This Beautiful World - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 8

Caitlyn was upset that she wasn't able to go with us. After telling her that she couldn't come with us, she stormed off. I understood that she only wanted to help, I was the same way after all, but she was only sixteen. She was still immature and I didn't trust my younger sister going off to fight zombies. She needed to stay down here where it was safer. Mom left my side to go comfort her.  

After that, we were introduced to the two people who mentioned checking upstairs. The man's name was Tyler, and the woman's was Stella. From what I gathered, they were friends of Xavier and Arin. The four of them came here together. 

"We'll split up into two groups so that we can cover the second and third floors. Stella, Tyler, and I will take the third floor. Arin, Alex, and Aiden will take the second. I wish that we had a few extra people to help out, but this is the best that we have for now. We shouldn't waste any more time." Since he was the one giving orders, this definitely confirmed my suspicion that Xavier was the leader. I guess someone needed to take charge during times like these, or else things would turn into utter chaos. 

Alex was the first person to voice his concerns. "Wouldn't it be better for us to all stay together? I feel like we'll be in more danger by splitting up like this."

"Normally it would be better to stay in a group, but we should try to cover as much ground as we can as quickly as possible. We're hoping that after the upper floors have been cleared out, then we'll be able to move everyone upstairs. It feels safer to be farther up," Xavier replied. 

"Also, these aren't normal zombies like you would see on TV. They seem like they react more to noise than anything else. Going in smaller groups should cause less noise. You just have to be careful," the woman, Stella, added. 

This was the same piece of advice that the man who stole our car gave us. It did seem odd that these creatures mostly reacted to noise. It did lead to plenty of questions that I didn't think these people would have the answers to. Whenever I came across these things, I would have to try to observe their behavior. 

With our groups decided, next came weapons. Each of us was handed a knife. I still had the pocket knife that I found in the professor's desk. Alex still had the scissors, but he opted for the knife. It was a better weapon. They had to have gathered these from the apartments on this first floor. There was a collection of these things, yet those weren't the only weapons. I noticed three guns. 

"Do either of you two know how to use a gun?" Xavier asked.

Alex and I both shook our heads. It wasn't like either of us actually needed to learn how to use one before. College didn't exactly teach us how to use guns and we were never taught outside of school either. There was never a need to.

"It's okay. I'll take one and then you take the other two for your group. Besides, we only want to use these if absolutely necessary. The noise will attract any zombies nearby," Arin said to Xavier.

I was curious as to whether they found these sorts of weapons in the apartments as well, or if they already had them on hand. I didn't know these people so I didn't know whether they were actually able to handle a gun or not. Regardless, if noise was the issue then we really wouldn't be able to use the guns. It was a last resort if we ran into trouble.

"Then if we're all ready, we should get going." With that, Xavier and his group made their way to the stairs. They ascended shortly after. 

We were about to follow them to check our section, but before we were able to make any progress Riley grabbed my arm. She looked worried. 

"Be careful. I want both of you to come back unharmed." Her eyes were pleading.  

"We'll come back to you, Riley. I'll protect this guy so there's no need to worry." Alex threw an arm around my shoulder again and gave her a smile. 

She returned a small smile, but she didn't seem reassured by this. She was thinking about what potentially could have been waiting upstairs for us. We all were. Though Alex was trying to put on a brave face, I knew him well enough to know that he was scared as well. If it weren't for my volunteering to help, Alex never would have offered his assistance. I was the reason why we were throwing ourselves into danger right now, but I was thinking about my family. 

After saying goodbye to our friend, Alex and I joined Arin who was patiently waiting for us by the stairs. When I looked up, a reluctance to go up those stairs finally set in. Alex grabbed my hand. He needed that reassurance that I was here with him. 

Arin noticed the fear that must have been on our faces. He said softly to us, "It's okay. If you two don't want to do this, then I won't force you. I really appreciate that you offered your help, but I understand. It is frightening to think about what might be waiting up there for us and you two have friends and family waiting here for you."

"Thank you, but I'm doing this. I told you that I would help and I'm not going to let you risk your life on your own." I tried to muster up any bravery that I could. There was no guarantee that Alex and I would be able to help him, but we could at least watch his back. I also didn't want to let him go up there on his own. 

Alex squeezed my hand. "And I'm not letting Aiden go up there without me. We promised that we would both come back safely."

Even though I could tell that Alex was scared, I was glad that he was still willing to come with me. If anything did happen to him, then it would be my fault. He was only doing this because of me. 

Arin nodded. "Thank you, guys. I'll do my best to make sure you two are safe. Now let's get going."

Arin went up first and after a few seconds, Alex and I followed.