Chapter five
Eric Meets Frodo
Eric's POV:
Ending it seemed like the correct way to go. Shortly after trying to catch up with the group, the aliens came and started attacking the very large group of people trying to get to the ferry. The subway was flooded. Maybe I could just...end it all. I was a failure to my parents and I didn't even get to tell Delilah how much I actually cared about her. I didn't succeed. I came up from the water, gasping for air. I tried to be as quiet as I could. I felt eyes on me and looked up. A black and white cat stared me down. I looked at it in shock, wondering how this little cat was alive and well. The cat scurried off and I slowly got out of the flooded subway. My feet seemed to carry me as I followed the cat. I then saw a woman holding it. Thunder erupted into the air and now it was pouring rain. I decided to follow the woman. She stopped after a few steps and said "stop following me." I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down at my feet. "What's your name?" She said. I gulped and said "Eric." "Eric. You need to get to the south side ferry. They're evacuating people." I nodded and said "ok. Ok." The woman in front of me shook her head and went to walk again. "I don't want to be alone. Please. I lost my...group. I've been alone for quite some time now. Please." I sniffled and the woman nodded. "Let's get out of the rain. Follow me and stay quiet." I nodded again. "What's your name?" She started to walk again and said "Samira." "Your cat found me." Sam looked down at the cat in her arms and said "this is Frodo." I half smiled at the cat and reached out to scratch his head. Sam jumped and I retracted my hand. "I'm sorry." I said. Sam shook her head and said "you can pet him." She turned to face me and I smiled as I scratched his head. Frodo leaned into my hand and Sam kept a stoic expression. The two of us continued to walk down the street towards a building. "My apartment is up a few floors. We can hide out there for the night." Sam said. I nodded and followed her, not wanting to be alone again.

Delilah's POV:
I set the note for Eric on the ground where he would find it. I refused to even look at my uncle for a while. If we had waited, Eric would be fine. The large crowd of people was giving me anxiety. People had suitcases rolling against the ground, wheelchairs, carts full of things. Even though it wasn't loud it had to be attracting the aliens. A chittering sound entered the air and my eyes widened as the aliens descended into the crowd. People were being slaughtered. A car went flying over the crowd, exploding and the crowd screamed. I grabbed Dakota's hand and followed my cousin who was running. People bumped into me, hurting my shoulder. I winced and tried to get us to safety. I ducked into a shop, Niko panting as someone was murdered directly in front of us, blood spraying on the pavement. Dakota covered her mouth and Alice's breath quivered. I reached to my left out of habit. Eric was always on my left. I put my head in my hands as the noises around me got louder. The screaming, the splattering of human remains, the loud thuds and glass shattering. I wanted it all to stop. I looked at my bag, wishing I had something inside to muffle the sounds. I then noticed the chocolates Story wanted. Eric had placed them in my bag and told me we'd deliver them to her. And I was going to do it. I grabbed a notepad, wrote down what I needed to and then handed it to my uncle. His eyes widened as he read it and he shook his head.

NO!

The notepad read. A scoff almost left my lips. "I'm going." I mouthed. My uncle narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head again. Dakota looked at me and then leaned up to whisper. "Let's wait for him to go to sleep. Then me and you can go." I nodded at her and a thunderstorm broke the silence. I let out a relieved breath and my uncle said "we're leaving. Now. And you will not go to Story's." "Copy." I spat. Uncle Harrison led the way and it took everything inside me not to protest. I had to contain myself otherwise I would've been complaining. The frustration and sadness inside me cause me to cry. I sniffled and all I could think about was Eric. I just hoped he was ok. I hoped he was alive and made it to the ferry. Or that he'd find us and I could hug him one more time. The big brown eyed English boy who'd never hurt a fly. Who was always so kind to me and treated my sister as if she was a princess. The boy who I had grown unbelievably attached to and who I thought was the cutest boy I'd ever met. The boy who through all of this, I'd developed full on feelings for but was terrified to act on them. My lip quivered and I cried softly. Dakota reached for my hand and said "what's wrong, Lilah?" I looked down at her and said "I just miss Eric. I'm scared for him. I hope he's ok." "He'll go to the boat, won't he?" "I hope so." Because the rain was so loud we were able to talk quietly. Alice looked at me and said "your uncle said we're going in this apartment building. He wants to go upstairs. He thinks they won't hear us as much up there." "It's probably true." I mumbled. I followed my family into the apartment building. I wondered where Blake was. I was sure she got away from the store. I trudged up the stairs with my family, wet shoes squeaking against the tile slightly. I wiped my face and wanted nothing more than to get out of this hell we were in. As we were walking up floors, I heard a woman's voice. "Kick it down." My uncle looked down the hall to see two people standing in front of an apartment door. "Kick it down?" A familiar voice said. "Yes, when the thunder cracks." The woman responded. Niko awaited for his uncle to make a move. "What're we doing?" Niko said to my uncle. "They won't hear it, right?" The familiar voice again. I pushed through Niko and my uncle. "Eric?" I called out a little too loudly.

Shitty cliffhanger I know! This is so off topic but I read this small lil blurb on tumblr about Eric. It was angsty and he ended up dying and I sobbed like a baby in the bathroom at work! I realized today just how attached I am to this man and I almost always get attached to Joseph's characters but my god. Eric has taken up such a big place in my heart. I want to know more about his character! Like how did he learn to do the magic trick? Was it a hobby of his? Did he have any friends in America? WHERE WAS HE WHEN THE ALIENS CAME DOWN?!?! I of course wrote my own idea in this book of that but I'd love to know more about him. And Samira. Eric literally found a way to live because of Sam and would've given up had Frodo not found him. I also read a tweet how he was going to jump in front of a subway train but then the subway got flooded and he couldn't. But then Frodo found him when he came up for air because he couldn't go through with it and like Frodo and Samira found him and gave him a reason to keep going. The way I just want to talk to Joseph about this movie. He gives and puts so much into these characters. I also really hope you guys are enjoying this book! I'm going to try and go see the movie on Saturday or Sunday. But personal shit lowkey got in the way so I'm not sure. But I'm dying to see the movie again and I'm so in love with Eric, Samira and Frodo.
~skylar🤎🛸🤎🛸