"Hey, this way." I whispered. Looking around while Penny pushed up against me when i stopped all of a sudden. "Man, this place looks like an apocalypse. I'm starting to forget what the school actually looked like." Leaves scattered from the wind blowing them around while some parts of the building started leaning over towards us. The walls are just barely hanging on.

The walls did, in fact, look a bit weird. Another tree fell on Principal Browns' office, pushing the whole foundation of the wall towards the hallway we had to walk down towards. His door to the office all bent from one of the tree branches leaning out into the hallway. Scattering the vines that grew up towards the top of the tree all the way to the branch, giving a curtain like look as the vines dangled down.

Stepping on the small pieces of the wall, Penny and I stopped to see the water fountain. "Water!" We both yelled with joy. We took a few sips as with tears of joy. Tasting the salty tears that mixed in.

"Man, it's been a while since we had food. Wanna hunt down the cafeteria?" I asked.

"All we need is a backpack to pack all of the food. Maybe Principal Brown has a backpack in his office." Penny pushed the vines out of the way while she pushed the office door open towards her.

"Um. Penny, wait!" I locked my eyes on the branch above. "Penny." Now I began freaking out. "PENNY!" I yelled. Watching as the tree slowly pushed the door down more. Penny backed up, looking at the branch slowly crush the door more and more. I grabbed her, pulling her away as the twigs began breaking and snapping.

I pulled her away as the twigs started flying every direction while the tree came crashing down through the floor of the building.

We both watched as half of the office disappeared before our eyes. The umount of dust and small pieces of the wall flew while the floor caved in, causing both of us to slowly slide down. In a panic, my arms reached out, sliding all over the floor as I desperately tried grabbing onto something. Anything that my fingers could grasp on. Penny wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me as we both screamed.

My fingers are digging into the floor tiles while parts of the wall from the Principals office begin falling next to us. "PENNY, CLIMB NOW!" I yelled in pain. I could feel my fingernails digging deep while Penny climbed up and over me. She grabbed my hands. Releasing the pain in my fingers as she pulled us far away.

"Ow." I hissed. "I really clung onto dear life. Are you okay?" I asked, blushing as I turned to look at her. She smiled, grabbing my hands as she looked at my fingers. "Yeah, if we fell. That whole wall that fell next to us would have been on top of us."

"Thank god for your quick thinking. We'd both be dead right about now." She rubbed my hands. "Can you move them?" She asked. I wiggled my fingers.

"You know. This is where we all gathered around before the school bell rung." I changed the question real quickly. "Remember when Tina tried to fight me here?"

"Yeah, I remember. You almost got stepped on." Penny helped Glme up off the ground. "Including all of those stunts you did. How much trouble you got into."

"You know, i just realizing that we're now freshmen. And we have a few years left until we graduate from school. The amount of change we're all gonna go through." I stopped. Realizing what my mom ment. "She's right. Life isn't fair. I don't wanna grow up and be an adult. But I can't stop that."

"My mom deserves an apology."

"So does my father." Penny looked down the hallway. "You know. Parents try their best to raise their kids. And they make mistakes, too. Maturing is realizing that both of us were in the wrong just like them." Penny's wise words echoed through my brain.

"Yeah! you're right, Penny. They were kids just like us. Did stupid things, just like us. They're not perfect parents. They're just trying their best to be good parents and make sure we don't make the same mistakes." I grabbed Penny, pulling her close. "You're a great friend." I hugged her tightly.

"Hey, um. Gumball. Who's that man standing down the hallway?" No, it can't be him. I don't even wanna turn around and look at him. I tightened my grip on Penny.

"We should go." I said sternly.

"Wait! Why?" She asked as I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her with me. Both of us ran down the hallway holding hands.

"Gumball. Please slow down." She begged.

"No, we can't. We have to find a way out of this building. And fast." Being covered in dust and now sweating from the amount of exercise i am getting doesn't help. Especially with my stomach that started to kill me.

I stopped. Grabbing my stomach. Fuck, my medication. I haven't taken that sense this whole disaster. The pain was unbelievably uncomfortable. I lifted my shirt to still see my stitches intact. Remembering what the doctor said about pushing myself and my mother telling me how she just wants the wound to heal up quickly. The regret on my face

Penny lifted me up bridal style and began making a run for it. "Whoever that man is. He's holding a knife."

"Yeah...um, that guy would be the same dude that stabbed me in the alley that day."

"Wait! How did he get out of jail?" She asked, running down the steps towards the exit. "Fuck, he'll think we left the building. I have a plan." She placed me down in a room and opened the window. "Hide in the closet. I'll be back." I giggled.

"Gumball, no time for jokes." She was serious.

It's awfully quiet. All huddled up against coats and jackets with empty school bags hanging on coat hangers. A few notes and books on the floor and a bat that somehow got into a school building. Yes, just what I need. A backpack. And on the plus side, we have a bat.

All I could do was listen. Listen for any movements and sounds. My breathing increased slowly as I heard the sound of the doors opening from every classroom. Tables and chairs crash all over the floors and walls. The sound of him screaming out of pure anger as he threw, what sounded like a chair out the window. It was a non-stop hissy fit from a full-grown adult man.

"Come out wherever you are, kid!" He yelled out. Throwing one last chair out in the hallway. "I know you're here. I can smell the fear in the air from your pathetic excuse of a life form." Before I could swallow the last courage down my throat. I heard the door slam open to the room I was in. A single tear fromed as I heard his footsteps echo through the room.

"You really know how to play hide and seak kid. This is possibly one of the best hide and seaks I have had in a long time." What does he mean by that. Did he do this to other people? Are there more victims like me?

I peaked through the small opening of the closet door as I watched him walk by. Wide eyed as he peaked in. I leaned back quietly with my hand over my mouth. Shaking as I heard him grab the handle to the closet door. I couldn't hold in my breath any longer.

I heard the door opening to the outside. And close. "GET BACK HERE!" He yelled. He made a run for it out the exit door. I slid down in the closet as I let out a big huff of relief. The sound of my breathing steadied along with my heart.

The closet door opened quickly. "Hurry. Before he comes back." Penny said.

"Jesus Penny. Don't do that!" My hand on my heart. "You could have killed me instead of him." I jokingly said.

"No time for jokes. He thinks I ran in the house behind us." She is quick on her feet. Her parents always made sure she was in sports and did all the stuff they never did. She may have been popular. But in my eyes. She is the most unique person I have ever met. Her tall, bright yellow perfection and nicely built body. She no longer had that shell she lost a few months back.

"One minute. I found a backpack and a bat." Pulling out the empty backpack and placing the bat inside all zipped up. The handle sticking out while I slid the sleeves over my shoulder.

"Let's pack some stuff from the nurses office and the cafeteria before we leave. I don't wanna stay here aby longer than we should." My God. Even Penny looked beautiful in all of this mess. We both smelled and looked like we needed a shower more than anything. But food and a first aid kit are our number one priority.

"I'm not gonna lie. He did give me weird vibes. Something about him and how he acts. It's like he's done this before." She grabbed my hand, holding it as I blushed.

"While I was in that closet. He said some things that gave off a vibe that he has done this in the past. Some of those kids who went missing a few years back. And those marks they found on their bodies are the same marks he gave me." I touched my stomach as we both walked up the steps. "It's obvious he's a psychotic guy who has murdered people."

"Watch your step." She put her hand out. "Oh, look! The floor we almost fell down into earlier. The cafeteria and nurses office is over there." We looked at the floor up against the wall. All are still intact after the tree gave way. It just doesn't look steady enough to walk on.

"I'll go first." I said. "Test it out before the floor decides to give way." If I fall, I fall. But we had to make it over to the other side. All the way back from where we came from.

"Here, hold the backpack." I handed it over to her.

Penny watched as I slowly placed my foot on the edge, sliding slowly over towards the other end. My hands and back up against the wall while I looked straight.

"There is a branch next to your foot." Penny pointed. Stepping over the branch that stuck up and out the large hole. I made it safely to the other side.

"Throw the backpack." Reaching my hands out as she threw the bag at a good distance. Catching it and tossing the bag behind me. I watched her as she stepped on the side and pushed her back to the wall.

"You got it. I'm right here." Holding my hand out for her to grab.

"Thank god that didn't give way." Penny said. Walking over towards me. "Let's go grab that stuff and get out of here."

~~~~~~Military Base~~~~~~

Nickole moved her suitcase inside. She also packed Gumball's stuff when he finally made it back in her arms. She was sitting down on the bed as she slowly pushed her suitcases over, looking at gumballs. Stickers from every video game he loved playing popped out.

She wiped the tears away when Tichard stepped into the room. "Hun. I know you're going through a tough time. But, some of the helpers made food for us. You need to eat. This is your fourth day, not eating or drinking." He placed the food and a glass of water next to her.

"Thanks, babe." She mumbled.

"Look." He placed a hand on her knee. "I understand you're going through a lot right now. But you can't act like this. Not when our baby boy is out there. You have to be strong. The same woman I married. Because this, this is not you."

"You're right. I'm not me." Richard kissed her on the forhead.

"Do it for the other two." He left, leaving Nickole to eat on her own for the first time. He's right. She's not acting herself. Especially sense she was so used to Gumballs shenanigans. She always had a strong, independent woman who knew how to take control of her family's issues.

She knew she made a mistake when she slapped Gumball across the face. And she knew she had to apologize to him and make it up to him for all the tough times when she gave her baby hell.

Slowly eating and drinking water as she filled up her stomach from the hunger she had these few days. She understood what Richard meant by the other two. They'll find Gumball and bring him home. She just had to wait.