Trixie Heather

The city was enveloped in darkness as night settled in after Elena left the mall.

The streetlights cast a captivating glow, guiding her as she drove home.

When Elena approached a left turn move, she felt hungry.

So she stopped a few blocks away, remembering the barbecue stalls at the corner.

I'll take my dinner first and stock some in my space, Elena whispers as she drives to the open area.

As she pulled into the stall's parking lot, the aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air, making her more hungry.

She stepped from the truck and lined up to take an order.

When it was her turn, she immediately ordered.

"Hi! I want to order 300 of each type of barbeque, please,"

The vendor paused, looking at her with surprise and suspicion.

"300? That's a lot of barbeque! Are you hosting a big party or something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elena was briefly stunned. Did she look suspicious? Do vendors nowadays need an explanation when buying food?

Nevertheless, she still made an alibi.

"Oh yes! My relative is coming tonight and I want to make sure there's enough food for all of them," she replied with a friendly smile.

The vendor seemed to consider her explanation for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Alright, if you say so! Just give me a few minutes to get everything ready," he said as he started preparing her order.

While Elena waited, she found a seat at a nearby table.

She looked around at the lively scene: families laughing together, couples sharing bites from their plates, and friends chatting over their meals.

The warm atmosphere reminded her of a simpler life she longed for.

She wondered again.

How many of these people will survive the coming apocalypse? A sense of sadness creeps in.

She wished she could enjoy these cozy moments without the heavy weight of worry on her shoulders.

After a while, her order was ready, and she thanked the vendor as she grabbed the boxes.

But she wasn't done yet.

To keep up the charade, she approached another stall.

"Can I get 100 chicken skewers, please?" she asked, sounding casual.

"Sure! Coming right up!" the vendor replied, busy grilling away.

She moved to the next stall once she had the chicken skewers in hand.

"And I'll take 50 pork ribs from you!" she ordered, keeping her tone light.

"Wow, you really are hungry!" the ribs vendor chuckled as he prepared her order.

She repeated ordering several times in different stalls until she felt this was enough for now.

After completing her massive order of barbeques, Elena finally returned to her truck.

With several large boxes filled with food, she carefully stored everything in her space.

Satisfied, she drove straight home.

As she settled onto the sofa in her cozy living room, she pulled out her notebook.

The pages were filled with her preparation plans for the upcoming crisis.

She scanned her list; she crossed some for food and water supplies.

She still needs to buy a lot, but for now, this is enough.

She will wait for her uncle's funds to buy more.

Medicine is next, she muttered to herself.

She thought about the over-the-counter medicines she could buy: pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, cold and flu medications, antihistamines for allergies, and some antiseptic wipes for injuries.

I need to make sure I have enough to last, she thought, feeling the urgency of her situation.

After checking over her notes, she felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.

She stood up and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

As she lay in bed, her thoughts drifted to her husband again.

*****

Another day had passed since the Heather family set up their station on the east side of Willow Village in City A.

Trixie felt tight in her chest as she looked out at the empty fields where the treasure was supposed to appear.

She was annoyed and impatient.

Why isn't it showing up? She muttered, kicking a small rock in frustration.

Feeling desperate for answers, Trixie decided to call her grandfather.

After a few rings, he answered, his voice warm but worried.

"Trixie, Did the treasure show up now?"

"Not at all!" Trixie replied, her voice sharp with irritation.

"You said the treasure was supposed to show up last week! Why is it still missing?"

She dreamed of leaving this dusty village, but her grandfather said the treasure was necessary for the crisis ahead.

So, she kept waiting, though her patience was wearing thin each day.

"I know, Trixie. I've been thinking about it too," Jack said, sounding troubled.

"My insight told me that the treasure has already shown up. It has never been wrong before. Something must be off."

Jack was worried. Did someone interfere?

He thought about the abbot of the monastery.

No, their ability to see the future isn't strong, he reassured himself.

Maybe the treasure hadn't come yet because it was waiting for the right moment.

"Be patient, Trixie. Maybe it wasn't the right time. My insight might have been wrong about the date. It could appear tomorrow," Jack said, trying to calm Trixie.

"I get it, Grandpa. But this village is too backward for me. There are so many mosquitoes here; they're driving me crazy!" Trixie complained.

"Just try to be understanding, dear. The treasure will be yours, so you need to wait patiently," Jack said gently, hoping to cheer her up.

"Alright, Grandpa," Trixie replied, feeling a little better.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself to hang in there a bit longer.

After the call, Trixie was about to step into the tent when a loud bang echoed from the north side of Willow Village.

The sound of gunfire sent a jolt of alarm through her

Her heart raced as she turned to see everyone in the camp looking in the direction of the gunfire.

"What was that? Who's shooting?" she wondered, anxiety creeping in.

As the gunfire faded, Trixie's instincts kicked in.

"We need to see what happened!" she declared.

She wanted to head toward the noise, feeling a mix of courage and worry.

But before she could take another step, her security team leader, Marcus, held up his hand to stop her.

"Wait, Miss Trixie," Marcus said firmly, his brow furrowed with concern.

He was a former mercenary with years of experience in handling dangerous situations.

He was known for his calm demeanor and quick thinking.

"We can't go charging in there. It could be unsafe. We should scout the area first."

Trixie frowned, feeling frustrated.

"I understand your worry, but we have to be careful," Marcus replied, trying to reassure her.

"Remember, your grandfather wanted us to keep a low profile here in Willow Village. He didn't want to draw attention to ourselves or cause any unnecessary trouble."

Trixie sighed, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

"I know he wants us to be careful, but this is serious. What if the treasure is involved somehow?"

Marcus shook his head.

"We don't know what we're dealing with yet. If we rush in without knowing, we could make everything worse. Let's stay calm and gather more information first."

Reluctantly, Trixie nodded. She trusted Marcus's judgment.

"Okay, let's scout the area," she said, trying to sound more confident.

Marcus brought the team together, whispering instructions while Trixie watched.

Her mind raced with questions.

What had happened? Who was firing a gun in this quiet village?

In the back of her mind, she hoped the treasure would still come to them soon, especially if there were more trouble ahead.