THE HEART OF TACOMA SITE

The thick, choking smoke was pierced by Bernice, Lucas, and Carol. The three of them ran breathlessly, pushing forward after the other deformities. They were on the verge of a battle with a group of ants. The closer they got to downtown Tacoma, the more groups of ants got in their way.

It was their tenth day there. Each day they fought and felt the tension that seemed endless. Eventually, the fight with the ants became nothing scary. Instead, they wanted to end it as soon as possible. Moving forward and destroying the orb was the only way to get back to base.

They reached the outskirts of Tacoma and took cover behind the rubble. From behind, tanks opened fire on the group of ants. It was enough for the trio to catch their breath and rest for a moment. Not for long, maybe just three or four minutes.

"I want a cold chocolate," Lucas complained.