Sector 13

The sirens initiate the first step of my plan to sneak into Sector 13. Curfew is the best time to go outside since the lack of people prevents me from getting caught. No one, not even the security, stays outside during curfew. It's too dangerous.

It's when They come out.

In the early days of the City, people were naïve enough to attempt resisting Them. But as soon as humanity learned that They are invincible, they gave up. Since then, the sirens mark Their arrival every evening. Not a soul lingers outside. We don't know what They look like, but Their inhuman shrieks keep us locked inside our houses. So does the mysterious rotting smell plaguing the streets after curfew. Oddly enough, we have never seen any bodies. Speaking of deaths, three years ago, Sector 13 took the worst of Them, since it is located near the woods. The government has forbidden us from going there because of the threat it poses to our lives. According to them, that place reeks of deaths and horrible crimes.

And secrets.

Predicting the curfew, most people have cleared the streets before the sirens even started blaring throughout the City. Now, I'm left alone with the revolver inside my hoodie and my black clothes camouflaging my body in the shadows. I am just an Asian seventeen-year-old guy who minds his business, so staying outside so late is highly unusual for me. Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I silently jog to the edge of my Sector— Sector 12—and look for my friend Theo's short frame pacing around. Instead, a hand grabs the back of my hood and pulls me behind a tree.

"Cain! You idiot!" Theo hisses angrily, his silver eyes glinting from his light-brown face. "What do you think you were doing just strutting around on the street like that? They will be here any moment!"

"Calm down, Theo. We are safe and sound. End of story," I say to shut him up. I don't want to think about what would happen if They took me. "You brought a gun, didn't you?"

Theo nods nervously and pulls his hand out from inside his pockets, holding a gun as if it will explode at any moment.

"Last chance to back out, Cain. This is not a good idea," he warns, putting his hand back in his pocket and pulling his hood over his head. "Plus, I doubt revolvers can beat Them."

"I know what I'm doing. It took a while, but I have finally gathered the courage to do this. I need to know what happened to Sol. He was just seven when they took him last month. Freaking seven, " I say, pulling my hood over my head to hide my eyes. I still can't talk about my little brother without tearing up a little. Then I remember that Theo is scared out of his wits and is only coming along for my sake. "But I completely understand if you wanna back out. I won't judge you," I finish.

He stares at me for a few seconds, contemplating the consequences, and sighs. "No. You're gonna do something stupid. I'll come," he says.

My face splits into a grateful smile. "Thanks, man. I knew I could count on you," I say and pull out a folded piece of paper. "This is the map of Sector 13."

"How did you-"

"Irrelevant," I unfold the map, crouch down, and lay it out on the ground between us. Theo gets down on one knee and stares at the map, his eyebrows furrowed together. "I have studied it thoroughly, so you should take it if we separate. We stay on this street," I point at a long line going through the hundreds of little squares "and reach the woods at the end. Get inside as many buildings as you can to stay safe from Them. The doors should be open since the attack three years ago. Among all the people we lost, no one seemed to notice the fact that pretty much all the doors were open. I don't know why they are that way, but we will take advantage of that," I explain and hand him the map. "And stick with me, alright?"