22

In that moment I was glad that whoever was the main driver of this car was about the same height as me. The mirrors weren't adjusted quite right for me, but they were close enough. Another thing I was glad for was the fact that I hadn't used all my mana on that arrow. I had packed it with as much fire based mana as I could, but there was a limit to how much the arrow could take. I created a barrier of fire just above the roof of the mini van. 

Two bestial howls rang out as the already flaming beasts were set ablaze once again. That barrier of fire drained what was left of my mana. Both kids quieted down after that. I slowed down a little so I didn't feel as if I was going to fly off the road as I went through a few tight curves. I'd cut through what was normally a forty minute drive in about twenty minutes. 

I rolled past the empty elementary school. The mini van needed gas, and I could hear whistling coming from somewhere. I pulled into the nearest gas station, and parked the car next to one of the gas pumps. I sat there for a few minutes. Just breathing heavily. 

I'd left behind all the corpses of the bat creatures, and destroyed one of my arrows. I could have used those materials, but I would have to settle for the experience. I looked back at the two pale, and quiet boys. Focusing on the older one for a moment. 

"How old are you?" I asked the older one pointedly. 

He looked a little shocked for a moment, "I'm fourteen."

"Come on," I climbed out of the mini van. 

Luckily I'd pulled in on the correct side for me to pump gas. It didn't have a locking gas cover so that was a worry for another time. The older boy popped out of the mini van as I paid with my debit card. 

"Have you pumped gas before?" I eyed him as I asked. 

"Dad showed me how," he eyed me, and the gas pump. 

"Fill it up while I go get you boys some food," I watched him for a moment as he picked up the gas pump, and put it into the car. 

I nodded, and started to walk away. 

"Keep an eye out," I paused my walk, "If you see anything strange get back in the van. Close, and lock those doors. Start it up, and drive it through the front doors of the store if you have to."

"I don't know how to drive," The boy answered.

"Ever driven a bumper car," I started walking again, "That's all the knowledge you need to get the car up to the store."

I picked up the pace. Sprinting over to the store. The parking lot was pretty much empty, but the store itself wasn't locked. The doors opened like usual. I grabbed a cart, and held up the unicorn horn dagger I'd managed to snag from the younger boy before running over here. 

Not all the lights were on, and that in itself was worrying. I avoided the darkness like a plague as I moved to the section that had pre made sandwiches first. I loaded the cart up with every food I got close to that didn't require heating. The store was both empty, and quiet. That disturbed me more then I cared to admit. 

I grabbed a bunch of canned food next. Anything that didn't require cold to be stored was my target. Noodles, canned food, and some stuff that could keep for a while without a fridge. Then I heard a quiet tapping sound. I abandoned the idea of packing the cart even fuller. 

The cart was about three quarters of the way full. I rushed toward the front of the store as the tapping sound got louder, and there were more of them. I rushed up to the sliding doors only to find they weren't opening like they did when I came in. I raised the dagger, and looked at the door as a whole. I didn't see anything on my first scan, but on the second I noticed a few tight strands stopping the door from opening. 

I'd never been all that afraid of spiders, but I'd also never been face to face with a single strand of spider's silk that could stop a door from opening. Spider's silk is flammable right? I felt a little thrill up my spine as I used my fire element to burn through that strand as the tapping was getting loud, and insistent. I rushed through the partially open door with my cart full of goods. I felt something slammed into my back, and promptly slammed whatever it was into the ice freezer before stabbing over my shoulder with the dagger. 

A scream erupted from next to my ear as the blade bit into whatever had jumped on my back. As soon as I departed from the machine it dropped off of me, and tried to rush through the automatic door that had already closed. I was not in the mood for mercy so before taking in what exactly had jumped on me I stabbed at the middle of it's big clunky ass section. It screeched again in a tone that was way more human then I was prepared for as the slow doors started to open. It tried to rush for the gap only for me to yank it back. 

As strong as this thing was it couldn't drag me around. It's legs scrambled as I dropped my full weight on it. Withdrawing my dagger just to slice off three of it's spider legs. I finished by slicing off the other legs so it couldn't scramble anymore before stabbing it in the head. The tapping sound hadn't gone away, and now the door was open so I put up a barrier of fire without actually seeing if anything was there. 

These things had quietly waited for me to be thoroughly in the store before stalking me, and they had the intelligence to block the door. Ambushing me while I was busy killing another one was what I would do. It was better to be safe then sorry. Several way too human squeals reached my ears as the flames sprang up before them. I looked through the glass only to see another few dozen of these spider like creatures that had almost human faces.