What if?

Chapter 7

After what felt like hours of walking, they emerged into an old market square, its stalls empty and its cobblestones cracked and uneven. The air was thick with the scent of decay, a stark reminder of the world that had been left behind. They skirted the edges of the square, careful to avoid the open space where they might be exposed.

As they moved deeper into the city, they occasionally heard the distant sounds of movement—a rat scurrying across the pavement, the faint echo of voices carried on the wind. They kept their senses sharp, alert to any potential threats that might emerge from the darkness.

Eventually, they found themselves on the outskirts of the city, where the buildings began to thin out and give way to open fields and wooded areas. The moon hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape. They paused at the edge of a sprawling park, its trees swaying gently in the night breeze.

"We're getting closer from the outside of the city," Teresa said softly, her eyes scanning the horizon.

Newt nodded, his gaze following hers. "Yeah. Let's find that main road and figure out our next move."

They continued on, their steps guided by the distant glow of city lights ahead. The road stretched out before them, a ribbon of asphalt cutting through the darkness. They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, their hearts heavy with the weight of their journey.

As they walked, the hours slipped away into the early hours of the morning. The sky began to lighten in the east, painting streaks of pink and orange across the horizon. They knew they were nearing their destination, but the final stretch still lay ahead.

"We're almost there," Newt said, his voice filled with determination.

Teresa nodded, her spirits lifting with the promise of safety and hope ahead. "Yeah. Just a little farther."

And so they walked on, their footsteps echoing through the quiet morning, their hearts filled with the anticipation of what lay ahead.

Teresa and Newt approached the massive wall that had once marked the boundary of the city. It stood like a monolith in the early morning light, its surface scarred by the bombs that had brought it crashing down. Debris and rubble lay scattered around its base, remnants of the destruction that had torn through this place long before WICKED's experiments had begun.

"We'll have to climb on the debris," Teresa said, her voice steady despite the daunting task ahead.

Newt surveyed the wall, its jagged edges reaching towards the sky. "It's going to be tough, but we can do it."

They began to scale the rubble, carefully navigating through the twisted metal and shattered concrete. Teresa led the way, finding footholds and handholds amidst the chaos. Newt followed closely behind, his muscles straining with each upward movement.

As they climbed, memories flashed through Teresa mind—of the lives lost in the bombing, of the families torn apart, of the world that had once been vibrant and alive. Now, all that remained were echoes of the past, buried beneath layers of destruction.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of climbing, they reached the top of the wall. They pulled themselves over the edge, pausing to catch their breath as they looked out over the devastated landscape beyond.

They picked their way carefully through the debris, making their way down the other side of the wall. The ground was uneven and treacherous, every step a reminder of the devastation that had befallen this place. They moved in silence, their hearts heavy with the weight of what they had witnessed.

As they ventured further from the city, the landscape began to change. The air grew cleaner, the smell of smoke and ash giving way to the scent of sand(i have no idea if it has a smell haha).