Chapter 4: The Beginning Of The End

Zane opened his eyes to see a spec of sunlight creeping through the window. He had fallen asleep, unaware of when he had even dozed off. He rubbed away the morning blurriness from his eyes and began to look around. He had remembered his meeting with Layla, but for some reason, she was nowhere to be found.

"Layla?" He called.

Suddenly, he heard a cute little grumble below his left ear. He slowly looked down to see Layla sleeping quietly on his lap. Her head was so soft that he hadn't seen noticed the extra weight. However, this came as a surprise to Zane. He had never expected a girl that he had just met to be this intimate with him.

Layla then took a deep breath as her smoky-grey eyes slowly opened. She eased herself upwards and slowly looked around until her eyes met Zane.

"Good Morning," she greeted.

"Morning... Everything okay?"

Upon hearing Zane's question, Layla's eyes suddenly widened with shock. It was as if she had just noticed something terrible.

"Wait! Is it morning already!?"

"Yeah... Thankfully so."

Layla then quickly got herself up and looked through the window. She noticed that the sun had already begun to rise.

"Damn, the sun's already started to rise... Have you seen my father!?"

Zane averted his gaze to the floor, "Uh— no, I haven't... I think... Sorry..."

A worried expression then seeped over Layla's face. This made Zane feel slightly guilty. He was starting to believe that it was best to tell her about the dead soldier he had seen before.

"Lay—"

"Okay! Okay! My dad said if something were to happen and he didn't get back in time then I should leave the city and meet him in Jericho!"

Zane then lost himself in thought. The fact that Layla's father was still missing only supported his theory that the soldier he saw before was indeed her father.

"What's wrong? We've got to move now... I don't want to keep my dad waiting for too long..." Prompted Layla.

"Right, sorry... Let's get going then."

Layla then took a military backpack from under the desk and strapped it across her back. It contained guns, food, water, and other necessary equipment to keep her going for a few days.

"Okay, I'm ready—" Layla then paused as she looked at Zane.

"What is it?"

"Didn't you have any equipment with you?" 

 "No... Unfortunately, I left my house without anything."

"Oh, that's an issue... You'll need a bag you can carry items in. Food, water, weapons, and medicine are necessities."

Zane then forced himself onto his feet with the aid of his stick before responding, "Yeah... Sorry about that."

"Your leg and all those injuries will slow us down. Uh— hold on and take a seat. I should have something to help!"

Layla then reached into her backpack and pulled out a case filled with medical equipment. They ranged from antibiotics, bandages, and even pain relievers. She then used them to treat Zane's injuries like a professional doctor.

This made Zane feel even guiltier. Layla was sacrificing valuable items to help him even though she barely knew him. If the soldier in the elevator was her dad then it would be best for Zane to tell her as soon as possible.

However, this was when a scary thought crossed Zane's mind. What if Layla had the idea that he was the one who killed her father? Even though she was kind, Layla seemed to have no issues with killing another person if it came down to it. There was nothing to say that she wouldn't kill him if she thought he was responsible for her father's death.

"Hmm..." Suddenly interrupted Layla. "Your leg... It's honestly not that bad. It's fractured but only slightly. Take these pain relievers and they should help with the pain before too long."

Layla then gave Zane a bottle of water and a pain reliever which he quickly swallowed.

After Zane was finished, Layla slowly picked up her knife and paced over to the door. She then placed her ear against the door, listening for any movements on the outside.

"Okay, let's go!" She declared.

"Wait..." Cautioned Zane quietly.

"What is it?"

"Those things, Apocrypha or whatever... They don't make any sound when they move. Listening alone won't be good enough!"

"Well, we don't have much of a choice, Einstein. We just have to be careful."

Layla then carefully opened the door, peeping out into the hallway. Thankfully, she didn't see any signs of movement. She then signaled Zane to follow her before they stepped out into the dimly lit hallway.

"Stay close to me," she cautioned.

Zane nodded and followed her without question. As they moved through the hallway, an extremely rancid smell drowned their noses. It was as if something had died.

"Eww! What is that?" Scorned, Layla.

"If I were to guess, it's the Apocrypha I killed last night. Its blood kinda smelled sour so I wouldn't be surprised."

"Where did you kill it?"

"Uh— In the elevator."

Layla sighed and halted them to a stop. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer.

"What's that for?" Inquired Zane.

"Covid is still a thing. Remember, if you get infected then they'll be able to track you. We can't allow ourselves to catch it. Be healthy even in the Apocalypse!"

Once they were finished sanitizing, Layla pulled out two black masks and gave one to Zane.

"Here, you can have one."

"Dang, you're so prepared!"

"Gotta be responsible. You could lose your life to even the smallest of things."

Zane stared at Layla as if she was an angel as he placed the mask around his face. She was beautiful, nice, and was extremely responsible. She even seemed like a very logical person. Any guy would fall for a girl with her qualities.

"Also, here," she called as she handed Zane a small pocket knife. "Just in case we run into more trouble than anticipated. I hope you can defend yourself..."

"Thanks again, Missus Responsible."

"Don't call me that. It's cringe."

"Ouch... That hurt, but okay..."

The two then swiftly made their way through the hallway until they came upon the elevator. The scent became almost stifling the closer they went. Dried purple-blood could even be seen protruding from underneath the door.

"Wait, are we using the elevator?" Inquired Zane quickly.

"Yeah, of course!"

"Layla, no! The stench would murder us in there! There's no reason for us to bear that when we can simply take the stairs! Not to mention that it's much quieter!"

"What? That's way too risky. This building could be crawling with Apocrypha. Walking down ten stories of stairs isn't the brightest idea, Zane. The elevator is a much better choice even if it may attract Apocrypha. Besides, I'm in a hurry."

Zane realized he couldn't win an argument with her. However, he didn't argue as an idea came to him. If Layla saw the body of the dead soldier inside the elevator for herself, then she would know that he wasn't the one that killed him.

Layla then placed her knife in front of her and pressed the call button on the elevator. Zane watched with anticipation as the elevator doors slid open. He was certain she would see the body of the dead soldier.

However, to Zane's surprise, the elevator was empty. The only evidence that something or someone had been inside was the purple blood that stuck to the walls.

"The elevator's clear!" Rejoiced Layla as she stepped inside.

Zane quickly followed her as he lost himself in thought. He couldn't understand where the soldier's body had disappeared to.

"If you're wondering where the body of that Apocrypha went then its brethren probably took it. They respect their kind and wouldn't dare to leave one of their own behind, even if it's dead. They're that loyal," explained Layla.

"Oh... I see. The same must have happened to the soldier then... Damn it..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing! Just thinking out loud!"

"Okay then?"

The elevator door then beeped, letting them out on the first floor. They hastily scanned the area, making sure there were no signs of Apocrypha. The two then quickly ran out of the building into the safety of sunlight. They didn't dare to wait for any Apocrypha to be drawn towards them.

"What happened to their spacecraft?" Zane asked curiously as he looked towards the sky.

"Sunlight... They probably moved the spaceship since early this morning."

"Sunlight harms them?"

"Yeah... At least in an oxygen-rich environment. That's what the military deduced at least. I'm not too familiar with the exact details. Their shadowy bodies can't take the natural sunlight while they're here on earth so you shouldn't see too many of them during the day. Some might be wearing insulated suits or camping in buildings though so we still need to be cautious."

Zane sighed as he thought about the dire situation. Humans wouldn't even be able to fight back effectively because of a huge gap in technological advancements. The Apocrypha just chose not to wipe them out in one big swoop because they wanted to avoid damaging human flesh if possible. This made Zane question how other parts of the country were doing or even the rest of the world.

"It's awfully quiet compared to last night," noticed Layla as they walked.

Zane hadn't realized just how quiet the surrounding area had become. The once crowded, noisy, and busy streets of New York were now no louder than a silent alleyway. If it weren't for the burning fires and smoke engulfing some parts of the area, a pin could be heard from a mile away if dropped.

"Layla, is there anything else that I should know about the Apocrypha?"

"Well, I'm still only the daughter of a military soldier so I don't know everything about them. But if you want to know why your phone doesn't work anymore then I can tell you that much."

Zane stared at Layla waiting for her to continue as they walked over a pile of rubble.

"As for the phones, it's more than just that. Almost all electrical appliances don't work anymore due to an EMP wave, rigged with a computer virus that they released worldwide. They wanted to disable our communication system."

Zane hissed, "So that means if we get split up, there's no way for us to communicate..."

"That's right. The truth is, the Earth is a farm and humans are simply cattle."

Zane folded his fists unable to accept the fact that he was nothing more than food. Ironically, he began to think about how humans had treated animals, growing them without love and respect. He realized just how it felt to have his pride as a human stomped on.

"So, Layla... What about your mother? Where is she?"

Layla glanced back at him with a dim look in her eyes before responding, "She died when she gave birth to me. The only family I have left is my dad. That's why I have to find him..!"

"I see... Sorry to hear..."

"Thanks. I'm just hoping that my dad is alive. When we meet up with him in Jericho, we'll find a boat and head off to the Caribbean where it's hopefully safer."

"Layla... What would you do if your dad didn't make it..? You don't have to answer because I know it's a tough topic to discuss! You can ignore it if you want..."

Layla's face dimmed. It was almost as if every drop of happiness had been sucked from her soul.

"I don't know... I'd probably kill myself... I live for him, Zane... If he dies then I no longer have a reason to live in this world. Why should I live through an apocalypse when I have nothing to gain in the end? I can't do that..."

Zane froze as soon as he heard this. There was no way he could tell her about the dead soldier now. He couldn't allow her to kill herself if it turned out to be her father. It was far too cruel. It had to be better to lie.

"Hey, do you need help carrying that bag?" Asked Zane, trying to change the mood.

"Thanks, but no. You're still injured. Once you're healed though, you can carry it for me as much as you like!"

"Yeah, sure..."

"Aww! How sweet..! You'd probably give a different answer as soon as my dad grabbed ya for flirting with his daughter though!"

"Haha-ha... Yeah, maybe..."

Just then, the two found themselves in front of a small store. There were no lights inside but items such as canned food, bottles of water, and even backpacks were scattered across the floor.

"Nice! Let's raid this baby!" Celebrated Layla.

Layla then walked into the store silently while signaling Zane to keep his voice down. Zane quickly followed without complaint.

"Okay, first we need to ensure that there aren't any Apocrypha camping out inside. It would be bad if they caught us off-guard," explained Layla.

"Okay, how do we go about that?"

"Just stay low and follow my lead..."

The two then silently crept around the store, inspecting every inch of the building. After a minute of searching, they saw two Apocrypha who were engulfed in a deep conversation. Fortunately, they didn't notice them.

"What now?" Asked Zane quietly.

"Okay, I'm gonna draw their attention away. As soon as I count to three, use that knife I gave you and attack the one on the left. I'll take the one on the right. Also, make sure to aim for their head. That's their only vital point based on my knowledge."

Layla then picked up a tin of sardine from the ground and began to count, "One... two... three!"

She tossed the sardine to the other end of the building, distracting the Apocrypha with the sudden clattering. Zane and Layla then lunged out at the Apocrypha as quickly as they could. Layla managed to lodge her knife into the head of one of the Apocrypha, killing it instantly.

Following Layla's lead, Zane dashed towards the other Apocrypha. Unfortunately, Zane stepped on a bottle of water which resulted in him losing his balance. The Apocrypha then immediately swung itself around as it became aware of the danger. It had to defend itself.

However, Zane was not about to give up. With determination seeping through his veins, he threw the knife towards the Apocrypha's head. He was no expert but luck was on his side. To Layla's amazement, she watched as the knife pierced the skull of the Apocrypha, instantly killing it.

"Are you okay!?" Asked Layla in worry.

"Yeah... Thanks... I almost messed up."

"Be careful when you do things like this. Focusing on your enemy is important but you need to pay attention to your surroundings as well. That could mean the difference between life and death."

"Yeah, I'll take note of that for sure."

Layla then picked up a black backpack and gave it to Zane. He needed something he could use to carry items.

"I know this is dumb but it feels wrong taking all this stuff..."

Layla chuckled as if someone told her a funny joke, "Don't tell me you're afraid of taking things in a situation like this? You're way too innocent! The world is ending, Zane. Who cares about us taking a single backpack? Besides, we're taking much more than one backpack. We're taking as many supplies as we can carry."

"It's not that I'm afraid. I'll do it a million times if I have to. It's just sad, you know? I feel like we're robbing someone's hard work."

"Trust me, Zane, if you think this is bad then you haven't seen anything yet. This is just the first day. Once supplies become short, people will start murdering one another just for a candy bar. We have to take the early bird treatment and delay that situation by taking what we can now. No one wants to die and humans are very selfish. Friends will kill friends and family will murder family. It's best to find people you can trust from this moment because trust will be just as scarce as food and drink. This world is about to become a very mean and dirty place."

"Right..!"