After Earth's Fall | ✔ UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION

Chapter 20

The smell of smoke attacks Riley's nostrils from where he lays in the vent, against the hard, rough concrete floor. Forcing him to wake up from his semi-peaceful slumber. When his eyes eventually do flutter open, they settle on an almost unrecognisable metal object lying in the middle of the corridor. The vent's lid must've fallen off and somehow skidded across the hallway. Unfourtunately, it wouldn't do much good as a lid anymore considering that it's been flattened and battered to a pulp. That's when Riley remembers about what happened to Naite and his eyes widen in distress. Forgetting where he is, he pushes himself off the floor, or at least tries to but ends up getting a face full of cod webs and a whack over the head. Wincing, he shoots a hand up to the sharp, thrumming pain emitting from the back of his head and army crawls out of the small space. His body is tired and sore from squashing himself in that tiny vent like a contortionist and once out of the vent, he ends up flopping down against the slightly blood splattered, concrete floor in an exhausted heap.

Sadly, he didn't get to rest for long. First, he saw the large splatter of blood against the wall, patches of the red liquid has dried up in some places however little droplets of it still roll down the walls, down Naite's pale skin and onto the brown leather covering the top of Naite's shirt. Then he shifted his gaze to the man sitting limp against the wall. Naite's hair is more jagged and messed up than ever, occasionally showing a tinge of red here and there, his skin is as pale as Snow White's and his breathing is hardly noticeable. Each breath more scratchy and desperate than the last.

Riley exhales deeply. "You're not dead..." he mumbles in a grateful tone.

He starts to look around from where he's squatting by Naite's side. Outside the hallway and into the opening that leads to other doorways and rooms, the main one being the cafeteria, there doesn't seem to be a single soul in sight. The only activity being a few rats scurrying across the floors for their original homes have either been destroyed or disturbed and the occasional spark and flares of golden specks falling to the floor from a broken light hanging by a wire on the ceiling. In Lucas's kitchen, flickers of orange, yellow and red lick the walls and consume the room until everything inside of it is burnt to a crisp. Luckily, the fire hasn't spread much at all but it sure does stink.

Biting his lip, he turns to face Naite once more. "You, you stay right here. I'm going to go get help..from someone," he says whilst standing up. "Don't you dare give up on me," he warns sternly, shoving a finger in Naite's face before turning to search for survivors.

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"So stupid!" Nila curses as she wobbles around the room, examining the cramped space around her for the seventh time.

There's nothing useful. No way out. So with a sigh and a hiss of pain here and there, Nila slowly set herself down against the wall again. Clutching her stomach as she does so. Adrian must've gotten her good because Nila finds it hard to breathe without feeling like someone's stabbing her insides just above her abdomen with a kebab stick.

A distorted static sound echoes through the room, which seems to be coming from one of the shelves. Hastily, Nila throws herself off the wall and jogs through the aisles of metal shelves in the rooms. Pushing past cleaning chemicals and wipes to hopefully catch sight of what she hopes the static sound is coming from, a radio. She searches and searches but to no avail, until she hears two familiar voices.

'Shut up. I'm trying to get to the right frequency!' Friday chastises.

'Well try harder!' Kaitlyn's voice demands in a bossy tone. Nowadays, Nila rarely sees that side of her Nila first saw when they met. Now is one of those rare moments.