When Night Falls

Chapter 4: When Night Falls

Darkness fell over the metropolis, dense and gloomy. The far skyline flickered as fires continued to burn, casting orange and pink light on the destruction. The silence caused by the residual tremor felt strange, a hollow quiet that accentuated each crackle and remote cry.

Ava and Elena nestled in the safe haven, their emergency light emitting a dim glow that barely reached the small space's corners. Materials were strewn around themcans of food, bottled water, first aid kitseach one a somber reminder of the life they never imagined they'd want to live.

Ava looked out a small window, tracing the twisted, ruined streets below. The fires raged on indefinitely, destroying homes and impeding any escape attempt. Her hands dug into the edge of the windowsill, her shoulders tense as regret gnawed away.

"I must have done something extra to warn them," she muttered, her voice heavy with thought. The earthquakes had arrived, just as she had predicted, and the city was unraveling piece by piece, each flame a testament to her inability to reunite the people she had attempted to rescue.

Elena reached out, squeezing Ava's hand firmly and reassuringly. "You tried, Ava. You've been cautioning them for months. However, no one wanted to consider that this could happen. "They were not prepared to pay attention."

Ava clenched her jaw, frustration and shame rising beneath her skin. "I still experience like I ought to've executed greater."

A faint sound disturbed the silencea distant screech of sirens, followed by an echo of cries that faded into nothing. Ava could feel the town collapsing around her, and each sound heightened her anxiety. She averted her sight from the window and returned to Elena, who gave her a modest, consoling nod.

"We're safe here," Elena said, her voice trembling. "As safe as we can be."

They sat quietly, taking note of the crackling fires and the occasional rumble of something collapsing in the background. The arena beyond the walls felt unfamiliar, as if they had been cut off from everything they had previously recognized, the entire thing that had once been normal. Darkness closed down around them, only illuminated by the faint, flickering glow of the outdoor fires.

The silence was abruptly broken by a firm and determined beating on the door. Ava and Elena halted, their gaze locked in mutual concern. They had braced themselves for the worst, but were unprepared for thisan incursion into their delicate refuge, a reminder that danger was never far away.

The beating became louder and more frenzied. Ava pushed herself to transfer, her pulse rate increasing as she approached the door. "Who's it?" she asked, her voice steady even as her hands quiver.

"Ava! Please, assist me!" A voice responded, filled with pain and panic. She diagnosed it right away.

"Sarah?" Ava's hand paused above the lock, hesitation flashing through her eyes.

"Please!" Sarah's voice trembled, her desperation palpable. "I'm hurtI don't have anywhere else to go."

Ava cast another glance at Elena, who nodded, her face determined. Ava slowly unlocked and opened the door to discover Sarah Lin slumped against the body, holding her arm. Her face grew light, as blood spilled through her blouse's torn sleeve, pouring in dark, sticky pools on the ground.

"Oh my God, Sarah," Ava said, reaching out to steady her. "Get in right here, brief!"

Sarah stumbled inside and collapsed on a chair, her breathing ragged. Elena dashed over to get a first aid kit and handed it to Ava, who was already busy inspecting the gash on Sarah's arm.

"What happened?" Ava inquired, trying to keep her voice quiet as she placed antiseptic on the incision.

Sarah winced, her face twisted with pain. "It became a crowd. Everyone was scared, jogging and shoving. Someone knocked me down. I was trampled and just managed to pull myself out."

The fear in her voice became apparent, and her sentences came to a halt as she tried to keep herself steady. Ava could easily imagine the confusion and desperation that must have erupted in the streets when the earthquakes began.

"They didn't know where to go," Sarah persisted, her voice breaking. "Humans walked along each route, just like animals." I attempted to aid someone up, but I was yanked down, and" Her eyes shifted to her damaged arm, the bloody mess that Ava had delicately wrapped.

Elena handed Sarah a bottle of water, her own arms quivering. "We're happy you made it here."

Sarah took a long swallow, her gaze flickering between Ava and Elena. "Is it safe?" she muttered, almost afraid of the answer.

"For now," Ava replied, adjusting the bandage. "However, it is best to count the number of times before things get worse. "This is just the beginning."

They sat in awkward silence, the weight of Ava's words hanging over them like a heavy shroud. Sarah's breath hitched, her shoulders slumped as she leaned back, her gaze locked on the flickering lantern.

"I thought I was prepared," Sarah mumbled almost to herself. "I thought I might want to manage something. "But this..." She shook her head, unable to find words to describe the horror that had gripped the community.

Ava had a good understanding of the feeling. She had prepared for years, confident in her ability to confront any tragedy. But nothing could have prepared her for thisthe city she loved ripped apart, with no idea what the next day would bring.

A dull, steel scrape, accompanied by every other quiet thump, interrupted her thoughts. Ava tensed, holding her breath as she tried to listen. The hush crept in, dense and oppressive.

Elena's gaze met Ava's, terror blazing through her eyes. "What became that?"

"I don't understand," Ava replied, just above a whisper. She stepped towards the window, gazing out through a narrow crack. Shadows shifted out of doors, dark forms moving against a backdrop of blazing fires.

Sarah stiffened and sat up straighter. "Do you think they're…people?"

Ava's stomach twisted. "Or worse." Her mind raced, recollections of her visions rushing through her head, pictures of chaos and shadows lurking just outside the light. She'd always sensed something deeper in her impulses, an underlying presence that didn't feel human. 

The scraping sound became louder and closer, following by another thump. Ava's heart beat in her chest, her gaze fixed on the door. Something appeared out there, moving deliberately and slowly, as if it knew they had been inside.

Elena's grip on Ava's fingers tightened, and Ava might want to feel her friend's quick, erratic pulse. "What do we do?"

"Stay quiet," Ava said, barely audible. "And hope it doesn't find us."

The sounds outside became faint, blending into the past of distant sirens and crackling fires. But the silence felt electric, as if the air itself was holding its breath, anticipating something to happen.

Sarah gulped hard, her cheeks paler. "Do you suspect…we're the most effective ones left?" The question hung in the air, thick with dread. They were all aware of the reality: the city had been full with activity just hours before, and now it felt like a lonely tract, crammed only with shadows and echoes of what had been.

Ava didn't have an answer and couldn't bring herself to express what everyone else was thinking. She slumped back, wrapped her hands over her knees, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on her.

Elena interrupted the silence, her voice small but determined. "If we make it through this night, we will figure out what to do next. However, right now, we must stay together."

They nodded, comforted by the words, even if skepticism gnawed at their brains. They sat in silence, watching the small flame in their lantern dance in opposition to the walls, like a fragile shield against the darkness that surrounded them.

Just as they were about to rest, they heard a tremendous smash from outsidea massive effect, as if something full-size had hit the earth. The refuge trembled, dust fell from the roof, and a fresh sense of fear permeated the space.

Ava's stomach knotted, her palms clenching into fists as she realized a terrifying truth: anything that became accessible was not a coinc

idence. It turned out to be coming for them.

And it progressed into getting closer.