The Apocalypse: Shelter

Chapter 2: After

Morgan's POV

We walk down the lonely road. It has been a couple days since the school got overrun. I made it out with Julia, Tony, and Kayden.

"Are we there yet?" Kayden complains behind me.

"We're close." I say impatiently.

She has been complaining pretty much the entire time since we left the school. I can see my house now though.

Julia catches up to me, "When can we get rid of her?"

"Soon," I say, "hopefully soon."

We stand in front of my house. Memories come flooding in. Suddenly I hear a car. We all turn around to see a black jeep rumbling toward us. The windows roll down as it drives down the street, a shotgun pops through the backseat window, and they shoot down the zombies on the sidewalk and street. We step back. It stops right in front of us. The doors open to reveal three people. A big, burly man steps out of the driver's seat. He looks light a super soldier. Ammo is strapped across his body, he holds a rifle in his hand while other weapons are strapped in his belt. He has a buzzcut like he just came out of the army, a cutoff camouflage shirt, and cargo pants. A woman and a man stand behind him. The woman, with her silky black hair and pale face, stands close to the other man who looks like he was a police officer with a pistol in his hand.

"Hello," the big man says, "I'm Brice. This is my daughter Ella and her fiance' Luke."

"Hi," I say, "I'm Morgan and this is Julia, Tony, and Kayden. So... what do you want?"

"We have a camp up the mountain. More like a complex. I saw you guys out here and it looked like you needed help. You wanna come with us?" says Brice.

"No," I say, "We're fine."

My group crowds around me, "Morgan," Tony whispers, "They could help us."

Julia walks up to me, "He's right," she says softly, "We can't just keep running. We might actually survive there."

"How do you know we can trust them?" I say, with worry in my voice.

"Um, you know we can, kind of, hear you." Brice announces.

"You can trust us." Luke says assuringly.

I look at Julia and Tony for anything. They just nod.

"Alright," I say reluctantly, "We'll come."

"Um, guys," Ella finally speaks up,"Turn around."

I turn hesitantly to see zombies coming from behind my house. Kayden stabs one right behind her as others start to crowd her.

"Everybody get inside!" Brice yells, taking control.

We scramble to get to the door. I get there first, run inside, and hold the door open for everyone else. Tony runs in first. Then Julia. Luke and Ella run in after killing a few zombies. Brice shoots like a maniac, killing every zombie in his way.

"Close the door!" he yells, "I'll take care of this!"

Kayden struggles with a couple zombies as she runs to the door. She makes it with some zombies in close pursuit. She runs in and we try to close the door, but zombies push it open. We struggle to close it while Luke and Ella shoot at them. As a zombie reaches for Tony, I stab it in the head before it is able to reach him. He smiles at me.

"There are too many!" Julia says as she struggles behind us.

"Let's go upstairs," Luke says, "Brice can take care of it."

We all try to get upstairs as zombies come filing in one by one. Luke and Ella get up first and run into my room. Julia follows quickly. Tony, Kayden, and I all run upstairs, with Kayden taking up the rear. Tony runs into my room while I follow close behind.

"Help!"

I turn to see Kayden had fallen and is getting surrounded. She cries for help.

"Morgan," she pleads, "please help!"

I hesitate before making my decision.

"No," I say, "You're on your own now, Kayden."

She begs, but I leave her there. I turn before seeing a zombie bite her, as she cries for help. A feeling of guilt wells up inside me. But I fight it. She wasn't much of an asset anyway. I run into my room. Everyone is sitting on the floor besides Julia who lays on my bed. She sits up when I walk in, a smile spreading across her face. I close the door behind me.

"Where's the other girl," Ella says.

"She... didn't make it," I answer, "They got her before I could get to her."

Silence falls upon the room. Luke looks up at me. Suddenly, we hear the door open. With weapons ready, we go downstairs. Brice begins shooting the zombies eating Kayden and any others in the house.

"Clear," he says with somewhat of a smile on his face. He shuts the door.

"Should we search the house?" Ella asks.

They all look at me.

"Yeah, we could."

"Alright," Brice says, "let's split up."

Luke and Tony go in the kitchen, Brice and Ella go downstairs, and Julia and I go upstairs. I already know what we are going to find. We immediately go into my room. I grab a backpack and Julia finds a bag. We each grab a sweatshirt and stuff them into our bags.

"Do you really trust them?" Julia asks.

"I mean they're our only hope right now, and we need to be able to trust people right?" I say.

"I guess." she says.

We go down the hall into the bathroom and collect some medicine.

"Let's go downstairs," I say, "I don't think we'll find anything in any other rooms."

"Okay." Julia says.

We go downstairs. Tony and Luke are already heading to the basement, so we follow. We turn into the pantry. Brice and Ella are collecting cans from the wall full of them.

"What'd you guys find?" Ella asks as she puts a can of corn in her bag.

"Some knives, food, and two flashlights." Luke says.

"How 'bout you?" Ella asks us.

"Not much," I say, "Just some bags and coats. There was some medicine in the bathroom but just some Advil and Tylenol and my mom's prescriptions, but I didn't take those."

"I think we should stay here for the night and let it clear out outside." Brice says.

"Okay," I say, "There are some blankets and pillows down here."

"Alright," Brice says, "Let's set up."

Brice, Luke, and Ella pull sleeping bags out of their bags and set them on the floor for tonight. Julia and I claim the couches while Tony sets up on the floor. For now, we don't have to keep running.