Hruday's heart raced as he sprinted down the hallway, the image of the small mushroom cloud still fresh in his mind. is it real? I am hallucinating? he wondered his thoughts a chaotic whirlpool of doubt and fear.
The dimly lit corridors of the apartment complex seemed to close in around him as he moved, urgency pressing on his chest. He reached his apartment and slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the empty halls. Without a moment's hesitation, he began barricading it with anything he could find—furniture, boxes, anything to create a barrier between them and the world outside.
"Roy! Michael! Troy!" Hruday's voice cut through the stillness, tinged with a panic that sent shivers down their spines. "Get over here, now!"
Roy, arrived first, . His brows furrowed as he looked at Hruday, who was frantically pushing a table against the door. "What's going on, Hruday? You...
Michael entered the hall next, his wide-eyed expression a mirror of Hruday's anxiety. "Did you see something? What happened?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to make sense of the situation.
Troy, who had trailed behind them, peeked in cautiously. His face was pale, his mind racing with images of the undead. " did zombies came in?"
Hruday, his breath coming in ragged gasps, pointed out the window, his hand shaking. "I saw a mushroom cloud. It's a nuke! We need to prepare, NOW!"
Michael's face was drained of color, and his voice was barely a whisper. "Oh God, you mean...like a nuclear bomb ? holyshit shit ... ?"
Roy, skeptic, stepped closer, his eyes searching Hruday's for any sign of doubt. "You can't be serious, Hruday. Are you absolutely sure about this?"
Hruday turned on Roy, his voice rising in frustration. "I'm f*cking serious! I know what I saw! hruday crackled voice awakened something primal a primal fear and instinct to run
Michael, sensing the gravity of the situation, sprang into action. "Guys, let's close windows now! We can't risk it."
hruday calmed his raging heart and mind and thought I have some time to prepare
Roy still hesitated, glancing at the others. But Hruday's intensity left no room for argument. "Grab the bedsheets and mattresses. Bring them to the storage room, now! Go, go, go!" Hruday urged, pushing them toward the door.
They scrambled to follow his orders, each step echoing with the weight of the unknown. Hruday's mind raced as he cleared waste items and began sealing the windows in the entire apartment. The thought of the impending danger was like a ticking clock in his head run by his heart beats rhythm, his fear only tempered by the resolve to survive and his attempt to stay analytical.
His thoughts were a jumble of calculations. *The cloud was far away... smaller than my thumb...* he reasoned with himself, yes I am right we need to barricade we won't be burnt alive but ether crushed or buried no that wont happen it's too far for that I just need to perpare for radia... The group worked frantically, their movements fueled by a mixture of fear and determination.
Troy, his voice barely above a whisper, asked, "Why beds?"
Hruday, his voice steadier now as he found purpose in action, explained, "We need to turn one of the rooms into a makeshift bunker. Cover the walls with bedsheets and seal the room completely. Use foil, tape, anything to protect us from radiation."
Troy nodded, still skeptical but knowing they had no choice. "let's do it. Roy said ya Better safe than sorry."
They worked through the night coughing sneezing due to dust, every noise amplified by the silence outside. The sound of mattresses being dragged across the floor, the ripping of tape, and the crinkling of foil filled the room as they transformed it into a fortress. The walls, now lined with thick cloths and foil, shimmered under the dim light, casting eerie reflections across their tense faces.
Michael meticulously lined every corner with foil, ensuring no part was left exposed. His hands trembled slightly as he worked, the gravity of the situation settling in. Hruday said find Potassium iodide in the supply Roy remember it was used for radiation realizing he quickly gone though the medical list organized the supplies, his usual calm demeanor replaced with a focused intensity. He checked their food and water stores, counting and recounting to make sure they had enough for the uncertain days ahead.
Troy, despite his doubts, helped reinforce the barricades, his mind imagining with worst scenarios the only difference between him and Hruday was that one was practical another was pure panic fuel.
Outside, the scout leader watched from a distance, his sharp eyes tracking Hruday's frantic movements. He leaned against a wall, arms crossed, a frown etched deep into his face. "What the hell are those idiots up to now?" he muttered under his breath, his gaze narrowing as he saw Hruday and the others lugging mattresses and furniture into the storage room.
Two of the criminals, who had been lurking nearby, approached him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
"Scout, you see what they're doing? Looks like they're preparing for the end of the world or something," one of them sneered.
The scout leader shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving the apartment. "This Hruday guy... he's starting to lose it. Running around like a madman, barricading himself in. Maybe it's time we start thinking about a different setup around here. You know, look out for ourselves."
The other criminal nodded in agreement, his voice low. "Yeah, maybe we should take one of the other apartment blocks. Set our own rules. That way, we don't get dragged into whatever mess he's making."
The scout leader's frown deepened. "Let's keep an eye on things for now. But if he keeps acting like this, we're gonna need to make some changes. We can't afford to go down with him."
Back in the apartment, the group worked tirelessly. By dawn, the room was transformed into a makeshift bunker, its walls covered in shimmering foil, creating a surreal, almost otherworldly atmosphere. Exhausted but determined, they huddled together inside, their minds heavy with the weight of their decisions.
A knock on the door startled them, but they remained silent, too wary to respond. The knocking continued sporadically throughout the morning, growing more insistent as the day wore on.
Finally, a familiar, barely audible voice broke through the tension. "Hruday? Are you guys alright in there?" Sophia's voice called out, muffled by the barricades.
Roy hesitated for a long moment before finally opening the door just a crack. "Sophia, is everything okay?"
Sophia's eyes widened with concern as she caught a glimpse of the foil-covered room behind him. "I should be asking you that! What's going on in there?"
Hruday, trying to appear nonchalant, quickly dragged Roy back, not wanting to open the door any wider. "Oh, uh, it's nothing. Just a little project. You know, experimenting with ways to store food longer."
Sophia peered inside, her mouth dropping open at the sight. "That looks... intense. What are you guys really up to?"
Michael, thinking on his feet, quickly added, "Yeah, we thought we'd try making a cooling chamber. Just in case, you know?"
Sophia shook her head, half-amused, half-concerned. "You guys are something else. Anyway, everyone else is fine. But I have to say, everyone's been having nightmares."
Hruday, still feeling the weight of his earlier panic, forced a smile. "Is the weather good? Does it look like it's going to rain?"
Sophia, puzzled by the question, answered, "The weather's fine, clear skies. Why?"
Hruday sighed in relief, though his mind still buzzed with unanswered questions. "No reason. Just making sure."
Sophia laughed softly. "Well, better safe than sorry, I guess. Just don't scare everyone with your 'projects,' okay?"
The group shared a nervous laugh, the tension easing slightly. As Sophia left, Hruday glanced back at the foil-covered room, his thoughts still racing. *Was it really just a nightmare?* he wondered, though the image of the mushroom cloud still lingered in his mind.
For now, they were safe. But the lingering doubt and fear made him resolve to keep an eye out for any signs, any clues that might confirm or dispel his fears. The world outside was still full of dangers, both seen and unseen, and Hruday knew that they couldn't afford to let their guard down. Not yet.