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FIGHT OR FLIGHT: CHAPTER FIVE—of costcos and costly endeavors.

❝but you proved me wrong... you ain't nothing but a lost cause.❞

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FIGHTING THE APOCALYPSE is useless. Honestly, who can fight something that's world-wide? Something that's already taken over all you can see?

The radio stations are silent. The sky is empty. The town is lifeless but for the hulking creatures stalking it.

There is no escape.

Maybe you'll find some form of refuge in your friends—but what happens when they disappear, too?

Or maybe in your home—but what do you do when it's destroyed?

Maybe even in death—but what if you're haunted by your loved ones fighting for their lives without you? Or worse—what if you're doomed to roam the misshapen, tortured earth for the rest of eternity? Alone?

Truth be told: you have no options. You have no plans. No method of escape, barely a way to survive. But surviving is hardly living.

In the end, fighting the apocalypse—trying to get rid of it, ignore it, finding a cure for it—is a lost cause.

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"Ready to go?" Pluto said, newfound map in hand. They studied it, squinting while moving it back and forth in their hands.

"Yep!" Kai said, smiling as he always did. He clutched a small knife, which he had dug up from underneath an empty waste-can. The edges that were free of dirt glinted in the sun, nearly blinding him if he looked at it at the wrong moment. He rubbed some of the dirt off in a sorry attempt to clean it.

"I'm ready," Zane smirked, hefting his beat-up baseball bat that he found...somewhere. Kai didn't know. He didn't care, anyway.

"Are you sure you want that dirty little knife? There's probably a much more effective crowbar around here somewhere," Emery said, coming up behind Kai.

Kai nods, "I'm sure. And, hey, if I stab anything, the dirt'll probably give it an infection."

"Whatever you stab will probably already have an infection," Emery murmurs before walking over to Pluto to study her map.

"Is the map in order?" Toby asked, pulling her short hair into a ponytail. "Do you know where we're going? Because I sure as hell don't."

"Dude, Costco's, like, a five minute drive away," Zane said, frowning. "Haven't you ever been there?"

Toby shrugged. "I'm sure I have."

Zane just sighed at them, fussing with their baseball bat.

"Okay, let's go, then," Pluto said, before pausing. "Shouldn't someone stay here with Viktoria, though?"

"She has the gun," Toby shrugs. "They'll be fine."

Kai's sure that Viktoria could handle herself. But then again, if he went with the others, he would have no where to take a nap. And he's tired as fuck.

Plus, it would be rude to leave Vicky (that's Kai's new nickname for them) alone.

"I can stay here," Kai says. "With Vicky, so she doesn't have to be all alone."

"Do not call me Vicky," Viktoria grumbles, crossing their arms.

"Well, I guess it's settled then," Pluto says. "Kai and Viktoria stay here, watch for zombies, et cetera. We go on the crazy dangerous mission to find sustenance at the local Costco."

"Just like every other Tuesday afternoon," Zane smirks.

Kai sits down on a musty tire. It's hard and hot beneath him. It's a warm California day, and all this heat is making him sleepy.

Summers spent out of school was often filled with pool parties and as much sleeping as possible for Kai. It's basically the only time of the year he has to sleep more than the average amount. If he could sleep all through the day and night, he would. But, of course, his body often wakes him up to devour a hoard of food, interrupting his beloved sleep schedule.

And, despite the infestation of evil zombie-creatures, Kai wants to maintain his planned schedule of slumber (just with the added part of watching over both Viktoria so she doesn't go batshit, and watching over the junkyard so they don't get killed).

The others have left, and Kai goes inside the bus for a well-deserved nap (well-deserved due to the fact that he spent quite a while searching for his new knife, socializing, and re-working his summer schedule. Not to mention that his sleep last night was interrupted by that awful noise).

He sleeps well, of course, until he's interrupted by a gunshot. Then another; Kai rushes outside the bus to inspect the rude awakening.

There Viktoria is, perched on the wall, gun lifted to eye level.

A roar pierces the air, and another gunshot rings out as Vicky squeezes the trigger.

"Oh, shit, not another one," Kai mutters underneath his breath, rushing to join Viktoria at the wall. Once he lifts himself up to her level, he can see the true horror of what she was facing: a trio of creatures, hulking and gray, growling at them.

"FUCK."

—raven speaks !

0.85k words.

so sorry this took forever !! i really like it tho. kai is just <33 tbh he's so fun to write. and i'm excited to write about the others' journey !! yes costco is a boring af place to go, but who knows... there might be something unexpected there ;)

anygays,, i hope you liked it ! have a good day and don't get eaten by a zombie (or else i'll be really sad)