“Shit man, none of this makes any sense. What’s stored raw energy meant to mean? Whoever made this shit could have at least given us a little more information…”

Cyrus complains while putting his phone back in his pocket.

Fuck it, I need to keep my cool. The pressures getting to everyone and I need to be an example.

He looks around the room watching the rest of the group who have moved to their own corners. Gregg by Sandra’s side near the kids, Josh still on the sofa and Emily sitting on the floor under the window.

Cyrus makes his way towards her, grabbing a couple bottles of water on the way. He presses a bottle gently against her forehead as he stands over her.

She breaks out of her trance and jerks backwards shooting Cyrus an annoyed look.

“Watch it, that’s really cold…”

She snaps as she takes the bottle from Cyrus’s hand. He stands there for a moment watching as she absent mindedly unscrews the cap and takes a drink.

Looks like this is all really starting to get to her. I’ll see what I can do to ease her mind.

He notices Emily bury her face into her arms, as she holds onto her knees, lightly sobbing.

Cyrus sits down on the floor next to her, resting his head against the wall. He waits in silence giving her time to regain her composure.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so scared. I don’t know where my family are… if they’re alive… I feel so alone…”

She replies with a muffled tone that only Cyrus is close enough to hear and understand. He looks up at the ceiling and closes his eyes.

“Me too, my sister was still in hospital when all this went down. I’m still expecting a letter about her condition, maybe it’s in the reception right now. At least I know my dad’s probably with her, if that’s the case, she should be fine. I know what my dad is like”

He pauses for a moment and stares at the flickering lights as he gathers his thoughts. Emily raises her head from her arms and gives a sympathetic look towards him.

“I think about her a lot, but I can’t let that get to me you know”

He says before finally looking back at her.

“I had no idea Cyrus, you’ve never told me anything about a sister. I’m so sorry to hear that”

She responds in a gentle voice.

“Let’s not worry about that for now, one problem at a time. Let’s just focus on getting out of this fucking hotel, and don’t worry, we’ll look for your family when we get out of here… I promise”

He says while taking his phone out of his pocket. He briefly interacts with his phone then faces the screen towards Emily showing her a picture of a young girl with thick black long hair and fair skin.

“That’s her, my sister Sierra”

Emily looks at the screen as she wipes away whatever wet patches are left on her face.

“Wow she’s gorgeous, no way she’s related to you”

She replies trying to lighten the mood. Cyrus takes a long look at the picture before putting his phone back into his pocket.

“Yeah she is” He smiles gently.

She smiles and nods before resting the side of her head against his shoulder.

---

Josh overhears bits of the conversation from his chair across the room. Still drinking heavily with empty bottles scattered around him. A dark expression covers his face as he sits alone, deep in thought.

“Hey you can’t be drinking like that at a time like this!”

Gregg scolds him from across the room.

“Calm down Gregg, the kids are right here!” Sandra yells.

Josh ignores Gregg’s ramblings as he continues to sip away at the alcohol, numbing his worries.

“Are you mad? How are we going to deal with everything going on when you’re pissed?! I was here on vacation and now I have to babysit drunk teenagers. You would never pass the interview process for my company” Gregg continues angrily, now standing up from his seat.

Josh finally snaps back at Gregg “Your company!? Fuck your company! Have you looked out the window? Everything’s gone to shit, I don’t even know where my mum is, she’s probably dead or disappeared like everyone else, and you’re here yapping about your company? At least you got your whole family here with you.”

“Gregg he’s right, please calm down you’re scaring the kids. Get a hold of yourself!” Sandra tries to deescalate the situation.

“You want ME to calm down? I won’t let this kid disrespect me, not in front of my kids!” He growls as he takes a few more steps closer to Josh, now within arm’s reach.

“Get the fuck outta my face” Josh says as he gets up from his seat, bottle still in hand.

Cyrus notices the commotion, he gets up to try and break up the situation.

Before he can reach them, Gregg wildly takes a swing at Josh. Josh manages to dodge it in his drunken state before swinging the bottle in his hand towards Greggs head.

Sandra screams “No!”

Before the bottle reaches Greggs head, Noah screams “Stop!”

The bottle shatters against an invisible wall.

Cyrus tackles Josh to the ground as Sandra pulls Gregg away to the side.

“What the fuck is wrong with the two of you, we’re meant to be working together. There’s fucking monsters outside and you’re going to fight each other?” He snaps at them angrily.

“What just happened? That bottle just broke out of nowhere, it didn’t even touch Gregg?” Emily says contemplatively.

Sandra rushes towards her kids, making sure they’re okay. She notices that Noah seems a little out of it.

“Baby, are you okay what’s wrong? You look sick.” She asks in concern.

“I felt something weird happen with my phone, it changed what it says on there” He responds

Emily overhears the conversation and approaches them.

“Noah, can I see your phone please?” She asks gently

Noah passes her the phone with the blue UI open.

Her eyes widen while reading the text on the screen, she seems to have come to a realisation.

“Guys look, I think I have an idea of what happened but you’re going to think I’m crazy” She says.

Before she can finish what she’s saying, a loud rumbling emanates from the hallway, with an increasing intensity.

Cyrus looks towards the door and yells “Everyone get down now!”

The door shatters and fragments of wood splinter out from the door across the room. Everyone braces themselves.

Outside the doorway stands a 7 foot tall beast.

Fuck.