The Rolling Stones: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Part Eight - Into The Great Wide Open

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.
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Day 2
The morning sun lifted itself into the sky, casting a rosy light onto the unfamiliar landscape. It was wide and endless, full of golden wild wheat that glowed in the sunlight. Droplets of dew dripped from the wheat, sliding down the long thin stalks as the ground eagerly awaited their arrival, ready to soak them up. Ronnie yawned as he rubbed his eyes, taking in the new surroundings. "Where are we?" He asked. "Not sure. We're passing through some fields right now." Bill answered as he drove on the straight road that seemed to stretch on infinitely. Keith snored loudly, agitating Bill, though he didn't say anything. Charlie woke up silently, turning his head to look out the window. "Good morning." Bill said without even looking at Charlie, just somehow sensing he was awake. "Good morning." Charlie replied groggily. Charlie, annoyed by Keith's snoring, elbowed him, somewhat gently. "The hell?" Keith said grumpily, rubbing his eyes. "You were snoring." Charlie replied, ignoring his angry tone. "Hmph." Keith said, trying to sleep again. Mick T woke up at the commotion, noticing Mick resting his head on his shoulder as he slept. "Good morning." Mick T said quietly. "Hello." Bill replied, making eye contact with him in the rear view mirror. Mick T moved his arm from under Mick, wrapping it around Mick's waist instead. Ronnie feeling his stomach aching with hunger, began to rummage through the snack box, looking for something to eat.
Eventually, he settled on some dried apricots, eating them slowly, savoring them, making sure to get every bit of nutrients from them. The car was silent, except for Ronnie's chewing, and the constant low-pitched hum of the engine. Charlie glanced at the clock, 8:02 am. He thought for a moment, attempting to convince himself that he got a good night's sleep. He succeeded.
1 hour later
By 9, everyone was awake. And hungry, even Ronnie, who had snacked earlier that morning. "Can we have some breakfast?" Mick whined. "Yes. There is some bread and marmalade jam in the snack box." Bill answered, not skipping a beat. "No coffee?" Mick whined again. "Yeah, sorry." Bill said. Mick groaned. "Come on, you'll be alright." Mick T said, scratching Mick's back. Mick didn't say anything, just tried to hide his smile. Ronnie began handing out slices of bread with marmalade throughout the car. No one spoke. The only sounds were chewing now, and the occasional burp from Keith.
The hours passed, and everyone sat in the car, bored. Bill didn't pay attention to this as he focused on driving.
Noon
The car jolting to a stop woke Keith from his sleep. He opened his eyes, finding the landscape almost the opposite of what it was earlier. Around him was thick greenery and dense forest, similar to last night. "Are we picnicking here?" Ronnie asked. "Yep!" Bill replied cheerfully. Everyone exited the car, desperate to stretch their legs. "Where are we eating at?" Keith asked. "Over there." Bill answered, pointing to a small clearing by a waterfall. "Race you!!" Ronnie giggled at Mick as he took off running towards their destination, Mick following close behind. Keith jogged behind them, smoking a cigarette. Mick T, Bill, and Charlie unpacked the picnic supplies and walked to the clearing, beginning to set up the picnic. The sun filtered through the trees, lighting up the forest. Mick and Ronnie sat on a moss-covered root of a tree, talking about random things. Keith listened, smoking casually behind them, occasionally adding a sarcastic remark to the conversation. Eventually, Bill called them over for lunch, and they ate happily, not talking much. Mick convinced Mick T to come with he and Ronnie to the waterfall, Keith trailed behind them. "Come on, just put your hand in real quick and pull out! That's it!" Ronnie begged, motioning to the waterfall. "Okay," Mick T said, leaning over to put his hand in the falling water. Leaning over so far, he lost balance, and began to fall into the waterfall. Mick saved him by grabbing him by the waist, pulling him back. Ronnie snorted, trying desperately to hold his laughter in. Mick T glared at him, realizing that it was prank to get Mick to grab him. Mick pulled him closer, smiling. Before Mick could kiss him, Mick T wriggled out his grasp and walked off, annoyed. Mick looked at him, sad, then turned to Ronnie angry. "So it was all just a joke? Just so you could make fun of us? Now Mick is mad!" Mick snarled. Before Mick could take action, Ronnie ran away laughing. Meanwhile, Mick T sat with Charlie and Bill on the picnic blanket in silence. "Hey Mick! Can you come over here please?" Mick pleaded. "Okay." Mick T replied, standing up. Mick took his hand and led him behind the waterfall. They sat in silence for a moment, before Mick spoke. "I just wanted to apologize, about Ronnie. I didn't realize  his intentions." Mick  said sadly. Mick T looked at him. "It's okay." Mick T leaned in, kissing Mick. Of course something had to spoil the moment. "Hey lovebirds, time to go!" Ronnie snickered before running away. "Okay, let's go." Mick said, getting up. The two walked back to the car, ready for the long ride ahead.

The evening was peaceful, everyone was happy. It soon turned to night, and another all night drive ensued.

12:3o am
Bill looked ahead with tired eyes, awaiting his shift of driving to end. Just one more hour, he thought. He had almost fallen asleep at the wheel a few times, struggling to stay awake. Having no coffee added to the challenge. As he stared into the horizon blankly, the car suddenly stopped, causing him to jolt forward in his seat. He looked up startled, wondering what was wrong. Mick T noticed the car wasn't moving, and woke from his slumber. "What is going on?" He asked tiredly. His voice woke Mick and Ronnie. "I don't know. I'm gonna go outside and check." Bill replied wearily. Bill stepped out into the chilly night air. He grabbed a flashlight from the dashboard. Click
Suddenly, the side of the car was illuminated. He noticed the tire. It was flat. Damn it, he thought. Mick T rolled down the window. "What is it?" The tire's flat." Bill replied, upset. By this point all the Stones were awake. They all looked at Bill. "We're gonna have to stay here in the car tonight. I'll figure this out in the morning." Bill said sadly. He hopped back in the car, locking the door. Everyone fell asleep, not knowing what would happen next.