The Rolling Stones: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Part Seven - Time To Move On

After eating, everyone went into the living room to chill for a bit. The night came, and everyone went to bed, eager for the next day.
***
4:00 am
"Ugh, time to get up already?" Bill said grumpily. "Yeah, sorry honey. But we have some packing to do." It was Charlie's turn to cheer up Bill. "Come on, let's go have some breakfast." Charlie said as he kissed Bill lightly on the forehead. "Okay." Bill said, less grumpy.
The two went downstairs quietly, careful not to wake the others. The sun was not in the sky yet, everything was still dark. Dark and still. The two sat in the kitchen, eating cereal, with the sound of zombies moaning in the background. "Those darn zombies! So loud." Bill complained. "They'll shut up when the sun comes." Charlie said assuredly. "Okay." Bill replied. After breakfast the two began loading up the car with boxes of food and supplies. Bill walked outside with another load, but a zombie came out of the shadows and ran towards him, a hungry look in its eyes. "Ahh!" Bill screamed as he dropped the boxes and ran; he had no weapon. Charlie saw him running and pulled out his shotgun, shooting the zombie in the head. It fell to the ground, dead. Bill came back, uneasy. Stepping over the zombie carefully, he said, "Thanks Charlie, that was close." "Of course!" Charlie replied as Bill hugged him. "Alright let's continue." Charlie said as Bill let go of him. They continued to pack as the sun rose up into the sky, just barely, giving the landscape a pink-orange glow.

BEEP BEEP BEEP
"Damn it, morning already?" Keith said angrily. Ronnie woke up to see Keith picking up the alarm. Before he could throw, Ronnie grabbed his arm. "No! Not again Keith!" "Oh, my bad. I just can't stand alarms." "I understand." Ronnie said, giving Keith a kiss, hoping that would snap him out of his bad mood. It did, as Keith smiled and kissed Ronnie back. "Alright, let's get up," Ronnie said, "We've got things to do." They went downstairs, had some cereal then went outside to check on Bill and Charlie. Meanwhile, in the Micks's room...
"Oh I slept through the alarm." Mick T said, looking at the clock. 5:30 am
"That's okay, we can get up in a little while." Mick said mischievously as he wrapped his arms around Mick T, warming him up. "I have to get up, sorry baby." Mick T said, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "Aww, just a few more minutes?" Mick pleaded, holding Mick T to his chest. "Okay. Five minutes." Mick T caved. Mick grinned as he left a trail of kisses on Mick T's neck. After 5 minutes, Mick T broke the silence. "Okay, now I really have to get up." Mick T said. "You too." He added.
"Okay." Mick said solemnly. The two of them got dressed and went downstairs to eat and pack.
"Good Morning!" Ronnie said cheerfully, coming in to grab another box. "Hello!" Mick said as Mick T just sat there and nodded to Ronnie. "We're leaving in 30 minutes!" Bill announced as he came in to grab more boxes. "Awesome!" Mick said, eager to leave.

7:01 am
"Alright everyone, time to go!" Bill called. The Stones left the house and piled into their teal Volkswagen bus. Bill, Charlie, and Keith sat in front with the Micks and Ronnie in the back. In the back sat a small box that contained snacks and drinks. They were really leaving. It's happening. As Bill pulled out of the driveway, Mick T looked back, giving a silent goodbye to Stone Manor. The others didn't seem to care, they just wanted to go. Mick T was sad, however, and sat, looking out the window without saying a word. Keith turned on the radio ad Mick and Ronnie got into deep conversation. Mick T ignored all the others, just staring out the window, deep in his thoughts.

11:30 am
"Can we stop pleaseee? I really need to stretch my legs." Mick begged." "Alright, we'll stop in a few minutes. There's a rest area up ahead." Bill answered. He pulled into the rest area parking lot. Willow trees surrounded the rest area building, casting interesting moving shadows onto it. The sun hung in the sky, fluffy white clouds floated by it, giving the sky a dreamy look. The Stones got out of the car. Ronnie wasted no time as he ran towards the rest area building, needing to pee very badly. "Wait!" Charlie yelled at Ronnie. "What?" Ronnie turned around. "It's dark in there. There might be zombies. You'll need this." Charlie said as he tossed a handgun to Ronnie. "Thanks." He said as ran back to the building. As he entered, he heard a zombie moan. He saw it and shot it immediately. He cautiously entered the bathroom, quickly going before running out, not going to take any more chances. "I heard a gunshot. Were there zombies?" Mick asked. "Yup. I only saw one though." Ronnie replied. "Good. I think we can back on the road." Mick said. Everyone piled back into the car. "How much longer in the car?" Mick asked. "Our next stop will be in 5 hours. And then we'll be driving all night." Bill answered. "Hold on, you're gonna drive all night nonstop? You've already been driving all day!" Ronnie said surprised. "No, Charlie and I are going to take turns driving." Bill replied. "Oh, that makes more sense." Ronnie said, understanding.
Bill pulled out of the rest area and began driving again.

They were back on the road again. Keith lit a cigarette and rolled down the window, breathing out a heavy cloud of smoke. "Any music we can listen to?" Ronnie asked. "I'll turn on the radio." Keith answered. The familiar opening riff of  'Hot Stuff' came on. "Ah, we're on!" Ronnie exclaimed happily. They sat there in silence as their song played. Mick T stared out the window, a solemn look on his face. "Are you okay?" Mick asked Mick T, concerned. "Yeah, just sad we left the manor." He answered with a sigh. "I'm sorry. But the place we're going to is safer." Mick said, still looking at Mick T. Mick T didn't say anything after, just continued looking out the window. Mick slowly wrapped his arms around Mick T, holding him. Mick T didn't protest, just continued staring blankly out the window.
The song ended. Another song came on. "Oh, I think I know this one. American Girl?" Ronnie guessed. "Yeah." Keith replied. "Who's it by?" Ronnie asked. "I think his name is Tom Petty. He's just starting out, with his band, The Heartbreakers. I met him at a club before the zombies came." Keith answered. "Nice, I like it!" Ronnie said, bobbing his head to the rhythm.
Everything was calm. Mick T had fallen asleep in Mick's arms, Ronnie was ✨vibing✨ to music, Keith smoked calmly as Bill drove and Charlie looked out the window. Mick stroked Mick T's cheek, admiring his facial features. He observed Mick T's peaceful sleeping expression, and his rhythmic breathing. How is he so perfect? Mick wondered. The road winded and rolled through the forest, the trees cast flickering shadows onto the car. As the hours passed, Mick and Ronnie fell asleep. Three separate breathing patterns blended together, to create an orchestra of breaths. Keith turned off the music, seeing that Ronnie was asleep. Almost time to stop.

6:00 pm
The sudden stop of the car woke Mick T from his sleep. He felt better, after some rest. Bill had parked beside a small sunny clearing in the forest. Charlie, Keith, and Bill got out of the car, followed by the others. "Are we eating soon?" Mick asked. "Yes, we're having a picnic!" Bill replied. Everyone cheered up at this. Charlie went to the back of the car and opened the back doors. He grabbed a wooden basket from the back that had a blue and white plaid blanket resting on top of it.
The evening sun shined down on the clearing, making it appear a soft shade of gold. Charlie set up the picnic as the Micks, Ronnie, and Keith walked into the forest. "Don't go too far, we're eating soon!" Bill called. "Okay!" Keith replied as they entered the woods. Immediately, they found a little stream that ran by the clearing. There was still plenty of light, so they weren't about to be torn apart by zombies. The four of them sat, basking in the evening sun, conversing about random things. "Dinner!" Bill called. "Alright boys, let's eat!" Keith announced, exciting the others. They came back to the clearing to find a lovely picnic setup. The Stones ate and talked, and in 45 minutes they were finished. The Micks, Ronnie, and Keith went to the stream as Bill and Charlie packed up the picnic. After they finished, they went down to the stream, though they kept their distance from the others.
"This is perfect." Bill said happily. "What exactly?" Charlie asked. "Going on this trip, it's a lot of fun. And being with you." Bill replied, looking at Charlie with a loving gaze. "Aww, thanks. I love being with you too." Charlie beamed. Bill scooted closer to Charlie until his face was mere inches from him. Charlie smiled feeling Bill's warm body next to him. Before he knew it, Bill had pulled Charlie into a passionate kiss. Bill slowly ran his hands up and down Charlie's back, warming him up. Eventually, Bill pulled out the the kiss, wrapping his arm around Charlie's waist, holding him close. Meanwhile, the others were now swimming in the stream. They had found a deeper part  of the stream with a strong current that carried them into shallower waters. It was a fun ride for them. Bill and Charlie watched them. "CANNONBALL!" Keith yelled as he plunged into the cool water, splashing Ronnie in the process. "Hey wait for me!" Mick yelled as he grabbed Mick T's hand, dragging him into the water. Bill and Charlie chuckled at their craziness. Eventually they finished swimming, soon leaving after.

10:30 pm
The last traces of the sun had long since disappeared, and darkness had consumed the landscape. Everyone was asleep except for Bill, who was driving. The night wore on, Charlie and Bill exchanged positions; the day was over, at last.