I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eyes to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
****
"Hump! Stupid talk. Do you think those security officials and scientists will all die? If we could survive, then likewise they could. So, it is only a matter of time before they come to rescue us. Esme expressed her disdain. While Collins and the others in the group nodded their heads,
"What's your name?"
"Nasir"
"Nasir. Hmm…" Without saying a word, Justin turned and left the auditorium.
Seeing this, the three looked at each other but chased Justin. Noticing this, Collins didn't wait a moment. He hurriedly rushed to the door, locking it with a BANG.
Hearing the sound, Nika turned back and looked at him with bitterness. He wanted to curse out loud but shook his head.
"Why do you care about what others say or do? You should think about your own decisions, not theirs. " Justin intoned it, without looking back, while strolling down the corridor, leading downward.
sighed. "I just..."
"I get you. But if you don't change your mind, you will sooner regret it. "
"I know."
Stopping halfway. Justin looked at three and said, "After we left this building, you still have your life to secure. So, you better find a weapon to fight with. " With that, he turned and left.
Chloe and Nasir looked at each other before turning to Nika. Noticing their gaze, Nika shrugged before following Justin. Seeing this, a quick sigh escaped Chloe's mouth before she and Nasir rushed after the two.
The strong wind blew, whistling, sending a chill to the bones. Rustling and indistinct sounds echoed from the surroundings while a concurrence whisper blended with the wind. Justin and the others held their breath, looking at the surroundings with wide eyes.
Since Justin's eyes were mere decoration, he saw nothing with them. But he concentrated on the sounds in the environment to get the feel of what was happening. His innate ability translated the slight sound, like a 2D video in his mind.
Nika gripped the kitchen knife while Chloe and Nasir held the strong steel pole in their hands, following Nika closely. Though they felt Justin was somewhat different, they didn't trust him. Unlike Nika, who had saved them multiple times,
Arriving at the Chemistry Lab, a three-story building, the wind became colder and silent more than usual. Justin's muscles tense. He exhaled slowly, taking each step slowly, not daring to make a sound. Though the wind was chilly. Nevertheless, it didn't stop the beads of sweat from falling from their foreheads.
Creak!
Hearing this, their hearts missed a beat. The four froze, holding their breath. Their hearts pounded. It drenched their backs in cold sweats. They rolled their eyes in their sockets and look around for any zombies.
After waiting for a couple of seconds hearing no movement, the four exhaled slowly. Then, Justin took another step... And,
Creak!
The four froze immediately, while Nasir couldn't land the last step. His right leg hangs in the air. He was trembling profusely and gnashing his teeth. His long jellabiya flusters in the wind.
Now, this wasn't some indistinct sound. The sound echoed in their hearts. They knew... They knew something was watching them.
What was it?
No one was ready to find out.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
With the continuous sound coming from the chemistry lab, Justin looked at the cafeteria and shook his head. 'Why is my luck so bad?' He looked back and saw the others trembling.
Yet, when he saw Nasir, Justine wanted to burst out laughing. But he quickly controlled himself. 'What a young man! Put your leg down, idiot. The beast has already locked on us. ' Taking a deep breath, he fixed his gaze on the cafeteria.
Creak!
"Fuck you!"
"Run!" Justin shouted.
He didn't need to tell them twice. It was like they had been waiting for him. Nasir sighed in relief, using his left hand to draw his long Jellabiya robe upward a bit, providing room for him to stretch his leg.
Without further ado, the four dash forward like their lives depend on it. Perhaps their lives depend on it.
Watching Nasir leave her behind, Chloe shivered. She increased her speed to the limit. "Shit! Why didn't I join the athlete's club? To hell with those that invite me to the science club. " She cursed loudly.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw something that made her almost stumble. Giant spiders as big as an average human were crawling after them at an extremely high speed.
"Spider!"
"Hmm! What do you mean by spider!?" Nasir murmured, looking back with the corner of his eyes.
Instantly, his jaw dropped. He shivered, his teeth clattering together. 'Where in the world did this come out? ' Panting furiously, he increased his speed.
"Those are not spiders! Idiot!" Nasir cursed, trying to catch up to Nika.
"You're an idiot! If they are not spiders, then what are they!?" Chloe gnashed her teeth, pushing her speed to the limit, veins protruding from her forehead.
"Those are Mother Spiders."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"What the hell is that?" Nasir screamed.
Bang!
Nasir rolled his eyes, watching as a ball of sticky material flew past him. 'Please don't tell these spiders they can shoot their web. ' He prayed silently in his heart. Just then... Bang!
"Can't you let me finish my prayer before you shatter the illusion in my heart?"
Ah!
Chloe miserable cry echoed in the still atmosphere. Immediately, the others stop running and turned back. Chloe lay on the floor, wriggling in pain, while a ball of web was stuck on her back, pinning her to the ground.
She looked at Nika with hope, tears hanging at the corner of her eyes. She opened her mouth, but... bang!
Fresh blood flew out of her mouth, her face pale, her eyes turning red. She raised her head with some difficulty, looking at the three, tears dropping from her eyes.
"Let's save her," Nika announced, turning to Justin.
Justin didn't utter a word. His eyes only lingered on Chloe for a few split seconds before looking away. However, from the beginning, his attention was not on Chloe.
'More threats are coming. The vibration is getting higher. ' He squinted his brow, thinking for a couple of seconds, not hearing Nika sudden call.
"Hey! Hey!" Nika shouted.
"What!" Justin snapped.
"I've been calling you for a while, but you never answered. We need to rescue Chloe. Those spiders are only a couple of meters away from her. It's now or never." Nika announced, nervously.
*******
AN: Vote and comment for more chapters.