorted whimpering noise. We freeze. On the wall is a shadow. It’s taller than the average human with flesh melting down its body. Hollow. “Fuck, Kylo.” Kieran mumbles. “Leave. Now.” The girl whispers immediately moving towards the exit.

The boy points the gun at the hollow. “Don’t. Don’t, it’ll see us.” The girl says. “Too late.” He says shooting the gun. “Pop!” Goes the gun as the hollow screams. “Fucking god dude! The girl shouts “just-“ Kieran’s cut off as the hollow charges full force at 

us. Its scream is a horrible sound piercing my ears. It snaps Into my brain like elastic. Wait, I dropped that. This is my fault. “I’ll distract it! You guys go!” I scream. I grab the knife on the floor and shout at it. “Hey!” “No Kylo! Just run!” The girl screams. “Stab it!” 

The blond boy shouts. It runs full force at me. I dodge into an old table hurting my shoulder. I grunt and push myself up before it pounces on me. “Kylo! You’re being stupid!” Kieran yells to me. Every time they shout to me I have to distract it harder. 

I hear the gun go off twice. The hollows head turn around. Standing on the counter holding the gun is Kieran. He keeps shooting the gun at the hollow. “Stab it! It’s Distracted!” He shouts. The gun keeps going off. I creep up behind it and drive the 

knife into its rib cage. It’s shrieks. I keep stabbing and stabbing it. I can’t stop stabbing it. How it took my family. My home. My whole life. Everything these creatures have took and destroyed for no benefit. All because of a stupid war? The gun stops going off. I keep jamming the knife into it. Not again. You can’t take what’s 

already been stolen. Its blood was lighter than a non-mutated persons. Almost pinkish. It covered my sleeveless grey shirt. Every stab was followed with a wet squashing noise. “Kylo.” I hear someone behind me. When it stops being responsive I quit stabbing it. I drop the knife and stare at it. My hands still shaking.  It hurts me to believe this was once a human like me. “I think you got it.” The blond boy says sarcastically. “Yeah, sorry.” I say pathetically.

“Think before acting.” Kieran says tossing the gun back to the other boy. But I can’t think about that. All I can think about how this thing used to breathe just like me. “I don’t want to have to deal with more impulses of yours.” He says walking Infront of everyone. The girl rolls her eyes. 

Back in the room we started everyone sat away from eachother spread out around the room. I was in the corner sitting on the floor. I can stop thinking. My thoughts are just flooding my head and won’t drain. Why did I react like that? That thing used to be human. Why would I- “Kylo.” I turn my head look at Kieran. He’s back on the table. 

“Don’t throw yourself into shit like that. You could’ve died. Think before you act.”  He tells me firm. “I- I tried to drive it away from you guys.” I reassure. “Can we just think about what we’ll do next? Like where do we go from here?” The girl interrupts. “If 

we’re going anywhere else we can’t die.” Kieran intervenes. “He’s right Kylo. You almost killed us.” She says crossing her arms. I don’t respond. I watch the ground as they stare at me. “Lay off guys he tried to help.” The blond boy says turning around. “He threw himself into a hollow.” The girl says stern. “Just- just stop arguing. This doesn’t help for shit.” Kieran demands gesturing to stop. 

Everyone’s quiet after that. Kieran keeps glancing at me. Like he wants to say something but won’t let himself. I wonder if he understands why I did it.