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

KIERAN POV:

The morning light crept its way through the boarded up windows washing the room in Dawn light. I was already awake. Sitting on the table thinking about how to get through today. I pushed myself off the table and walked over to the boarded windows. 

I peeked through a crack. There’s a gate and it’s open. That’s a problem. I look back at everyone else who’s still asleep on the ground because we couldn’t find anything else. I decide I should wake Marin. She wouldn’t make it a huge deal. I tap her shoulder a few times waiting for a response. When she doesn’t give me one I tug at her hair once. She jolts up and her gaze snaps in my direction. 

“What.” She says impolitely sitting up straight. “Did you know there was a gate?” I ask. She looks at me for a moment. “What?” She hisses. “It’s open. That means we have to close it.” “Where?” I pause. I stand up and motion for her to come to the window. She slowly stand up groaning and drags herself tiredly towards where I am. She peeks out between two planks of wood, and her eyes widen a bit. “Fuck.” She mumbles. “What?” Ari says sitting up rubbing his face. 

“There’s a stupid gate open.” Marin responds dragging her hands down her face. I look around the room. Kylos missing. “Where’s Kylo?” I order immediately. “Oh great, guess someone’s already died.” Ari says standing up the floor. “He should’ve known not to leave suddenly. It’s kinda obvious.” Marins voice sounding full of attitude.

obvious. “We find him now.” I say walking towards the door and snatch the gun off the table. “What, you care about him? Already? You barely know him.” Ari’s voice sharp in my ears. I pause. Thinking about what I should say. “I don’t have to care about him to know we’re better in larger numbers.” I say after a moment of awkward silence. I don’t look behind myself at their reactions. I open the door and leave with Marin snickering something behind me. 

The hallways long and cold. The floor boards creak under my feet and it smells like dust and wood. So far there’s no sign of a Hollow so we can move clearly through the building. 

When we finally get near the exit there’s a distorted whimpering sound again. Everyone immediately ducks behind the wall. Ari moves closer to the edge. I pull him back and Marin rolls her eyes. I carefully peek around the corner. 

Kylo. He’s trying to.. talk to it. “What? let me see.” Marin says pushing forward. Ari moves in closer too. “Hey- hey- Lina it’s me.” He says inching closer. “And then there were three.” Ari mumbles laughing under his breath. 

I focus closely on what he’s doing. He has his hands up hanging out Infront of him. He’s showing it he’s harmless. “It’s me.. Ky.” He whispers gently. The thing snarled and he steps back a bit. “Please.. Lina it’s me.” He begs. The melts skin around its face tightened. It’s getting read to pounce. I grab the gun next to me on the ground. “What are you doing?” Marin’s voice harsh and demanding. I don’t answer. I just calculate the length from its head from where I am.

 “Lina I’m miss you-“  

“Pop!” 

It falls to the gravel on the ground. Blood oozing from its head, some got on Kylos shirt. Silence. Kylo doesn’t move at first. I stand up from behind the wall holding the pistol. “Gate now. Marin. Ari get the rear.” My voice steady, I don’t look at Kylo. “You didn’t even wait for her to touch him.” Ari says standing up. Marin jumps up. “What the hell was that? What happened to think before you act huh?” She scolds. “If I 

waited it would’ve ended worse.” I say continuing to the gate without looking back at them. I try to push the gate closed myself but it’s too heavy. Everyone else is just frozen. Kylo finally reacts. He touches the pinkish red blood smears on his shirt. We all pause to look at him. His eyes flick towards the Hollow on the ground. 

He stops touching his shirt. He looks at the entrance to the building and slowly turns to head back inside. No one argues. No one stops him. 

“Why are you just “okay” with this?” Marin swings her head around. “Because it was about to kill him. He just had no idea.” I say coldly staring at the gate trying to keep my hands from shaking. “And you do? Because you’re so good at reading a Hollows 

body language?” She says sarcastically waving her hands around dramatically. “You didn’t have to kill it.” Ari says looking at the now dead Hollow. 

I’m still trying to close the gate but it won’t move. I’m visibly struggling which makes it worse. Maris still yelling at me so I decide I need to just leave it. I can’t stay here right now, it’s not a good time. I turn to walk away. “Kieran! So you’re just gonna leave? Is it because your being called out for your hypocrisy?” Her voice quieter. 

“We’ll come back out later and close it.” I mumble loud enough for them to hear. I walk back inside the building and the air still smells like dirt and wood but the feeling is different. I know Kylos in here somewhere and I don’t wanna think about it. He saved me from the storage room in the fire. I thought I just saved his life too. 

I get back to the safe room and no one else is here. I’d look for them but they probably need space. I sit on the table and try to justify my actions. I did t think 

because- because- it was just pure instinct I guess. That’s not my fault though. Right? I lean back on the table and close my eyes. I force myself to think of something else but the more I want to the harder the thought comes back. 

3 HOURS LATER:

I’ve been in the safe room alone for a while. I don’t know where everyone else went. The gate still has to be closed. If they won’t help me I’ll have to figure it out myself. I swing off the table and peek into the hall first. Nothings there. I walk out and head downstairs to the gate. There’s no sign of anyone. The sun is starting to go down now 

so the sky is starting to get pink. The air is colder but it still smells like smoke. I get to the gate and take a deep breath before shoving it with all my might. Still, it won’t move. I shove again. It reminds me of being stuck in the storage room and when Kylo came to help me out. I stop for a second to catch my breath. 

I start shoving it again. But this time I see another pair of hands land beside mine and help push. My eyes flick over and I see freckles and shoulder length blond hair. Ari. Finally we manage to push it closed. He locks it and walks away without saying anything. Or even looking at me. His arms swing at his sides as he walks away to the building again. I stand there staring at the entrance. The sun is going down and I haven’t seen Kylo since.