Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 56
From a distance away from where they were, stood a walking behemoth in the form of a mechanical spider, displaying human flesh over its horrific form. Its many legs are scuttling along the floor, each equipped with sharp, pointy tips.
The singular green eye was fixated on scanning around its surroundings, a simple predator hunting for any potential prey in its vicinity. Giving anyone the utmost fear on those who laid their eyes upon the monstrous machine, showing just how much the world has since changed.
Hiding at the corner of the wall in this set of corridors, Danny held Unity's hand tightly as he poked his head out, waiting for the right moment to make a move. The beast turned around in quick succession, checking left and right for any possible threat.
"What do we do?"
He whispered, feeling his heart racing with every beat. It was a question that hung heavily between them, with their options limited and the stakes higher than ever. Using both hands to hold an old radio and the other, guiding a mentally ill person to safety is a chore ten times harder than he thought.
"POTENTIAL LIFE FORMS DETECTED." The voice of the robot sounded through the speakers. "SCANNING IN PROCESS, 10% COMPLETE."
Danny's heart sank, knowing that whatever he was doing, it was searching for them. They would have no choice but to run if this came to fruition. However, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the idea of facing a soulless machine with fragile Unity at his side. Fleeing or fighting away from this monster was the only option left at this time and place.
Standing silently with him, he carefully watched the thing move around. In a split second, not giving Danny any opportunity to make a move. His eyes darted towards the radio in his hand, and then Unity asked, "Should I make a run for it?" He thought aloud, trying to come up with a plan while keeping his breathing low and steady. He knew that it was risky, but it was the only chance they had at survival.
At first, fleeing or fighting, as he mentioned before, was their only option, but is that really the case?
Continuing to ponder in this complex problem they have for themselves, the spider suddenly turned in his direction, making him instinctively retreat his head behind the wall again. Fear icing his blood, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.
The mechanical behemoth made its way closer to their direction, stepping over debris and shattered glass. With his entire body resting on the back of this wall, Danny felt the entire world weigh down on his shoulders from the terrific feeling he was getting from this.
Are they going to die? Is this their fate? Danny doesn't want to die like this; he still has to do things and explore. Or were they the consequences of his actions as a good Samaritan? Perhaps he should've let the malnourished person fend for himself.
He was, after all, a liability to any group of survivors trying to make their way in this ruined world. However, that alone wouldn't be a good and sane thing to do by leaving the very person Danny had saved from this place. It's an icy feeling, one that he can't shake off his mind.
Closing his eyes, he prayed to whatever god would not have this monster find their hiding spot. He knows there are other means of surviving this; one is using this rescued person to act as a decoy and sacrifice for him to escape with the radio in hand.
Yet deep down in his heart, it doesn't feel right to do so. For it will give him eternal regrets for using someone's life over his own to live. It was madness in his eyes before silence was broken by the sound of the mechanical spider's metallic feet grinding against the debris, the noise deafening in the halls.
Gulping down his saliva, Danny wanted to believe that somehow they'd make it out alive. That the universe will conspire to help them in their darkest hour.
It was a desperate hope, a wish for something that may not exist in this new world, which is now in ruins, but a hope they can still hold on for a better tomorrow.
No matter how foolish it sounds, anything but death is far better than the embrace of the unknown. Being alive is all that matters for the both of them, and he won't stop fighting until he has no more strength to stand.
For what felt like forever, he finally heard it speak, this time one that would give him a sigh of relief: "AREA CLEARED, MOVING TO 20% COMPLETE." Turning around, the spider's footsteps began to fade away into the distance, leaving nothing but the eerie silence behind and his rapid breathing left in the air.
Opening his eyes, he slowly peeked out of the corner again, making sure the coast was clear. Then, with a sigh, he was able to speak more confidently. "Now, we make our move," he said, gripping the radio tighter and taking a step out from the cover.
Walking in the opposite direction of where the thing went, he and his new-found rescued companion carefully mumbled through the place while holding Unity's hand tightly. They didn't know how long they had this opportunity before it came back, but for now, they'd take the reprieve and try to put as much distance between them and the nightmare they'd just encountered. It was their very lives that depended on it.
The journey back was slow, cautious, and tense; every step they took felt like an eternity. He had to make a decision not to trip on anything that would make a lot of noise, and that includes Unity as well. Guiding someone with the critical thinking of a toddler is difficult at the best of times, let alone in a high-tension situation.
But Danny was determined to keep himself safe from harm, even if it meant putting himself at risk. He wasn't going to leave someone behind who he had just rescued. It would be forsaking the choices he had made to become the person he was, a kind soul who did his best to help others.
And so he pressed on, with a mix of determination and fear driving him forward. His eyes never left the path ahead; he was always vigilant, never letting his guard down. And when the end of the tunnel finally came into view, he let out a breath of relief.
Door leading to the first floor of this building, he can't be more happy than finding their salvation from the nightmare that has haunted them. Pushing the door open, he looked over his left side to see the set of stairs leading downwards, a glimmer of hope that they're finally making their way out of this place. He took a step forward, allowing himself a smile at the thought of them finally escaping from the clutches of that monstrosity.
"Were going to make it out alive," he said optimistically.
Being the only leader in this dangerous situation, he continued to quietly lead Unity downward while the troubling fear in his mind started to subside.
They needed to get as far away from the source of that creature as possible, and while he was currently relieved of things around them starting to appear in their favor, he knew it wouldn't last long, and sooner or later, he would be forced to repay the ounce of luck they received. In the meantime, they will enjoy whatever peace of mind they have before trouble finds them.
Descending the set of stairs in the ruined building, the atmosphere shifted once again. Each worn and weathered step creaked under their weight, groaning with the weight of their collective breath when they made their way further into the abyss.
As the darkness seemed to swallow them whole as they ventured deeper, uncertain of what lay beyond. The air grew cooler with each downward step, a damp chill seeping through the fabric of their clothes and prickling their skin with gooseflesh.
None of them know what these things are capable of besides Hansel's explaination; Danny, for sure, had never gotten full information from the other potential insights of these monstrous spider-like contraption capabilities.
All he saw were giant predators, ready to hunt them without prejudice. Terrifying in itself, but the lack of knowledge is also a blessing in disguise. Having their enemies not know what to expect is half the battle won, giving him or Hansel an edge over the thing that could potentially end their lives in an instant.
Regardless of what will happen, they have already come this far and have now accomplished their mission of getting a radio from this place.
Now, all they need to do is wake up Hansel from his slumber and head back home. It was an easy task considering they were so close to the head doctor, but then, out of the blue, Unity, the malnourished young man with mental deficiency, began to whimper in a feminine manner. The sound was small, almost inaudible to the human ear, but it was enough to grow the concern of this person in need.
"Were going to make it," Danny kindly soothed Unity, trying to calm the frightened man. His voice was gentle and filled with reassurance. But his words rang hollow in the face of their looming danger, the threat of the mechanical spider still fresh in their minds.
"I promise to you, I won't let anything bad happen to you or me," speaking as much for his own benefit as for Unity's. The truth was, he had no idea what the future held. He could only do his best to protect them both and hope for the best.
Unity smiled sheepishly, his face etched with complete trust in his savior's word. A simple gesture to anyone else, however, meant the world to Danny.
It was a sign that he was making progress, that the bond between them was growing stronger by the minute, and so far, the sight of it had caused him to relax slightly, if only for a moment. The next part of their journey would be difficult, but for now, they had each other, and that was enough to push on when trouble came.
Arriving at the first floor, they passed through the opened door with ease, still cautiously looking around in case something popped up, not wanting to let their guard down despite being in relative safety.
Once they crossed the threshold, the cold night air hit them like a physical force, a welcome change after the oppressive gloom that had been suffocating them in the building. Their lungs expanded, drawing in the sweet, clean air as they stepped out into the moonlit world.
"See," Danny said confidently as they stopped in their tracks, his head turned to the relieved Unity standing close beside him. "I told you you were going to end up fine," he added with a reassuring smile. It was a lie, but he believed it enough to convince them.
The world was still a dangerous place, and anything could happen in one sudden change of pace or move. At least what they are seeing in front of them is the current truth. They'd take what they could get for now. After all, hope was a powerful weapon, and it was the best they had to fight the darkness that surrounded them.
"Come on, let's wake Hansel up." Smiling brightly, he led themselves through this spacious room littered with the same broken furniture scattered everywhere, and what not? Walking past the remnant of a shattered window, the cold wind whistling through the jagged glass.
He knew they were close, and that gave him the strength to continue on in finding the sleeping doctor that they needed. He had a job to do, and he wouldn't let anything get in the way of that. Even the darkness that threatened to engulf them at every turn is beginning to become shallow and dim.
"Man, he can't wait to see the doctor's face after he wakes up."
Danny imagined it with a smirk. It would be a hilarious turn of events when the person who led them here for a mission turned out to be the very person who finished the job without any help whatsoever. Ironic twist of fate, he thought, grinning widely.
For now, he focused on the present, guiding the mentally challenged survivor towards the spot where the unconscious Hansel lay. It was a good night to be alive, despite everything that had transpired.
Once they reached the spot where Hansel currently lays on a pile of trash, Danny became visibly surprised by what he saw. "Wait...where is the head doctor?"
Absolute fear returned to Danny's mind, and the sound of the spider's footsteps echoed in his ears. Had the creature caught up to them? Or did it simply pass them by unnoticed while they were distracted by the radio? Either way, it's coming for them, and it is now within their vicinity.
"TARGETS ACQUIRED! ENGAGING TERMINATION OF LIFE FORMS IN VICINITY."
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