Parking lot (Chpt. 25)

"We don't know, just stay inside and listen to Chris." "Okay." Then he hangs up the phone. "Okay, we're gonna go." He starts the car again and gets out of the gas station with your parents behind you. It takes a while before you stop in a grocery store parking lot that is mostly empty. Chris Parks the car and gets out and goes over to your parents. They start talking but you can't tell what they're saying. Then Chris comes back to the car. "Okay, y'all can get out, we're going to the store for some stuff." He says as he takes out the keys of the car. Everyone gets out and walks to the store. "Chris what was that all about, first in the neighborhood and now at the gas station?" Emma says as she runs up to him. "Well I don't mean to sound silly or anything but they kinda looked like zombies" Chris stays silent for a while. "They really did." He says in a more hushed voice. "Okay so what do we need from the store?" Your mother asks, holding a pen and a little notebook. "Maybe some bread, water and some food." She writes it down and puts the pen in her pocket. You enter and there's people with carts full of food, the checkout lines are long and wrap around everywhere and everyone. "Let's look for the bread first." Your mother says and starts walking around, looking for bread. Soon you finish finding everything you need, except water, which has been completely wiped off the shelves. You stand in the shortest line you could find. "Did you hear of what's been happening around?" "No, what is it?" "They say there's been zombified people have been going around attacking others!" "What? You don't believe that bullshit right? You should know that zombies aren't real." "I'm telling you man it's real! There's even footage of it." You overhear people from in front of you say.

You leave the store after a long wait in line and put the groceries in the back of the car. "We're done for now, we should go find a place to stay for now." Chris says as he goes over to the driver's door. He gets in and starts the car, he drives around until he finds a 24 hour store and parks there. "This is good enough I guess." He says as he opens his door and goes to the back. He comes back with some blankets in his arms. "Okay, here's some blankets, imma go give some to your siblings and parents I'll be right back." He walks away to the other car with blankets. He comes back and closes the door. "Okay go to bed all of you."

In the morning there's some cars in the parking lot as well, some people going in and out of the store too. Your parents and Chris are discussing something. You go up to them. "Hey mom, imma go to the restroom in the store." "Oh okay, we'll stay around here." "Okay." You wave goodbye and go into the store as you look around for the restroom. There's a short line for the men's restroom but it's bearable. "Yeah dude, it's been all over the news, they said it's something that this group of religious people kept but supposedly some crazy guy set it free." "What is it?" "Uh they said it's like a curse or something I don't know but all I know is that we have to be careful when we go out."