"She's dead?" Hannah asked, Alice just nods. Hannah's eyes fill with tears and she covers her mouth, everyone else just stands there in silence, not knowing what to do next. Tori walks over to Hannah and wraps her arms around her, comforting her while she cries. "Everyone needs to get back or we need to leave, someone is out there, and they are not friendly." Shane nods and starts gathering his stuff and everyone else joins. Once they are all packed up, Alice peeks out and checks to see if the coast is clear. She peers around the corner and Dr. Crown, standing over Claire's body, holding a gun, she was the killer.
Her eyes widen and she tells everyone to get back. "What is it?" Madi asks, hold her cats back. "I know who killed her." Alice says quietly. Madi looks confused, and asks who. "It was Dr. Crown, but how? She wasn't there earlier. Was she following us? We need to confront her!" Before she can walk out, Manny grabs her arm "Are you insane? She has a gun! What if she kills us too?" Alice shakes her arm loose of his grip "She won't we're too valuable to her." "But why would she kill Claire? Did she know who she was? Maybe they knew each other or something?" Alice shakes her head "I don't think so. " She peers back out to see that neither Claire nor Dr. Crown is anywhere in sight.
"They're gone?" She says confused. Hannah walks over to where Alice is standing and looks out the window. "Where did they go? She must've dragged her off somewhere out of sight." Alice shrugs and walks over to her bag and throws it over her shoulder, "I think we should go." Everyone agrees and picks up their stuff before following Alice out the door and they continue in the direction of Alice's place in the woods. Tori and Hannah walk next to each other, striking up causal small talk, like about their family and about their homes and things like that. Gaby walks behind them, Madi walking next to her. Madi leans over and whispers "I ship them so much. They are my new otp." Gaby laughs and nods in agreement. Shane and Manny sort of walk in the back, Shane talking about what he would be doing right then if he were home and none of this had ever happened.
When he starts tearing up, Manny takes his hand and looks at him and tells him that everything is going to be okay. Shane looks down at his hand in his, Manny then does the same and they both blush and put their hands down to the side, as if nothing had ever happened. They look away from each other and just continue walking in silence, not knowing what to say.
After a few hours of walking, they finally make it to the edge of the woods. Alice turns around and says, "We'll take an hour or so break to rest before we continue walking, it's another hour or so walk in to the woods if we continue at the pace we've been going. I know all of you are tired but I promise we're almost there." Everyone sits on the ground and rests, except for Alice, who stands and keeps watch. "Alice, I'm sure we're fine all the way out here, I highly doubt she followed us." Madi says, "But you never know for sure. Remember how before we left she wasn't at the hospital but then she was right by where we were? I know for a fact that wasn't a coincidence." Madi sighs and pats the ground next to her and Alice sits.
Hannah yawns "I'm so tired, I could fall asleep right here..." She leans over and rests her head on Tori's shoulder and falls asleep. Everyone just stares and Tori and Hannah, shocked and somewhat confused as to what just happens. "Hannah does have a habit of being able to fall asleep anywhere, especially when she's really tired." Alice tells everyone quietly, trying not to wake her. Tori just stares down at her, not knowing what to do, smiling a bit, but trying to hide it. Madi whisper yells "Otp!" Gaby laughs and Tori shushes her.
The next 45 minutes, they spend talking and resting until Alice stands and yells "Okay everyone, let's get going! We've got only so much time until the sun sets and the woods get very dark at night, so let's go!" Everyone starts to stand and get up. Tori lightly taps Hannah's shoulder, waking her up. Sleepily she says "Huh? Oh, are we going now?" Tori just nods and stands holding her hand out for Hannah, who takes her hand and stands. They smile at each other before grabbing their stuff to join the group of friends, who have already started venturing into the woods.
They mostly walk in silence, the occasional comment about the woods or nature around them is made, or someone questions how much longer. About halfway there, Shane and Manny move to the back and hear a twig snap not far behind them. Shane whispers "Did you hear that too?" Manny then nods. "Should we say something to Alice?" Manny takes a peek behind them but see's nothing, "I dunno, maybe it was just an animal?" Shane shakes his head "That was no animal, I've got a bad feeling." Manny sighs, "Okay Walker, let's talk to Alice." Shane and Manny make their way up to the front where Alice is.
Almost out of breath, Shane says "Alice, we heard something coming behind us, I don't think we're alone, does anyone live in the woods?" She shakes her head "Not that I know of, my hide out is just an old abandoned cabin. I honestly don't think-" She is cut off by hearing another twig snap, this time louder, and all of them hear. They all stop, and wait. "Who's there?" Alice yells. When there's no answer she asks again, no answer. "Who the hell is there? Show yourself!" Alice yells, this time, she sounds mad.
Finally, after 10 seconds, Dr. Crown steps out of her hiding spot behind a large tree, holding a gun. "Miss me?" She points the gun at the group, everyone gasps and steps back, Alice stands in front, trying to cover the group. "What the hell do you want?" She yells, trying to sound brave, but there is a hint of fear in her voice. "Some fun." Dr. Crown pulls the trigger. BANG
Hannah shoots up, they're still outside the woods, it was all a dream. She's covered in sweat and everyone looks at her, confused, worried, and even scared. "Are you okay?" Tori asks, putting her hand on Hannah's shoulder. She shakes her head and looks at Alice, "Alice, did you grab the gun from the bunker?" Alice nods. "Woah woah woah, what gun?" Gaby questions. "This one!" Alice reaches into her bag and pulls out a pistol. "My dad kept it in our bunker, just in case someone broke in, he thought it was the best place for it." Hannah informs everyone. "But why do you ask?" Alice asks. Hannah looks around and all of them, "We may need it.".
YOU ARE READING
Apocalypse Mentis
Mystery / ThrillerA group of friends have to survive a nuclear apocalypse together but the twist is, they all have some sort of metal illness and without medication they have to survive the apocalypse, each other, and themselves.
