Fall of the Beginning

Inside the store, Tyler goes through the food shelves. While himself and K.J are not picky eaters, Lawrence and Spencer are rather fickle about what they eat or not. "Well, at least Spencer knows what flavor of energy drink everyone likes."

Well, they are all addicted to energy drinks to a degree or another. "Okay, pastry to K.J, chips for me… Cain and Spencer can choose for themselves." James would eat anything they give him, as long as it is not in bad faith or spoiled, making it hard to choose anything he particularly likes.

And Elliot… "I should just buy him a pack of cigarettes and call it a day." Choosing snacks for his friends is truly the hardest choice a man can face… "Did you get your part ready, Tyler? Already got mine."

Spencer announces himself, appearing with a bunch of energy drinks in a cart. "Nah, you underestimate how hard it is to choose snacks, Spencer." Choosing a bunch of energy drinks flavors is way easier.

"Hey, are you two done? We've been here for, like, fifteen minutes here." Chiming in, Henderson comes with a smirk. Both Tyler and Spencer roll their eyes. "I am, Tyler is not." Spencer speaks in a dry tone. "Besides, choosing an energy drink flavor is hard when you can only have one can for yourself."

Raising his eyebrow, Henderson delivers a proverbial jab. "Stop being an energy drink addict then." Their metalhead friend flinches.

'Damn, that's a sick burn.'

Ignoring them, Spencer goes to the cashier. "Can we just get it done already, Tyler?" Sighing, he takes a bunch of snacks, carrying them over to the cashier, while Cain laughs silently.

Putting the snacks on the cart, he sees there is no one at the cashier. "Wait, where is the cashier?" Looking around, they see the cashier, as well as a couple of people near the entrance, seeing something.

"Hey, there are clients at the cashier," Tyler calls out, waving his hand

Out of nowhere, a boulder falls on the entrance of the building, smashing everything in its path, the cashier, the people, everything. Like the first of God falling down, the entrance of the building quickly collapses, sending some glass shrapnel, but luckily none hit them.

Contrary to what one would expect, there is no blood of the people smashed under the rock's weight, not even the sound of flesh being smashed and broken, nothing, just the almost deafening sound of impact.

No reaction. Just blank and dumbfounded expressions. Unable to process what happened, they stay there, as some other clients also appear to check on the big impact. Some stay like them, awestruck, not realizing just what happened before them. How this level of destruction happened out of nowhere, with no buildup or reason.

Their cell phones ring with notifications, taking them out of their stupor. In unison, they pick up their phones, seeing notifications of Lawrence and K.J both. 'Let's meet at the Blue Evening Park. Shit is hitting the fan here.'

To say a bitter taste spread in their mouths would be an understatement. All they could do, especially Tyler, was stare at the place where the rock fell. If they were just a few meters ahead or had bad luck with the debris, they would all have died…

The dark grasp of despair coils around the blonde, K.J and Lawrence are okay… are Elliot and James okay too? Did they avoid this boulder or whatever that may have fallen with it? Dizziness eating away his mind in that short timeframe.

The world becomes deadly silent, what should they do? Try to help and see if there is someone still alive near the entrance. Run away? But where? Despite not being the optimal choice, calling an ambulance, the emergency, should be the—

Breaking the silence, Cain asks in a frightened voice: "Just… what the fuck happened?" Voicing the thought of his friends, they all stare at the boulder blocking off the entrance. "I… don't know, but "shit hitting the fan" already has plenty of explanation."

Snapping out of his daze, the "jock" looks around, the sound of the world returning. Voices echoing from behind the rock, panicked, fearful, painful screams. What is happening outside the store?

The screams do nothing to soothe his worries, no, they make them worse. What could've been happening out there to make people scream so much? Fear grasping at his heart, freezing his movements.

Recovering first, Spencer walks behind the cashier, seeing something of interest. Nonchalantly, he picks up a backpack, probably of the guy who worked there… it is not right, despite what happened, it is not right to take back things from the store.

The bitter taste becomes worse, how could he just… 'This is not right.' His voice taking a dangerous sharpness, he calls out for his metalhead friend. "Spencer, this is stealing." Their eyes meet.

Deep down, they are both afraid of what is happening— but they won't act the same. "It doesn't matter right now. You can hear what is happening outside. We have to get out of here."

After emptying the backpack on the ground, he throws it at Tyler. "Pick energy drinks, water bottles, canned food— Fill as much of it as you can." His stomach knots. How could he be so blasé about this situation? "Are you aware of what you are sayin—"

A hand falls on Tyler's shoulder, Cain's hand. "Tyler… things are going to look ugly, if we don't act, someone else will. Calm yourself a little." He doesn't agree with them, he wants to voice his opinion, yet he knows they are right. If things are as bad as they appear to be, they are right.

"For the record, I don't agree with this shit." Taking a deep breath, the blonde starts to put the things inside the cart in the backpack, as Cain goes around the store, seeking the canned goods and instant food, while Spencer searches for more bags they could use. "Elliot would bitch if we don't get a few cigarettes for him."

It doesn't feel right, yet he will do it. Going behind the cashier and taking a few cigarette boxes, he sighs.

In a few minutes, Spencer and Cain come back, with lots of stuff. "I grabbed a bunch of Instants and canned food."

Exiting a door to the insides of the store, Spencer appears, with some stuff. "I grabbed drinks, water, and some snacks. Also, I found another backpack in the staff room." Tyler looks away from Spencer.

Since Spencer walked from the back of the store, he could've found an exit. "Did you… find an alternative exit?" The metalhead simply nods. Well, at least they know how to get away. "And the other people here?"

This time, Cain chimes in. "They are all adults, or close to them. They can take care of themselves, Tyler." A sound reasoning. "Okay… then. How will we carry all of this stuff? Even if we put them in backpacks, it is too much weight."

Rising his left eyebrow, Cain puts what he grabbed inside the first backpack they got, as well as wears it after closing it. "It is light enough." Both Spencer and Tyler look with dumbfounded expressions at their friend.

Doing a few jumps and spinning to show them "how light" the bag is, Cain says in a smug tone. "Nah, don't think it's heavy." One less problem on their hands to deal with. "So… Good to go?"

Even in their short tenure there, Tyler doesn't want to stay one more second inside the store, the faster they get out of there, the better. "Well, I think so." Without warning, an impact echoes throughout the building. Lights flicker due to the impact, energy starts to fail.

"We need to get out now!" Without time to regroup, or collect more supplies, the trio ran away, towards the back of the store. Whatever is going out outside the school, is no good news.

Surprisingly, they manage to reach the exit by the back of the store. "This was fast!" Trying to push the door, it doesn't move. Probably being locked. The store once again shakes, with more lights flickering or going out.

"Shit, we will have to break the door lock!" Looking at each other, they take a few steps back, and then they run towards the door, throwing their weight against it. Somehow, the door gives way without resistance.

Without looking back, the trio ran away, to escape the crumbling building. They succeed, giving a good distance between them and the building. However, the sight of the outside isn't a welcoming one, on the contrary. From the ground, strange green humanoids rise from it, literally sprouting from asphalt and concrete, going against all logic they know.

People run scared, burning debris on the ground, some even melting into a molten sludge. Just… what had hit their city? How is this possible? A terrorist attack? That would explain the destruction, but not the green monsters rising from the ground and stone.

Swallowing dryly, there are few explanations for those things, yet the most obvious, and illogical one is probably the right one. "Are those… goblins?" Green and short, humanoid yet with inhuman features— there are not many other explanations for them.

Noticing them, one of the creatures raises its arm, pointing at them, marking them for their fellow monsters. It screams: "Kill the human!"