A division of concrete and dirt presented before the two on the other side of the small treeline. The dirt road curved its way left towards what looked like a barren farm riddled with unkempt crops, whilst the concrete highway led right into a grey and disarrayed city center.
Towards the city, a thick grey, almost black, cloud of smoke could be seen and an overpowering stench of death and famine attacked Haru's nose. Most buildings were collapsed in piles of cold and uneasy rubble. Those that remained standing, however, held shards of broken glass which were coated in a graphite filth of dust and dirt that made those remaining who looked at it loose all hope. The hopeless grunts and aches of unfortunate souls riddled with disease was clearly heard from the city center. Sometimes they sounded alive, not yet turned, or maybe even a rare survivor.
Towards the deserted farm, long, curling, waves of thick and dead grass coated every inch of the thirsty land. What crops could be seen had been bitten to shreds from the local fauna. No matter how many times Haru or Rei looked, they couldn't find one living thing on the topsoil. The crops underneath could possibly be dead in the dry soil. Yet, their seeds could remain intact and ready to use if only they could break up the dry earth.
"Haru," Rei panted slightly in his tone, "Should we go and look for more seeds near the farm?"
Haru turned his raven haired head away and towards the city. There was definitely a voice of somebody struggling in there. "We can't find any seeds, we've tried."
"But if we could just break the topsoil I be-" Rei was cut off by Haru's hand.
"Do you not hear the yelling?" Haru was getting emotional.
"That could be just a half-dead person," Rei reasoned with himself more than with Haru.
"Or," Haru turned to face Rei with a desperate look in his eyes, "There could actually be somebody in there!" Haru was getting annoyed now and raising his voice.
"I say we look for seeds!" Rei was yelling back at Haru and getting in his face and grabbed Haru's hoodie.
"Fine," Haru stated coldly, "Then i'll go by myself," Haru sharply tuned away with the full intent of going buy himself in the city.
"Wait," Rei called out, "You'll get yourself killed, let me come with you," Rei fiddled with his watch, pressing a button here and there, "We have thirty minutes to get in and get out, sound fair?"
Haru only nodded and started the short trek towards the hope strangling collection of ashen buildings. He definitely heard a scream of the sorts, he wasn't wrong. Deep down, Haru hoped he was wrong. A survivor could pose a threat to the camp. They could turn whilst inside Iwatobi camp, or, kill everyone for food and resources.
The city looked like someone put a black and white filter on every piece of rubble and stick. Nothing was interesting to look at, which made it all more tense. Nothing happening meant something was happening. It was always calm before the storm.
The smell of fate was weaker inside than it was at the borders. Haru could see that everything put Rei on edge, from the smell to the screams growing closer.
The hollers for help were the loudest outside of the small shopping mall. Haru could hear it plainly now, it was a little kid crying and a familiar voice grunting ever so slightly. Hasru couldn't place the voice but it sounded full of confidence, cocky, even.
"Hello?!" Rei banged on the glass doors, trying to smash it, "We can help!"
Haru started banging on the glass doors too, they were fragile and easily broke under the two teens' banging.
The sight inside was horrific. A horde of zombies surrounded a table just down a walkway towards the food court. Few layed on the ground but many more remained. The zombies donned a pale grey complexion with adorned red cuts all over them. They didn't look At Haru and Rei when they burst in, too busy with the task at hand.
A child's terrified crying was the only human sounding thing in that little mall.
Something primal woke inside Haru, he moved on his own, no thought behind his actions. He just knew that he had to help but there were too many zombies. He could never take them all on his own. But he knew he had to save them. Maybe it was the thought that they'd get lunch or maybe it was the fact that there were finally other people or maybe it was because Rei wasn't going to do anything.
It was a flurry of blood, yelling, and teamwork with the stranger with red hair and Rei. In the midst of the action, Haru found himself holding the little girl that was crying earlier. The wetness of her cheeks left a damp spot in Haru's hoodie.
"You have to go! Leave me behind!" The machete-wielding teen yelled at Haru.
Haru was simply too shocked to speak, the emotion written all over his face.
"We need to get out of here!" Rei gasped out from the exhaustion that ensued with the chaos going around them.
The three of them didn't even speak, they all just ran through the small path littered with bodies that they had made in the short waltz of blades and breaths. The hot summer sun blazing on their backs.
All of them made the short trip out of the mall and out back to the forked road, halting only to catch their breath. Haru and Rei would wait until they were back in camp to make something out of the little girl, now asleep in Haru's arms, and the stunned redhead, now running between Haru and Rei, both of them not wanting to risk him attacking. The mood was one of great hurry and fear. Fear that more would come, or maybe it was the fear that something would go horribly wrong.
The silver and rusted gates were barely in sight when Rei called out, "Survivor!" in a desperate voice shaking Haru out of his thoughts.
In no less than ten seconds, the gates opened up to reveal a perplexed Makoto. Standing the left side, where the gates were usually locked and closed, always having a ladder on both sides. The look on Makoto's face was a mixture of confusion and worry. He was bewildered.
Makoto rushed towards Haru after the initial shock wore off. "Haru, what happened out there?"
Haru only kept on jogging with the two behind him. Signaling Makoto to follow with a flick of his hand. "I'll explain in a bit. Get everybody in the meal tent." Haru almost whispered. Not fully trusting his voice to stay even.
Makoto only nodded and picked up his speed from jogging to a rushed trot toward Nagisa in his training ring with a concerned look in his jade green eyes.
Haru looked up at the sky. Judging it to be about 4:30. Which meant that gou would be cooking dinner already. He could feel his stomach growling but it was also clenching in a way only a cocktail of adrenaline and uncertainty could.
The jog to the tent was brief. The occasional scuffle of feet and the panicked panting from the survivor had put Haru on edge. It's not every day you meet a living person. Who knows what their intentions could be?
Once at the tent, Rei piped up from the back, "Okay, Mr, we mean no harm and we just want to know where you're from so when we get in the tent, just please tell us." The last of his words sounding like a desperate plea rather than a command. Much softer than what Haru would've put it.
All the strange pan did was nod and walked in first once they all stood at the entrance. The smell of potatoes and soya sauce wafting from the breeze made when the door closed. Making Haru sure that his hunger was bigger than his suspicions. Mouth watering at the edges.
Next to enter was Rei then Haru. Everybody sitting the the picnic table. Makoto was standing, leaving a space for Haru to sit.
"He's too compassionate. He's probably been standing all day too." Haru thought when he saw that the space beside the newcomer was open. On the other side of the arrivee was Rei. Nagisa sat across from Rei, his bandages unwrapped and on the table. Gou sat next to him.
Gou noticed that Makoto was standing and moved over so he had room to sit on the end. Makoto taking it thankfully.
The look in the outsider was guilt, worry and fear all tied up together. He didn't look anybody in the eyes but opted to look at the toddler in Haru's arms. His eyes were a deep wine red and his hair was only a shade lighter. Pulled back into a messy ponytail but some strands still framed his face.
Haru wordlessly and carefully gave over the little one. Not wanting to wake it or startle the exotic looking man.
He took her gingerly and opened his mouth to speak, everybody on edge when he did.
"My name is Rin and this is my little sister Momo. Thank you for saving us." His voice was gravelly and filled with guilt. He didn't sound older than any of the teens even though he was so well built.
"I'm sure it was the only thing to do." Gou reached out for the hand Rin had placed on the table and took it gingerly as a sign of comfort.
Rin only looked up briefly before looking at the grains of the table. Too fearful to hold eye contact. To worried about drawing anybody's ire.
"First things first, let's get you some food." Makoto stood up again. Rin was about to protest but was cut off by Momo waking up. A noise of hunger escaping her lips.
"Thank you," Rin mumbled when a bowl of stew and a bowl of broth was placed in front of him.
Makoto only smiled in response as he gave the other teammates their food. Wanting to come off as nothing but nice and trustworthy for Rin.
"Where did you come from?" Haru blatantly asked. Not caring about his tone or what Rin would think of him. He never did. If people didn't like him then so bad. Why should he try to appeal to them if they didn't even liked who he was. It never made much sense to Haru.
Rin seemed taken aback a bit by how blatant Haru was being but quickly covered himself. "We came from a camp. Just a few days out from where you found us." Rin was trying to get Momo to swallow a couple drops of broth. She ended up grabbing the spoon and feeding herself. Sitting on Rin's lap.
"Hold up." Nagisa interjected before Rin could start the rest of his story. Rin looked at him out of utter disbelief. "You came from a camp with other survivors? There's more of us?"
"Yeah. It's pretty big. About a hundred people or so."
Haru noted his teeth were pointed and sharp. He wrote it off as a cultural thing. Reading it in a book somewhere during school.
Haru was in utter shock. More survivors ment more resources. Maybe they could all move there. "We have to get you back," Haru stated out of the nowhere.
Rei dropped his spoon at what Haru told. "How can we trust him? For all we know he could be leading us in a trap."
"Then Haru and I will go first," Makoto blurted, "We'll come back and get the rest of you guys. Then you'll know it's safe."
"Then it's settled," Gou ordered, "Tomorrow the four of you will head back for Rin's camp." Haru almost stood up. Ready to head to the tent and set up another bed until Gou cut him off, "First you all have to get a proper sleep."
All of them nodded. Stood up and left the tent one by one. Gou staying back to clean up the dishes.
The air outside was cool and settling. The sun having gone to sleep only minutes ago. The stars were bright nonetheless and danced across the pitch black sky. Hues of purples and blues sneaking their way onto the elegant dance floor of space. The best thing about the apocalypse was that the sky was clearer than ever.
Rin was going to follow Haru and Nagisa to the sleeping tent but Makoto called out to him, "Hey! Rin! Come with me and i'll show you around the compound."
Confused, Rin stuttered in his step. Wondering why he'd need to know what the compound looked like. "Uh, sure." Rin put down Momo. muttering something to her. She nodded and held Nagisa's hand. Being the shorter of the two, his was easier to hold.
Haru and nagisa took their time getting up the hill. Keeping the pace of the toddler in mind. Nagisa and Momo, however were chatting it up. Nagisa was always good with little kids. His energy was the same at times.
╬Haru had just stepped out of the tent, recently finishing up the makeshift bed of duct tape jackets and old clothes. Makoto and Rin were approaching the tent. Rin looking like he was a step farther away and a little smaller then when he had gone with Makoto to check out the compound.
"Do we have any PJ's for Rin?" Makoto asked Nagisa as he approached the teen.
"I have an old t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Will that do?" Nagisa help up a large shirt with the Iwatobi mascot on it and a pair of red sweatpants.
Makoto took the items a little harshly and tossed them to Rin. All of them went to the tent after Rin came out in his pajamas. All of them tried to be quiet, Momo and Gou were asleep after all.
Once everybody was settled and the last sigh was given a stray thought came across Haru.
"We can have lunch tomorrow," Haru went to sleep after that with a smile.
A/N Whew! Sorry for making you guys wait for ages for that chapter! Make sure to leave a comment telling me what i can improve on!