Palinoia

Chapter 4

I widened my eyes. "Run? What do you mean run?" I questioned.

Dave gathered some of his things. "Get out of here and go home. The safest best is to ensure that everyone is home to prevent contaminations and to make sure the demolishers are all we have to deal with."

I glanced at Peter and he gave me a nod. It was visibly clear that he was still tense but I guess we had to leave.

"Let's go," I told him. I started running and Peter ran up beside me. I bumped into a few people who were also running frantically.

We ran outside and the sight was definitely something I did not expect. At least it made the city look a whole less boring. The citizens were all running and a loud siren could be heard everywhere. I watched as mothers grabbed the arms of their children's for dear life.

"You were right. The city does seem lively," I told Peter, half-jokingly.

Peter let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm starting to eat those words," he admitted.

I nodded. "Guess we better run."

Peter gave a nod too. "I'll text you if I haven't been contaminated."

I rolled my eyes. "Aren't you being a little dramatic?" I questioned.

He shook his head, preparing to take off. "Don't underestimate those things."

I've unfortunately heard those words too many times to count. I watched him run off before glancing back. "And try not to get killed!" he shouted back.

With a final nod, I turned and ran as fast as I could back to my apartment. It was hard to see at first due to the large number of people that were running around aimlessly. For some reason, this caused me to set a deep frown on my facial features.

Goodness sake.

I kept running, forcing myself to shove some people away. A loud shriek could be heard not so far away and I turned to my right where the source came from. There was large smoke coming from that pathway and also fire that was burning bright.

I tried to analyse the situation, noticing some figures moving about. Without a second thought, I quickly turned around and ran to my apartment.

"Attention citizens," a voice spoke. It came from a large speaker and could also be heard everywhere. It probably came from one of the main headquarters.

"Please. Return to your homes immediately. I repeat, this is a code ten. A code ten. Everything will be okay. The situation will be dealt with."

I paused to catch my breath and looked up. I was standing right in front of my apartment. Everything looked fine from the outside so I knew I was safe. I glanced back around. For a second, I thought I saw the familiar figure but dismissed the thought and entered inside where I needed to be.