As Ethan and Zane try to shut the doors, I peer through the narrow gap and see it…….It's other people; Everette, Dale and a few members of their rapidly dwindling group are surrounded by the few destitute that aren't trying to claw their way into where we are hiding, fighting against them. They're shooting and hacking, but the destitute are relentless - their twisted, inhuman forms surging forward in a nightmarish tide. Zane and Ethan struggle to shut the heavy doors, their faces etched with fear and desperation."Wait!" I cry, pointing to the door, " There are other people out there!" The students immediately move forward, peering through the space and exclaiming when they see them outside."It's true!""Is that Everett? Does that mean they didn't escape?!" one girl cries."They going to die," "We need to help them!" I shout, bringing the din to a quiet."They aren't going to make it much longer like this…," I say in a quieter voice, my heart pounding. The sounds of the battle ou

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry, "What?"Ethan crosses his arms, his gaze piercing and unwavering. "I said you're wrong, Ande. You killed that girl, but it wasn't your fault," he says, his voice low and measured.I feel a chill run down my spine, and I have to resist the urge to take a step back. "What are you saying? How is that my fault?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.He briefly regards me before his lips curve into a bitter-sweet smile. "I'm saying that you should stop being so hard on your know Ande," he says, his words dripping with compassion, "you wanted to save everyone, I know that, but things don't always go as planned,"I cringe, the words stinging like a physical blow to my heart. "E-Ethan?" I say, but Ethan scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I mean it, ande. What happened to that girl was awful, but It wasn't your fault, and all of us believe that," he says, " and if you want to do something about that guilt you feel, then stop wallowing in your self-pity and do

I can barely process what's happening. One moment, we were settling into our familiar routine of scavenging and guarding the old facility that had become our safe zone from any roaming destitute. The next, we were forcibly relocated to a sterile room by a massive amount of guards. As we're herded into the room, I glance around at the other students, their faces etched with confusion and unease. Ethan reaches for my hand, his grip tight. "What's going on?" he whispers. I shrug helplessly, my mind racing.The room falls silent as the facility's management scurries about, barking orders and making adjustments. The cacophony of power tools, squeaking wheels, and clanging metal is overwhelming. I wince at the piercing whine of a circular saw, feeling the ground groan under our feet. Swallowing, I clear my throat, gaining the attention of my peers, " let's…… sit tight for now and wait them out," I suggest quietly.The students quickly nod, settling in the dusty ground and huddling togethe

The day starts with news of our performance yesterday.The air is thick with tension as our group gathers to see the results of our training exercise.I can feel the eyes of the other students lingering on me, sizing me up, waiting to see how I performed. I stare at the floating scoreboard, my eyes narrowing as I take in the numbers next to my name. A sixty-nine. It's just slightly above average. My frown deepens.I can't help but think it isn't good enough.And I'm not the only one who thinks so."Hey, Ande!"I turn at the call of my name, eyes narrowing at the teenagers suddenly approaching me, their expressions a mix of scepticism and disdain.My mouth curls when I realise it was the group that had knocked me over during the run."Yes?" I reply briefly. The boy in the middle, clearly the leader of his rag-tag group, steps forward, eyes dark"So, you think you're gonna lead us to victory with those mediocre scores?" he sneers, gaze sweeping over my form. "Guess you didn't get the

The Night Before...When the dust finally settles, I lift my head, coughing and choking. Valarie and Miguel are at my side, their faces etched with fear and concern."Ande, are you okay?" Valarie asks, her voice trembling.I nod, my gaze fixed on the girl's neck. Where the device had been, there is now nothing but a gaping, ragged wound. "I'm fine," I murmur, my mind racing. "But what the hell was that?"Miguel shakes his head, his expression grim. "I don't know, man, but these things are rigged to explode. We're lucky to be alive."I glance down at the collar on the boy's own neck, a chill running down my spine. "We have to figure out what's going on, Miguel. And we need to do it fast."The young engineer nods, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Okay, let me take a look at that chip. Maybe I can figure out how to disable it without blowing us all up."The girl's neck is a mangled, gaping mess. Steeling his nerves, he slipped on a glove and gently parted the skin, revealing somethi