𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙

Preparation

The drive to Walmart was filled with chatter, but the lingering fear from the encounter with Addison weighed heavily on everyone. Emma tried to break the tension as they sped along the road.

"Russell, you did the right thing back there," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You had no choice. She would've killed us all if you hadn't stopped her."

Russell stared out the window, his grip tightening on the rifle in his lap. "I just... I wish it hadn't come to that." His voice was strained, laced with frustration.

Emma glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "I get it. But you saved us. That's what matters." Julian aggressively typed on his laptop as he suddenly sparked up. "I got it!" Emma looked at the rear view mirror. "What'd you get?"

"I think lunarists only appear in the darkness! And I feel like the blood moon makes them more stronger and extra hostile, so if there's a chance the blood moon doesn't come back, we won't be terrorized by the lunarists if we stay in the light!"

"Seems like there's still some people alive, but most dead." Alessandra says as she looks at the news, and sees influencers and YouTubers everyone loved, being reported dead. "Most of these people didn't even get to retire!"

The rest of the group chimed in with quiet affirmations. The relief of Addison being "dead" brought a sense of calm over the car, and slowly, the dread that had been following them since the fight started to fade.

"It's over," Nathan muttered to himself, almost like a mantra, though a part of him still questioned if it really was.

After a short drive, the group pulled into the Walmart parking lot. The place looked abandoned, much like everywhere else they had visited. Emma parked the car and cut the engine.

"Alright, let's be quick," she said, scanning the lot for any signs of danger. "The longer we stay out here, the bigger the chance something happens."

Everyone piled out of the car, and Julian immediately walked toward the entrance with a determined look. "I'm taking some of these doors for the base. They'll make good barricades."

As Julian got to work loosening the doors, the rest of the group dispersed into the store. Kaylin headed straight for the tools aisle, while Russell and Drake veered toward the sporting goods section to gather ammo. Nathan and Lorenzo focused on food, loading their carts with anything that looked non-perishable.

While Nathan piled boxes of pasta and canned goods into the cart, he noticed Kaylin revving a chainsaw in the next aisle over.

"Holy shit," she yelled, grinning as she tested the weight of the chainsaw. "I'm definitely taking this!"

Gian, who was looting the snack aisle, peeked over and laughed. "We're just looting a store, not starting a chainsaw massacre!"

Kaylin gave him a playful smirk. "You never know when this baby might come in handy."

They finished gathering their supplies and made their way back to the car, carefully loading the massive haul of weapons, tools, and food into the back. Julian grinned as he slid one of the doors into the trunk. "This is going to make our base a fortress."

Kaylin checked her watch. "We have about three hours until sunset. Let's head back."

Emma hopped into the driver's seat. "Alright, but buckle up, because I'm not exactly driving slow this time."

The drive back was filled with playful banter. Emma and Nathan traded insults while Kaylee and Haylee were on speakerphone, bickering as usual. It felt almost normal, like they were just a group of kids driving back from a shopping trip, not survivors in a world falling apart.