𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝟮𝟰𝗧𝗛, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯 ... 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙.

the engine idled softly, a dull shuddering breath of oil circulating the vehicles body beneath the silence that filled the car. hector's fingers tapped an uneven beat on the steering wheel, a beat that quickened with each glance at the stalled line of cars stretching endlessly down the road. behind him, his son, oliver, was in his own world, nervously adjusting his glasses frame over and over. the silence between them was thick.

the radio buzzed hours earlier, its alert interrupting all stations as it blurted of schools releasing children early to allow them to return home, to safety. hector had barely waited for oliver to exit the school gates before he grabbed him and sped off, joining the hundreds of other parents with the same desperate need to get back home. now, home felt unreachable — locked behind the red glow of brake lights and the impatience of those around them, as they blared their horns.

hector glanced into the rearview mirror again. his eyes caught oliver's as they darted widely from side to side, absorbing the world outside. the boys hands hadn't stopped fidgeting, a nervous tick that hector noticed he did often. hector looked away, and swept his gaze over the cars behind him. he felt trapped. every other driver seemed restless, a few growling bold enough to vacate their vehicles altogether, marching forward to escape the suffocating line.

roughly, hector clenched his fists against the wheel, the leather creaking as he tried to force down a wave of frustration that surged in him.

❝ dad? ❞ oliver chimed up into the quiet. ❝ why aren't we moving? ❞

hector swallowed hard, steadying himself before he answered, looking up at him through the mirror. ❝ i'm not sure, bud. traffic's just... backed up. everyone's just trying to get home at the same time, ❞

oliver nodded and pressed his face against the window to watch the crowds and cars outside. a wailing siren pierced in the distance and oliver cupped his ears. his fathers softened 'shush's' soon soothed the boy, and he calmed down from the sudden noisy outburst.

❝ dad... ❞ oliver whispered, ❝ are we... are we gonna be okay? ❞

hector forced a smile and turned to oliver. ❝ of course we are. we just have to be patient. once the line moves, we'll be home before you know it, ❞

hector's fingers tapped at the steering wheel once again. his frustration seemed to mount with each tick of the clock on the dashboard. thirty minutes had passed, and the line of cars hadn't budged an inch. it was clear others were losing patience too — honking, some stepping out to see what the hold up was, others wandering away. hector knew waiting wasn't an option anymore.

with a steadying breath, hector twisted around in his seat and faced oliver. ❝ we're gonna walk. it'll take us longer to get home that way, but i'll be here the whole time, okay? ❞

oliver's eyes widened slightly but he nodded. his arm reached around and he unclipped his seatbelt.

hector got out the car and moved around to oliver's side, opening the door and helping him out. he looked down at the long line of vehicles that stretched toward the horizon, and he sighed. there was no other choice.

taking oliver's hand in his own, hector guided them through the maze of cars, moving between bumpers and side mirrors, dodging stray doors that were wide open.

as they pushed further, the streets switched, taking on a different energy. the hum of anxious conversations and the mumbling of engines died out, broken by the sound of shattering glass. hector turned to see a few figures laughing as they kicked in a window, yanking electronics and clothes off shelves. some stopped to watch, fear flickering in their eyes, while others joined in, stuffing all they could into their pockets.

chaos was spilling into the streets. humanity seemed to have lost its mind already.

❝ keep close, sprog, ❞ hector mumbled, gripping his son's hand a little tighter. oliver's fingers clenched back, trembling in his grasp, as he followed after his father's hurried steps through the crowds.

they ducked down a narrow side street, heading toward a set of stairs hidden between two rows of stores.  it was a shortcut hector had taken hundreds of time to get to work, a quiet path that weaved behind the busier main streets, past the back entrances of the stores.

it was dim, shadowed by the buildings either side of it, but was empty for now — offering a brief and blessed path away from the chaotic events happening behind them. hector glanced down at his son, who's face was tense, his eyes darting anxiously. he reached out and brushed his hand over oliver's hair. ❝ just a little bit further, okay? ❞

oliver's head bobbed. ❝ is... is this why they closed the schools, dad? because of... all of this? ❞

hector hesitated. he glanced back, the sounds of yelling and echoing sirens faintly travelling through the air. he gripped oliver's hand. ❝ yeah, ❞ he said softly, ❝ don't worry — they're doing it to keep everyone safe. that's why we are going home, ❞

they reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped onto a road edged along a high street. the scene had since grown even more chaotic. people ran in every direction pushing past others, some fighting over stolen food. a group sprinted down the street, wild looks in their eyes as they bolted. and now, the world seemed suddenly unrecognisable.

oliver's hands fighting around hector's. he could feel the boys feet radiating through his fingers, and in each firm squeeze he pressed. hector leaned down slightly so he was eye—level with his son. ❝ don't let go, stick close to be. we're going to keep walking, and we won't stop until we are home. you got that? ❞

oliver nodded quickly and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

the city had descended into madness in such a short time. young men and women in groups, faces twisted with cruel glee, smashed storefront windows, cheering each other on as they tore through displays. people ran in crazed directions, scattered like wild rats from an unearthed plank of wood. others wore feral smiles as they seized on, thriving on the chaos.

oliver's gaze shifted to a nearby car where a group of teenagers were rocking it back and forth, laughing as the vehicle swayed dangerously. inside, a woman sat huddled in the driver's seat, hands pressed to her face as her body shook with silent sobs.

❝ dad, she... she needs help, ❞ oliver whimpered, and he looked up at his father with pleading, desperate eyes.

hector hesitated. he forced himself to look away. ❝ we can't stop, sprog, ❞ be mumbled, ❝ not now. we've got to keep moving, ❞

the words felt hollow in his mouth, but he pushed the guilt down, and quickened the pace. his only thought was to get oliver home — to get them safe. he couldn't afford to get involved in anything, he couldn't risk his own life, or oliver's.

they moved faster now, almost at a jog. hector's eyes stayed forward, navigating through the twisted crowd, ignoring the shouts and crashes around them. he could still see oliver's troubled expression, the confusion and fear etched deep into his young face.

then, suddenly, oliver's hand slipped from his grasp.

hector spun around to see a stranger — a wiry man with sunken eyes and a ragged jacket — grabbing his son by his arm, yanking him roughly. oliver's face was twisted in terror, he mouth gaped as he wailed aloud and struggled against the strangers grip.

❝ dad! ❞ oliver screamed, ❝ help! ❞

hector's vision blurred with rage as he saw his son's panicked face, and before he even knew what he was doing, he charged forward, fists clenched. everything else faded. all he could see was oliver, and the stranger who dared to put his hands on his son.

hector swung his fist, his knuckles colliding with the man's face in a sharp, brutal hook. the stranger slowly staggered back, his grip loosening just enough for the boy to break free, stumbling into his father's arms.

hector held oliver close, shielding him with his body as he glared at the stranger, who clutched his bleeding nose, eyes wide with surprise and rage. ❝ back off! ❞ snarled hector.

the man muttered something, shooting a look of pure venom before staggering away, disappearing into the crowd. hector didn't watch the man go: his focus was entirely on oliver, who clung to him, shaking with fear.

❝ it's okay, oliver, ❞ hector mumbled, kneeling down to look his son in the eyes, brushing a shaky hand over his hair. ❝ you're safe. i've got you. i won't let anyone take you. not ever, ❞

oliver nodded, his face tear—streaked, his grip on hector's arm like a vise. the boy was terrified, his eyes darting around, his breath coming in short gasps.

the two weaved between the panicked, thick clusters of people, past store fronts in various states. some had hastily pulled down their shutters, signs still brightly glaring, but their interiors remained dark and empty. others were filled with employees and customers alike, all frozen in shock, panicked by what was occurring, all frantically hurrying to dash to safety.

no one knew what to do.

ahead of them, the air shimmered with heat from a burning car parked on the curb. it's metal frame glowed, engulfed in orange flames that licked at the sky with a ravenous manner. dark smoke billowed up in a thick, oily plume, its smell stinging hector's nose and eyes.

hector shielded oliver from the lashing flames, and the heat they blew off. a scream split the air — louder than any scream hector had ever heard in his life. hector pulled oliver close to his body, having felt the boy jerk in a response to the noise.

a figure staggered backwards, stumbling in fear, their arms raised and flailing wildly as if trying to shield themselves. they retreated away from someone who staggered with a shuffled stance. the second figure was wrong, off—kilter in a way that made hector's stomach do a backflip and twist with unease. they moved slowly and unsteadily, as if their legs were unstable.

their jaw hung slack, and a low, eerie groan rumbled from their throat.

❝ dad... what's wrong with them? ❞ whispered oliver.

hector's mouth dried. ❝ uh... i don't know, ollie ❞ he replied.

the figure lurched forward, reaching out with claw like fingers, and collided with the fleeing person. there was a momentary scuffle, a desperate struggle on the floor, and then a second scream, shrill and filled with pain, as the staggering figure wrapped itself around its victim, pulling them close. a wet, sickening crunch echoed through the air, followed by a horrid, gurgling sound that made hector's skin crawl. the shambling figure tore into the other, its teeth sinking into flesh, ripping and tearing.

hector pulled oliver against his side, trying to shield him from the sight, but he could feel his son trembling. they both stood rooted to the spot, as it all unfolded in front of them — a grotesque vision of violence, blood spattered across the pavement, pooling beneath the bodies as the screams faded into a sickly, dampened silence.

❝ we need to go, ❞ hector spluttered out and he tore his eyes away. he looked down at oliver, his skin was flushed a pale colour.

gently, hector turned him away, guiding him back onto the path. ❝ don't look. just keep moving. focus on me, okay? ❞

around them, people were beginning to notice all that had happened, some backing away in horror, others frozen in shock. panic rippled, spreading like wildfire.

hector's mind raced, trying to make sense of what he'd just seen. he'd heard of violence, riots, unrest. but this... this was something else entirely. these weren't just people driven to madness.

❝ were going to be okay, ❞ uttered hector, watching as a group of civilians scattered suddenly, abandoning a building they'd been ransacking for hours. the spilled over the street at a rapid speed, bouncing over parked cars and stumbling over one another in panic. a figure, just like before, dragged its way out of the window of the storefront the looters occupied moments before.

hector gulped heavily.

❝ dad— what are you gonna do... ❞ oliver whimpered.

hector stayed silent, the creeping thoughts of doubt soon washed over him, thick, like a dark cloud full of rain during a storm. perhaps there wasn't a way that he could keep oliver safe.

a clanking to his right broke hector from his haze. he looked up to see a set of shutters rolling open across the street. standing in the doorway stood a young man and woman, waving frantically, beckoning to him. the man motioned for hector to come inside, his hands slicing across the air urgently.

hector hesitated. but when he eyed his son, who's face bore streaks of wetness from dried and fresh tears, he knew he had no other choice. he pulled oliver towards the open storefront, dragging him across the street, weaving past a collapsed car.

the shutters slammed shut behind them, clanking with a metallic bang. hector turned to the man who locked the shutters in place. the woman leaned against a counter, breathing heavily, her eyes wide.

the man turned to hector, offering him a reassuring, but weak, smile. ❝ you made it just in time... the place has gone to hell... ❞

❝ are you two okay? ❞ the woman asked kindly, but her tone was laced with a trickle of worry. ❝ are either of you hurt? ❞

hector shook his head, still heaving to catch his breath, and he pulled oliver close to his side. ❝ no, we're okay. thank you... ❞ he mumbled, ❝ i don't know what would have happened if you hadn't— ❞

the young man nodded. ❝ we couldn't just leave you or your boy out there. the names simon, by the way. that is my sister, izzy, ❞ he reached out a hand and hector took it, shaking it weakly and lightly. izzy gave a nod of her head upon the mention of her name.

❝ hector, ❞ hector replied, turning his head towards oliver. ❝ and my son, oliver. were trying to get back home. my wife will be worried sick that we haven't got back yet, ❞

izzy's face softened. ❝ you live far? ❞

❝ i picked him up from school. we were in the car, and i tried to make it out of here, but the traffic was... impossible. i had to leave if. we tried to walk... ❞ spoke hector shakily, ❝ but i don't know how far we'll make it if we do. it's too far by foot. we live just outside the city in a quaint little neighbourhood, ❞

the siblings looked at one another, before simon spoke to the father. ❝ we've got a car out back. we were going to head out of town, find somewhere away from all this... chaos, ❞ he said, hesitating for a second. ❝ we can take you with us, at least to where you're headed, and drop you off. after that, we go our own ways, ❞

hector's eyes widened, a surge of hope breaking past the haze of fear that shrouded him, ❝ you'd do that for us? ❞

izzy nodded her head. ❝ it's no trouble. we are heading that way as it is... and nobody should be alone right now, with whatever is going on, ❞

❝ where are you two headed? ❞ curiously asked hector.

simon turned from what he was doing, having walked across the store, busying himself with shoving items into a number of bags. ❝ not sure yet. knowing how the military are, they'll probably prop up some zones. we'd head to one of those, i think, ❞

❝ alright, ❞ hector said gently, ❝ thank you, ❞

izzy gave hector and oliver a reassuring and warm grin, and pushed herself off the counter. she grasped a few of the bags her brother had stuffed. ❝ let's not waste anymore time then, ❞

the prepared to leave the store, the siblings at the front followed by hector, and then oliver. simon handed a bottle of water to hector, for oliver. ❝ you're one brave kid, oliver, ❞ spoke simon.

oliver nodded his head, and wrapped his fingers round his father's hand as hector led him out the building, following the siblings as they exited. simon's car sat at the back of the store, tucked away and secluded. with a quick clack of it unlocking, simon brushed his hand for hector and oliver to get comfy.

simon clambered into the drivers seat and started the car, the engine purring to life. ❝ let's get you to your mom, eh? ❞ simon grinned, staring at the father and son through the rear view mirror, pushing his foot on the pedal, and allowing for the vehicle to swiftly glide away from the back of the building.