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Lost but Found | Chapter 1 | The Day Everything Fell Apart

Lost but Found Masterlist

!! Trigger Warning !!

This chapter contains the following elements that may be upsetting to some readers:

- Blood - Death - Graphic Depictions of Violence

Reader discretion is advised.

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September 26, 2003 | Chicago, Illinois

Everything was supposed to be normal. All Indra wanted to do was spend time with his family. Unbeknown to him, his life is going to take a dramatic turn.

The morning seemed just like any other. Indra woke up roughly thirty minutes after his parents, with pieces of sunlight seeping through the cracks of the blinds. Staring at the ceiling of his childhood bedroom, he thought about places to take his brothers, Rohan and Kasim, after school. They didn't have classes the next day and Indra's flight home was on Sunday, so he wanted to make the time he had left count. After a few minutes of contemplation, his mind settled on the mall that he took his brothers to almost every time he visited. Feeling content with his decision, Indra finally sat himself upright, put on his house slippers, and left his room.

Walking into the kitchen, Indra was met with the sight of his mother already about to leave for work. He knew his parents had to work late today, which is why he chose to take Rohan and Kasim to school and pick them up. "Alright, you know where everything is, just don't keep your brothers up too late, okay?" His mother said with a sigh, not of annoyance but rather one to prepare her for the long day ahead. "I know, Mom." Indra yawned through his answer. Just as he grabbed the ingredients to make breakfast for himself and his brothers, Rohan walked in. "Make sure you and Kasim eat before you leave." "Okay, see you later, Mom," Rohan said to his mother in salutation. "Bye Mom," Indra echoed his brother, still occupied with gathering ingredients.

"Hey, what are you making?" Rohan asked after a few minutes while sifting through his school bag, making sure he had all that he needed. “Sali Par Eedu.” Indra simply answered with a small smile, keeping his attention on the dish he’s cooking. He knew that his brother’s face would light up once he knew since it was one of his favorite foods. “No, really!?” Rohan asked in excitement, with Indra letting out a chuckle at his reaction. “Really what?” Kasim asked, walking in and taking a seat next to his twin. “Indra’s making Sali Par Eedu.” Rohan’s tone was cheerful as he explained. “Oh, nice.” “And after school, we’re going to the mall.” Indra’s comment was met with the cheers of his younger brothers, to which another smile pulled at his lips. Bringing his attention back to his dish, Indra finished cooking and plated it for them to eat.

After being thanked by his brothers and cleaning the dishes he used to cook, Indra joined them at the table where the twins were enjoying their food with small smiles on their faces as they talked in between bites. The sight brought yet another smile to Indra’s face as he began to eat as well. “You do know we have a test today, right?” Rohan poked with a chuckle and raised eyebrows in response to Kasim’s shock. Though they were twins, in terms of personality, Rohan and Kasim were almost polar opposites, with Rohan being the more responsible one. Seeing Kasim’s reaction, Indra couldn’t help but imitate Rohan, raising an eyebrow and laughing to himself as the twins went back and forth.

Soon after all three finished their breakfast, Indra took the twins to school. While on the road, all of them noticed the number of police cars and ambulances that passed them by. Sure, they’ve seen one or two emergency vehicles on the road, but this time there were at least four of each that sped past in the same direction. Rohan and Kasim shared a look of confusion but ultimately decided not to make anything of it.

After Indra dropped off his brothers, he went to run some minor errands when he spotted yet another group of emergency vehicles speeding past in the same direction as the previous. Seeing it once was out of the norm, but twice seemed like a cause for at least a little concern.

The monotony of moving about the city kept Indra’s mind occupied while waiting for his brothers’ school day to end. Toward the latter half of his errands, however, the number of passersby slowly decreased. The stores he visited weren’t normally packed, but the number of occupants was noticeably below average. Moreover, a store clerk that he was well acquainted with kept going on about some kind of sickness that was going around.

On the way home, the previous events ran through Indra’s mind again. The emergency vehicles, the fewer number of people, and what the clerk was talking about. They all stirred anxious thoughts within his mind, but Indra made the subconscious decision to keep them in the back of his head.

The ride from school to the mall was filled with laughter and banter from Rohan and Kasim, Indra frequently taking quick glances in the rearview mirror and smiling to himself. However, the constant back and forth of the twins was halted by the sight of, yet again, a low number of people in the parking lot. “So everyone just went home early, or…?” Kasim’s questions trailed off as he looked left and right. The anxious sensation Indra felt before made a subtle resurgence. His instincts told him they should head back home, but he didn’t have the heart to tell his brothers. “Well, that just means more for us,” Indra spoke, his words quelling his brother’s confusion as he parked the car.

The inside of the mall confirmed the implications of the parking lot. Moreover, as the three walked through the mall, they noticed many of the stores were closing earlier than normal. “Ugh, why are all the good stores closed?” Kasim made his agitation known with his rhetorical question. The twins’ faces wore confused expressions as they talked to each other, trying to make sense of what could be happening. They were put off by the general atmosphere, but Indra began spacing out as he tried to comprehend all the unusual happenings throughout the day. The emergency services and both instances of a lower than average number of people, what the clerk said. “Indra.” He was broken out of his trance by Rohan, who noticed his older brother falling behind with a look on his face that was halfway between pondering and completely blank. “Where are you?” Rohan’s question was laced with an aspirated snort at the beginning. “I’m right here, shopping with you two.” Indra quickly brightened his demeanor, almost forcing a smile upon his mouth. Both Rohan and Kasim gave him a look that questioned his response, but he simply told them, “Hey, I’m fine, I promise. Let’s just enjoy our time here, okay?” An air of cheerfulness peeked through his words as he reassured his siblings, and resumed their stroll through the mall. However, as they continued, they all noticed the sparse number of people seemed tense, which did nothing to ease the nagging feeling of concern in the back of Indra’s head.

Once they happened upon a store that had yet to close, they decided to browse inside, hesitantly welcomed by the two employees. While perusing, Indra couldn’t help but overhear fragments of the conversation between the two. From what he could pick up, they were talking about some kind of infection going around, not too dissimilar from what the clerk from earlier was talking about. Just as he was trying to connect all the pieces in his mind, a third employee hurriedly walked out, talking to the previous two before making their way to Indra. “I’m so sorry, but we have to close early.” The employee’s speech sounded panicked as they ushered Indra and the twins to the entrance. “You guys should probably go home.”

Rohan and Kasim’s faces were painted with disappointed looks on the way home. Though Indra didn’t intend for their outing to play out the way it did, he still felt obligated to compensate, “How about this? When we get home, we’ll play some games, watch movies and just make a whole night of it, okay?” Both twins’ attitudes became invigorated by the thought of a fun night in with their older brother. With lifted spirits, it was almost like a sense of normalcy returned for that moment.

By the time the three got home, the evening began to settle, coloring (colouring) the sky in an orange that could be seen through the windows of their home. Indra took it upon himself to step into an adjacent room to call his parents, while Rohan and Kasim played another round of their video game. The crosstalk of his brothers became muffled by the surrounding walls as Indra dialed for his father, but he didn’t pick up. He tried his mother, but she didn’t answer either. The disquietude that Indra previously suppressed began to intensify, but he didn’t want to impart the same concern on his brothers.

As the night carried on, the brothers played video games and watched movies just as Indra said, and by the time it reached its crest, the twins had fallen asleep on either shoulder of their brother. With the movie finished and his brothers entering a slumber, Indra decided it was time for all of them to retire for the night. Rohan awoke at his movements, albeit still bleary-eyed, but Kasim only groaned and stirred while keeping his eyes shut. Knowing that Kasim wouldn’t walk to his room by himself, Indra reluctantly picked him up to carry him there, with Rohan groggily walking at his side. “You’re too old for this.” A fond smile pulled at Indra’s lips as he shook his head. His comment was met with another groan from the twin in his arms as he reached their shared room.

Sleep found Indra later than he expected. Scenes from the day that elapsed danced through his mind and sustained his sleeplessness until his body forced him to rest. It wasn’t until a sudden shatter sounded from the living room that Indra’s body jolted back awake. He decided to investigate the origin of the noise with questions filling his thoughts. He thought it could have been his parents, but if it was, why would they need to come through a window? Matter of fact, it was considerably late, so why weren’t they home already? Once Indra reached the living room’s entrance, he saw it. In the center of the room stood an unknown person dressed in disheveled and bloodstained clothing. They were hoarsely groaning and searching the room like a predator hunting its prey.

The sight prompted Indra to gasp, causing the intruder to sharply turn in his direction. An all-consuming sensation of trepidation washed over Indra as he stared into the glazed-over eyes of the trespasser. Thoughts of what they might do flooded his brain; however, each one was silenced as the intruder lunged to attack Indra. He narrowly avoided the attempt, scrambling off of the floor and into the kitchen with his assailant still trailing him. He could only touch the handle of a knife from the block before being forced to the floor. The knives fell over on the counter and were within reach, but Indra was too preoccupied with being harshly pinned against a cabinet by his attacker and struggling to push them off. Eventually, he got to a point where he could somewhat hold them off with one arm, so he took the opportunity to reach for a fallen knife and stab it into the attacker's neck with all of his strength. The attacker let out a sound that could only be described as an unholy blend of a human yell and an inhuman screech as blood began spilling from their neck to the floor and Indra’s clothes. Still feeling resistance, however, he drove the knife into the assailant twice more until they finally stopped.

Indra was left panting after he pushed the intruder’s body off of him. A wave of panic washed over him as he connected the pieces of yesterday’s mystery in a single moment. The infection that he overheard the store employees talking about must have reached the city. While Indra was still drowning in his thoughts, the phone rang to snap him out of his haze. Seeing that it was his mother calling, Indra didn’t waste a second in answering. “Mom-” “Indra, listen to me, okay?” His mother interrupted him. Her voice was calm, but Indra could tell that she was trying to mask a sense of fear. “Get your brothers and get out of the city. Right now.” Her instructions were simple enough, but they left Indra wondering about the safety of his parents. “What about you?” Indra asked, with distress clearly woven into his question. “Don’t worry about me. Just take your brothers and g-” His mother was abruptly cut off, and all Indra heard was the drone of the phone line. “Mom? Mom!?” No response.

Not wanting to squander any time, Indra rushed to Rohan and Kasim’s room, per his conscience and mother’s request. “Hey, what was all that noise? And is that blood on you?” Rohan spoke up when his older brother burst into the room, not missing the red stains on Indra’s clothes. “I-I’ll explain later, but we need to leave right now.” Indra wasn’t able to hide his panic any longer as both his breaths and speech were quick. Without question, the twins put on their shoes as fast as possible and followed their brother to the car.

The atmosphere during the drive was noticeably tense. Rohan and Kasim were constantly gazing at the smoke that loomed in the air deeper in the city accompanied by a bright orange light cast onto the buildings. They also didn’t overlook the uncertainty on their brother’s face. “Indra, can you tell us what’s going on?” Kasim was clearly unsettled and tired of being left in the dark. A hesitant sigh escaped Indra before answering. “I don’t know the specifics, but there’s some kind of infection going around.” Indra kept his focus on the road. “What you heard earlier was… I guess someone who was infected got inside.” He knew his brothers weren’t little children, but he didn’t want them to think he was some sort of killer, either. Regardless, he told the truth. The twins shared a quick glance but didn't question Indra’s statement. “None of us are infected, right?” Rohan’s question held the same worry as his twin. “No.” Indra plainly replied to reassure not only his brothers but himself as well. “What about Mom and Dad? Are they okay? Do they know where we’re going?” Rohan sounded more panicked with each question, and Indra had to think quickly to quell his younger brother’s anxiety. “They’re fine. They called earlier and said they’ll meet us once we’re out of the city, alright?” Indra lied. He already had an idea of what happened to his parents, but he couldn’t let either of his brothers know. At least not right now.

As their driving continued, the amount of cars on the road increased, with some even headed in the same direction as Indra. Before long, the three came upon a large traffic jam with a multitude of military vehicles just off the side of the road. “Shit.” Indra was on edge, trying to quickly think of how to pass the obstacle ahead. Promptly, an idea came to mind. If he could get off of the road they were on, there’s an alternate entry road that would take them further into the city. All Indra would have to do is find a different exit. It wasn’t the best plan; other people might have had the same idea and already started backing up the alternate road, but the only other option was to sit and stay there for God knows how long. Without wasting another moment, Indra steered the car into the grass, making his way down his improvised route.

By some miracle, the other road wasn’t blocked and took them to the heart of the city relatively smoothly. However, entering would be the only smooth part about taking this detour. Complete pandemonium had enveloped the streets. People were screaming and sprinting in every direction. Broken glass and debris were falling to the ground, and smoke was filling the air from the fires in the buildings.

Indra was having trouble navigating the city streets with its populace, either recklessly driving or running onto the road in every which way. The sight only heightened the already tense atmosphere inside the car. Indra's primary focus was on moving ahead and evading the panicked pedestrians, causing the other vehicles to become afterthoughts. “Indra, watch out!” His younger brothers snapped Indra out of his tunnel vision, but it was too late. A white light blinded them, followed by the sound of metal violently denting and glass shattering.

A harsh pounding sensation coursed through Indra’s head as his vision slowly returned. He was still in a daze as he began feeling the cuts that formed on his hands and face. For a moment, he thought that everything he previously experienced was just a horrible dream until another bout of pain pulsed through his head. Immediately, Indra snapped his head around to see his brothers slowly regaining consciousness and rushed out of the car to help them. Rohan stumbled, still disoriented, but Kasim could only struggle to slide himself to his older brother. “My leg. It hurts really bad.” Kasim’s words were somewhat breathy from the pain, prompting Indra to help him the rest of the way out and set him on the ground for a moment. Kasim’s leg had a gruesome gash that was leaking blood just a few inches above his ankle. Seeing the injury, Indra picked him up, apologizing as he winced. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do,” Indra began. “We have to make it out of here on foot. Rohan, you stay right next to me, no matter what. Kasim,” He looked at the brother in his arms. “You don’t look at anything but me, okay?” Both twins nodded at Indra’s command.

Indra and Rohan ran on the sidewalk as fast as Indra could run while carrying Kasim, passing buildings with broken windows and fires spreading inside. They turned into an alleyway that seemed to have a clear area at the end of it; however, once they reached the end of the alley, they saw multiple people hunched over others, some of them writhing in pain and discomfort. Almost as if on cue, one of the hunched-over people snapped their head to the three. As Indra locked eyes with the individual, memories of the horrifying scene at his house flooded his mind. The person's gaze mirrored that eerie glazed expression, accompanied by grotesque tendrils dangling from their mouth.

In what seemed like less than a second, the infected person sprang at the trio, forcing them to dart back into the alley and into the metal door of a building. Rohan slammed the door behind Indra and Kasim just in time for the infected person chasing them to slam themselves into the door. The brothers slowly backed away in fear, thinking they had a moment of safety, but the infected person outside continued to ram themself into the door. Thinking quickly, Indra pointed out a metal desk for Rohan to barricade the door with since Kasim was still in his arms, and without wasting a second, Rohan pushed the desk against the door with another slam.

The group took a brief moment to catch their breath with the infected person’s assault delayed when suddenly a crumbling sound came from just above them. Without a second to think, Indra and Rohan began to run again but got separated by a substantial amount of debris that fell from the floor above them. It could have been from the repeated slamming against the door sending rough vibrations to the level above, but nevertheless, a wall of debris separated Rohan from Indra and Kasim. “Indra!” Rohan yelled in panic for his older brother from the opposite side of the new barrier. Pure anxiety and fear for his brother overtook Indra, especially since Rohan was on the side of the barrier with the infected person just outside, but he needed to at least try to mask that fear. “Rohan! Rohan, don’t move, I’m coming to get you!” Indra tried to affirm the separated twin.

Indra quickly identified a rear exit and hurriedly carried Kasim to safety behind a neighboring structure. Meanwhile, on Rohan's side of the rubble-strewn wall, the infected individual persistently flung themselves against the door, gradually shifting the desk in front of it, causing Rohan to tremble in terror.

“Okay, I’m gonna go get Rohan. If anything happens, you go in there as fast as you can, got it? I’ll be right back, I swear.” Indra gestured to the back entrance of the building they were behind. Kasim gave him a nod, still stricken by fear for the safety of both of his brothers and with that, Indra fully sprinted to the alley where they first entered. When he was close enough to see the door, however, his heart sank, seeing that it was forced open.

Indra rushed to the door, hoping that by some miracle Rohan was inside and still safe and sound, but he was too late. In the corner, just by the wall of rubble, lay his younger brother’s lifeless corpse, adorned with horrible lacerations all across his body. His clothes were in tatters and served as a heart-wrenching reminder of Rohan’s bygone innocence. The once vibrant blue of his shirt was now soaked with splotches of deep crimson, the sleeves frayed to reveal his limp arms. His pants bore horrible rips and his shoes were kicked off, showing evidence of Rohan’s final moments of agony. “Oh god… oh god, please… no.” Indra’s entire world came crashing down right in front of him. A stream of tears began falling from his eyes as he made his way over to his now-deceased brother. Indra knelt down to close Rohan’s eyes and only continued sobbing when his arm dropped. He could only imagine what it felt like to be stuck in a death trap and separated from the person who was supposed to protect you.

Though he was overwhelmed with grief, Indra remembered that he still needed to get Kasim and himself out of the city, so with a heavy heart, Indra sprinted back to Kasim with tears still running down his cheeks. He couldn’t shake the gruesome image out of his head, completely blaming himself for the tragic outcome. How could he let this happen? If only he could have been faster. If only he didn’t take Rohan there, maybe he’d still be alive.

By the time he reached his brother, he was panting from both emotional and physical exertion, so he was somewhat relieved when he saw a soldier dressed in black tactical gear standing across from Kasim. Maybe he’d be willing to help, but Indra soon discovered that wasn’t the case.

The soldier’s presence was imposing, with a stern and unyielding expression on his face, his gear showing various signs of his previous encounters. “Freeze!” The soldier barked out his command while pointing his rifle at Indra, making him recoil in fear. The muzzle seemed as if it was staring back with a grim determination. “Please. He’s my brother. W-We’re just trying to get somewhere safe.” Indra pleaded with the soldier, voice tinged with a hopeful anxiousness. He glanced at Kasim and noticed his face bore a terrified appearance. Whatever transpired while he was absent must have been traumatic, adding to the guilt he felt from losing Rohan.

After Indra spoke, the soldier paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating his next move. He lowered his weapon slightly, but his grip remained firm, ready to react at a moment’s notice. He reached for the walkie on his chest, relaying information about the two in front of him. “I have two civilians in front of me. One adult male, one teen. Teen is injured.” The soldier reported to who Indra assumed was his superior, the radio crackling with static. “Yes, sir… Yes, sir… Understood.” The soldier replied to the instructions he was given. His hand left his chest and found its place back on his rifle, which he now aimed at Kasim. The tension in the air almost suffocated the brothers, and it felt as if time stood still as Indra questioned why his younger brother was staring down the barrel of a gun. His mind was racing, attempting to sway the soldier’s decision. He knew they needed help, but he also understood the fear and paranoia that held everyone in a chokehold. Regardless, the military is supposed to help people, right? So why did he see Kasim as a threat? “No. STOP HE’S NOT SICK!” Indra’s voice was desperate, begging for any sense of empathy or humanity, but his cries fell on deaf ears. The soldier’s gaze on Kasim remained unwavering as a single gunshot rang through the air.

Instantly, Indra tackled the soldier to the ground, knocking the rifle out of his hands. Overtaken by a blind rage, he began to bash the soldier’s head with his bare hands. He could almost feel the bones fracturing with each strike, but Indra didn’t stop until he was out of breath and his hands were thoroughly painted red with the soldier’s blood. Once, he snapped out of his rampage, his ears filled with the sound of Kasim breathing sharply. “Shit, not again.” Indra could feel himself choking up again. Kasim’s abdomen was pouring blood, soaking both his shirt and the ground. Indra tried to lift his brother, but Kasim yelped and pushed against Indra at the intense, sharp pain that suddenly coursed through his body. “I know, I know, I’m sorry, but I need to get you out of here, okay?” Indra’s speech was rushed, and he attempted to lift his brother again. However, Kasim once again cried out in pain and resisted his brother. “I know, I know. Please, baby, I need to get you up.” Indra’s voice was now breaking and tears were rolling down his cheeks as he pleaded, trying to save his brother, but soon Kasim’s breathing stopped. “Kasim… please… please say something… don’t do this to me.” Indra’s desperate beg for any kind of response echoed in the dead air. He cradled his brother tightly in his arms, but there was no response. No signs of life.

In that devastating moment, Indra felt completely lost. His entire family was torn away from him in one night. He wept uncontrollably as he felt the tidal wave that was his entire reality falling apart. His soul was filled with anguish and his spirit utterly shattered. Indra was now forced to navigate a bleak and merciless landscape with his will to survive now flickering like a fragile flame that could be blown out at any second.

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- To be continued -

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