1.4 The bombed hope

Everybody stood up from their seats and walked straightly to the woods to look for something that they can use to survive the night.

Ofelia and Terry are both in front of the line, because of their experience in survival, directing everybody to what they should be getting while Tyrone and Harold are both at the end of the line, covering the back of the group.

"We will need to create a bonfire!" Ofelia said as she stopped walking through the grassy woods.

"Pick up some sticks that we can use as fuel!" Ofelia commanded.

Althea, Johnson and Jam followed the instructions except for Terry who moved further to the trees to pick up some mushrooms lying at the floor of the oaks.

"I hope everybody has no fungal allergy! We will be having mushroom stew tonight!" Terry softly said to everyone.

"If that so, where could we cook those?" Ofelia asked her younger sister.

"I think we can find a pot if we try to search through the vicinities, I know there's a village nearby, maybe if we try to look inside that village, we can be able to see pots, and more likely, some few other survivors!" Terry answered.

Harold heard what Terry said and after processing the words, he responded.

"You said there is a village nearby?" Harold asked once again.

"For what I know, there is! Try to look for GPS in your phone!" Terry answered.

Althea heard the words, after picking up some sticks, she just gave the pile of sticks she collected at Tyrone, whom was surprised of how she gave the sticks rudely.

She brought out her phone from her pocket in her jeans and as she swiped up, she was surprised that there are no telecommunication lines available.

"Holy smokes, there are no signal!" Althea disappointedly put the phone down.

"Really? There are no signals?" Jam reacted.

"You heard the lady. What's the big deal?" Tyrone responded.

"Then how can we able to know when it is safe to get back to the city?" Jam asked again.

The moment Jam asked the questions, they all heard helicopters approaching from the south.

"What the heck?" Ofelia exclaimed.

The sound grew louder after those helicopter flew over them.

There are seven helicopters coming from south and it is approaching Troofolis.

"Wait, was it really that severe?" Ofelia asked with shock.

"I don't know, the drill about code black doesn't suppose to be like this!" Harold answered in disbelief.

"What the fuck?" Jam shouted as tears came flushing from his both eyes.

Johnson hurriedly grabbed Jam's back when he is about to break down from shock.

"Hey man! You good?" Johnson said.

"I think you should carry him back to the camp!" Ofelia commanded.

The helicopters have reached the city, and after few minutes, massive explosions were heard coming from the city.

"Shit!" Harold whispered to himself.

Everybody were stopped on what they are doing by the shocking explosions.

"Is this for real?" Ofelia reacted while covering her mouth, gesturing her disbelief.

Harold shooked his head and came back to reality immediately.

"Everybody, hurry up and let us gather up in the open field where we parked the cars!" Harold commanded everybody, making them agitated and tensed.

"Johnson, get Jam back to the camp while everybody, hurry up and bring those things you gathered with you!" Harold commanded again as he gather up Jam's collection of sticks and ran back to the camp.

Johnson carried Jam through his back and ran carefully through the woods while Harold runs at his back with the sticks.

Althea and Ofelia ran shortly after them, but Tyrone stayed while waiting for Terry to finish up picking mushrooms.

"Why aren't you running back with them?" Terry asked in confusion.

"I cannot leave a woman alone here in the woods, that's bullshit!" Tyrone said back.

Terry was moved by this and smiled unnoticeably.

"Great, there are still people like you!" Terry gratefully said.

"What? A bullshit looking man with an educated man's heart?" Tyrone asked.

"No, I aint talking about the physical thing! I'm talking about your being gentleman! Only few people nowadays know what being a gentleman truly is" Terry said as she finished picking up the mushrooms.

"And I'm glad you are one of those few people! I think I should go more often with you!" Tyrone said as he waited for Terry to walk pass at him, heading back to camp.

Terry smiled at him when she passed at him, starting their walk back to camp.

Meanwhile, Harold and the others have reached the camp and they were greeted back by the shocked faces of Nash and Angelica.

"What was happening? We heard explosions!" Nash asked in distress.

"I know this is driving you crazy but please listen to me carefully! Please stay calm! At this point, I really don't know what is happening back there in the city!" Harold honestly explained to them.

"Are we all going to die now?" Ofelia asked back without hesitation.

"Hey did your sister tell you to shut your Goddamn mouth?" Angelica angrily said at Ofelia, offending her.

"I ain't talking to you, you little brat!" Ofelia said angrily at Angelica.

"Fuck you!" Angelica angrily shouted.

Terry and Tyrone have just arrived from the woods, surprised by the catfight.

"Wait, what is happening here?" Terry asked in confusion.

"Please stop arguing, it won't help!" Johnson shouted powerfully, making everybody to shut up their mouths.

"Let the man complete his words!" Johnson added, giving Harold the moment to talk.

"As to what I have said earlier, I don't know what is happening back there but... once the helicopter comes back south, we should be prepared to at least draw the pilot's attention!" Harold explained.

Nobody said a word.

All of them think of a plan on how to draw the pilot's attention to look down at them.

"Maybe we should try to use your gun and shoot verticall, in that way, people will give attention on where the sound comes from?" Ofelia suggested.

Angelica rolled her eyes because of the suggestion made by Ofelia.

"It is a good idea but, have you ever think that it could damage the helicopter without knowing where to shoot it?" Terry honestly debunked her sister's idea.

"One more thing, the sound could attract those creatures and there is a bigger chance of us to get fucking overrun" Tyrone added.

"Well, Ofelia, honestly it won't help, it will just get things worse! I am thinking of burning a tire so that, the black smoke will evaporate to the air, signalling there are survivors here!" Harold suggested.

Nobody had a negative thought about it, so, they all agreed with it.

Jam finally got his consciousness back after passing out and he left Johnson's back and sat weakly at the ground with Althea supporting his back.

Johnson hurriedly ran to his delivery truck to search for the spare tire and after few minutes, he managed to get one.

Everybody contributed at firing up the tire and after thirty minutes of attempt, they all managed to start the fire.

The same time when a helicopter started to flew off the city.

It is shocking to know that there is only one helicopter coming back off the city and it is obviously not a good sign of accomplishment from defeating the creatures.

The helicopter came across the smoke created by the burning tire and the helicopter just drove off giving no impression that they saw the smoke.

"HEY!" Ofelia shouted in chance of drawing the pilot's attention but still failed to do so.

Everybody looked back at Harold and they are all disappointed by this scenario.

It was five in the afternoon when the helicopter flew off, with the sound disappearing in silence, indication that they have left the vicinity, leaving everybody much more disappointed.