Destination Life or Death

1.

I open my eyes slowly only to be jolted up by my brain reacting to the loud, blaring siren sending the same question to everyone, "what is going on?". I looked around my room and grabbed the silver and black striped scrunchie sitting on my nightstand table and tied my black wavy hair into a tight knotted bun. I got up and looked out my window, I had been wearing some of the basketball shorts I had gotten from my brother before he went off to college, and an old t-shirt I had found at a local thrift shop. When I looked out into the cold night, I saw people, scared people. Some of them trying to nail boards to their windows and some cramming everything they could possibly carry into the back of their cars. I looked around my room quickly and turned on my radio clock, the eerie sound of a computer animated voice came over 'FIND SHELTER, UNDER ATTACK' The same words over and over. I quickly grabbed a backpack and started shoving some clothes in. I grabbed my favorite black and grey Hoodie I had gotten from my dad before he passed, a pair of jeans. I threw on a red t-shirt and a pair of black jeans along with the same dirty combat boots I wore every day. I ran out of my bedroom going straight into my mothers room, almost expecting to see her standing there, but she wasn't there, she was gone, bed made and clothes gone, she left me. I ran my hand over my forehead feeling the damp sweat coming from my pores in fear. I went downstairs to my fathers old office, he taught me at a young age how to shoot, and as much as I hated guns , I needed one. I went and unlocked the safe with a password as simple as my name 'Dezzy'.  My hand wrapped around  the hand grip of the gun and tucked it in the waist of my pants. Moving quickly I grabbed two big kitchen knives and as much canned food I could carry. I went into the garage and stopped, dads truck. I hadn't stepped into the truck after he died, it had only been a year and thinking about the rides we would have down to the candy shop in the next town over while listening to Elvis Presley made me almost at peace with what I knew the world to be turning into. I shook my head of the thoughts and threw everything in the truck making sure to grab the handbook of plants and herbs my mom had bought at some tacky pitstop on a roadtrip to the springs once, even though it was little, it might help. I stopped in my tracks at the slow banging sound on my garage door and then realized the terror I could hear outside before, was silent, nothing except the loud growling noise coming from outside. I got in the truck and opened the garage by a button we attached to the visor and then started the truck, well tried to start the truck. It wasn't starting, the rumbling engine but no power, I looked to the passenger side that now had the face of my neighbor, or what used to be my neighbor pressed against the small window. My eyes widened as I froze for a moment realizing the growls I had been hearing were from these dead things walking around. I looked forward and twisted the key once again and then leaned back with a sigh of relief when the car roared as it started. I pulled out as fast as I thought I could and started driving. I wouldn't say my town was small but it wasn't big in the slightest, only having two gas stations and one grocery store. I looked around at everything I once knew burning. Abandoned. Decaying.

I spent all night driving, until I could see the sun rising above the tree line I was driving past. I looked in the field that had filled the gap of the road and forest to a lone, decaying human walking limply across the tall yellow grass. I took a deep breath and sped up. It was the end of the world, yet oddly I felt so peaceful, so okay with it all. The radio did not work anymore and even if my phone would have worked, I didn't think to bring it with me, so I sat tapping my finger to some old tune to a song I never knew the name of. The sun was finally beaming into the windows, providing me warmth that I knew I wouldn't feel in the fall night. I pulled over when I reached a long stretch of cars, I looked around and then sighed.  "Here's a start I guess" I whipped out loud to myself as I started walking over to a green and black charger that had been parked in the long line of cars and opened the door that was surprisingly unlocked. I climbed in leaving the door open behind me and scrummaging through the bags that had been left by whoever owned them before. I heard distant talking, the living, not the dead. I shot my head up and looked around to see a small group of people standing at the other end of the line, I closed the door as quietly as I could and then sat on the floorboard with a back duffle bag covering most of my body and my hand covering my plump lips so I would assure to make no sound. After a few minutes, I peeked from behind the seat, and saw a boy. He was standing two cars in front with his back leaned against the back of a car while talking to an older man. The boy seemed to be about my age, and he caught my attention for sure. His long brown hair and his pale skin laced with freckles I could see from a mile away, and before I knew it he was stepping closer. I ducked and then looked out the window across from me that then held the image of a back, not the same as the boys but someone older, not old but maybe around 40. I widened my eyes and held my breath as I waited for him to pass. I let out a sigh of relief and then realized the shadow of the boy peering threw the window behind me. Before I could even react, I heard the words ''Get in a car and stay quiet" coming from what sounded to be at least 3 rows in front. I shut my eyes as the driver's door flung open and the boy who intrigued me, was sitting not even a foot in front of me. I moved ever so slightly making a sound by my jacket rubbing against the rough black fabric of the duffle bag. I froze, knowing he had to have heard me, and without him moving a muscle, I could hear his quiet raspy voice say "Who's here?".

The heat coming from my blood rising to my cheeks I closed my eyes and then opened them when the sun was covered by the dead. "Wait" I whispered in my deep yet soft voice. It was silent, the whole time until the last shadow moved past the car we had both awkwardly sat in. I pushed the bag off my lap and sat up on the seat, "Please don't tell anyone" I asked using the biggest puppy dog eyes I could pull off. He hadn't moved, not one inch. So I looked in the rear view mirror hoping to get a good enough up close glimpse of the boy I had been so intrigued with. All I could mark out was the blue, inviting yet so cold eyes. Before I could say another thing he got out of the car and made his way back to his group. Once I knew they were gone, I started walking, with the clothes on my back and the knife tucked in my shoe, as they took everything I had brought with me, including the gas to my dad's old red and white truck. I wanted to cry but couldn't, so I grabbed a water bottle from one of the empty cars and made my way towards the tree lining, thinking that that would be my best guess at a safe spot.
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HEY! I've been trying to add music but I just can't figure out how to make it visible for everyone so I made a playlist!! I put them in order from top to bottom, The Link is in the bio, on my account:) I hope you enjoy the read and give me your feedback !!