Chapter 7: Trust

Trust

Avoiding the city itself, the decision was to skirt it through the narrow, cracked streets of the suburbs. While not an entirely bad option, these offered a more abandoned and disturbing atmosphere both before and during the catastrophe.

Strange as it seemed, the unfortunate homes they passed were desolate, empty, with no sign of life. Even the aggressive dogs that usually threatened visitors with their barking were nowhere to be seen.

Impossible to deduce what was happening or what would happen. That's what everyone thought in their seats.

The world was becoming surreal.

After such uncertainty, they took a detour on the cobblestone road and glimpsed the high school on the side of the road.

The long-awaited high school. It had two pavilions separated by a green, mud-covered field used for sports.

The low-rise buildings lacked a second floor. Due to limited space, the street outside the exit was used as a parking lot.

With a combination of blue and gray colors, it looked at first glance like an extremely humble educational center.

The entrances were closed.

Through the bars blocking the exit, a large group of people could be seen in the middle of the open field; what looked like a meeting, due to the elderly men and women shouting instructions to their audience.

The bus hadn't been detected yet; only the passengers could see and hear everything through the windows.

Jevo parked it "surreptitiously." Considering this, he signaled with his hand to let everyone know to leave the bus quietly, in order to try to hear what was going on outside.

He pulled a lever to open the doors, and everyone began to disembark from the yellow cruiser.

"Um... So... What about Vines?" Earlene questioned, being the second to last to leave.

The robust man was still sleeping in his seat.

"Don't bother waking him up. It's less unbearable that way," Jevo replied, turning off the bus's engine.

Amid the strangers, students, and wounded, Alon approached Brawell surreptitiously, speaking in his native English.

"...We've arrived. Are you feeling better, Bram?"

"Yes, at least better than before."

"That's good to hear."

He leaned even closer and said in a low, serious voice.

"Look, I want to warn you that these guys give me a bad feeling, and the way things are looking, anything can happen."

"That's true..."

"Bram, the sooner we recover and contact Haeri and Gitta, we'll find a way for everyone to leave this country together and return home... What about the signal?"

Brawell took his cell phone out of his pocket and checked it. It only had one battery, but because he was worried about contacting his family, he mistook it for a signal. He quickly put it away.

"Well?"

"N-No signal, Alon. It's probably because... all the people around are using it because of this disaster..."

"Our bad luck is incredible... Even the distance can be a problem... Those young people probably want to get in touch with their classmates again, so together we'll accompany them until then."

"S-Sure, he he he..."

"Good... Heh, don't leave any unanswered messages or missed calls, okay?"

Alon smiled amiably in front of his friend. Turning around, he headed back to the line of students and foreigners heading toward the school.

"...Now, let's help the wounded. Let's hurry."

"Yeah..."

To be continued…