Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 17: Get Out Now!

Chapter 17: Get Out Now!

Louise nodded, his eyes hardening as he focused on the window. "Whether we shoot now or later, we’re looking at one hell of a battle. One way or another, we’ll have to fight them all."

The group’s tense silence was broken only by the scraping claws and guttural growls of the monsters lurking outside. Scarlett’s eyes locked onto the creature at the window, its black skin glistening ominously in the dim light.

"Alright, listen up!" Garvin whispered urgently, his voice barely above a murmur. "We need a plan. We can’t stay here forever."

"I say we make a run for it," Rose suggested, her tone steady despite the chaos surrounding them. "We’ve got guns now. We can take out those monsters and find somewhere safer."

"But where?" Mary’s voice trembled, fear evident in her wide eyes. "We don’t even know what’s out there."

"You think it’s easy to take down monsters, huh?" Louise chimed in, a smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at Rose.

Scarlett’s gaze remained fixed on the window. "I think I can help with that."

Ding!

{Host, your elemental sensing abilities are developing. You can detect nearby threats and track their movements.}

Scarlett’s eyes widened as a mental map of the surrounding area materialized in her mind. She could see the monsters clustering around the mall, their movements erratic and unpredictable.

"This is...," she murmured, astonished.

Ding!

{The mall map is now available, host.}

"What is it, Scarlett?" Garvin asked, his brow furrowing as he noticed her intense focus. "Are you okay?"

"Is she turning again?" Mrs. Anderson’s voice trembled with fear, her grip tightening around the pistol in her hand. "Someone needs to take the baby from her."

"Can you keep it down, old woman?" Rose shot back, rolling her eyes in frustration.

"I can see them," Scarlett whispered, her voice low and intense. "I can see where they are and how many there are... We can use this to our advantage."

"See what?" Garvin asked, confusion etched on his face.

Scarlett turned her gaze toward him, and a strange smirk appeared on her lips. "The monsters’ whereabouts."

Hope flickered in the eyes of the group for the first time since the chaos erupted, filling the room with a renewed sense of determination.

"W..wh..where are they?" Matthew murmured, his voice shaking as he turned, pistol trembling in his grip.

"If you keep acting like that, trust me, you’ll be the first to die the moment we leave this room," Rose said, irritation lacing her words. "You’re a man; be a man and face those monsters head-on."

"But I don’t know how to shoot," Matthew stammered. "I’ve never even held a gun before!"

"I’m sure you’ll figure it out when your life is on the line, or maybe you’d prefer to just let yourself get killed," Rose retorted, a smirk dancing across her lips. "I wonder what kind of monster you’ll turn into, though."

Her words sent icy waves of fear through Matthew, Mary, and the Andersons, who struggled to mask their growing dread.

Scarlett shifted her focus to the door, the map materializing in her mind once more.

"They’re not close to this room. I can sense other survivors too, and there are empty rooms we can use. I can lead us to safety," Scarlett declared, her expression resolute.

"Let’s do this," Louise growled, gripping his pistol tightly.

"Are you sure she’s telling the truth, or is she leading us to be her next meal?" Mr. Anderson’s voice quivered with apprehension.

"That’s a valid question," Mrs. Anderson echoed, her eyes wide with terror.

"If you don’t believe her, then stay here," Rose shot back, crossing her arms defiantly. "It’s not compulsory to follow her; you shouldn’t, especially if you have any shame left."

"You..." Mrs. Anderson started to yell but quickly silenced herself, her grip tightening around her weapon as fear reigned in her heart.

"The monsters are mostly downstairs, but if we head upstairs after we leave this room, there are safe havens," Scarlett explained, her tone grave. Her red eyes glowed with an intensity that unnerved Mary and the elderly couple, who feared the worst.

"But there are also two monsters upstairs," she continued, her voice steady. "If we don’t alert them, they won’t detect us, but if they do, we’ll have to fight for our lives. They’ll attract more monsters."

"That means we might face a deadly battle if we’re not careful," Rose chimed in, her arms still crossed over her chest.

"Exactly! We need to stay quiet. Even the smallest noise could attract them," Scarlett confirmed, her seriousness palpable.

"Stay close and stay alert," Garvin instructed, his voice firm. "We’ll make a break for the exit." He turned to Scarlett. "Please, lead the way."

Scarlett nodded, determination etched across her features. "You shouldn’t risk your life for anything. Just promise me you won’t get bitten, and whatever you do, don’t die."

Garvin could only nod in agreement, confusion washing over him. Why did she care about him? If he got bitten, he would become a monster..surely that wouldn’t matter to her.

I can’t go through all this stress just to watch you die which would get me killed too, Scarlett thought, letting out a heavy sigh.

She then asked for a baby carrier which materilised in her hand and immediately she secured it around her waist after which she positioned the sleeping baby in it. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, pistol at the ready.

"Let’s move."

Suddenly, the baby in Scarlett’s arms woke with a wail, piercing through the tension in the air. The growls of monsters filled the space, and heavy footsteps echoed as the monster at the window managed to force its hand through the window.

Scarlett then quickly got an oxygen mask which she had prepared upfront from the system, putting it on the baby nose covering her mouth too which helped minimize her cries.

"Get out now!" Garvin yelled, flinging open the door and rushing out, the rest of the group following suit before Scarlett could utter another word.

"I’ll have to find the safest route. The monsters are everywhere now due to the baby cries!" she muttered under her breath, but her words fell on deaf ears. Activating her red eyes once more, the map of the mall materialized in her mind as she exited the room, slamming the door shut behind her to keep the monster in.