The sky was a deep shade of purple as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the remote stretch of forest we'd found. It was quiet out here, too quiet, with nothing but the distant rustle of trees and the occasional chirp of crickets to break the silence. We'd driven as far off the main road as we could, finding a secluded spot tucked away from any potential dangers.
The truck engine hummed softly as Daisy parked it behind a thick cluster of trees, giving us some cover from the road. We all climbed out, stretching our legs after the long drive, but the tension in the air hadn't lifted.
"This should do for the night," Daisy muttered, glancing around. "We'll keep the truck close and take shifts. No fire, no lights. We don't want to draw any attention."
Ethan groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Another night of sleeping in the truck. My back's gonna hate me."
"Your back will hate you more if a horde finds us," Daisy shot back, her tone sharp. "Quit bitching and get ready for your shift."
Yabe stayed close to me, her eyes scanning the darkening forest with a worried look. "Senpai… do you think we'll be safe here?"
I sighed, rubbing my temples. I didn't know how to answer that, not with everything we'd been through. "As safe as we can be, Kohai. We'll keep watch, take shifts like Daisy said. Just get some rest when you can."
We all loaded back into the truck, the air inside feeling cramped and heavy with exhaustion. I could hear Ethan muttering to himself as he shifted around in the backseat, trying to find a comfortable position.
"Alright," Daisy said from the driver's seat, leaning back. "I'll take the first watch. Jake, you're up next. Then Ethan. Yabe, you rest for now."
Yabe nodded, curling up in the backseat, her head resting against her backpack. She looked so tired, the weight of everything pressing down on her small frame. But even with all the chaos, she still managed a soft smile as she glanced at me.
"Wake me if you need anything, Senpai," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I will," I said quietly, giving her a small nod. "Just sleep."
Daisy kept her eyes on the forest, her rifle resting across her lap as she stared out into the darkness. I leaned back in the passenger seat, closing my eyes but not really expecting to fall asleep. The inside of the truck felt too small, the air too thick with the weight of everything we'd been through.
"Get some rest," Daisy muttered without looking at me. "You'll need it when your shift comes."
I nodded, the exhaustion finally winning out as my eyes drifted shut. But even as I slept, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was lurking out there in the dark, just beyond the trees.
***
Kennewick was eerily quiet. The kind of quiet that made your skin crawl, like the world had just... stopped. The streets were empty, no cars, no people, just abandoned buildings and the occasional rustle of debris blowing across the cracked pavement. It was a ghost town, and not in a good way. The three of us—me, Daisy, and Yabe—stepped out of the truck, our eyes scanning the desolate surroundings.
"This place gives me the creeps," Yabe whispered, sticking close to me.
Daisy, ever the pragmatist, just grunted. "We're not here for sightseeing. Let's grab what we can and get the hell out."
Ethan stayed behind to guard the truck, his face twisted in mild frustration. "Why do I always get left behind?" he muttered under his breath.
"Because you'd probably break your neck climbing over rubble," Daisy shot back with a smirk. "Keep an eye on things. Yell if you see anything."
"Yeah, yeah," Ethan grumbled, settling into the truck as we made our way toward the stores.
Most of the shops had already been looted, shelves bare, glass shattered, the floors littered with old trash. It was the same scene we'd seen a hundred times before—people had taken what they could and left the rest to rot. We moved through the aisles quickly, grabbing whatever scraps were left.
I kept an eye on Yabe as she rummaged through a pharmacy, her delicate fingers sifting through what was left on the shelves. She let out a small gasp of relief when she found some medicine tucked away in the back.
"Senpai! Look!" She held up a small box, her eyes lighting up for a brief moment. "I found some antibiotics. These could come in handy."
I smiled at her, glad to see something go right for once. "Good find, Kohai. Let's get back to the truck."
As we made our way back, the sense of unease that had been gnawing at me since we entered the town only grew stronger. The streets were too quiet, too still. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
When we rounded the corner to where the truck was parked, my blood ran cold. Ethan was standing by the driver's side, his hands raised in the air, a figure in a dark hoodie and face mask standing behind him with one arm wrapped around his neck. The other hand held a small bottle, and I didn't need to see what it was to know it wasn't good.
The person was short, maybe around 1.6 meters tall, their face obscured by the hood and mask. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, and that just made things worse. Their voice, muffled by the mask, was flat and emotionless as they addressed us.
"Drop your weapons," the figure demanded, their grip on Ethan tightening. "Drop everything. Supplies, weapons, everything you've got. Or your friend gets a nice dose of toxic fumes."
Ethan's eyes were wide, his face pale as a ghost. "Jake… don't fking do it, man…"
Daisy, standing beside me, tensed up, her hand twitching toward her gun, but I could see the gears turning in her head. This wasn't a situation where we could just pull the trigger and be done with it. The figure was holding Ethan too close, and whatever was in that bottle… it wasn't a bluff.
"Look, let's not do anything hasty," I said, keeping my hands in the air. "We don't want any trouble. Just let him go, and we'll talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," the figure replied coldly. "Drop your weapons, now. Or he dies."
Daisy glanced at me, her jaw clenched. "We're not dropping shit," she muttered under her breath.
Yabe's hands trembled as she stood behind me, her voice barely a whisper. "Senpai… what do we do?"
I didn't have an answer. We were at a stalemate, and there was no easy way out of this. My mind raced as I tried to think of something, anything, that could get us out of this mess without getting Ethan killed.
The figure's grip tightened on Ethan's neck, their tone growing more menacing. "Last chance. Drop the weapons. Now."
Ethan, despite the fear in his eyes, managed to grit his teeth and shoot me a desperate look. "Jake, don't listen to this asshole—"
The figure pressed the bottle closer to Ethan's face, cutting him off. "One more word and I'll spray."
I clenched my fists, my eyes darting between Daisy, Yabe, and Ethan. We were out of options, and I could see the panic starting to set in. Daisy's eyes narrowed, her hand hovering near her gun, but I could tell she was hesitating, waiting for the right moment.
Then, without warning, Daisy broke the silence, her voice calm but cold. "You know, I've dealt with people like you before. People who think they can just walk up, make demands, and threaten lives without knowing who the hell they're dealing with."
The figure stiffened, their grip on Ethan faltering just slightly. "What are you talking about?"
Daisy took a slow step forward, her eyes locked on the figure. "I'm talking about the fact that you're making a big mistake. You're outnumbered. Outgunned. And you don't have the upper hand here, no matter how much you think you do."
The figure didn't respond, but I could see the tension in their posture. They were thinking, second-guessing themselves.
Daisy kept talking, her tone deadly serious. "You really think you're gonna walk out of here alive after threatening one of my people? I don't think so. You've got one shot to let him go and walk away, or I guarantee you, you won't live to see another sunrise."
The figure hesitated, their grip on Ethan loosening just slightly. I could feel the tension in the air, like a rubber band stretched to its breaking point. One wrong move, and everything would snap.
"Drop the bottle," Daisy said, her voice a low growl. "And no one dies."
The figure faltered, their grip weakening. I could see the uncertainty in their body language. This wasn't going the way they'd planned. For a moment, I thought they might actually back down.
But then the figure's hand tightened around the bottle, and I knew things were about to go south fast.
Q: What would you do in this situation?