WE ALL DIE ▸ NICK CLARK

iii. su-su

"So what do we do if he doesn't come back? It's been like six hours. How bad can traffic be?" Nick asks as he gets up from my side of the couch and walks towards the kitchen.

"Well, he-" Maddie starts saying but the lights go off.

"Mom, you know what's out there. We can't stay here." Nick says as soon as Alicia gets out of the room and I get close to the kitchen. "I'm not trying to be an asshole."

"Good."

"He went to get his ex-wife," Nick says

"He went to get his son." Maddie says back.

"Yeah, his family. I'm just saying-"

"We're his family. He'll come home." She says again

"Maybe he went home."

"You know that thing you were saying about not being an asshole?" Maddie remembered him and I get slightly away as I noticed Alicia is back in the room.

"Come here." she tells me and I follow her to the window. "It's happening again." she says before I can see what she's talking about.

"We need to get away from the windows," Nick says and closes the curtains. "You need to tell Alicia what's out there." He tells his mother and she nods in deny.

"No, she hasn't said anything yet. She might not have to." She whispers to me and Nick "Alicia come on down here."

As we got away from the front door we hear the door to the balcony move and Nick gets close.

"Nick," I call in a whisper.

"Shh," he mutters as he puts his index finger in front of his mouth as he gets even closer and pulls the curtains.

"Stop!" We all scream in almost syntony.

"It's just the dog. It's just the dog." He opens the door and the animal runs towards him. "It's okay. It's okay." He says as he pets him. "Hey, hey, hey..."

"Is-is he hurt?" Alicia asks noticing blood on the dog.

"I don't think that's his blood." Nick starts and the dog starts running towards the front door barking and he follows him.

"Okay, the Trans have a gun. Shotgun. I tried to steal it once." He says as he gets away from the door and I look at him confused. "I tell you later." He tells me.

"Okay." I muttered.

"Alicia, stay close. Don't stop." Maddie warns her daughter and I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Come on." I slightly push her and start running behind her.

As we ran towards the neighbor's house we jump a fence to wish Nick helped us and enter an almost labyrinth.

"Okay, follow me," he tells us and we do as he says.

"Susan? Patrick?" Maddie asks as we enter their house.

"Okay, they're not here." Nick stats and we get in.

He doesn't waste any time before getting the shotgun and the bullets that are upstairs. As Nick is trying to get it to work Alicia goes to the window when she hears the dog barking.

"Mom? Mom?" She calls. "Mom, someone's inside our house."

Nick has finally got the gun to work and gives it to Maddie. By this time the barking of the dog turns into whimpering.

"Mom..."

"Shh, okay, we just stay here, we just stay here," Maddie says but changes her mind when she sees Travis, and we all run out of the house we were.