FULL LOCKDOWN (Book #1)

𝕾𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

Across the multitude of lurkers, we've reached the first building in our city. It's only a few stories high since it's the shortest. We climb in from one of the broken windows. Jace and I get inside first, checking to see if the area is safe whilst Bray keeps the girls safe on the outside. Once Bray gets the nod of approval from us, he interlocks his fingers together and bends down. The girls step into his palm, reaching for my hand to pull them up.

After we're all inside, the boys find a ladder in one of the storage rooms. We use the stairs to head to the top floor. We lay the ladder flat outside one of the windows, and because all the buildings are so close to one another like dominos, it's easy for the ladder to reach the window of the next building. Balancing across, we make it to the other end safely. One building down.

"Easy peasy," Jace grins. "Good plan, Dean."

We go to the top floor again and repeat the process.

A ¼ ways done.

I go first.

Then Amber.

Ella.

Bray.

Carmen.

Finally, Jace.

A 1/3 of the ways done.

"Guys," I take a glance out the window, "this is where it gets a bit tricky now."

"Fuck me dead," Jace looks out the same window as mine. "These last few buildings are pretty damn high."

"My bros," Bray peers at the sky from the window next to us, "y'know that dry storm that happened like 2 days ago? Yeah, well, look up."

Oh my days.

Ginormous slate-grey clouds blanket the sky above us. We were so focused on the job at hand that we never even noticed the sky. Dark grey skies above us, scattered orange flames below us. And nothing but thousands of lurkers snarling like hungry Pitbulls. We're tryna survive in a world that's losing its green. The sun has given up in strength but we cannot afford to.

"Those clouds are something else," Ella breathes out, tiny ice crystals landing softly on her vanilla skin.

It went so quickly from Summer to Winter, from dawn to dusk.

"Let's try and get this done before that," I nod to the sky.

One more building left, the safe haven is right there. Amber and I have gone across already and we're in the safe haven. Everything was fine. It was hectic. Until somebody decides to freak the fuck out, putting us all on edge – literally.

"It's okay, Carmen, you're totally fine," Amber nods next to me. "You can do it. We believe in you."

I break into a small chuckle at Amber's last line. It was, idk, cringe.

"Dean, you egghead!" Amber hisses. "This isn't funny!"

"I'm sorry, Amber," I find it funny. "But just look at her."

Carmen has stopped midway in a crawling position and refuses to move the fuck along. It ain't even that hard. She just needs to move, that's it. The ladder is steady from both ends, the lurkers haven't spotted us, the storm hasn't started – we're solid. She'll make it.

"You're such a dick," Amber scowls.

Whatever and I roll my eyes.

"Look, hun," Amber tells Carmen, "you're almost there. You just need to-"

"I'm scared!" she squeals.

Jace groans from the opposite building, "todayyyyy, sweetheart, come on!"

"Holy shite!" Bray points at something else. "The other herds caught up!"

Carmen looks up at it and then below. She starts to tremble, sobbing and all, causing the ladder to shake. The lurkers pause for a brief moment as they twitch their heads at odd inhumane angles. Our plan technically worked, the herd joined up with the army, but it's us, it's Carmen – keeping quiet was supposed to be the easy part. Carmen shrieks as the ladder trembles because she's trembling.

"Fuck!" Jace tries to stabilise the ladder with the help of Ella and Bray.

"C-Carmen," I say, my throat's a lil dry. The seriousness of the situation has just dawned on me. It has gone from 'oh it ain't that bad' to 'oh it's fucking bad'.

She looks up at me, so helpless and so frightened.

"Relax," I say firmly whilst I feel the complete opposite.

"I-I can't," she sobs. "I'm gonna fall."

"Don't look down, Carmen," I stop her from taking yet another look down. "Focus on me. Only on me. Nothing else, okay?"

In my peripheral vision, I can make out the lurkers getting dense between the gap of the two buildings we're in; directly underneath Carmen. She needs to quiet down and get going before we're all in grave danger.

"Just take a deep breath, Carmen."

She shakes her head, her tears literally falling out of her eyes like rain droplets. "Dean-"

"Like this," I inhale and exhale.

She copies me, easing up a lil.

"Okay," I raise out my arm to her, "now come."

She starts panicking again, struggling to keep her eyes up. She almost takes another look down.

"Carmen, baby, just look at me," I say quickly. "Keep your eyes on me. There's nothing for you down there."

She continues to sob, helplessly looking at me through her soaked eyelashes. The trail of her mascara running down her cheeks leads my eyesight to her quivering lips. She's really trying her hardest not to look down this time. It's quiet... I don't know... Adorable?

"Trust me," I nod, holding my hand out, "I won't let you fall. I promise."

"I'll fall..."

"Hey, do you really think I'd let anything like that happen to you?"

She shakes her head.

"Ofc I wouldn't," I notice how my words eases some more. "Now, it's not that hard. Take a deep breath, relax, and slowly begin moving towards me. You won't fall, and if you do, I'll be right here to catch you."

Carmen gulps and takes in a deep breath of apocalyptic oxygen before moving. She moves an inch and after she realises her fear of heights is just that – fear – controllable fear, she moves another inch. And another. She looks like she'll have a mental breakdown any minute now. Fuck, when she said she had a fear of heights, I didn't think she was being serious. Now I feel bad.

"That's it, there you go. You're doing great, Carmen."

She looks at the ladder, watching carefully where she places her hands. Every now and then when she glances at me, I nod, which I guess comforts her enough to continue moving forward. Then the ladder shakes a bit harder, and Carmen whimpers, doubting herself all over again.

"You're almost there," I assure her, "just a lil bit more."

There's this tension between her and I, like we're on the opposite ends of a magnet, repelling from each other, but it's very subtle. Must be the static from the storm that's about to happen. Once she's close enough, I reach out and encircle my arm around her small waist. I pull her over across before she, in fact, does fall.

"You good?" I ask her.

She merely nods shyly and stares at my arms around her body. I clear my throat and let her go.

"You did it, Carmen," my sister brings her in for a warm hug.

I run a hand through my brown dishevelled hair, so relieved. Today could have gone a heck of a lot worse. Over Carmen's shoulder, Amber gives me a soft smile.

"What?" I mouth to her.

She shakes her head, mouthing, "nothing," back.

Luckily, the lurkers have lost interest again. And thankfully, Bray, Ella, and Jace get over fine. We did it. Now one final challenge: getting back down.