But she won't shoot. Waiting there, she then began to look at us, a little quizzically, until she finally spoke again, looking a little less threatening with her short black hair with blond tips, but still having the build of an ice-cream cabinet.

"Did you go out yesterday?"

"No... at all."

Elliot had answered calmly, but not without totally freaking out. Except that he was good at hiding it.

"Mhm.. Yeah, you'd be gone by now anyway if that was the case."

The woman had replied before lowering her pistol, keeping it in her hand all the same, and starting to scrutinise my humble living room/kitchen/dining room with an air full of pity.

"I think I see my student flat, it's crazy."

Relaxed, analysing the place, she had quickly rested her gaze on our two people, Elliot being as stoic as a soldier and me wondering if she had just called me poor but nicely or simply made an observation. Finally, she started walking towards us, making sure to close the door behind her just in case, inspecting us from the top of her six foot two and a bit, looking a tad taller than Elliot but only by a little.

"So, you know what's going on outside? It's the end of the world as you know it, kids."

The woman with the gun had flicked my nose before resting her gaze on Elliot, clearly not a little proud of what she'd just done.

"Did you have a wedding today? I wonder how you're going to survive, because to be honest, you don't seem the most resourceful..."

Continuing to send not spikes but prehistoric spears at our poor people, the lady finally sat down and took a chair, putting her pistol away in the holster on her belt.

"Well... what's your name?"

"Elliot, ma'am!"

In a firm and clearly terrified voice, Elliot had replied energetically, perhaps a little too energetically in fact.

"Alex, ma'am.."

Far less motivated, you'd have thought he was at a slightly low-grade military training course when the stranger had revealed her name too.

"OK... Elliot and Alex... I'm Alice, nice to meet you. Well, as pleased as we can be in a situation like this, I mean."

She cleared her throat, losing her smile for a few seconds before coming back to herself, speaking again.

"I was a policewoman until twenty-four hours ago, me and my group that you must have seen outside. If any of you have any skills that might help, that would be great."

Skills that could help... here... oula, not easy. I mean, I studied communications and Elliot studied hotel management, so apart from eating and talking to crowds, I doubt we'd be much use. And obviously, that's what my friend was thinking as he made a strange face, shrugging his shoulders.

"I can look after... er... a hotel if you like. And recite the planets of the solar system in order too :)"

By the time he'd finished saying that, all three of us had exchanged glances, between lost, incomprehensible or "we're not out of the woods yet" looks. However, I admit that I couldn't really blame him, as my CV wasn't exactly glorious either.

"I... know how to talk to people and advertise. Not sure it'll do any good, though... although... if we find a travelling restaurant that needs advertising on the way..."

Muttering the last part of my sentence, I saw the dejected look on Alice's face, who seemed to be at rock bottom at having such people in front of her. Massaging her forehead, she hadn't had time to say anything else when an explosion had been heard nearby, then a second, shaking the building, the woman having gone to the door, opening it wide with gun in hand, while Elliot and I had gone to the large bay window in the living room.

"Oh shit this isn't good.."

Alice had whispered, turning in our direction, half closing the door.

Indeed, when she said it wasn't any good, she hadn't been lying, because shortly afterwards the building had started to shake again, the various objects in my flat falling to the floor. From the window, you could see smoke coming out of the building opposite and cracks beginning to appear in the walls, a phenomenon that soon spread to my flat, which was beginning to crack. A smell of gas and burning had invaded the room on the third floor, a fire having obviously broken out further down.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Oh fuck, we've got to get out of here, and fast!

Elliot exclaimed, taking me by the arm as Alice reopened the door, the whole building now threatening to collapse like its counterpart opposite. In the heat of the moment and with no time to stop myself, carried away by my friend, I had nevertheless managed to retrieve a photo frame from the entrance before Elliot and Alice started running, following the movement, cracks appearing all around the building's corridors, grey smoke being seen on the way, several doors being thrown wide open with traces of a black liquid on the floor or more simply blood, leaving a vision of horror.

The building shook, chunks of concrete collapsing as we ran down the stairs as fast as we could until we finally reached the entrance, evacuating the building in an instant, finding ourselves outside, in the middle of the car park where Alice and her group's car was. Looking at the building in fear, we were of course expecting it to collapse, having taken refuge in the vehicle modified by the policewoman. However, this collapse, like that of the other building, had never happened, the two buildings, though riddled with cracks, still standing, and our little group exchanging confused looks full of questions. What were those explosions? What happened to the strange creatures that must have been swarming around us? Where are the people who arrived with Alice?

A question the woman was obviously asking herself too, scanning the area from inside the car, trying to see if they had come out of the building opposite, without much success. So she decided to get out. If something had happened to them, she had to at least know what. Opening the left-hand door of the car, Elliot and I looked at each other before she looked back at us, sighing a little.

"Right, I'm going to go and see what's going on in this building. Stay here or come, but don't get killed, that's all I ask. Take anything that can hurt, but no guns. It would be more dangerous for you than these things."

Nodding slowly, Elliot had opened the right-hand door, grabbing a more-than-typical crowbar while I'd grabbed a... big, sturdy-looking wooden stick that was lying around, and we'd set off after Alice. Watching us out of the corner of her eye, she began to move slowly towards the entrance to the building, which had been badly damaged by the previous explosions, something we hadn't taken into account, which was that the building could collapse at any moment.

"Aren't you scared?"

After about twenty seconds, the policewoman had whispered, continuing to advance towards the building.

"Who wouldn't be scared in this situation ahahah?"

Elliot had replied, letting out a nervous laugh at the end, my eyes drifting over his shaking hands as he held his crowbar.

For my part, I'd remained silent as we'd finally arrived at the glass door to the building, opening it slowly, the sunlight illuminating the inside of the small, dark corridor. The layout of the entrance was simple. Behind the door, straight ahead, was a lift, then to the right a staircase to the first floor. Entering, we made our way to the staircase, Alice leading the group. The sounds of concrete creaking from cracks and distant horrific moans definitely didn't help to give the building a reassuring ambience as we started up the stairs to the first floor, a row of closed doors revealed before us. In this long alleyway, there was no sign of anyone, only the faint smell of smoke and gas that must have come from the back of the building. Heavy chunks of concrete had crumbled to the ground as we began to make our way down the alley, not without fear.

"It's all right... it's all right..."

Elliot could be heard whispering into his beard as we walked along. He was usually so stoic, but I have to admit it was a bit strange to see him in such a state.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash further up the building, a scream and then a gunshot. Without wasting any time, Alice rushed up the stairs to the second floor, starting to make great strides until she disappeared from our field of vision.

As for Elliot and I, we obviously followed the woman with the golden spikes, several shots being heard until we reached the level of the policewoman, standing in front of the stairs, weapon in hand, holding a young man at gunpoint while the body of a person covered in black spots and moaning lay on the ground.

By instinct, that's when me and Elliot had started running towards the body before Alice stopped us.

"Don't move.

"But... he's dying!"

I'd shouted, glancing at the person on the ground.

"That wasn't a question. Look at what's on the ground, and tell me you want to help him."

Pointing at the person on the ground, Alice looked both frightened but also determined not to let us pass.

Then Elliot and I took a look at the individual. Numerous black spots on his body, very little hair, but also clothes visibly corroded by what appeared to be a blackish liquid covering the body of the individual, who we couldn't tell if it was a woman or a man. This same liquid was emanating from the black stains, which resembled immense pockets of pus. Then suddenly, realisation. Elliot had taken me by the arm and was backing away slowly, keeping one eye on Alice and the individual who looked exactly like the creatures that had come out at night, but also those seen on television yesterday. Alice nodded.

"Yes, that's one of them. And that man."

Keeping her pistol pointed at the young man, she had gestured.

"Was there when I arrived. It's only a matter of time before he ends up like him."