SMOKESTACKS ▷ A. Lightwood [on hold]

05 | a brave new world

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CHAPTER FIVE;
A BRAVE NEW WORLD
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   Caleb simply stared at the place with a slacked jaw. This did not look like a church. At all. The walls inside were brand new, like a house's one, there people covered in tattoos walking around with tablets and weapons — not guns, spears and other crazy stuff.

You'd think Simon would be the same way, but no. He glanced around with a blank expression, like there was nothing there that he wasn't expecting.

"What the—"

"What?" Simon interrupted him, confused by his shock. Without any warnings Jace clasped Simon's hand, gripping it tightly. He instantly tried to take his hand away. "Buddy, what's going on? I'm not your type, man. I don't even..."

Simon froze in his spot and stared at the short corridor and ahead. His eyes widened comically, damn, Caleb should have come back and gotten his cell phone just to take a picture. That thing would be worth gold. Through the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Simon's grip tightening around Jace's hand, who let go quickly with a 'so done with your shit' face.

"Where are we?" he stammered.

"It was supposed to be a church," Caleb muttered, a bit glad he wasn't the only one going through the shock state.

Another person passed by with a knife bigger than he thought existed and Simon gagged. "Clary, is there a war going on... that I don't know about?"

"There is now," Jace said, dramatically walking away.

"I think my mother's in the center of it," both boys' head turned at the same time to look at their friend, their eyes almost bulging out of their heads.

   "You coming or what?" Jace asked impatient.

   Clary nodded, gesturing for them to follow. Not that she had to considering they didn't have anywhere else to go. The four walked through the corridor and to the big room. Most people didn't spare them a glance, while others who did watched them with confusion.

   Caleb looked at his surroundings, tripping more than once on his own feet. Everything there seemed somewhat wrong, but also quite right too.

   "You never answered the question," Caleb muttered to Jace, who frowned in confusion and also annoyance for having to talk to him.

   "What question?"

   "What is this place?" Simon spoke up, not having heard the two talking.

   "That question," he pursed his lips and pointed to Simon, quirking an eyebrow. Simon continued, ignoring his friend's statement. "There's a lot of gear in here. What'd you do? Rob a tech shop?"

   "I'm pretty sure there are too many people in here for them to be robbers," Caleb shrugged, squinting his eyes.

"Haven't you read The Walking Dead comics? Negan's group is like... huge,"

   Caleb shook his head at Simon, raising his hands and counting on his fingers. "One, no. Two, you haven't gotten to that part yet. Three, stop looking for spoilers on the internet, Simon."