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Chapter 3 - A World Shattered

Two months later... 

Lysandra trudged back towards the gate, her boots hitting the ground hard, her chest feeling like it was on fire. Because of Rocky, her wild dog, the gate was broken. Honestly, she shouldn't have bothered chasing after him. Trying to catch him on foot just made her look like a complete idiot. Not in this kind of situation.

She watched the direction where the wild dog disappeared into the distance, torn between the urge to chase after it and the pressing need to secure the gate. In this critical situation, leaving the gate unbolted was a recipe for disaster. With a determined sigh, she made the choice to prioritize safety over pursuit.

"Dammit!" she grumbled quietly to herself, her footsteps heavy as she swiftly headed back to the house to grab some tools for gate repair.

As she approached the house, a sudden realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. She came to an abrupt halt, her mind racing with thoughts. If she went inside to retrieve the tools, it would take precious time, and during that time, the gate would remain vulnerable and insecure.

Thinking of the possible looming threat, she changed her mind and called out urgently, "Kevan!" Her voice carrying through the open door of the house. Inside, her elder brother was occupied with his own tasks, but she needed his help.

From inside the house, Kevan's voice echoed back, "What's going on, Lys? Is everything okay?"

"I need your help. Rocky ran off, and the gate's a mess. It's not safe like this. Can you come over and lend a hand?" she replied urgently. "Help me to get the tools. We've got to secure the gate. Hurry!"

"I'm on my way, Lys. I'll be there in a minute. Hang on!"

As she turned around, she didn't expect to see the wild dog return. The dog had silently approached and now sat near her feet, panting and grinning as if it found her panic amusing. But her hurried movements had an unintended consequence. In her rush, she accidentally stepped on the dog's tail, causing it to squal and spin around in pain.

That time Kevan came out from the house with a concerned look on his face as he asked, "Lys, what happened out here?"

With a hint of annoyance in her expression, Lysandra replied, "Rocky surprised me. He sneaked up and sat right by my feet. I didn't see him coming, and when I turned, I accidentally stepped on his tail."

Kevan let out a sympathetic chuckle, kneeling down to check on Rocky. "Well, it looks like he's forgiven you already. No hard feelings, huh, boy?"

Despite the initial squealing of pain, Rocky wagged his tail enthusiastically, clearly more willing to forget what had just happened than Lysandra had feared.

Lysandra couldn't help but roll her eyes as she turned her attention to the mischievous German Shepherd. With a mock sternness, she scolded, "Rocky, if you don't behave, you're in for a scolding you'll never forget!" Her playful threat was met with a wagging tail and a knowing look from the loyal dog, who seemed to understand the jest behind her words.

Kevan let out a light-hearted laugh and gently shook his head at Lysandra's jest. "You know, Lys, just trying to keep us entertained. But don't worry, I'll make sure he behaves."

She snorted in annoyance, her frustration evident in the sharp, indignant sound that escaped her lips as she left them to walk over the gate.

They wasted no time. With the gate in disrepair and the threat of danger looming, they set to work immediately. 

They began by collecting whatever tools they had on hand—hammers, nails, and a few spare wooden planks. Working together with a sense of urgency, they carefully removed the damaged sections of the gate and replaced them with the new planks. 

Kevan's hands were steady as he hammered the nails into place, securing the wooden boards firmly. Lysandra held the planks in position, ensuring they fit snugly. In no time, they had fixed the gate and they finally stepped back to survey their work.

"Let's head inside," Kevan suggested after a brief pause. "Night's falling, and we should get those candles and lanterns lit."

Lysandra nodded, her gaze shifting towards the darkening sky. "All right, Kevan. And... how's Dad holding up?"

He looked at his sister with his somber expression. "Dad's been locked up in his study for hours. I haven't seen him since this morning. He's not saying much, just going through his research and notes like a possessed man. I'm worried about him, Lys."

"I know. This catastrophe has taken its toll on all of us, especially him. Let's hope he finds a breakthrough soon. We need something to hold onto in these dark times."

Kevan nodded, his eyes reflecting the same worry. "You're right. We can only hope and support him as best we can. But for now, let's focus on keeping ourselves safe and finding a way through all of this."

She gave her brother a determined nod. "Absolutely. And I'll try talking to Dad tonight, see if I can get through to him. Maybe we can all come up with a plan together."

As they faced the aftermath of the nuclear reaction, a terrifying threat emerged—the relentless advance of zombies. The radioactive fallout messed things up big time, affecting folks and critters in crazy ways. Humans caught in the radiation turned into those flesh-hungry zombies we've all seen in the movies.

And animals? Well, they got the short end of the stick too, growing into giant mutants or gaining weird powers.

Through all this madness, Professor Ronan Mullendore stepped up big. He's a brainiac in genetic research, virology, biochemical reactions and all that science stuff, trying to figure out how to fix this mess. He's digging deep into the mutations caused by the fallout, hoping to find a way to set things right. It's a tough gig, but he's giving it his all to save what's left of humanity.

As the Mullendore family gathered together in the bunker for the night, a sense of tension hung heavy in the air. The dimly lit space was filled with unease. Lysandra, Kevan, and their father sat huddled together with worry.

Rocky lay nearby, ears perked up, and his body tense. His keen senses had detected something outside the thick bunker walls. The faint sound of movements in the darkness beyond the shelter sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

Lysandra exchanged a worried glance with her father, who held a dimly flickering lantern. Kevan clenched his fists, ready to defend his family if needed. The distant sound outside grew slightly louder, and the tension in the bunker grew almost unbearable.

Kevan placed a reassuring hand on Rocky's back. "Easy, boy," he whispered softly, trying to calm the anxious dog.

Ronan signaled to the others to remain silent. With a raised finger to his lips, he turned his head slightly, his ears straining to catch any faint sounds from outside. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the mysterious noises, his senses sharpened by months of survival.

The odd noises were followed by an unnerving silence that hung thick in the bunker. The family looked at one other nervously, their dread never quite going away. Rocky relaxed a little, feeling that the threat had subsided, but he was still alert, his ears pricked up.

After a minute, Ronan nodded to the other members of the family and dropped his hand from his mouth gradually. Whatever had produced the commotion appeared to have gone on or lost interest. Nevertheless, the tension in the bunker remained serving as a clear reminder of the world they now lived in, where danger could strike at any moment.

"What was that, Dad?" Lysandra asked.

Ronan glanced at his daughter, frowning his brows. "It could be a number of things," he muttered. "It might have been one of the remaining zombies, raiders looking for supplies, common people struggling to survive, or even a scouting party from the new regime. We can't be sure."

"Dad, we can't just keep hiding here forever," Lysandra spoke with a determined tone. "Our food supplies are running low, and we can't survive like this. We need to figure out a way to get supplies, even if it means taking risks out there."

Ronan furrowed his brow. "Are you out of your mind? Going out there is dangerous, and we need to plan carefully. I won't risk any of you unnecessarily. We'll find a way, but it has to be a calculated move, and we must stick together."

Lysandra knew better than anyone just how little food they had left. She was the one responsible for cooking their meals, and the dwindling supplies had become painfully obvious to her. She was desperate to get more provisions, and she felt the need to get out of the bunker and look for supplies.