THE MUTATED

Chapter.5: The world we live in.

The students gingerly made their way out of the library through a window, their eyes widening at the sight of the destruction that surrounded them. Cars were overturned and abandoned, their windows shattered. Rubble littered the sidewalks, and buildings that had once stood tall now lay in ruins.

As they walked down the main road, they saw the remnants of what was once a bustling city. Shops and restaurants had been looted, and the streets were eerily quiet, the unusual deadening kind of quiet. The students walked in silence, taking in the devastation around them. As they walked along the main road, they were met with an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional groan or growl of the undead. Sam spoke up, his voice quiet in the stillness.

"I can't believe this is happening. It's like we're in a movie or something."

Leah scoffed. "This is real life, Sam. It's not a movie. Something we need to start taking it seriously if we want to survive."

Richie weakly nudged Sam. "Leah's right. We need to stay alert and be ready for anything."

Miko chimed in, her eyes scanning their surroundings. "We should find a place to hole up and gather our thoughts. We can't just wander aimlessly forever."

Pierce pointed towards a nearby hardware store. "Maybe we can gear up in there, get some weapons or something."

Ava shook her head. "We need to be careful. We don't know what's in there, or who else might be trying to get in."

Leah stepped forward, taking charge. "Alright, here's what we're gonna do. We'll split up, two in the front, two in the back, and two in the middle. Stay in pairs, and keep your eyes peeled. If anything happens, we'll regroup at the library."

"You know, that's how most horror movies start then someone suddenly gets killed" Richie mentions with a grin.

"Not the appropriate time and place, Rich." Sam said shaking his head slightly laughing.

"Let's just get this over with." Leah rolled her eyes at Richie.

Everyone else agreed with the decision, and split up into pairs, walking towards the hardware store. The group started to pair up Sam and Leah paired up, Miko and Ava paired up, and Richie paired up with Pierce. They all entered separately.

Richie and Pierce made their way through the hardware store, searching for anything they could use as a weapon or tool. Pierce picked up a hammer and some nails, while Richie grabbed a crowbar.

"You know how to use that thing?" Pierce asked, eyeing the crowbar.

"I've seen enough movies to know the basics," Richie replied with a grin.

Pierce rolled her eyes, "You really like referencing movies" she mentioned, but couldn't help but smile at Richie's enthusiasm. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come down to that," she said as they walked back to the front of the store to meet up with the others.

Richie chuckled. "Hey, you never know. We might need to pry open a door or something."

As they waited for the others to finish their shopping, Richie and Pierce struck up a conversation. They talked about their favorite movies, music, and hobbies. Richie learned that Pierce was into photography and had even won a few local competitions.

"Wow, that's really cool, is that also why you joined the AV club?" Richie asked, impressed. "I've been interested in photography, but I never had the patience for it."

"It's all about finding the right subject," Pierce said with a smile. "Maybe I'll teach you some tips when we get out of this mess."

Richie grinned. "That'd be awesome."