Beyond the Walls

The Whole Thing

“Lucas! Lucas!... dude!” Elijah whispered almost at hissing tone.

Lucas turned and put his finger in his mouth. They are currently hiding themselves inside of an arcade section of the theme park; it has an open entrance that can be viewed from the outside.

“Dude, is ‘whole harpy’ real?” Elijah wouldn’t be shushed.

*Flap flap

Lucas drags Elijah deeper inside of the Arcade zone and lets the flapping sound pass by. As soon as it was out their ear range Elijah pressed Lucas for an answer. “I am not sure…”

Elijah finally let a relief sigh. “Man, you could’ve said so right away. Imagining that those are only half, what could be a whole will look like… Ah s**t. I don’t want to think about it! It’s giving me goosebumps. Look, look! ” Elijah showed the back of his neck and his arms but Lucas was distracted with something else. Coming down from the second floor is Aaron.

“Lucas, I think the group caused a scene, we spotted some smoke. Elijah, can you come up first. There is something I just want to ask Lucas.”

“Umm. Okay.” Skipping steps to the wide spiral step, Elijah comes up.

“What is it?” Lucas asked.

“Do you really trust Kiko?”

He heard that question back in the alleyway. “...”

“I’ve seen your look that time.”

‘My look’ Lucas wondered how he looked at that time but he decided to tell the truth.

“I didn’t trust his words… I trusted what I could see. ” He started. Of course, he can’t fully trust anyone, especially in a game of life and death.

“...For some reason, all the mutants we’ve encountered went in the same direction as Kiko pointed out. I am guessing the other group chose to exit that way…”

“...But?”

Lucas already noticed it before but Aaron is really quick on things like this. Contrary to what stereotypes think of bulky muscled people.

“What was your job?” Lucas out of nowhere spit out an unrelated question.

“Huh?”

“...!! Ah sorry, I must’ve— What was it again? What are we talking about? Ah. yes, but… yeah, you are right again. It doesn’t add up, I thought they were in the same area as us, but somehow they end up getting farther in distance than us. Was I wrong to think they were on same vicinity but who would have throw the sound bomb? Was it a decoy? …” He kept rumbling on and on until Aaron put his hand at the top of his head.

“Ah! Yeah, I get it. Just stop.” Aaron brushed it off and started heading up.

“I was talking too much right? I’m sorry…” Lucas compressed his stand and lowered his head and shoulders.

“Elijah is right… your duality is giving me whiplash. There’s nothing to apologize for, I am the one who asked.” Aaron said and smirked down at him.

It was scary to see Aaron smiling. Several thoughts flew immediately in Lucas’ imaginative brain. His body perked up, he remembered receiving such smiles before he got beaten to half death.

*Clang

Stiffing out Lucas’ arm touches his gun bag and the gun’s handle. It was cold and sent tingling sensation and his sight went down on it.

‘It's easy to pull it out… How many seconds will it take?’

“Lucas, Are you okay?” Aaron came a few steps down.

“...Yes, I am.” Unlike his previous stiffed self he turned up quite okay and normal.

He mumbled something that Aaron missed most words except the last one.

‘...fine’

On the second floor, there are more arcade-like games and a playground that goes down to the first floor.

Kiko is still looking at the faint smoke from the distance, it is almost gone, he is frowning hard at it while Elijah is using the binoculars on the opposite side.

Lucas came to Elijah’s side and Elijah handed him the binoculars.

“The main entrance is almost quiet but the surroundings are a bit loud, especially that mascot.” Elijah said and pointed at the entrance that is partially visible.

Looking at the binoculars, Lucas checked the surroundings while he opened the map on the side. There was not much of a ride and attraction at the entrance. Only a big fountain in the middle, then a big open space is given. The nearest ride is the rotating ride that looks like flowers. It keeps spinning mechanically, and some parts of it are making rusting sounds and chairs are on the verge of being thrown in every direction.

Lucas put down the binoculars “Let’s —”

“Man, I wished I could see how this world was like before.” Elijah blurted and sighed. It was a rare sight to see him looking down.

A memory had come into mind and Lucas made a small smile. It was only now, why Lucas felt more comfortable with Elijah than any other player. He feels at ease when he is there.

“I didn’t get to experience rides like that, from my time too.” Lucas opened up.

“Huh? You’ve been here before?” All ears on him and curiosity is filling up the 20 year old boy.

“Not here exactly but something similar.” He side glances at Elijah.

“There are other places like this?”

Lucas nodded and Elijah smiled widely like an innocent kid.

Elijah, reminds him of Donald, the only person who didn’t think of him as weird. He was like a little brother to Lucas, a young man who is full of curiosity about the pre-apocalypse world. He was always energetic and care free. Lucas suddenly had a hunch that these two will get along.

“What was it like?”

“The day before coming here, I would not be able to sleep at night in excitement. For the young me, places like these are like paradise. All these lights, rides, music are heavenly that I would not be able to stop smiling… but of course those rides like that, there is a height a requirement, my mother promised that I, I would … be able to ride it… *sigh* When I am an adult…”

Elijah was silent at first then started to laugh awkwardly, “Ha.ha.ha… It all came true. You are back here, the rides looked more dangerous than the past right?” Elijah pulled up his hood to cover his head as if he was hiding something.

‘Is he crying?’ Lucas wondered.

“We almost died on our last ride, remember? That is beyond dangerous already.”

Elijah peeked on his hood and see, calmed down expression of Elijah who had a reassuring smile towards the morning view of the post apocalypse theme park.

“You mean, It was not that dangerous before?” Elijah light returned to his joking self.

“I can assure you, there was no cannibalism involved before.” Lucas joked back.

Elijah laughed and Lucas smiled at it.

“Do you think they will build something like this inside the walls?”

“Why? So you could invite Athena to go with you? I heard amusement parks are for couples too.” Aaron joined the conversation.

“W,w,what?? What couple?! I,it’s not… w,we are not yet~~ at that stage yet…” reddened like a tomato, Elijah blushed intensely from his face to his neck.

“Dude, you like that punk kid? Doesn’t she scare you?” Kiko also joined with a sour face.

“W,what??! Excuse you… umm. Yeah. Excuse you. She is not scary… not that much… Anyway, she is soft and cute on the inside. Ha! Maybe it’s a side that only I see.”

Raising an eyebrow at him, Kiko asked. “You sure it’s not your imagination?”

“Let the guy have his crush. I’m sure she’ll break his heart in no time.” Aaron teased.

“Dude! Not you too. Lucas, is that what you think also?”

Lasered by puppy eyes, silently pleading to take his side “I disagree…” Lucas started and Elijah begin smirking in confidence as if he is announcing with wide open arms “SEE”

“I disagree… I think she will break his bones before his heart.” Lucas finished.

“DUDE!!!”

And it made everyone light hearted and chuckled at the youngest’s adorable reaction.

“Eurkkkk!” A ghoul sound made them stop. They four of them looked outside and there a ghoul had spotted them from below.

“Ummm! Guys! Time to go.” Elijah said as he spotted it clawing to the walls up.

Aaron picked up his backpack and proceeded to the stairs but when going down, another ghoul was already inside the arcade house. Kiko pointed his gun but Lucas put his hand on it.

They have no silencer, as Lucas pointed his gun to it. Another one is coming in. They retreated to the corner where they couldn't be seen.

“URGHHHKK!” The climbing ghoul attracted the two mutants to the upper floor.

*Thud

It began to climb the stairs.

“Psst.” squatted down Elijah called and gestured in to follow him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?!” Kiko was the first to react.

*thud thud thud

“ARGHKKK URGH!”

With the coming mutants nearing in, Lucas came close to Elijah first followed by Aaron then Kiko mumbled some curses and followed last.

At the time when the mutants came up completely, they only found themselves alone on the second floor.

While on the first floor stealthily glued to the sides, four men exit the arcade zone without being detected.

Jogging away from that place.

All three of them are covered in mud, webs and some algae and dust.

“I always find myself in the most ridiculous position ever since I came to this group.” Kiko complained.

“That’s how we operate. Get used to it.” Elijah laughed.

Who would have thought that four grown adult men would crawl, jump and slide down in a child playground.