Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 58: A Grave In The Storm.

Chapter 58: A Grave In The Storm.

Garvin’s world went dark. It felt as though he’d been punched in the gut, his breath stolen. He clutched Golden’s lifeless body tightly, rocking back and forth as uncontrollable sobs wracked his body.

"This isn’t happening? All these isn’t true. It’s just those stupid dreams of mine right?" Garvin cried bitterly, not willing to accept Golden’s death.

Although he had only been with the children for a short period of time but he knew how much Scarlett love the children and cares for them hence he couldn’t help but to love them deeply too.

Nearby, Maya, Ethan, Larry, and Louise stood frozen, their faces painted with helpless devastation. None of them could find the right words to console Garvin or themselves.

The rain continues to fall down heavily accompanied by loud thunderstorms.

"How could anyone do this to a child?" Louise whispered, his voice breaking as he sank to his knees a few steps away from Garvin. Tears streamed down his face, his trembling hands clenched into fists. "This is cruel."

"Victor is a monster. Alright while I thought he wasn’t cruel to children. I was wrong. He doesn’t care about your age, gender. He just wants to kill and then be the only human alive as well as the king of monsters." Maya chimed in, still unable to face the gruesome scene before her hence she was backing Garvin and the rest.

Larry, his face pale and his eyes glassy, wiped his own tears and said quietly, "All these doesn’t matter now. We should go back inside the school. If we stay out here, more monsters will come crawling and then it would be very hard to defeat them as we’re all weak now. We can talk inside where it’s safer." His voice cracked as he glanced at Golden’s still form. "But before that... we need to bury her. We should give her a proper burial."

Garvin didn’t respond, his body still shaking as he cradled Golden’s lifeless form, his face contorted with pain.

Maya turned to face the others and stepped closer, her voice soft but trembling while she couldn’t help but continue to shift her gaze from the gruesome scene. "He’s right, Garvin. It’s the only thing we can do for her now. She deserves peace." Her lips quivered as she spoke, and soon the gruesome scene became too much for her. She turned away, retching violently while tears poured down her face.

"She said she doesn’t want to be a monster and she ended up not being one but had to die a terrible death instead." Louise chimed in with tears still rolling down his cheeks. "One of her wish got granted and now we have to bury her so that she can rest in peace."

Garvin finally spoke, his voice barely audible. "Scarlett is gone... and now Golden. What about her brother? What about little Hope?" His voice cracked with anguish. "When will this damned world come to an end? How much more do we have to lose?"

"Garvin," Louise said gently, stepping even closer. "Please. We need to go inside. There are important things we need to discuss, and staying here will only put us in more danger."

As he approached, Louise’s sharp eyes caught something blinking in the dark. It was a tiny earpod on the floor beside Garvin, a faint light pulsing from it. He crouched down and retrieved it, holding it up for the others to see. His face darkened as realization dawned.

"This... this was broadcasting everything we’ve been saying," he murmured gravely.

"What?" Ethan hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. His face twisted with fury as he took the device from Louise. "That bastard Victor," he spat, his jaw clenching tightly. "He’s been listening to us this whole time!" Without hesitation, Ethan activated his fire element and melted the device into a useless lump of metal.

Before anyone could say more, distant growls echoed through the night. The sound was guttural and primal, accompanied by the thudding of heavy, rapid footsteps. The ground trembled faintly beneath them.

"They’re coming," Maya said, her voice rising in urgency. "They’re coming for revenge. Those monsters are trying to fight for their dead comrade." She wiped her face, trying to steady herself. "We have to leave now before they reach us."

Larry, his expression hardening, stepped forward. "I’ll take care of the grave. We don’t have time to waste." He knelt down and placed his hands on the ground, his earth element activating instantly. The soil shifted and churned, forming a small grave behind the school building, just big enough for Golden.

Garvin clung tightly to Golden, refusing to let go. But Larry and Ethan stepped forward, their faces filled with sorrow and determination. "We don’t want to do this, Garvin, but we have to," Ethan said gently but firmly. They reached down and pried Golden’s body from Garvin’s trembling arms. He let out a heart-wrenching cry, weakly struggling against them, but his exhaustion and grief left him powerless.

Louise and Maya moved to hold Garvin back, their grip firm but compassionate. "We’re so sorry, Garvin," Maya whispered, her own tears falling freely as Ethan and Larry carefully placed Golden’s body into the grave.

With heavy hearts, Larry moved the soil back over the grave, his hands shaking. "Rest in peace, Golden," he murmured softly.

Maya stepped forward, wiping her tears. "May her soul find peace," she said quietly, her voice breaking. The others repeated her words in a chorus, their voices filled with raw emotion.

As the growls and footsteps grew louder, Louise hoisted Garvin onto his shoulder. "Let’s go. We can’t stay here any longer," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

One by one, they retreated into the school building, their expressions still heavy with grief. The walls seemed to tremble as the approaching monsters filled the air with their haunting cries.

Inside, the group sat in silence, their pain etched into their faces as they mourned Golden’s tragic death.

Garvin sat still, his head buried between his knees as he wept uncontrollably. The sound of his cries was muffled by the torrential rain and the occasional crack of thunder, shielding him from the attention of nearby monsters. His shoulders trembled with the force of his grief, and his tears mixed with the rain-soaked clothes.