Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 64: We’re Surrounded By Death.

Chapter 64: We’re Surrounded By Death.

His laughter echoed through the room, chilling and triumphant. The doctor didn’t look back as he left, heading toward the cages where Jaden and little Hope awaited their grim fate.

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Meanwhile, after what felt like an eternity trudging through the dense, shadowy forest, the survivors finally huddled together in a cave. The air was thick with tension, as the growls and snarls of monsters echoed from all directions. Their sounds were louder than ever, their presence magnified by Scarlett’s proximity. However, the beasts remained at bay, not attacking, as if sensing that Scarlett wasn’t in immediate danger.

"Are we really safe here?" Louise asked, his voice barely above a whisper while panting heavily for breath. His gaze darted nervously around the cave entrance, his fingers twitching as though bracing for a sudden attack. "I can’t help but to think that those monsters might be attacking us soon."

"We can’t be safe here," Maya interjected, her face pale with fear all while panting heavily for breath too. Her eyes scanned the darkness beyond the cave. "There are thousands of monsters surrounding this area. This... this is like sitting in the very heart of death."

"We rest here tonight," Scarlett declared, her tone unwavering. Her sharp gaze swept over the survivors. "We’ll continue the journey to wherever tomorrow morning."

"Rest here?" One of the survivors, a middle-aged man with a trembling voice, spoke up with fear etched on his face. "Are you serious? How can you expect us to stay in the middle of this...this nightmare? We’re surrounded by death!"

"Exactly! We just escaped death from Victor’s men and now you want us to stay in a place surrounded with monsters." Another chimed in, her face contorted with fear. "You just be joking."

"There’s no safe haven left in this world," Scarlett said with a heavy sigh. Her voice carried a mixture of exhaustion and resolve. "No matter where we go, there will always be monsters, or worse, the Axe Squad. All we can do is stay put, hope we aren’t discovered, and move again when we’re forced to. This cave is temporary, just like everywhere else."

The survivors exchanged gazes, trying to process Scarlett words and soon they directed their gaze back to Scarlett.

Scarlett then moved away from the other survivors and settled herself on the cave floor, crossing her legs as she leaned back against the cool rock. Her calmness, though reassuring to some, was unsettling to others. One by one, the other survivors hesitantly followed her lead, sitting down and trying to find some semblance of comfort on the hard ground.

Louise, Maya, Garvin, Ethan, and Larry exchanged glances before moving closer to Scarlett. They sat in a loose circle around her, the dim moonlight filtering through cracks in the cave walls casting shadows on their tense faces.

"So, what’s the plan now?" Louise asked, breaking the silence that had grown suffocating. His voice carried a mix of curiosity and irritation, his brows furrowed. "Just like you said, there’s no safe place in this world. We can only continue moving around whenever we’re in danger but you still have a plan right?"

"The same plan Scarlett and I discussed earlier," Ethan replied, his tone clipped and resolute. "We should start it soon."

"Whatever plan you two came up with, I don’t care," Louise snapped, his expression darkening. "But one thing’s for sure,we’re not blindly following your lead. Not when we still don’t know if you’re working for Victor!"

Ethan’s eyes flashed with irritation. "Are you seriously accusing me of that again? What about Larry, then? Are you going to claim he’s with the Axe Squad too? The school was attacked just like ours!"

"We all know the school was attacked because of Golden!" Louise shot back, a smug smirk curling his lips. "If she didn’t come to the school, then Victor and his men would have never discovered there."

"Enough, both of you," Scarlett interjected sharply, her voice cutting through the tension. "Can’t you do without fighting? We’re still sticking to Ethan’s plan. No more arguing."

"What plan, exactly?" Larry asked, crossing his arms. "I don’t remember hearing anything about it."

"Oh yeah!" Ethan said and turned to Larry and quickly summarized the plan, speaking in a low but steady tone. Larry listened intently, his expression unreadable, but he gave a slight nod when Ethan finished.

"Good," Larry said, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice. "Since we’re surrounded by monsters, why not start by killing them? We need to thin their numbers anyway."

"No," Scarlett said firmly, her eyes narrowing. "The other survivors are here with us. If we want to take on the monsters, only the chosen members should do it. We can’t risk the lives of everyone else. It’s too dangerous."

"That’s true." Garvin who has just been listening finally said with a warm smile.

Larry and the others nodded their heads in understanding.

Scarlett continued, her tone softening slightly. "Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we’ll move to a temporary safe haven for the survivors. Once they’re secure, the chosen group will return to this location and other key areas to take down the monsters systematically."

Her words carried a quiet authority, and the others nodded, murmuring their agreement. Scarlett leaned back against the wall again, her sharp eyes still scanning the cave’s dark entrance.

"Alright then. We better have a bath or else we can never get a good night rest with blood all over us. I’ll be going first though." Larry chimed in and then got off the ground and moved deeper into the cave to have a cool bath.

Despite the supposed plan, unease hung in the air like a heavy fog. The survivors tried to relax, but the growls outside served as a chilling reminder of their fragile existence. Resting here, as Scarlett had suggested, felt less like safety and more like gambling with their lives.

For now, though, it was all they could do before resuming their journey the next day.