APOCALYPSE: WHEN THE PAST RETURNS

Chapter 9

Panic filled the basement as the four teenagers stared at the machine, waiting for Adrian to return.

Then, a sudden blue light flickered inside the entrance, growing brighter with every passing second. A deep hum rose from the core, vibrating through the concrete floor.

Sean took an instinctive step forward, his heart pounding.

“Is that him?”

Nobody answered. They were too anxious to speak.

The light flashed.

A figure materialized inside the frame.

It was Adrian.

He stepped out, brushing a speck of dust from his jacket as he released a sharp, relieved breath. For a second, the teenagers stood frozen, as if they needed proof he was really there. Then Leah let out a breathless laugh and rushed forward.

“You're back! It actually worked!”

Adrian smiled, holding up the small controller in his hand. “Completely stable. The transit was smooth, and the signal locked on instantly. We have a working time machine.”

Relief washed over the room like a wave.

Sean threw his hands into the air. “Yes! We actually did it!”

Sam slumped into a chair, grinning as she wiped sweat from her forehead. Even Jake let out a long, shuddering breath. They had done it. After hours of agonizing work, the impossible was real.

But Adrian's smile faded as he glanced at his watch. The celebration was cut short.

“Good work, everyone,” he said, his voice dropping into a serious register. “The test was a success, but the real work starts now.”

He returned to the main console, pulling up the geographical data for the National Scientific Archives. He checked his watch again, and his jaw tightened. Another precious hour had slipped away.

“The full moon is less than twenty-four hours away,” he said, turning to face them. “Mr. Sinclair's son is running out of time, and Evergreen City is still entirely unprepared for what's coming.” His gaze swept across the room. “We're going to the Archives. Tonight.”

The excitement vanished from their faces.

They all knew what that meant. A restricted government facility. If they were caught, the consequences would be severe. Worse, if they failed to find the missing half of the book, humanity would have no blueprint to stop the coming extinction-level event.

Jake broke the silence. “Is everyone going?”

“If all five of us go, it'll draw too much attention, and we need people here to secure the home front,” Adrian decided, pacing the lab. “Jake, Sean, and I will go to the Archives. Leah and Sam, you two stay here. Once the sun rises, I want you to gather as much food and as many supplies as possible.”

Leah nodded firmly. “That's smart. If these creatures breach the city, people will need a stronghold.”

“Exactly,” Adrian replied. “Gather everything you can before mass panic sets in.”

Adrian grabbed a backpack, stuffing it with journals, a flashlight, and a heavy baseball bat before zipping it shut.

Jake frowned at the bat. “What do you need that for?”

Adrian stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We're breaking into a restricted zone. I’m not walking into the dark unarmed.”

Sean glanced toward the stairs. “He's right. If we're caught, we might have to fight our way out.”

“Don't worry,” Adrian said, pulling open a nearby drawer. A tight smile touched his lips as he lifted out three heavy stun guns.

Sean's eyes widened. “Are those...?”

“Yes,” Adrian replied, tossing one to Sean and another to Jake, keeping the third for himself.

Jake checked the safety switch. “Just remember,” Adrian warned, his expression grim, “these are for human security. We have no idea if they’ll stop the prehistoric horrors out there. Don't rely on them as a magic fix.”

The sobering reality wiped any lingering excitement from their faces.

“Understood,” Sean muttered, pocketing the weapon.

Adrian slipped on his backpack. “Let's move. We don't have a second to waste.”

Before Adrian stepped into the machine, Leah hurried forward and grabbed Sean's hand. His expression instantly softened.

“Be careful out there,” she whispered.

Sean squeezed her fingers. “I will. You stay safe here.”

She pulled him into a fierce, tight hug, holding on for a second longer than comfort allowed. Neither wanted to voice the terrifying thought of what would happen if things went wrong. Finally, she stepped back, forcing a brave smile.

Adrian stepped inside the core alongside Jake and Sean, turning back to the girls. “We won't take long. We'll grab the book and come straight back.”

“That's easy for you to say,” Sam muttered. “You're the ones breaking federal law.”

Adrian chuckled. “Try not to miss me too much.”

“Just go!” Leah urged.

Sam placed her fingers over the control panel and pressed the activation switch.

A deep, violent hum tore through the room. Blue light flooded the basement, blinding and fierce, swallowing the three figures whole. The concrete floor trembled beneath the girls' feet.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the light vanished.

The hum cut out.

The machine stood empty.

Leah stared at the quiet frame, her heart hammering against her ribs. Sam slowly lowered her hand from the console.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Then Leah turned, her voice trembling. “Do you think they'll be okay?”

Sam looked at the empty machine, swallowing hard. “They have to be.”

But the stark worry in her eyes betrayed her words. If Adrian failed, Evergreen City wouldn't stand a chance.

“I need to rest my eyes for a little while,” Sam whispered, rubbing her burning eyelids. “We'll need our strength when the sun comes up.”

Leah nodded numbly. “Me too.”

They collapsed into the chairs nearby, too exhausted to climb the stairs. Within minutes, heavy, dreamless sleep claimed them.

Neither of them knew what chaos was waiting for them when they woke.

The shrill, piercing shriek of an alarm shattered the silence.

Leah jerked awake, nearly launching herself out of her chair. Her heart slammed against her chest as disorientation clawed at her mind.

Then the memories rushed back.

The basement. The time machine. Adrian and the boys.

She fumbled for her phone and killed the alarm. Beside her, Sam stirred, blinking heavily against the harsh lab lights.

“Why are you playing music so early?” Sam mumbled, burying her face in her hands.

Leah let out a tired, breathless laugh. “It's my alarm. It wakes me up every day.”

Sam sat up, stretching her stiff limbs as she looked around the dim room. “It's morning already? That was fast.”

“Too fast,” Leah said, standing up on shaky legs. “Come on. We need to wash up. We have supplies to gather before the day runs out.”

The mention of supplies wiped the sleep from Sam's eyes entirely. They hurried upstairs to splash cold water on their faces before rushing back down to check the machine.

Sam flew across the control panel, scanning the telemetry data. “Diagnostic looks normal. The system is holding.”

Leah let out a heavy breath of relief. “Good. Let's go.”

They locked down the house and stepped out into the crisp morning air. But the moment their boots hit the pavement, they knew something was fundamentally wrong.

Evergreen City was bustling, but not with its usual quiet morning routine. People rushed back and forth between houses and storefronts, hauling heavy bags of groceries, bottled water, and emergency kits. Some aggressively loaded their trunks while others shouted angrily in huddled groups, debating rumors.

The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Yet, a few stubborn pedestrians still strolled along casually, ignoring the rising panic as if nothing were wrong.

Leah grabbed Sam's arm. “Looks like people are finally waking up.”

“Some of them,” Sam replied grimly. “Others won't believe it until a monster knocks on their front door.”

Before they could take another step, a frantic voice called out from behind them.

“Leah! Sam! Wait!”

They spun around. A local woman sprinted toward them, chest heaving and face completely drained of color. She grabbed Leah's shoulders, desperate for air.

“Is it true?” the woman gasped. “That beast you were talking about yesterday... did it really attack Mr. Sinclair's son?”

Leah and Sam locked eyes.

“Yes,” Leah answered quietly. “It's true. His son was infected by an extinct plant in the forest. We weren't lying.”

The woman's hands dropped away, her mouth falling open in sheer horror. “My family refused to believe it. They thought it was just kids telling ghost stories.”

“Your family isn't the only one,” Sam said. “Half the city laughed at us. But you need to prepare right now. Store food, water, medical supplies, anything you can get your hands on.”

“How much time do we have?” the woman pleaded, her voice cracking.

Leah swallowed the lump in her throat. “Less than twenty-four hours before the full moon peaks. Adrian believes that's when the containment completely breaks.”

“Twenty-four hours?” the woman repeated, a sob catching in her throat. “You're saying this could happen today?”

“We're saying don't wait to find out,” Sam urged firmly. “Please, go protect your family.”

Without another word, the woman turned and sprinted down the sidewalk toward the grocery store, panic driving her forward.

Leah watched her vanish into the crowd, a cold dread pooling in her stomach. “I pray she listens.”

“Me too,” Sam said. “Come on. We have to move.”

They hurried toward the nearest market, hoping against hope that the shelves hadn't been completely cleaned out yet.

When Leah finally wrenched the heavy glass door open, both girls stopped dead in their tracks.

The store was a war zone.

Isles were jammed with terrified shoppers fighting over bags of rice, canned goods, bottled water, and medical supplies. Carts were abandoned in narrow walkways as people yelled over one another, loading their arms with whatever they could grab.

Leah stared at the chaos, her breath catching in her throat.

Sam slowly turned to look at her, sheer disbelief etched into her features. They had expected people to prepare, yes—but they hadn't expected the entire city to violently unravel all at once.

And as Leah looked toward the front aisles, where the shelves had already been stripped completely bare, a terrifying realization slammed into her mind.

If this was what panic looked like before the monsters arrived... what would be left of Evergreen City when they finally did?