When Your Hope Is Gone... Just Hold On.

Joe, Kevin, and I read over what Nick wrote in the email as he typed it.
"Does it sound ok?" Nick asked.
"Can a situation like this actually sound ok?" I asked and Nick shrugged seeing my point.
"Just send it." Kevin said.
"Alright." Nick replied.
The room blackened as everything around us began to shut down. The auto-backup lights turned on and it was the only thing giving us light.
"Please tell me you sent that email." I said not wanting to hear his reply or see his expression.
I looked anyway and soon regretted when I saw him biting down on his lip and shaking his head no.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
"Shh. Do you hear that?" Joe whispered.
"What?" I asked at the same level as before and looked at Joe oddly.
"Shh!" He whispered again.

Kevin, Nick, and I all gave Joe funny looks. He rushed into the room where everyone else was talking.
"Everyone Shh! No one make a sound!" Joe whispered.
Everyone looked at him with alarmed eyes. I stood beside Joe and waited.
"Whats going on?" I whispered.
"Listen..." He whispered.
Inhuman yells and bangs echoed down the hall outside of the sealed security door.
Joe's hands went to my shoulders and slowly and gently sat me down close to him.
"Everyone stay seated and don't make a sound." Joe whispered.
My grip tightened on Joe as the each bang and yell sounded closer and closer.
Everything went silent. No one moved or made a sound. Fear filled inside of all of us. Was this how it was going to end? We're we all doomed to be found and die this way?
A loud bang hit the security door and Joe's hand clasped over my mouth which muffled in short scream. I closed my eyes tight and put my head in his chest. The inhuman scream filled the hallway but this time it was more clear. Conversation in just screams came from outside our door. Multiple bangs continued on the door and Joe gripped onto me tight.
"This can't be it... This can't be." I whispered softly.
Joe buried his face into my hair speaking softly to me. It was so soft that I barely could understand him. He pulled my face up to his and silently kissed my lips letting them linger there for a few moments. My head soon rested back on his shoulder.

Another scream came, but nothing after. The hallway was silent. There were no screams. No bangs. Nothing but the muffled sounds of our breathing and fear.
"Are they gone?" Mrs. Pattison whispered.
"I don't know." Joe whispered.
"Joe, we need to get them somewhere safe." Kevin whispered and Joe nodded.
"Linzi, is there a gun shop in the mall?" Jesse whispered.
"Of course, but it would be suicide to try to get to it, its in the way back of the mall. You'd have to travel half in vent and then half on foot." Linzi whispered in response.
Everyone was too afraid to speak above a whisper.
"Its our only chance at survival at this rate." Jesse whispered and silently stood up.
"I'm going to go get us some guns." He added.
"You can't go by yourself." Joe responded.

"I'll go." Kevin stood as he spoke. Joe quickly stood up after him.
"Kevin, don't." Joe tried talking him out of it.
"I'm the oldest anyways Joe, and besides..." He said. "You need to start watching over Annamolly." He spoke softly. I figured I wasn't suppose to hear that, but I did anyway. Nick and Joe hugged Kevin before he and Jesse started to head back into the mall.
"Kevin..." I whispered. He turned to me and I went into his arms giving him a hug.
"Please be careful." I said. He gave a soft smile and nodded his head.

An hour had passed and still no sign of Jesse and Kevin. We were all starting to get worried. Joe started to bite on his nails as he waited impatiently for his brother. A loud bang crashed into the door again. My eyes widened and I looked straight at Joe.
"You need to go." Joe said.
"What?" I asked.
"Now, you need to take Linzi, Nick, Mrs. Pattison, and the twins and go." Joe said.
"what? Why? I'm not leaving you here alone to just die!" I exclaimed.
"I can be the distraction while you guys hide. I can hold them off. I want you to hide anywhere you can that they wouldn't be able to find you. If they get in here, I want you to run. I don't care what happens to me." Joe said.
"Don't say that... Please don't say that." I begged as I stepped closer to him.
"I mean it Annamolly. What ever happens, I want you to get yourself out of here. Don't give me a second thought."
"That's impossible..." I said and he pulled me into his arms.
A loud crash came again. He crashed his lips on mine and I looked up at him, fear completely filling my eyes.
"You have to go." He whispered.
Crash after crash came on the door.

"Come on." Nick said after hugging his brother.
"Nick no! How can we just leave him here! He can hide with us!" I exclaimed as he took me with him.
Nick dragged me along not giving me another word. I knew he wasn't happy about this but how could he go along with it. I heard the door crash open.
"Joe!" I yelled and pulled out of Nick's grasp.
"Annamolly! No!" Nick shouted as he ran after me.
I stopped when I had sight of what was going on and what I saw wasn't exactly what I was expecting.