Chapter 3: The Daze

It felt like I was back on that road trip to California only just a month ago.

Only this time there was no music, no smiling faces. Only distant stares looking at all the destruction of our home. Many places we passed were either smoking from fires or just unrecognizable. It hurt my heart to think of all the souls that have been turned into abominations roaming around in the dark corners of the world.

One by one we had managed to meet up with the others. We had a small group of cars moving past each city. Many roads were blocked so we had to take a different route every couple of miles.

We stopped at a gas station that looked to be somewhat intact. We managed to get a pump working and started to fuel each of the cars, and then fill some gas canisters to bring with us. Bella, Kiersten, and I went inside with weapons to see if we could grab any food or water. We had always gone grocery shopping when we got to the lake, but now that wasn't an option. We had to stop to grab provisions and whatever else we could find.

Just as we thought we were in the clear an ear-piercing scream rang out. I turned with my bow to face a 7-foot-tall bat mutant towering over my form. Its skin was the same as its host but faded into sickly decaying skin. Its face had a large hooked bat nose with deep black eyes and huge ears. I loaded an arrow into the notch and fired at the mutant's chest. But that didn't deter it. It lunged at me and I jumped out of the way and I grabbed my hunting knife off my belt stabbing its shoulder. I cried out in pain and hunched over.

"Hurry take Bella! Get out!" I yelled out grabbing another arrow out of my quiver. 

Kiersten grabbed Bella and bolted out of the store. The beast noticed and started to move to the door.

"Hey! Over here you ugly fucker!" I yelled out to get it to look back at me. Its head twisted around in my direction as I aimed at its head.

I let the arrow loose and it shot through its eye. It froze for a moment before it fell to the ground. I held my breath half expecting it to get back up but then i noticed the pooling of dark blood coming out of its mouth and eye. I slowly walked up to it and poked it with my bow. It didn't move. I grabbed my arrow still in its head and pulled. A sickening squelch noise was made as some of its brain was still on the arrow. I kicked it over and grabbed the other arrow in its chest. It wasn't too deep but took some force to get it out. 

Zen had run in and saw me standing over the thing. 

"Are you alright?" He asks coming up to me and looking over my body to make sure I hadn't been hurt. 

"I'm fine, I managed to kill it," I say breathlessly looking back at it. My heart dropped. That was a human being once. What has our world turned into? 

We walked back outside and I saw everyone's faces were relieved to see I was okay. 

Bella was holding on to Kiersten and she nudged her to look at me. I watched her eyes tear up as she ran at me hugging my waist. I held her tight. I was relieved she was unharmed.

This was how it was going to be now. Constantly in danger for the rest of our lives until one of those things gets to us? I walked Bellas back to the truck as we all started to load back up. 

"Are you okay?" Vegas asked me. I looked at my cousin who had a look of concern. 

"I'll be fine when we get out of here," I say as some of them go back into the store and grab more stuff. I looked back at Bella, she still had some tears on her face.

It broke my heart that she wouldn't get to have a carefree life anymore. I moved myself to the back seat hugged her frame tightly and quietly whispered to her

"shh, it is going to be alright, you're safe now," I say as I kiss her on her head. A few minutes later we got back onto the road. I turned back around and made myself comfortable in the front seat.

"I know where we'll be safe for the night," I say breaking the silence of the car. 

Zen hummed

"Where?" I asked as I thought about the next city I knew we were about to pass through,

"Remember that heavily gated corner store we stopped at once in Mineral Wells?" I ask my brother as he took a moment to think. 

"Yeah, the one with the old soda signs in the window?" He asks me as I nod

"Yes, it should be safe for us to stay at for the night right?" I question as Zen was silent for a minute. 

"Its the best we got" he responds