Fuck. Being stuck in a room with Alan was confusing, and nerve wracking at the same time. I mean, there was this insane virus thing going around, but here I was trying to pretend this was a daily occurrence. But it wasn't. Not even close.

We had to barricade the doors, lock the windows, and stash all the food we could into my room. The TV was still on, although the volume was turned down. The silence was deafening, only broken by the random creaks of the house. Distracting ourselves was near impossible, but honestly, it was impossible to ignore the fear that was inside me that that point.

Then we heard it. A noise. At first, it was very faint, but then the bangs got lounder, it was someone, someone that was trying to get in. My heart was pounding a lot.

"Am I imaging noises, or did you hear that?" Alan whispered, his eyes wide with fears.

"Yeah, I heard it," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. I had to stay calm. "Look, I know this might sound stupid, but it is raiders, we need to get out of here."

"Raiders?" Alan looked at me like I was crazy, but I knew I was correct. "You think it's raiders? We aren't in some game nor movie, perhaps they have the wrong address."

"Look," I said, my voice trembling, a bit. "When stuff like this happens, people go nuts. They raid houses for food, supplies, whatever they can get their hands on. We can't stay here if they break in. Did you forget this is a mansion… this is the first place people go to."

Alan swallowed hard; the colour drained from his face. The nose was getting lounder until glass broke. We didn't have much time.

"Behind this painting," I pointed to the large painting on my bedroom wall. "There's a secret passage. My grandpa had it built in case of emergencies. It leads to a secure location, but it's a long ride."

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Alan didn't need any more convincing. The crashing sounds were getting closer. So, we hurried to move the painting aside. I pulled over the rusty door, revealing the narrow dark passageway.

"Let's go," I urged, grabbing the backpacks we had packed earlier, and the flashlight from my desk. We stepped into the passage, moving the painting back, and closing the door behind us. It was cramped and musty, but at least we were safe for the time being.

Honestly…All I could do to calm us down was talk. "This passage goes all the way to an old house my grandpa used to use. We'll be okay, think of it as a vacation away from all the issues of the world."

Alan just nodded along, his face pale. We walked for what most of felt like forever, the narrow walls closing in on use. The only sounds were our footsteps and the distant, muffled noises of chaos from the house.

Although when we finally emerged, we found ourselves in an old garage. There it was-a car, looking as ancient as a car could get, but it was our ticket to a faster way to the safe house.

"We need to find the keys," I said, searching the room. Alan was looking too, but then we heard more noises-voices this time. I couldn't do much at that moment other than to panic, I thought only my parents, and I knew about that the painting.

"Found them!" Alan shouted over to me, holding the set of keys. As I began waking towards him, people appeared behind us, they were a group of guys, I couldn't recognize them.

"Run!" I yelled, but it was too late. They grabbed Alan, away from my arms. They were shouting at us, calling us rich brats, and saying they were taking back what they deserved. I guess they didn't know that Alan didn't live here. Maybe if they had known they wouldn't have taken him away.

"Elliot, just go! Get out of here! I'll find another way there!" he shouted at me, his eyes pleading with me.

"But…" I yelled back, yet his eyes were insistent that I left.

"Just go! Save yourself!" he screamed.

The last thing I saw that day was Alan being dragged away as I sped out the garage. The road ahead was a blur, all I could think of was of Alan. I had left him behind. I was a coward.

Now, looking back, I could have done more. Yet we were just two kids trying to survive in a world that had gone mad, and I left my best friend behind. I don't know much about his whereabouts, perhaps he is still out there, at least I hope he is. But dame, I miss him.