Dangerous Fellows

OUR STORY | 001

Before the Apocalypse

|Harry|

What am I doing here?

She asked me to come with her, saying it could be good for me. I wonder how this will look to other people. At twenty-one, you'd think I'd have better things to do than follow my mother to another country.

'It's only for the summer.' She said when she first brought it up to me. Not sure if that fact should comfort me or stress me out.

How much can change in one summer, anyway?

'Harry, look at those!' My mother said in our native tongue. She corrected herself when she spoke to our driver. 'Are those cows?' Her smile spread wide on her face.

I couldn't care less about the animals in a pasture on the side of the road. Not when my mother was enjoying herself so much. I haven't seen a real smile on her face in so long, I almost didn't want to remind her to pull her mask up. 'Mama, your mask.' I said with a little giggle.

'Oh thank you, Harry.' She pinched the mask by the nose band and adjusted it into position.

'Since you asked,' the driver chimed in, 'Yes they are. Those are Holstein cows. This part of the U.S. is known for its cheese making.'

They continued their conversation in the front two seats, while I sat alone in the back. The leg room was more than accommodating, as I sprawled back, resting one elbow on the window while propping my head up in a resting position. I should be more interested in the sights outside the car windows. I've spent my whole life living in a concrete jungle, any normal person would be eager to get away from that. So, why am I so disinterested in this trip my mother wanted to take me on?

I stared down at my dingy pair of sneakers. Their white exterior was marred by countless scuff marks from everyday use. Being that they're my only pair of shoes, I wear them everywhere. Year after year, they carried me to wherever I was going.

At this point and time, It's not like I've left anything behind back home. No one will be waiting for me to come back, so why not drop everything and go?

'We're going to pull off for some gas.' The driver said in a gruff voice, bringing me back to the present. 'If you need to get out and stretch your legs, The Jingle Mart is a nice convenience store. It has a restroom too.'

As he finished what he was saying, we came to a stop at one of the pumps. The building was massive compared to the ones we had back home. By the looks of it, I thought it might be a restaurant of some sort.

'Harry,' My mother singsonged my name. 'Will you go in with me?'

Her familiar tone coaxed me out of my daze, as her hand reached for mine in the back of the car. How could I say no to that angelic voice of hers? 'Of course, Mama.'

The inside of the convenience store wasn't as stocked as I expected it to be. The aisles here were wide compared to the ones back home. The options for food and drink were kept to a minimum too. As my mother went off to the restroom, I decided to wander down the aisle with the chips. The selection of flavors was meager compared to what I was used to. I selected something I hoped was comparable to my favorite back home.

As I made my way around the wall of coolers looking for a drink, I found what I was looking for in a stand alone cooler in the middle of the store. Interesting. The island style cooler was short, about hip height and it was in the shape of an oval. Its contents were neatly organized in groups. There was an area for cheeses, pickled veg, pre-made sandwiches, and fruit. At the opposite end, there were a few drinks set on an angled incline, making the labels easy to see.