HEADING TO THE BUNKER

ADELINE

Dorian moved ahead, keeping his arm around my waist as we made our way towards the kitchen passage. I tried to keep up with him, but my ankle was beginning to hurt even more.

“Can you slow down a little? I'm trying to walk here, not compete in some stupid race.”

“We don't have time to walk slowly, Adeline. The entire east wing is collapsing, and I don't intend to still be inside this building when it comes down.”

“I'm aware of that. You don't have to keep reminding me as though I'm deliberately trying to get us killed.”

He glanced at my leg. “Can you manage the stairs if we need to use them?”

“I don't know. I haven't exactly had the opportunity to test my athletic abilities since I woke up with a damaged ankle.”

Sloane hurried behind us, clutching the emergency bag.

“There's a first-aid kit inside. We should at least wrap your ankle before we go any farther.”

“Thank you. Finally, someone is concerned about my physical well-being.”

Dorian let out a breath. “Nobody said we weren't concerned. We simply don't have the luxury of stopping every few minutes.”

“Then perhaps you should consider that I'm the one you're asking to walk on an injured leg.”

He didn't answer.

We reached the narrow passage behind the kitchen. The place was already in a terrible state, with several cabinets knocked over and pieces of broken plates scattered across the floor. A thick root had pushed through the wall near the pantry, splitting the tiles and forcing its way between the shelves.

I stopped when I noticed it.

“Don't go near that.”

Dorian followed my gaze. “Keep moving. Don't touch anything.”

“I wasn't planning to. I'm not particularly interested in finding out what happens when one of those things gets hold of me.”

We hurried past it and reached the delivery bay. Dorian forced the metal door open, and the sight outside immediately made me stop.

The access road was damaged. Several sections of the road had cracked, and thick roots were pushing through the pavement. A delivery van lay on its side near the boundary wall, while another vehicle had been crushed beneath a fallen tree.

I stared at the road, trying to remember what it had looked like in the movie.

It wasn't supposed to be this bad.

The estate's back road had remained accessible during the early stages of the disaster. The characters had used it to leave the property before the main roads became completely blocked. I couldn't remember every detail, but I was certain the damage hadn't reached this point so quickly.

“What's wrong?” Dorian asked.

I looked at him. “Nothing. I was just expecting the road to be in better condition.”

“Based on what?” He studied me briefly before looking towards the parked vehicles.

“There's a maintenance truck beside the service building. If the engine works, we can use it.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” He started towards it, but we hadn't gone very far when someone began banging against the window of the overturned delivery van.

“Help! Please! Somebody help me!”

“Dorian, he's trapped,” Sloane said. Pleading through her words,

“I can see that, Sloane. But look at the road. We don't know how long it'll remain stable, and I have no intention of getting trapped here trying to rescue someone.” I screamed for a moment anger getting the best of me,

I looked at the man inside. His face was pressed against the window, and he was desperately trying to push the door open.

Sloane hurried to the maintenance building while Dorian approached the vehicle.

“Can you hear me?” he called. The man nodded frantically. Tears rolling down his cheeks as desperation hammered continuously at him.

“What's your name?”

“Peter! Please, my leg is stuck. I can't get the door open!”

“Stay calm. We're going to get you out, but I need you to stop moving around.”

Sloane returned with a vehicle jack and a metal bar. Dorian used the equipment to lift the damaged section of the van while she worked on the door.

It took a few attempts, but they eventually managed to pull Peter outt, He collapsed onto the pavement, groaning as he tried to move his injured leg.

Peter looked down and immediately began trembling.

“The rain. Some of it came through the broken window while I was trying to get out. It started burning as soon as it touched me.”

I looked at the blisters spreading across his wrist.

The movie had shown the effects of the contaminated rain, but seeing it happen to someone standing right in front of me was different. I had no idea how quickly the damage would spread or whether there was anything we could do to stop it.

Dorian glanced towards the maintenance truck.

“We'll put him in the back. We need to leave now.”

He helped Peter into the vehicle while Sloane climbed in beside him. I settled into the passenger seat, adjusting my injured leg as carefully as I could.

Dorian started the engine. It took two attempts before it came alive.

“Please tell me there's enough fuel,” I said.

He checked the gauge. “There is, but not enough for us to drive around aimlessly. We need to decide where we're going.”

“Then we should find a supermarket or pharmacy. We need water, food, medicine, and something to treat injuries. We can't keep moving around with an almost empty vehicle and no supplies.” I asserted, partially because of my wounded leg, I wasn’t going to die for anyone in this movie… or at least what I thought it was.

I looked out of the window as he drove away from the estate.

The streets were already filled with abandoned vehicles and frightened residents. 

Some people were carrying bags while others were desperately trying to get their families out of the buildings. A few had gathered around a damaged car, arguing over how to move it.

I recognized the area. In the movie, this was where the first major evacuation began. The shopping complex had remained open, and people had rushed there to buy food and water after the government announced the contamination of the public water supply.

It was one of the places I had intended to visit.

But the moment Dorian turned onto the next street, I realized we might have a problem.

A thick mass of vines covered the road ahead. Several vehicles had been abandoned on either side, and the pavement was barely visible beneath the growth.

Dorian slowed down.

“Can we get through?” Sloane asked.

“No,” he replied. “Not with this vehicle.”

“There's another road behind the residential blocks,” I said. “We can take that one. It should lead towards the shopping complex.”

Dorian looked at me. “You seem very sure about that.”

“Would you rather we sit here until those plants cover the entire road?”

He turned the vehicle around. We had barely moved when a group of people rushed out from between two buildings. A woman carrying a little girl waved frantically at us.

“Please! Stop! You have to help us!”

Dorian slowed down, but before he could stop completely, I noticed the road behind them.

The toad was beginning to rise.

“Don't stop here!” I shouted. He looked through the windscreen.

A thick root burst through the pavement, throwing pieces of concrete into the air. The people screamed and scattered as the ground split open.

Dorian pressed the accelerator. The woman stumbled, still holding the child, and I turned in my seat to look behind us.

“Dorian, they're still there!”

“The road is collapsing, Adeline!” Dorian screamed, the most selfish self centered patheticness attached to his tone

“We can't just leave them!” I pleased, 

“And what do you expect me to do? Drive into that hole? I can't save them if I get this vehicle stuck as well!”

I watched helplessly as the people ran towards the nearest building. Then the road behind us collapsed completely.

Dorian kept driving until we reached a smaller street, where he finally stopped. Nobody spoke for several seconds.

I looked at my hands. They were trembling.

This wasn't how I remembered it.

The movie had given the characters time to make decisions. It had given them opportunities to gather supplies, find shelter, and understand the danger before everything became impossible.

But the disaster outside was advancing too quickly.  And the worst part was that I couldn't even remember what happened next if the story continued this way.

“Adeline,” Dorian called, I could sense the fear attached to his voice as I looked at him.

“We need to change our plans. The shopping complex is no longer an option. We'll find another place to get supplies, then leave the district.”

There was one place I could think of. One place the original Adeline had never mentioned to him, and one place I had almost forgotten existed.

My father's private shelter. But I couldn't tell Dorian about it yet. Not until I knew whether it was still accessible, and whether the systems inside were working.

I looked at the road ahead.

“Fine,” I said. “But we need to get out of this district before nightfall.”

Dorian nodded and started driving again.

I leaned back, my mind already working through everything I could remember about the shelter.

Now I realized I made a huge mistake revising the movie poorly because currently I wasn't thinking about what the original Adeline had done wrong.

I was thinking about how to make sure I didn't repeat her mistakes.