The Dead Live (Book 3)

Chapter 15: Stop! (Shannon's PoV)

I looked at her for a few moments, as I was a bit surprised at the same time too. I had seen a lot of people on their phones in the DMV, had they not gotten the same notification that Lilly had? My mother had a phone, but she rarely ever used it.
Maybe everyone just thought of it as no big deal, and they simply did not care at all. They just wanted to get their stuff, and then leave the DMV, which was fair enough I suppose. I blinked, as I shook my head, trying to clear out all of the thoughts, of what I had just seen in the DMV, no less than 20 minutes ago.
I felt sick, and I felt like I just wanted to lay down, and cry at the same time as well. I wondered if the lady I was with, would judge me if I did so. I did not care though, I had lost my mother, and she was my world. The world was ending right in front of my eyes, quite literally and metaphorically.
I stared at the road that was ahead of me for a bit of some time, as I thought a bit more into what she had said to me. No one ever really got too freaked out when there was a virus that came over the world, as most people usually just thought that it was nothing to worry about, or it was government made.
If the government made this though, it made me sick to even think about. My father worked in a government office and did a lot of stuff for them. This is the way that they were going to treat people like us? I shook my head at the same time too, as it felt like none of it really mattered anymore.
I let out a bit of a large sigh at the same time as well, as I saw Lilly look over at me, as I could tell from the corner of my eye, that she did in fact feel bad for me, though she did not act like she had. I wanted to close my eyes, and all of my thoughts right now.
I just wanted to pretend that none of it was real, and this was just some sort of scary dream that I was stuck in. Like the dreams that I had when I was a little kid, they made me wake up, moving all over the bed, and screaming and crying for help.
My grand mother always told me that it was like a demon had taken over me, and I felt like she was being dead serious when she said that as well. My mother and my father always took it as a joke, which made sense, as they did not believe in any of that.
It was all real, and I could feel all of it, I could see all of it, hear all of it, smell all of it, and hell, it felt like I could taste it at the same time as well. I shook my head, as I was just glad that my thoughts were not on something much worse at the exact moment.
As a kid I had grown up with a bit of a hard life, and a bit of a messed up brain as well. It was not the fact that my family was just broke, by any means, it was quite the opposite of that in fact. I went to school, and I never made any friends at all in there.
All of the people liked to spread lies and rumors about me, since before I could even remember. I was a good looking girl, but I never fit in with that kind of group, as they would always go around telling people that I was some kind of slut that banged dudes for money.
I closed my eyes though, as I tried my best not to think about all of it, and how my mother really was my only friend. I wanted to pretend that it was not real, I wanted to... Die... I had suicidal tendencies ever since I was a little kid, and I went to therapy for that.
The therapist seemed to act like there was nothing wrong with me at all though, and I was not in there for very long. After I was out of there, I never really thought of self harming myself since then, but now suddenly I felt it taking over me, like it was when I was a lot younger.
I looked at Lilly, as she was driving the car down the free way. I saw that she had quite the sad look on her face, as it looked like she too had her world taken away from her. Maybe she would like to go out with me, I thought to myself at the same time as well.
I looked at the free way, as there was walls right on the sides of us, and it felt like with how fast we were going right now, if I was to perhaps 'accidentally' reach my hand over to the steering wheel, and spin the car right over to it, we would be killed in just an instance.
I shook my head though, as I was not sure why I was thinking such dark and evil thoughts at the exact moment. I was not sure what was going on with me right now. Maybe my grand mother had been right all along, and there was a demon inside of me.
It certainly felt like it right now, and the demon was very hard to fight off. I stared down, as I took my eyes off the road, trying to clear out all of those thoughts that were racing through my head at the moment, as if they were a formula 1 car.
I knew that I could not think like that, and I also knew at the same time, that my father would get home, and he would be worried about me. He would be scared about me and my mother, and I could not live with myself, if I did not get home, to tell him the news of what had happened.
He would go looking for us, til the day he died. I could not let that happen, as I knew I had to tell him the cold hard truth of what had happened to my mother, and what I had seen happen right in front of my eyes while I was at the DMV with my mother.
At the same time, I remembered what it was that Lilly had said to me, quite a while ago, as she had said that she was taking me to a safe place. I blinked a couple of times, as I knew what that had meant, and I knew if we were going to that place, than I would not get to see my father.
I realized that I could not just tell her that was where it was that we needed to go, or else she would deny it. I knew that I needed to slowly usher it in to her brain, that I needed to go and make sure that my father was okay, and tell him the news of what had happened.
I knew that I was not off to a good start though, as I had just been standing in the DMV, while her friend had died. If I was actually paying attention, than he could have made it out with us, and we could get him to a safe place, to heal his wounds.
I shook my head though, as I knew that it did not matter now. If she was going to the safe place, and she was taking me there, than I needed to let her know that was not where I wanted to go. I felt like that she was going to force me to go with her however.
I turned my head over to her, as I knew that I needed to speak to her, and I needed to choose my words wisely at the same time as well. I looked at her for a few seconds, til I saw her look at me from the corner of my eye. I then began to speak to her.
"Wha-wha-what's that news?" I said back to her. She sat there for just a few moments, as she did not say a word back to me, as she then squinted her eyes on the road that was in front of us. I blinked a few times, as I looked at the road that was ahead of us as well.
At first I had thought nothing of it, as I stared ahead of us, just as she had done, but then I realized that she did not have her eyes squinted on the road, because she was trying to focus on the road, but it was for a whole different reason altogether.
She was squinting her eyes, for a reason that I could not think of, but I knew that she was squinting her eyes because of me. I lowered my head to the ground for a couple of moments, as I felt a bit sick, and I was not sure what to do either.
I stared at the dash board for just a little while, as I was not sure what to do, or how to handle all that was going on all around me at the moment. I wished that my mother used her phone now, or that my parents had at least given me a phone.
They were always so strict on me though, and now it really was starting to bite me in the ass. I closed my eyes for just a few moments, until I suddenly heard the soft voice of Lilly, as she began to speak to me at the same time as well, and I looked up at her, to hear what it was that she had to say to me.
"They are all over the cities, hundreds of them... Just like the one that tore apart your mother. They want everyone to stay inside, and that is why the roads are dead right now. Your mother is going to end up like one of them soon enough, if my friend is right about all of them." She said to me. I looked at her a bit confused for just a couple of moments.
I understood why the city wanted every one to stay inside their homes, or their work places, but at the same time, I was also a bit confused by the fact that she had said my mother was going to end up like the man that had torn her in half practically.
I turned my head to the roads, as I knew that she was not lying with what she had said to me. It would not make sense that the roads would be this dead right now, especially at this time of day, as this was around the time that people normally got off work.
There had been a couple of cars that had flown past us, going way above the speed limit on the other side of the road, but aside from that, it had been dead silent. I looked away from the road that was in front of me as well, as I tried to cut off all of the shallow thoughts that were swarming my head at the exact moment.
I was not sure what to think of what she had just said to me, as I was at a bit of a loss for words at the moment. I then turned my head over to her, as I had some time to think on it, as I squinted my eyes at her this time, and then I began to speak.
"What do you mean? My mother was killed in front of me! She can't be one of them now! She is dead..." I said to her. She kept her eyes on the road, as she should be doing, but she let out a bit of a soft laugh at the same time as well however.
It got me a bit upset, as I was not so sure what it was that she had found was so funny right now. I wanted to say something, but I just crossed my arms instead, and then I looked away from her. I was a bit annoyed, and a bit angry at her response to what it was that I had just said to her.
I stared at the road that was ahead of us for some time, as I saw that the sun was going down at the same time too. I felt a bit of a shiver run down my spine, as I thought about that, though I was not too sure what it was that was going on with me.
I had never been one to be afraid of the dark, so that was not the case at all. It was something that was different, but I just was not quite so sure as to what it was that it could be. I closed my eyes, as I let out a bit of a soft sigh at the same time as well.
It was not as if it was a puff for me to tell Lilly that she was getting in my nerves, but it was clear that I had gotten her attention, as I then finally heard her respond back to what it was that I had just said to her just a few moments ago.
"The plague gets in to you, when they bite you... Once you are dead, you wake up as one of them." She said to me. I looked at her a bit confused, and a bit surprised at the same time as well. She then turned her eyes over to me for real this time, as she continued to speak to me. "It is all coming true, it is as the church had said."
I looked at her for a few moments, as I blinked at the same time too. I almost wanted to laugh, as to what it was that she had just said to me. My parents were quite the strong atheist and they had always shoved it down my throat as a young child, that religion was just some kind of joke.
I looked away, as I did my best to hide a bit of a smirk, that had suddenly come on to my face for some reason. I was not sure what it was, as I knew that she was right with what it was that she had said at the same time as well. Every single person in the world would know what it was that she was talking about.
She was speaking of how they said that the world would end, when the dead took over to earth. I was a smart girl, I was not going to be humble about it at all, and I knew just what it was that she had meant now, as to the fact that she had said my mother was going to wake up as one of them.
It made me sick, as if I was going to throw up at the same time as well. I felt like it was some sort of karma, or some thing that God had done, just specifically for my family, to learn a lesson for not believing in him. That was not the case though.
God did not give 2 shits about us at all, so I knew that he could care less about me or my family. If there really was a God out there, and all of this was true, than he was spreading his wrath on all of the world, not just my own family as I could tell.
I looked at Lilly from the corner of my eye for just a couple of moments, as I once again let out a small little puff of a sigh, which she did not respond to at all this time. I felt bad for her, as I knew that it was not just my family, as it had happened to her as well.
I felt a bit sick, as I once again closed my eyes to clear all of it from out of my head. I knew that is what it was that made me feel like I was going to vomit. I shook my head, as I then opened my eyes, and then I looked back over to Lilly, as I finally decided to speak to her again.
"I guess this is what my family gets for not believing in God, huh?" I said, with quite the sad and dark tone in my voice as I had said it to her. She sat there for a few moments, as I could tell that it had hurt her for some reason, as to what I had just said to her.
This time it was her turn to let out a bit of a sad sigh. I felt a bit bad for her, as I wondered as to what it was that I had said, that had really hurt her so much. I looked away, as I was a bit upset at my self, as this was her car, and she was the one that was taking me to 'the safe place' that she had been talking about.
I dipped my head down to the ground, as I looked at all of the trash that was down there. I was not sure if it was trash, or if it was something else. There was not really any bottles, or cans of soda, or bunches of snacks of food that I saw down on the floor.
I saw a bunch of papers that were down there instead, and a lot of them had a bunch of words written on them, all written in ink. I was about to pick them up, and read them, as I had a fair bit of interest on what it was that was said on them for some odd reason or another.
I decided not to however, as this was not my car, and if it was private stuff, than I did not want to pick it up, and read what it said. I shook my head, as finally Lilly responded to what it was that I had said to her a few moments ago, and I listened to what it was that she had to say to me as well.
"I didn't believe in God either, but my friend started showing me all of this stuff about the end times... I started to believe it... It was true..." She said to me. I looked at her for a few moments, as normally, I would think of what it was that she had said to me, as if it were some kind of joke.
I then thought back on when I had just seen my mother torn apart in front of me a few minutes ago. I nearly began to cry, as I wiped off a tear that nearly fell out of my eye. It was true, and yes, the world really was coming to an end... Or at least, it had already ended for me.
I stared back down at the dash board for a little while longer, as I tried to take any, and all thoughts out of my mind. It did a good job, but it felt like I did not have a soul either. I then shook my head, as I lifted my head back up to Lilly, as I continued to speak to her.
"I suppose you are right..." I said back to her. That was all that I really had to say to her though, as I looked back over at the dash board for a short bit more time. It was short, and it was sweet, but it got right to the point. My family had gotten what it deserved I suppose.
What I had to guess as well, was that there was only more of that to come. I doubt that now that my mother was dead, it all was going to end, and the virus was just going to suddenly disappear on us. If what she had said really was true, than the world was going to come to an end.
It made sense as well, as I knew that the world had gone to shit long ago. I just did not believe in a God, so I felt like if the world was actually going to end, than it was going to end in nuclear war fare. That seemed to not be the case at all however.
Me and Lilly sat in the car in silence for a bit longer, as I listened to the wind, as it flew across the beaten down windows, and I listened to the sound of the tires, as they drove across the road at the same time as well. I was tempted to ask her if I could drive the car for just a little while.
I wanted to drive right now, as that was the whole reason that my mother had taken a day off work, to take me to the DMV in the first place. I realized that it was probably not a good idea to ask that of her at the exact moment at the same time too.
Besides, as I looked back over at the middle of the 2 seats, and at the manual shift that was in front of me, I knew that I did not have any sort of clue, how to drive a manual shift. I looked away from it, as I felt like there was not much of a point anyways.
I stood there for a bit longer, as I locked my eyes on the road, but this time I was not paying hardly any attention as to where it was that we were driving at the exact moment. Me and Lilly were silent for just a little bit longer, until Lilly began to speak.
It had seemed as though, all I needed was a couple of words, and we had finally began to gel together quite a bit well. I was not sure if it was because of the fact that we had so much on common or, if it were more the fact that we needed to be with one another, after what had happened to the both of us.
I shook my head though, as I removed those thoughts from out of my head at the same time as well, and I listened to what it was that Lilly had to say to me at the same time too.
"You are in good hands now though, many people still do not have a clue as to what is going on right now... I will make sure you stay safe." She said to me. I blinked a couple of times, as I was thankful for what she had just said. She was not done talking yet though, as after the seconds of silence, and her hesitating, she then continued to speak to me. "So... I still have not gotten your name just yet..."
I looked at the dash board for a little bit longer, as I had heard what she had said, but I was not so sure if I did want to be safe. I wanted to go be with my mother right now, and I wanted to fall in to her arms, and beg for her to come back. I shook my head though, as I remembered what it was that Lilly had just said to me as well.
She was going to take me to that safe place that she had been speaking of not to long ago, and now she had brought it up once again. I then realized what she had said at the 2nd part as well, as I had forgotten that I still had not told her my name just yet.
She had her eyes on the road again, as she had gotten used to me taking a while to respond to her at this point. I knew that her eyes needed to be focused on that as well, as she had to make sure that she was taking me to the right place.
I blinked just a couple of times, as I saw that she had a bit of a sad smile on her face as well. I wondered as to what it was that she could be thinking about at the exact moment. At the same time though, I also knew that it was none of my business.
I stared at her for just a little bit more time, as I could tell that she had noticed it from the corner of her eyes. I could tell that this lady was always aware of her surroundings. I shook my head though, as I realized that it was just a simple question, and I knew I had to respond, so I did so.
"My name... My name is Shannon..." I said to her. She kept on driving for just a bit more time, as she did not even nod to me, or let me know that she had heard what it was that I had just said to her not too long ago. I tried my best to not get upset about it, as I looked away from her.
We sat there in silence for a bit more time though, as now it was my turn to say that I was the one that had gotten used to the long responses, as it went both ways around. I suppose we had plenty of time though, as from what it had seemed, we weren't about to walk in to some sort of party.
I wanted to laugh at what it was that I had thought about, but the noise did not come out of me, as I still felt like I was not even a human, after what it was that I had just seen happen in front of me not too long ago still. I then heard Lilly begin to respond to what it was that I had said to her as well, a lot faster than last time too, as I listened to what it was that she had to say to me.
"Shannon... That is a nice name... My grand mother had that name... She was one of the most sweet people that I had ever met." She said to me. I looked back over to her for a little bit of some time, as I thought about what it was that she had just said to me.
I blinked a couple of times, as I had just thought about my dead grand mother not too long ago as well... My grand father dad died before I had been born, and I had never gotten to meet my mothers parents... I looked over at Lilly, as I saw a sad look on her face.
I sat there for a bit, as I thought on what it could be. I then realized what it was after just a second or 2 of thinking, as I then began to realize, that she too had lost her own grand mother, just like me. She was a bit older though, so it made sense for her though.
I had to guess her age had to be in the 40s, as I took a quick look at her at the same time as well. I looked away though, as I was doing my best to try not to think of any more dead relatives of mine right now, especially not the one I had lost no less than an hour ago.
I looked back on the road, as I saw that we went past a couple signs at the same time as well. I did not think much of it, until I realized what one of the words had said on one of the tall signs that were up top. It had the familiar name of a road.
I then looked around, as I realized where I was at, as I had driven down this part of the high way, on the way back home from school. It then hit me at the same time once again, not just the fact as to where I was geography wise, but also the fact that I had just thought of my school.
I then turned my head to Lilly right away, as I was a bit excited, and a bit surprised at the same time too. I then began to yell at her at the same time too, as loud as I possibly could, which I knew hurt her ears in this tiny car. It was natural instinct though, as I let it all out at once.
"Wait! Stop!"