*Celosia "Robin" Douglas's POV:

(Takes place at the same time as the end of chapter 8)

"Meet me at the pharmacy room around eleven tonight. Tell Kimberly too. There is something I must share with you and the others," Danny explained. His eyes were frantic and his voice quivered. It looked as if he had been hiding something from us.

"What's going on?" I asked. I needed him to go more into depth with what he was talking about. Instead, he walked away, and I was left there near my bedroom section. Dumbfounded.

"Celosia?", a feminine voice called. I turned and noticed Gaia. I felt my stomach heat up as blood rushed to my face. I wanted nothing to do with her, not after her brushing off my feelings and didn't even bother to help when I found out I would be kicked out the shelter if I didn't find food by the deadline. My fiery orange eyes glew as I looked at her with annoyance.

"I wanted to tell you-"

Her voice trembled. Her words were stuck inside of her throat and barely made it to the tip of her tongue. She began playing with her fingers. She always did that when she was nervous.

My anger turned into curiosity as the heated feeling I had in my body when away.

She let out a deep sigh.

"I wanted to tell you that you have been looking a little pale lately. I think you should try and get a break and-"

"There are no rooms for breaks Gaia, like have you not been present this whole time?! I have to constantly go outside and hunt for wild animals and fish to satisfy four hundred people in the shelter, all because I made a mistake and trusted someone who let me down. I don't need any more lectures of how bad I fucked up!" I lashed out at her. It took every inch of my body to control the fire that was ready to come out of me. I wasn't in the mood to hear anymore her unwanted nagging about my fuck-ups and my flaws. "Anytime you talk to me, it's always about something negative that I am doing, at this point, just leave me alone", I finished before walking away from her. I stopped dead in my tracks and remembered something.

"Also, Danny wants to talk to us in the pharmacy section at eleven tonight. Tell all of our friends. I need to be alone."

"Okay", Gaia responded in a monotone voice that was followed by an eye-roll. She walked into our second bedroom section to fetch for our friends.

I did feel bad for yelling at her, but I felt as though I shouldn't. I shouldn't have felt any sympathy for her, just like she didn't have any for me all these years. I walked to the garden section and slammed the door behind me.

I slid down the door onto the floor as I looked up towards the ceiling. My eyesight blurred, and I could barely see within the dark room I was in. I felt a burning sensation in my chest. I wailed intensely as I buried my head into my knees. My mind was constantly racing. In this place there was always something to be worried or concerned about, and never a time to relax. I saw where Hikari was coming from, but I also saw where her dad was coming from with "not having any other choice". It was either here or death, but who's to say if we will survive another year in here. It's either we will starve, get hypothermia, or go insane. The electricity shut down and the main door wasn't working anymore. We had to leave it open, but it became more and more cold by the day.

For the last two weeks I have felt nothing but intense anxiety, more than I have ever felt since the day we came here. The worst part was that there was nothing I could do about it. I put this on myself...I trusted someone who I shouldn't have with our food, water and supplies. The only person I could turn to was Kimberly and she could only do so much to help me.

It wasn't until an hour later I heard Danny knocking on the garden section door. I lifted my head and stood before opening it.

"Hey, it's time", he said in a serious manner.

I nodded before following him two doors down towards the pharmacy. Opening the door, I see Noah, Isabella, Thomas, Katie, Kimberly, Beval and Gaia all in the room. They were all in one big circle. Only Beval and Thomas were holding flashlights.

Danny shut the door behind him.

"I am sure you are all wondering why I brought you in here. I need to talk to you about something I've been aware of for the last month or so", Danny explained to us, trying his best to hide his nervousness.

"This better be good, both me and Celosia have to wake up early tomorrow to hunt", Kimberly sighed as she leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.

Walking towards Kimberly, I noticed from the corner of my eye, Gaia staring at me, but I refused to acknowledge her. Everyone, even Isabella needed to know what was going on with Danny.

I will admit, Danny hasn't been himself in the last month. He was distant, secretive and always tensed.

"I had a vision, well, more like I sensed something. As I was writing in my journal, I began experiencing different emotions. It was a mixture of happiness, relief, sadness, fear and anger. Then it was revealed to me that someone would come in the shelter and have information that will change everything. I think that person is Tyler. And then-"

"And then what?", Beval asked, uncrossing his arms, showing deep interest in what Danny was saying.

"It was revealed that Shimizu...is alive."

"What?!" we all screamed.

"Weren't you the one who said it was all a lie and that Tyler didn't see Shimizu? Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Gaia asked.

"Yes, I lied, but I had to gain confirmation to see if it really was Shimizu that Tyler saw", Danny admitted in defeat.

"Wait a minute, so the whole "Asian man with blue eyes" thing Tyler was talking about, that was Shimizu?!" Kimberly asked Danny in shock, trying to gain a better understanding.

"It has to be so. It all matches up. Shimizu must know where we are somehow, so he sent the boy someplace that was nearby, someplace where the hunters could spot him. Strange, but possible", Noah explained as she stroked his chin.

"How did he survive the explosion?" Beval asked in urgency. "How is that possible?!"

I wasn't sure if I didn't want to speak, or if I was too stunned.

Everyone bombarded Danny with questions, meanwhile I was too much in my own head. The boy I fell in love with five years ago, the one I have grieved for five years, the one I couldn't get over for five years...is alive? Hikari's feeling...was right?

This information was overwhelming to say the least. I had so many questions, but I didn't exactly know where to start. But I had to start somewhere.

"If Shimizu is really alive and he knows where we are, why hasn't he come back?", I blurred out, looking at everyone, then at Danny.

"I don't know, all that was revealed to me was that Tyler was the person with the information that will change everything, which was: being sent by an Asian man with blue eyes, and how that man was Shimizu," Danny explained, trying to piece everything together.

"Why did it take you so long to tell us? Why lie about it? Why did you wait until now?", Gaia asked, trying to keep her cool.

"I...I don't know, I was too busy trying to gain understanding into what was happening or where he was. I didn't want to say anything until I fully understood what my vision was saying. All I could make out is that he is in the Philippines" Danny sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why the Philippines?", Thomas asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Remember, that's where he met Tyler. It would make sense if that is where he is staying", Noah explained to Thomas. He then muttered something. "Or hiding..."

"Hiding?!", I heard Beval ask.

"Okay, okay, that's enough, so what do you expect us to do with this information?" Kimberly asked, waving her hand to stop the ongoing questions.

"You want to help the shelter right?", Danny asked, looking straight at me.

Without saying a word, I nodded.

"Then I think it's time we go and find Shimizu. Wherever he is, he can probably help us."

"Why don't you use your powers to find his exact location?" Kimberly asked in a snobbish way.

"Because it doesn't work like that, it comes to me when it comes to me" Danny responded, ignoring Kimberly's attitude. "I think it's time we leave this shelter and find Shimizu, but I need a few of us to stay behind. Katie, Thomas, Noah, Isabella, I need you guys to stay behind and look after everyone".

"What? You can't leave Danny, what about the baby?" Isabella asked in desperation, begging Danny to stay, holding on to her belly as she walked up towards him.

"I will be back in time for Christopher's birth. That's a promise," Danny said, easing her worry as he held her head, then kissed her forehead.

I could tell Danny's promise only helped Isabella minimally, but she trusted him, and trust was all she needed right now. We needed to find Shimizu, and hopefully bring him back.

"So, are you guys in?" Danny asked, trying to gain confirmation.

Me and the others looked at each other, it was as if we already knew what we were thinking. We gain nothing by being in here, nothing but more suffering. Nothing will improve, nothing will get better. It's not pessimism, but fact. But if we leave to find Shimizu, he may have a solution to our problems, but most importantly, we gain our friend back.

"I'm in", I spoke up.

"Me too," Beval spoke.

"I'm in as well", Kimberly spoke.

We looked at Gaia, waiting for her answer. She looked undecided, yet still shocked at the fact that Shimizu was alive. I didn't blame her. It was sudden and unexpected. We expected Danny to reveal something else about the shelter that was starting to have problems, like the toilets, which were still working (thank god), or how the plants were beginning to die. But instead we were bombarded with a random vision he had a month ago about how Shimizu is still alive and he knew for over a month and choose to not tell us until now. Usually, I am one of the most logical people out of the friend group, so I wouldn't believe something like this. And yet, knowing Danny, knowing his power, I knew he wouldn't lie about something like this. If he had a vision or seen something, it was true. He proved that time and time again in the past.

It had to take Beval to grab Gaia's hand and give her a reassuring look in order to give us an answer.

"Ok, I'll join you guys."

"I promise to look after everyone in need Gaia, you taught me well", Katie said as she embraced Gaia into a hug. Gaia returned it.

"What about Mr. Hada. How will he react?", Isabella asked Danny. "What are we supposed to tell him?"

"The truth. Tell him we went to go find Shimizu and that we will be back, hopefully with his son," Danny responded. "Celosia, Beval, Gaia, Kimberly, don't bring anything. Leave the food, water and supplies here for those who really need it. We will find those things on our way too the Philippines. Get your things, we leave as soon as possible."

Danny opened the pharmacy door to leave, but stopped in his tracks when he looked over to his left.

"I think Hikari and Tyler are trying to escape" Danny told us, as he walked back into the pharmacy.

"They should come with us," I responded.

"What?!" Kimberly shouted. "Are you out of your mind? It's dangerous out there!"

"It's only right for them to. Tyler knows where to go when we get to his home city, and Shimizu is Hikari's older brother. She has a right to come with us. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe."

Not Kimberly, or anyone else said a word. I wasn't sure if they agreed with me or if they didn't care enough.

Danny nodded at my response before opening the door. We followed him out of the pharmacy room to our left towards the main doors.

"What are you two doing?" I asked rhetorically, trying to catch Hikari and Tyler off guard. They were standing by the main doors, which were wide open. Turned around, wide-eyed with Tyler, Hikari began panicking, trying to explain herself.

"It-it's not what it looks like. Me and Tyler were just going outside to-"

"No need to lie Hikari. We know where you are going. We didn't think you would try to leave again so soon though," I interrupted her panicked stutter as I walked up to her. "We are coming with you to find Shimizu."

"Wait...what?", Hikari replied in disbelief.

"It was confirmed by Danny..." I looked at Tyler. "The man you saw was Hikari's brother Shimizu. He had been presumed death for the last five years until now. Currently, he is in the Philippines. Because he sent you here, he must've known where we were located. But the trick is to find him...and how to get to the Philippines...", I realized as I looked at Danny. We had no way of getting to the Philippines.

"I still have Trevor's number. We can call him and ask him for a ride. Hopefully he is still alive...out there" Noah said in optimism, his pupils dilating. "I told him about the pandemic before it happened, so hopefully he took the information he received to prepare."

"Oh thank god you held on to that. Okay, bring anything you need for the trip. We will meet back here in fifteen minutes. We have to be out of here and long gone before these people wake up" Danny told us as he looked towards the stairs leading up towards the outside world.

Going to the bedroom section we slept in (bedroom section two), I took the next twenty minutes stuffing items into my bookbag: a pencil and a notebook, a pocket knife, walkie-talkies (just in case), a few pairs of clothes, toiletries. I even left a note for my mom and dad, Rachel and Bob Douglas:

Danny confirmed Shimizu is alive. Me and my friends are going to the Philippines to look for him. We are taking Tyler and Hikari. Shimizu was the one who sent Tyler here. Maybe he can help us with our current situation, or maybe he has a better place in store, nevertheless, our friend is out there and we need him. We will be back as soon as possible. I love you guys.

-Your little Robin.

I placed the note quietly next to them on the dresser as I watched them sleep. My father was holding on tightly to my mom, laying on their left side. It felt like forever as I stood there, watching them. I'll admit, I was having second thoughts about leaving.

"Celosia, let's go", I heard Beval say with a loud whisper, staring back at me from the door as Gaia and Kimberly followed closely behind.

I couldn't stand there and watch my parent's sleep forever. As much as I wanted to kiss them goodbye, I had to leave. I couldn't risk waking them up.

"What took you all so long? I said fifteen minutes and you took twenty!" Danny ranted as he placed his bookbag down.

I looked around, only noticing Isabella and Noah with him. "Where's Thomas and Katie?" I asked, ignoring his rant.

"They went off to bed. Do you have everything you need?" Danny asked in an authoritative way.

"Yes, we do," I nodded, speaking up for everyone.

"Alright, you guys go on ahead. Celosia, you're driving," Danny ordered.

Going up the stairs with Hikari, Tyler and the others, I felt a chilly breeze overcome me. Goosebumps grew on my arms as they rubbed against the black cotton of my hoodie. As I reached the top, I looked around. The leaves crunched under my black converses, trees danced from the wind as the red and orange leaves jumped from the tree to the ground below. The whos of an nearby owl was heard on my far left and a cricket's song to my far right. The temperature had to be around the fifties. I looked down below. Danny gave Noah a tight hug, proceeded by giving a tearful Isabella a kiss on the lips, before making his way up the stairs.

I made my way towards one of the vans, entering it, then putting my key in the ignition.

"Yes", I whispered to myself, happy that the engine was working. Sometimes the vans gave us problems. Unlocking the car doors, the others entered the van. Danny sat in the front, Beval, Kimberly and Gaia in the middle seat, and Hikari and Tyler in the back.

"First stop, a nearby payphone. We have a call to make," I announced, backing the van up before making a left turn towards a path, a path that lead out of the forest on to a highway.