2025-03-01 23:10:59Rustle, rustle, rustle..
The sound of leaves being kicked about by the wind echoed across the streets down below.
Peering through the curtain, Ethan couldn't help but take in a nervous breath of air.
Zombies!
Lots and lots of them!
Unlike in the movies where they usually portrayed to be very inactive at night, these one seemed different.
Yes, they weren't as active as during the daytime but they were still moving.
Pulling the curtain back in place, he sat down on the couch while thinking about the events that took place over that last few days.
Judging from their numbers they seemed to have increased. They practically filled out he while street down below and we're even spilling out!
To be honest,he still found the whole zombie thing extremely weird.
There was neither a warning nor a heads up,heck! even the government didn't give a notification of what was happening!
Everything just strangely started without warning.
Right now though,knowing what caused this wasn't the main thing,rather finding a way out of this building was his main concern.
The building was still secure for now, but food wouldn’t last forever. If he didn't leave before the food supplies got exhausted this place would become a prison!
He was still in this contemplative position when the door suddenly opened causing him to reach for the metal rebar he was using as his weapon.
“Ho,ho,ho lad, calm down am the one!”
Raising his hands up it turned out to be old Jack that took them in earlier. It seemed that he had finished putting the kids to sleep and was just coming back,judging from his expression they definitely have him a tough time.
Placing the rebar next to him he continued watching the dancing flames in the fireplace in a bid to continue his thinking.
However…
“Sigh….I can't think again!”
…with the interruption from old Jack,his thought process was scattered causing him to sigh out of frustration.
Old Jack seeing this dropped a can of baked beans in front of him before heading to a sofa.
" I'll advise you to eat,you haven't had anything since yesterday.”
“Hmmm…thanks but there's no ne..ed for that.-.”
Grrrowll….
”
Looking at the canned food, Ethan's stomach actually started grumbling causing his cheeks to start burning out of embarrasement.
“I really am hungry."
Prying open the lid of the can,it's content soon started dissapearing down his throat as he devoured it like a prisoner starved for a thousand years.
Old Jack on the other hand watched on with a smile forming on his lips.
“Kids…”
Enjoying the baked beans,Ethan felt a kind of relief from taking solid food considering that he had been subsisting on dry bread since day two of the apocalypse.
Actually he was hungry but considering the fact that old Jack took both him and the two youngsters in and also fed them,he felt that it would be illogical of him to ask for food from him. He had already been doing a great job at keeping the hunger hidden but that can of baked beans just had to show up.
“Thanks”
“You're welcome.”
Dropping the now empty can,Ethan didn't know what to say again. He didn't know why but an awkward silence settled between the two of them causing him to start staring at his toes.
You couldn't blame him though as he wasn't the type to strike conversations with others.
“Sigh…you rarely talk right?”
Ethan:”...."
" Yeah.”
With a look of understanding old Jack nodded.
“I guessed so. You know.. I used to have a kid around your age fine lad just like you,also very quiet. But now…sigh…”
He didn't need the man to continue to know that something must have happened to the boy.
“Sorry about the loss." With a remorse expression,Ethan tried to console him only for old Jack to burst out laughing.
Puzzled,Ethan looked at the man wondering why he was laughing. Wasn't that what you told someone when they lost someone dear to them?
He couldn't wrap his head around why anyone would laugh when being consoled.
Well unless they had a few screws loose that is.
“You got it all wrong kiddo. My boy didn't die. I just don't know where he is!”
Hearing the man's explanation,Ethan felt like slamming his head against a wall while screaming in his mind.
“ Always try to complete your sentences!!"
After the bouts of laughter had died down,old Jack continued while wiping the tears at the corners of his eyes away.
" You see he's living with a relative of mine in Grandrock city. I don't know how he's faring hence my statement!"
" Ohhh."
Realising what the old man meant he nodded in understanding. However,he remembered one African saying that said having a child that was dead was better than one that was lost.
Or was it Chinese?
He wasn't sure which one it was but essentially the message was that knowing was better than speculating.
He however wasn't going to say anything to spoil the old man's mood.
He wasn't that dumb.
Changing the topic old Jack continued as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He didn't know why but that glint felt like a glint of hope.
“ Say kiddo,do you think the government will come save us?"
“I don't think so."
Old Jack:”......"
" I guessed as much…..” stretching old Jack stood up from his seat.
" …..I suddenly feel tired, old age haha..I think I'll be heading to bed now, goodnight kiddo."
However,just as he was about to enter his room old Jack paused a bit.
"Do you believe in hope?”
Hearing this question,Ethan was surprised,did he believe? He also wasn't sure and thus continued staring at old Jack's back.
Chuckling,old Jack didn't continue with the topic and simply went into his room.
" Goodnight.”
Watching the old man make his way to the bedroom Ethan couldn't help but shake his head. He could have told the man that everything would be okay and the military would come to their rescue but he couldn't bring himself to do that.
Why?
Cause he knew that they weren't coming!
Today was already the fifth day already since the start of the apocalypse and yet there hadn't been any mention of a rescue team or an extradition force on the radio.
Absolutely nothing!
Probably,the government had forgotten them and it was understandable though.
Barnes city was notorious for it's clustered,high rise,residential apartments. Considering the amount of people living in them,the ratio of infected to survivours would surely be high!
It was simple common sense!
Considering this and many other things he finally gave his honest opinion. It wasn't what the man probably wanted to hear but it was what he needed to.
But then that last question…why did he ask?
He was truly puzzled and confused, however…
……why am I even concerned this much?”
Funnily enough,he thought to himself.
He rarely spoke to others due to the fact that he felt uncomfortable when in their proximity but somehow this man got him to say more words than he would typically say in a week!
“Weird.”
He thought hard and hard only to give up as he found nothing to attribute it to. Furthermore there was no use overanalyzing it.
Shrugging, he lay back on the couch, gripping the metal rebar loosely in his hand.
Outside, the wind howled again accompanied by the rustling leaves.
The horrifying sounds of the monsters still continued to enter his ears as they patrolled the streets below bringing along memories of the voices that he had been hearing in his head frequently for the past two days.
Tomorrow, he was going to leave this place regardless of the huge amount of zombies or not!
But first…he needed to sleep.
For the first time since the world fell apart… he slept.
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Inside the AADAF military base… The sound of personnel rushing around inside the giant command tent could be heard as all kinds of military and technical jargon were being thrown around. Thankfully the tent had been upgraded into a bigger size thus accommodating everyone. “Is the neural connection stable?" “Yes we're at fifty megaherts right now." " Good, get you bring me a firse cable.” On a table,the corpse of a monster could be seen with countless wires sticking out of it's exposed brain. These were then connected to a monitor of sorts that had a down icon. Standing in the middle of this chaos was none other than General Lebronsky who was observing the proceedings. This was a commander level monster was recently captured all just for the sake of getting information. They had gone through a lot of trouble to get it but at least the efforts paid off. “Sir!, doctor Meyers said that the upload has been finished. We can play the clip now!” “Hmmm…alright then.” Nodd
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Honestly speaking,Thomas felt that he wasn't supposed to ask this question. In fact he shouldn't have asked if he was being logical here. However as the leader of the Raisin camp now he just had to. He had to be selfish for the lives of the over two hundred people that was at stake if he didn't. Looking at their faces he could see the hesitation and reluctance causing him to feel like this was a lost cause. He couldn't blame them though as their fears were pretty understandable. They had just fought with a commander tier monster and it totally wrecked them. Going up a against a Xenogenic Alpha tier monster two tiers higher?,that would just be like serving up their lives on a platter! They had visited the borders of death once and they weren't ready to visit it anytime soon. I guess I'll just tell the general that we'll not be joining the raid. Brother I tried but……sigh. Thinking to himself he knew that he couldn't push it any further. “Since there's no one willing to
Chapter 36
The first thing that entered his eyes was the huge circular metal table situated at the centre of the room. Seated around this table were the members of the Stinging nettles though they were visibly missing two members. The next thing was how bright the room was and the fact that there were some communication equipment there. In fact there was a wall mounted screen that was showing a 3D map of sorts directly opposite him. It was like this place was never cut off from the grid. How was that possible?! Since day one of the apocalypse power had been totally cut off with all electrical appliances and gadgets turning useless. Plus this place was on the outskirts of Barnes city,in an abandoned military training base!Even if there was electricity here previously,there shouldn't be any here now. This however, further affirmed his belief that what was about to be said in this room would definitely be weighty. It might truly affect the continued existence of the Raisin camp!
