The apartment complex stood before them, quiet and ruined. An exchanged look with Tamaki revealed that they were both thinking the worst. Sunrays sparkled off of the broken windows and the glass scattered across the ground and down the scuffed stairs. The doors hung crookedly at their hinges and the locks were smashed aside. Chills ran down Hikaru's spine as he gaped at the brutal destruction in broad daylight. It felt so… wrong.
Hikaru took a step forward from their hiding place behind the worn, brown fence from across the street, gesturing with his fingers for Tamaki to follow. He picked his way through the debris-scattered road; it was covered in empty cans, bags, and items that could only be from the ravaged apartments. Someone had looted the area. It was obvious and Hikaru expected it, but he never thought it could be this bad.
Beside him, Tamaki leaned down into the stack of trash stacked near an abandoned van with his lip quivering. Hikaru strode over to him. "What is it?" he asked as Tamaki pulled straight, holding a frame in his hand.
Wordlessly, Tamaki turned the picture to Hikaru. The cracked glass held a small picture of Haruhi and her dad, smiling brightly. It felt so unnatural in this changed world. Tamaki forced open the back of the frame, slipping out the photo, and dropped the empty object with a clack. "She'll want this back," Tamaki whispered.
Worry fluttered in Hikaru's chest as he turned his eyes back at the apartments. "We should check inside," Hikaru said. He began to walk with new purpose. His pulse raced in his veins. With no hesitation, Hikaru stomped up the stairs to the second floor, only pausing when he came upon a body lying in the hallway at the top.
He glanced behind him to see Tamaki turn completely white, blanching at the stench. "Don't look at it," Hikaru told him quickly, stepping over the lump while his stomach churned. Tamaki looked absolutely terrified.
A second later, they arrived at Haruhi's apartment. Tamaki reached for the knob but stopped, seeing that the knob was completely missing. So he instead pushed lightly at the door. It creaked open into the dark room. Hikaru gasped. The inside was just as horrible as the outside but smelled twice as much. It was the lingering aroma of death.
"Oh, no," Tamaki breathed, taking it all in, holding a hand over his nose.
Hikaru squared his shoulder and pushed himself inside. He had to know what happened here. He had to find out if Kaoru had gotten away. He stepped across overturned lamps and scattered beads. It didn't even look like a room anymore. Tamaki made his way for Haruhi's room while Hikaru wordlessly headed for her father's room. The door was torn open at the ready.
The moment Hikaru reached the room, Hikaru knew. The smell was unbearable, causing Hikaru to clutch his shirt to his nose. His eyes watered. At the entrance, Hikaru came to a halt. The window was wide open and its curtains fluttered carelessly. Just below that was Mr. Fujioka, lifeless and bloody, rotting and fly-covered. Hikaru averted his eyes, horrified.
But Hikaru's eyes settled on the dresser. A lone white sheet of paper fluttered in the light wind, sticking out from the bottom of the lamp. Holding his breath and training his eyes in front of him, Hikaru quickly crossed the room and ripped the paper from the bottom of the lamp. Unfolding it, Hikaru read the words, "Heading north with Haruhi." The message was simple, but it gave them the clue they needed.
"Oh god," Tamaki groaned from behind Hikaru.
Hikaru spun on his heels to find a pale Tamaki with eyes brimming with tears. Tamaki had his hand grasped over his mouth and nose, staring intently at the body. "Tamaki…" Hikaru said softly.
Tamaki shook his head, backing out of the door. "I need to get out of here." He disappeared from the room.
Hikaru cast one last glance at the body before following Tamaki. He found his friend staring blankly at a family photo on the wall near the kitchen. Silent tears rolled down his smooth cheeks, dripping onto the floor. Hikaru placed a comforting hand on his arm, but got no reaction. So they stood in silence, allowing it all to sink in.
"Hikaru," Tamaki whispered softly.
"Yeah?"
"Are they okay?"
Hikaru breathed deeply, frowning. "They better be…" he let his words hang there, not knowing what else to say.
"How are we going to find them? I mean there's so many places to look," Tamaki asked, his voice tinged with worry.
Hikaru scooped the scrap of paper from his palm, unfolded it and held it up for Tamaki to see. But the words only made Tamaki's frown tighten. "Why would they head north? That leads out of Ouran. Why wouldn't they go towards the middle where they can easily get supplies?"
Hikaru refolded the slip. "Think about it Tamaki. If there are looters, the infected, and government officials aiming to kill you just running around, where would you go? Wouldn't you head away from the worse of it?"
"Oh," Tamaki nodded. "But it will still be difficult to find them."
"Yeah, well, we have to try, don't we? Come on, let's go," Hikaru reasoned, leading the way out of the trashed apartment and into the fading daylight. They turned onto the stairs. "Okay, we should brainstorm. Where in northern Ouran would be a good place to look first?"
"Umm… there's the public elementary school, the subway stations, the…" Tamaki trailed off, pausing at the bottom step.
Hikaru stopped with him, following Tamaki's gaze. There was a group of three people walking down the street in the distance, wearing bright yellow suits. It looked alien almost but it also fit this ruined world. "What are they?" Tamaki questioned.
Opening his mouth to speak, Hikaru was suddenly tugged roughly backwards with Tamaki behind a shadowed wall by the stairs. A hand wrapped around both of their mouths, gripping tight. "Don't move," a voice commanded.
Well guys, this time I can promise you 100% that there will be another update on Tuesday. Look forward to it!