Chapter 5

When I wake up the sadness hits me like a wave. Piper is gone. They probably ate her. The thought is enough for bile to rise in my throat. My hand flies to my mouth as my vision blurs with tears again. I get myself under control and stand up. My body aches from sleeping on the cold tile of the dining room. Looking at the front door as I attempt to relieve the stiffness in my joints, I realize that the fuckers who took my dog didn't think to grab my bag. At least the Universe is giving me something to work with.

I slip the straps onto my shoulders and make my way back into the kitchen. After scrounging around for anything else that might be useful before I leave, I feel decently prepared. I also grabbed some candles and any lighters and matches I could find. I think I'm mostly stalling because the gravity of what I'm doing is finally hitting me full force. I can barely walk into a grocery store by myself without the anxiety killing me. How in the world am I going to make it to Iowa alone? I can't stay though. Who's to say that more people won't find their way here thinking they will find something useful?

With a defeated sigh, I look around as I say goodbye to my childhood home. While I'm thinking about it, I grab a family photo from the counter and hold it in my hands as tears slip down my face silently. We are all smiling largely in the photograph. It was taken last summer when we visited Alabama for our first family vacation. Sitting on the beach, our hair is ruffled by the wind, but we are all happy. I can still remember how the sand clung to the coordinating outfits that mom made us wear. It's almost like the one I already grabbed, but this one holds more emotion, our faces so sincere. I wipe my eyes with one hand and then slip the photograph out of the black frame it was encased in and slide it safely into my backpack. As I gather a sleeping Twitch off the back of the couch, he sings his protest to my manhandling of him during a catnap. I settle him into the crook of my arm and look around.

Memories of baking cookies and fighting with my sister flood my brain as I fight to keep my composure. The only thing I can do now is set out to find out what the hell is going on and where my family is. Checking that my knife is in place, at my side, ready to be used, I step out the front door and shut it. I make my way a few steps into the overgrown yard. A certain sense of determination fills me the longer I stand there. Looking around me, there are only woods, fields, and our driveway that snakes up and around the woods. I let Twitch down out of my arms and he mewls before taking off to the woods. I figure he would have a better chance of survival being free in the world. After all, he still has decent instincts and hunting is his favorite pastime. I watch as his body grows smaller the further into the woods he goes. Although the feeling of loss has only been growing since everything happened, I am going to choose to be optimistic.

That's what mom always told me when she was reading her enlightenment books. You must choose to be happy despite what may be happening in your life. It's a mindset, an attitude. Well, time to go. Time to give her methods a try.

I sigh again, walking around the house to the small car that is parked near the back door. Tossing my bag into the passenger seat, I shut the door and walk into the small storage shed off to the side of the house. Surveying its contents, I grab two decent size fuel cans. You never know what will come in handy. I think to myself as I load my findings into the backseat of my neighbor's grey Chevy Equinox. There may come a time when I can't make it into the trunk when I need my equipment, and I have plenty of room right now, anyway. Shutting the doors of the car, I make my way around to the driver's side. After one more visual sweep of the area, I get myself settled behind the wheel and hit the lock button. Better make that a habit. I scowl to myself.

After starting the ignition, I begin to pull up the driveway. Once I reach the end of the driveway, I pull onto the main road and head towards the highway. There aren't a lot of houses around here, so nothing seems to be all that disturbed. I crack my window and pull a pack of cigarettes from the center console of the car. Mr.Davidson doesn't know, but Mrs. Davidson keeps an emergency pack for when she is exceptionally stressed out. Must be often since she works as an EMT. Worked. She worked as an EMT. Now, she's gone just like everyone else. I take a long drag and try to let the tension melt from my shoulders as I look around at my peaceful surroundings. It almost feels like it could be a normal day. I see no wildlife as I make my way down the curvy road. The sun shines down on the brilliant green leaves adorning the trees. A soft breeze making it seem as though they are waving goodbye. I have a feeling that this will be my last drive along this road for a long time, perhaps even ever.