Watching the people who turned back leave, those who chose to press on were also plunged into boundless panic.
"Whether you go back or press on is your own choice. No one knows if we'll find a water source by continuing forward. Before we left, I said it many times: leaving and staying are your own decisions. But once you've made your choice, don't blame anyone. This isn't anybody's fault. It's fate that's not giving us a way out, forcing us to search for a path to survival again and again."
Taylor Vance came to the center of the crowd and announced loudly.
"Everyone, think it over carefully now. Are you going forward, or are you returning to the safe zone? We leave in one hour."
"Aunt Dawson and her family all went back," Serena Lynch said quietly as she walked over. "I saw they still had quite a lot of things. Why would they suddenly decide to turn back?"
"They're probably afraid they won't find a path to survival if they keep going."
