Fatal | The Second Life I [COMPLETED]

Chapter 43: Onwards

- A N I Y A -

     My eyes open to sunlight coming through the windows. I roll over, seeing that Nick wasn't there. There was some movement outside in the main part of the apartment, with faint talking.

      I stand up, wiping my eyes and pushing my black hair behind my head. I walk over and shut the blinds, which were caked with dust. The whole room was old, now that I think about it. Hopefully though, we'd be on our way soon.

     I push open the door to the main apartment, and see the other 3 lounging. Nick looks over, smiling. The other two sit on the couch, while Nick was standing next to the breakfast bar.

     "Want some cereal?" He asks, holding out a box of Apple Jacks.

     "Sure." I say, taking it from him. "Thanks." I grab a small bowl from the only open cabinet. Truthfully, Apple Jacks were never my favorite, but I hadn't had cereal in a while. I sit with the others, Marseille making room for me.

     "As I was saying." Nick says, walking over and sitting next to JP in a chair. "We're going to go to Battery."

     "Hold up." I say, confused. "I thought we were going to my house."

     "No, we are." Nick assures, surprised. "Battery is stop number 2."

     "Good." I say, and he points at the map.

     "Anyways," Marseille begins. "Your house is far into Brooklyn. You'll probably need a car."

     "Which we'll need to find." JP says. "That's part one."

      "Then let's go for it." I say. "Not a hard thing to do."

     "Well, we'll need keys." Nick says.

     "No, you don't." I say, and they look at me confused. "I can hardwire."

     "Wait, you can?" JP asks. "Since when can you do that?"

     "My sister taught me." I say. "Look, I don't know how she knew. All I know is that I know how."

     "Well, it works." Nick says, clapping once. "That solves our dilemma. We're good now."

"Let's find a car." Marseille says. "Two, Hopefully, so I can go to Battery."

"Actually, maybe you should come with us." I say. "If you don't mind a nice Saturday drive."

"You're keeping track?" Marseille asks, surprised.

"For me." Nick says. "Sundays."

"Right then." Marseille says. "Yeah, I'll go with youse."

"Man, that sounds so weird." Nick laughs, standing up.

"What, youse?" I ask. "In comparison to 'y'all?"

"Rolls off the tounge." JP says, looking in the cabinet. He starts laughing, pulling out a can of beans. "Remember this, Nick?"

"Oh my.." Nick says, stuttering. I was confused as to why they were getting teary about a can of beans.

"If I could turn back time, we would still be together." JP stutters, a single drop of water leaking down his cheek. He sniffs and wipes his eyes, before putting the Can in his bag.

"Yeah." Nick mutters, walking toward the door.

"Any reason you're getting emotional about some fucking beans?" I ask, and Marseille laughs. JP gives me the stink eye, and I turn away with a smirk. Me and JP weren't the best of friends, seeing as we didn't understand each other. I was usually pretty serious and uptight, and he was just.. flagrantly careless about everything except uniting his old friend group.

"It's a long story." Nick says, looking back at me unsettled. I suddenly realize I sounded really rude, and so I stop asking questions. We walk down to the ground floor, stepping outside and turning east.

It didn't take us long, since we went into the parking lot behind the apartments. There weren't any super cars, but we picked a small Toyota Camry. I bust out the windows of the locked driver door, pulling open the lock and gettin straight to hot wiring.

JP and Nick lift the hood, fumbling around with some stuff. I guess they were going for the battery, which would likely be dead. Nick walks over.

"Try it." He says. I align the wires and connect, and the engine roars to life after a couple seconds.

"Life!" JP exclaims, closing the hood and rushing into the shotgun seat. Nick and Marseille hop in the back, and we drive off.

"How'd you get the battery working?" Marseille asks JP.

"Eh, it's a secret." He says. "Zach taught me."

"Of course he did." Marseille laughs.

"It's a bit finnicky." Nick says. "If we smell dead fish or see any smoke, we jump."

"Dead fish?" I ask with trepidation. "Sounds great." I continue sarcastically.

"Melting plastic." Nick confirms. "There are exposed wires. Charged like hell. They're not touching anything, but if they do that's very bad."

"Great." I say, getting onto FDR drive and navigating all the dead cars. "Look, If we're gonna avoid sickos we need to go quick."

"Then be risky." JP says. "Not like the owner will get mad at a door-ding."

"He May bite your head off." Marseille says, and Nick laughs nervously. It was funny because it was true.

"Quick question." I say. "What happens if we go to Battery and nothing is there?"

"Then I'm going to be pissed." JP says.

"No, like, what next?" I repeat.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Nick says defensively. "Let it go."

"Fine. Sheesh." I sigh. "Well then. Brooklyn, here I come."

- Z A C H -

I hear the horn, signaling a meeting. Sickos were still on the walls of the village, but the bricks held firm. They had eventually wandered away, seeing it was pointless. Only after a couple hours.

Caden has talked about seeing the sickos communicate and even eat each other. They were getting more and more hungry with less kids to eat, and they had been getting desperate. Especially since winter was coming very soon. There was probably only a week left.

I meet up with Caden and we walk to the Central Park. Evan walks on a pedestal, and I'm confused. Normally it was Colt who did the speeches.

"Hello." Evan starts. "Last night, the gunshots you heard were from a group of escapees. They got put through a fire escape and shot inside to draw sickos. Colt is out of action, and so I'm in charge for now. If you know anything about the escape, talk to me. That's all."

"That was short." Caden Says as we walk back to the house.

"Hit the point though." I say. "I hope we're not questioned."

"Just tell the truth if we are." Caden says, and we walk inside.