This Beautiful World - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 26

A week went by, and we were still trapped here. I could tell that people were starting to feel antsy. As far as the zombies go, nothing had changed on that end. The undead still walked the streets. We didn't see any of those mutated zombies walking around either. It was a relief since we didn't have to go through that same incident as we did with Riley's mother. As for my friend, I had the chance to see her more often, but there were times when she still secluded herself. She would speak to us, then seem to lose the energy to continue speaking. It was some sort of progress, at least.

As the week went by, that meant that we were running out of supplies. Everyone knew it, too. I could see the worry on people's faces when the reality of our situation hit. There were two options for us. We could go on a supply run and bring back as much as possible, or we could relocate. Xavier was against the idea of leaving. He wanted to stay here for as long as possible since things were working out here, for the most part.

That man, Logan, suggested that town that he spoke about before. He wanted to go to that place with a wall built around it. While it may have seemed like a safer option to keep the zombies out, something didn't seem right about that place. I never heard about a town close by that had a wall built around it before. This place only seemed to show up the moment shit hit the fan. However, despite this reasoning, there were still people who wanted to go there. Xavier did tell everyone that we were free to leave whenever we wanted to, but people were reluctant. They didn't want to leave the safety that we had found here.

While the majority seemed content with staying here for the time being, that meant that we would have to do a supply run. Xavier had everyone join him downstairs as he discussed what would happen next. I sat beside Alex, who hadn't been speaking to me much these days. I wasn't sure if he was still upset with me, and I didn't want to be the one to break the silence. My feelings were conflicted because of him. Part of me wanted to hold on to the hope that perhaps he did have feelings for me, but the other part wanted to move on. He had hurt me enough in the past when I first confessed to him. 

Xavier let out a sigh as he addressed the whole group. "We're running out of supplies quicker than expected. Unfortunately, that means that some of us are going to have to venture outside. I propose that we only send out small groups of people to avoid casualties. It's going to be dangerous either way, but a small group of people won't attract the monsters as quickly. For this first trip, we'd like to send out two groups to different locations. One group to a grocery store, and another to a pharmacy to collect medical supplies. While we currently don't have anyone injured in our party, we would like to take this precaution. For the first group, it'll be Arin and I, while the second group will be Stella and Tyler. We're asking for two others to volunteer so that there will be three people in each group. So, would anyone like to help us out?"

My sister was quick to raise her hand, but my mother grabbed it and pulled it down. It seemed like my mother wouldn't be letting Caitlyn leave so easily this time. I had a feeling that my mother wouldn't be thrilled about me leaving as well, but that didn't stop me from raising my hand. When I did, Alex raised his as well, which surprised me. Shortly following was Riley, which came as another shock to me. In her state, I didn't think she would be willing to help out.

Two were all that they needed to volunteer. Xavier said, "I'm glad that you three are willing to help out, but . . ."

Alex cut him off before he could finish that sentence. "I'm going with Aiden. Nothing you say will stop me."

He chose not to argue with Alex on this one. "Alright . . . in that case, Alex and Aiden will come with me and Arin. Riley can go with Stella and Tyler. Everyone else is tasked with staying here and keeping each other safe. When one of the groups returns, we will knock on the front door to let you know that we're back. Until then, keep all doors and windows closed, and stay quiet. Our groups shall each leave shortly."

After that, it seemed like the group discussion was over. Alex and I stood up to join the others, but before I could make much progress, my mother stopped me. 

"Aiden, I wish that you would stop risking your life and just stay here. I forbid you from leaving. The same goes for Riley and Alex. You three have to stay here," she said. 

"Mom . . . we're going to be fine. Not many others are willing to lend a hand, but I am. Besides, Xavier and his friends are always taking care of everyone else. Don't you think we should step up and do the same? We need to work as a team to get through this." I tried to reason with her. My mother had to agree with me, to some extent. 

She sighed. "While I may agree that everyone needs to work together, I don't like the idea of it always being you three. Ever since you arrived, you have been offering your assistance and no one else has. I am scared that something is going to happen to you."

I was scared as well, but it was going to be a risk no matter who lent their aid. If it wasn't us, then someone else would be putting their life in danger. But unfortunately, in the life that we were now living, we would be in danger either way. We needed to do whatever it takes in order to survive. 

"Let me do this one last time. After this, then I'll take a break from helping." I didn't want to back out now after saying that I would help. 

She hesitated before responding, "Alright. But stay close to Xavier and Arin. Don't leave their side no matter what." 

"I promise. We'll all come back safe." It was a promise that I shouldn't make, but I wanted to ease my mother's mind. I wanted to give her faith that this time, everyone would come back alive. What happened to Riley's mother wouldn't happen again.

The three of us left her side to join the others. Xavier was already discussing the next step with his friends. When we joined them, he handed each of us a backpack. "Try to fill these up with as much stuff as possible. We want to come back with as many supplies as we can to lessen how many trips that we need to make in the future. But if something happens while we're out, don't be afraid to abandon the supplies. Our safety is above all else. We've also already discussed our destinations. My group will go to the grocery store since we have more people. Stella's group will take on the pharmacy. Does anyone have any questions?"

Nothing came to mind. It was pretty self-explanatory. Go in, get supplies, and then return back to our base. I did have concerns that our destinations might already have been ransacked. I doubted that we were the only people hiding out in this town. There would be others who would also need these supplies.

When no one spoke up, Xavier continued, "If we're all prepared, then let's get going. The sooner we get this done and make it back to base the better."

With that, we split up into our groups and departed. I waved to my mother and sister before the door shut behind us.