Beloved Apocalypse

Chapter 5: Teaming up against terrorists

Bella gave me some shoes and a new shirt, since the one I was wearing was burnt and had holes in it. I changed into the new one and took a deep breath. New clothes felt good.

  “Are you feeling better?” she asked from behind the door. “Did the painkillers help at all?”

  “Yeah, I feel great”, I replied gleefully. 

  “Good”, she sighed. “I promise we’re going to a hospital as soon as we’re done here.” I nodded a little and opened the door again, walking out into the new room.

I had apparently been carried to an old underground shelter, a few hundred meters away from the city. Bella’s father owned it, but since he passed away, it was hers now.

Jinx sat in the corner and quietly sharpened a knife. He hadn’t spoken to me ever since he told me he didn’t hate me. I had this terrible feeling in my stomach that he really hated me now, but Bella kept blaming his silence on nervousness. Nervousness, for our big attack. Another four explosions had occured in the city in the past two days, and almost every civilian had…died. Bella told me there were bodies everywhere, since only she had been there to get supplies. I did believe her, but sometimes it got a little too overwhelming, knowing so many kids died too. Kids my age. Even younger.

Bella handed me some water, and I nodded a little. I glanced over at Jinx and sighed a little. He looked so focused on sharpening his knife, almost like he forgot reality. He hadn’t been sleeping at all, nor eating. I was really concerned, but Bella kept telling me that it was his way of ‘thinking about stuff’. I had to believe her. Otherwise I’d already be apologizing to him and trying to make him feel better hours ago. And then he’d get mad at me again, like he got when I killed the man and the woman. I didn’t want him to get mad again, so I remained on the other side of the room, glancing at him from time to time, making sure he wouldn’t pass out due to lack of sleep. 

  “Okay, shall we go over the plan again?” Bella suddenly asked behind me. I nodded and looked away from Jinx, looking down at the table instead. She cleared her throat and tied her hair up in a ponytail, while going over the plan again. Just like yesterday.

  “Okay”, she sighed. “The group of men, the terrorists, are planning to ruin the whole city. I think they want to kill all the infected people, and they’re doing literally anything to make it go away. At least that’s why I think they’re doing it. So, to make them stop, we’ll have to…”

  “Kill them”, I mumbled. “I know.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with that?” she asked and glanced at me. I nodded and took a deep breath, trying to stay focused on the plan, and not on Jinx in the corner.

  “So”, Bella continued quietly. “You’ll sneak into the city, through the underground delivery system. You, Ethan, will be given a map over all the tunnels, so you won’t get lost. I will be sneaking onto the top of the post office, and shooting the remaining men there. Then there’s Jinx…” We both looked over at him. He stood up and walked up to us quietly, pale and sleep deprived. He sat down on a chair and nodded a little. I couldn’t stand to see him like this. I clenched my fists and looked at him, almost shaking.

  “Can’t you…even say anything?” I whispered. He didn’t even flinch. Just kept looking down, seeming to almost fall asleep. I suddenly almost snapped, as my arms were tense and I started trembling.

  “You…”, I whispered shakingly. “You can’t even look at me anymore…?” Bella grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back, as I started to walk towards him. She stopped me before I knocked him over.

  “Ethan-”

  “No!” I interrupted her, really getting furious now. “He can’t even look at me! What’s wrong with you, Jinx? Just tell me if I did something wrong!” Bella held me back as I tried to walk up to him. She tried to calm me down. But I was already too concerned to give up now.