Halftime

There are fishes swimming in the water tank, flashes of purple and pink giving the water a tinted tone. It’s the only thing that stands undamaged from the wreckage, chairs and tables strewn all across the place. Shattered glass and broken plates, and nothing but darkness surrounding the restaurant.

A man emerges from behind the bar counter, a bit scratched from the broken glass, but mostly undamaged. A young looking couple also peers from behind a fallen table, scanning their surroundings for any other possible treat. Finally two more people emerge from the kitchen, a woman and a man. The man, called Jake, with his arm across the woman’s shoulder, limping with what looks like a sprained ankle. Methoda, a tall woman with a nasty bruise on her left cheek, using her strength to carry Jake while holding tightly her weapon with the other hand. 

“Is it over?” asks the man near to the bar counter, as he looks for something to bandage his hand with. “I don’t think so Erik” replies the man behind the table, as he helps his girlfriend, Janez, to stand up. They all converge in the center of the place, arranging in a circle the chairs that could still stand, and nearly falling flat on them with exhaustion. 

“We need to prepare, I don’t think we’ll be able to withstand another wave like this” says Methoda, “I told you we should have broken the ceiling, like everyone else” adds Erik, “We might have escaped”,  “Yeah, but- it was faulty back then, it could have turned out worse, like with the folks at the library down the street” states Janez, as she looks at the rest of the group in search for a rebuttal. 

“Even if we could manage to accomplish something like that, we won’t be able to get trough” comments Janez’s boyfriend, Marcos “We’re five now”. Everyone stays silent, considering their options. That’s when a sound comes from below the fish tank. Weapons in hand, Methoda and Erik approach the closed cabinet below it, as everyone else either stands guard, or pretends to stand guard as they discretely approach a hiding spot.

They open the door, only to find a young boy hiding inside it, “Diego? What are you doing here” exclaims Marcos as he rushes to help his little brother get out of the cabinet. “I thought you had gone with the guys back at the subway” says Janez. They pull out a chair for him, and wait for him to compose himself to answer. After a few deep breathes he starts talking.

“I did, but a seventh person came to where we were, the whole thing self sabotaged almost instantly, only Cataline and I made it out. She ran to an open group at the old shop, and before I could find another group, I heard that the next wave was coming, so I- I ran back to the subway, and hid inside one of the lockers” he pauses to grab his breath, and Erik goes to get him a glass of water. The rest keeps quiet as they process the story they are hearing. Finally Marcos speaks up “ So you invoked the isolation clause”. Diego drinks the water quickly and replies  “Yes, but I suddenly was someplace smaller, with the sounds of another wave already happening. So I stayed silent, and then when I heard your voices I tried to get out, but the thing was locked”

“I’m so glad you’re okay” says Marcos as he kneels beside his brother, “We were five the last wave, six with you now” before Diego can reply, a dark blue light emerges from the service door, space and stars appearing inside it. “Guess we can do this now” says Jake.  “Well let’s go before the next wave starts” replies Methoda, as she helps him get up. Erik runs to help him as well, as Marcos, Janez, and Diego scan the restaurant for anything of use they can take with them. 

They all stand in front of the door, breathing in. Looking at each other. Holding hands. 

“So what’s the plan, do we even know what will happen there?” asks Erik nervously. “No idea, but we have to go” answers Marcos. They all take a step and disappear inside the door. Moments before the restaurant is completely overcome by the next wave, obliterating the entire place from existence.