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FIGHT OR FLIGHT: CHAPTER ONE—of monsters and unexpected meetings.

❝so go on and let me know... should i stay or should i go?❞

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ARE YOU AFRAID of monsters?

Most adults have gotten over the elementary phobia of monsters, of creatures under the bed, of demons in the closet.

Maybe you're not afraid the fictional monsters—all sharp teeth and ragged claws and haggard roars. Maybe you're afraid of real monsters.

Real monsters like taxes, or American politics, or that one coworker that really gets under your skin.

You're right to fear the real monsters. But, my friends, you must be aware that fictional monsters exist. You must be aware that it would be wise to fear fictional monsters. You would be better off to fear fictional monsters.

Because perhaps, one day, you might find yourself in a situation you've never imagined yourself in. Perhaps, you'll encounter this fictional monster, and you'll know what to do, because you've feared these monsters. Perhaps, you'll survive.

Or, perhaps you'll be killed.

So beware the monsters. Or you'll become an aimless soul like our little protagonists, lost and grieving and alone.

Would you rather to end up like them?

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Toby laid, curled-up, under a dusty old car door.

Of course, it wasn't her first pick for sleeping arrangements, but it was the first thing she could find. An old, beat-up car, rusted an orange-brown over the years of rain and sun and rain again.

The driver's side door had come undone from mysterious circumstances, perhaps from heavy rains, or teenagers breaking it, or maybe it was already like that. Maybe that's why it was in the junkyard, because that's what the broken door had rendered it. Junk.

Either way it came to be there, Toby had propped the detached door against the car to serve as both a wind-breaker and a roof. Laying in the car itself might have been more comfortable, except for the fact that the car had no roof. They didn't wish to be rained on. She had no change of clothes, nothing to protect her from unexpected weather.

Toby wrapped their arms around themselves and closed their eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Worry and anxiety for Venus clawed up their throat, squeezing. She wanted to cry. They wanted to scream. But the tears wouldn't come, and her voice was tired.

Toby's eyes flew open at the sound of banging, of junk parts falling and crunching beneath feet. They flew to their feet, pushing the car door away, rust tinting their fingers orange.

She didn't see a zombie—no, she saw something much worse. People.

"Where are we going?" A masculine voice shouted.

"Somewhere," another voice answered.

"Can we stop now?" The same voice asked again.

"No." The other person sounded like they had said this statement before.

The two finally came into view of Toby, and Toby was surprised to see there were actually three people—one was simply not speaking.

She recognized one from school—Emery Frederickson. The two had worked on a group project in science class together one time. They hadn't been great friends, but Emery was nice enough.

One of Emery's—friends? Acquaintances? Fellow zombie-survivors?—immediately came up to Toby and introduced himself.

"HiI'mKaiGladToSeeYouHereWhat'sYourName?" They said it all so fast that the words ran together. Kai stuck out a hand for them to shake.

"Toby," she said, not shaking his hand. They preferred informal introductions.

Kai pursed their lips, letting their hand drop to their side.

"Toby, you're here?" Emery said, dodging old toys and busted car tires as they joined Kai and Toby.

"Mostly." Toby shrugged. Emery gave her a look like, what's that supposed to mean?

"Who's that?" Toby asked, referring to the other girl, trying to change the subject.

Emery looked behind them. "Oh, that's Viktoria," they said.

Toby nodded, then glanced at the roofless car behind her. Well, that's not gonna work for all of us, they thought.

"We need to find a place to sleep," Toby said.

"Agreed," Emery replied, nodding.

"Ugh, but I don't wanna move right now," Kai groaned, laying like a starfish on the ground. His legs and arms were stretched out around him, and he looked as miserable as he possibly could.

"We literally just got here," Emery said, crossing their arms. "We need to look around this junkyard for... well, something. Just get up."

"But we walked all this way, and you don't wanna make me walk more, right? I'm so tired," Kai replied, putting emphasis on the so.

"Come on." Emery walked over to him and grabbed his arm to pull him up. Viktoria just stood there, arms crossed, watching, seeming slightly bemused at the situation.

Kai finally got up, but not without much mock exhaustion.

"You're fine. You can walk just a little more so we can find somewhere to sleep," Emery told them.

"Ugh, fine. I'll walk. But only for a little bit. Then, I'll sleep no matter where we end up," Kai resolved.

Toby smirked, beginning to walk further into the junkyard. Their thick combat boots crunched on metal shingles and rotted wood, crinkled papers and broken keyboards.

The OTHERS FOLLOWED HER.

—THE AUTHOR SPEAKS. 

0.8K words.

hello hello ! first chapter finally done ! i haven't introduced all of our main characters yet, but there's more to come ! i hope you guys liked it !

if you have any ideas/anything you would like to see in this applyfic, please comment here and i'll probably add your suggestion in the story!

see you later...