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 stare at Everett in shock, my mind reeling from her chilling words. But my moment of surprise quickly gives way to simmering anger. Rising to my feet, I glare down at her, refusing to be cowed. "What is that supposed to mean, Everett?" I spit, my voice laced with fury.Everett just looks up at me with an unreadable expression before slowly rising to her feet, her mouth twisting in distaste.I scowl at her, my temper flaring, " what did you mean by that?...," I say dangerously.Everett lifts her chin defiantly, meeting my gaze with a cold, calculating stare. "It means exactly what you think," she says, her tone dripping with malice.I clench my fists, the muscles in my jaw tightening. "Are you threatening me?" I growl.She regards me with disdain, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "Not a threat, no," she says, her long, sharp nails digging into my chest as she jabs a finger at me. "It's a promise." Each poke sends a shiver of revulsion down my spine. "Remember this, Ande," she
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
As I make my way through the eerie silence, I can't help but wonder what other secrets this school is hiding. The Principal's cryptic words about the Destitutes and the sudden change in camouflage leave me with more questions than answers.I pause, my breath catching in my throat as I hear a faint rustling from around the corner. Pressing myself against the wall, I peer cautiously into the darkness. Nothing. Just the creaking of the building, the shadows playing tricks on my eyes.Exhaling slowly, I continue, my senses heightened, every creak and groan setting my nerves on edge. I can't afford to let my guard down, not for a second. The lives of my fellow students depend on it.Finally, I reached the relative safety of the closet I had claimed, locking the door behind me. Sinking onto the floor, I stare at the blinking device, my mind racing. What does the Principal have planned? And how much more blood will be spilled before this nightmare ends?I shudder, the weight of my actions
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
Ethan, seemingly dissatisfied with my silence, suddenly steps forward, his voice trembling with barely contained anger. "Hey! And what exactly are we being prepared for? What kind of challenges are you talking about?"Mrs. Baker's gaze shifts, and for a moment, I swear I see a flicker of…. something in her eyes. "That's...a discussion for another time," she says, her tone clipped. "For now, I suggest you all get some rest. Your first training session begins bright and early tomorrow morning."As she leaves, the room erupts in a flurry of whispers and hushed conversations. As we all file out of the mess hall, Zane leans in close. "Did you see that?" he whispers. "She's hiding something. Something big."I nod, my mind racing. "We have to find out what's going on here. This isn't just about combat training - there's something else at play."Ethan's hand finds my shoulder, his grip tight. "Whatever it is, we're not going down without a fight," he murmurs. "We'll get to the bottom of thi
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 air is tense as our group surrounds Everett and her team. We've got them cornered, guns that were taken from the training room trained on them, and I can see the panic in their eyes. This is it - we've finally caught the enemy."Alright, spies," I growl, stepping forward. "Time to fess up. What are you doing here? How much do you know? Tell me."Everett clenches her jaw and remains stubbornly silent.At that, the group erupts into heated debate. Some are calling for us to throw Everett and her crew out to the Destitutes now that we know their true allegiance. "They're traitors! We can't trust them!" one teen shouts, pointing at them, "they deserve to be killed."But some are more cautious. "Hold on, we need to figure out how to get off this planet first," a small girl argues. "We can't just abandon them - they might be our only way out of this hellhole."The debate rages on, with voices rising and tempers flaring. I stand back, overseeing the exchange. These people are scared,