The Days Are Tired (Book #1 of the Dark Skies series) - A Zombie story

Chapter 11:Despondent

We continued to ride on for miles coming across roads where cars were lined bumper to bumper. We couldn't find a gas station that wasn't already surrounded by cars or overrun by those crazy people.

"Honey, I think we should ride out of town with the gas we have and try to find gas elsewhere." Beth seemed determined as she drove us out of town and away from all the things I once considered home. 

Would I ever come back here? 

Was everything like this all over the world?

We drove past a police car that had its lights on and its doors open. But not one policeman was in sight. The thing that stopped my breathing was the sight of blood splashed all over the hood of the cop car.

I took out my phone and it still had some power left. I looked online as headlines about the Red fever, as they called the sickness, completely overtook the internet. There was a statement from the president that I didn't get a chance to look at because I could feel the car slowing.

I looked up to find that although Beth was pushing the gas the car was slowing. The tank was on empty and we were nowhere near a gas station. Beth stopped the car and just sat still without moving for what seemed like minutes. I said nothing, Parkson had fallen asleep in his seat. So the car was silent and hot as I sat still too. 

As if not moving would stop all the chaos in the world right at this very moment.

"We have to leave the car... we can't stay here. If we do, I'm afraid by morning or even in a couple of hours some of those crazies will be meeting up with us and surrounding the car." Beth quietly admitted to me. The thought of being stuck in this hot car and trapped chilled me to the bone. If I saw even one of those things I don't think I would be able to leave the car.

But what if we found nowhere else to go and got stuck in the open?

"Beth? It's getting dark and if we leave now we may not find any place to go. Shouldn't we wait until it's lighter outside?" I was desperate for this false sense of security, reminding me of the time when hiding under the covers at night gave me that same feeling of security. 

There were no easy choices right now, essentially leaving or staying inside this car could be life or death either way.

And so we decided to stay the night in the car, I had to pull up the sleeves of my shirt and roll the ends. My hopes of it getting cooler with the darkness died, if possible it felt even hotter. Like the sun had baked all the cool air leaving only steam. My skin felt scorched and dry by the time the last rays of sunlight were gone. 

And then like a wave, I felt a thirst so strong I was nauseated.

I was thirsty but I hadn't bought anything to drink with me. Beth must have read my mind because she reached into her baby bag and emerged with a juice box of apple juice. I drank it down, sucking it dry until all I could hear was air. I tried to go to sleep, tossing and turning in the small space of the car, wiping at silent tears as I thought of my parents and Mark.

I stiffened as I swear I could see shadows pass over the car. I held my breath afraid we would soon hear the screams of those things...but it never came.

The only scary thing that happened that night was that Beth had to figure out how to change Parkson's diaper in the dark. 

I helped and with some fancy maneuvers, we were able to avoid an all-out mess. The smell was really the worst of it. As we stayed still in the small dark car, time seemed to be non-existent and the prospect of tomorrow was scary.

Time seemed distorted at this moment as I looked up at the roof of the car. I let out slow even breaths - trying to capture as much oxygen as this hot car allowed. Beth took a chance by opening the door a little, trying to get any cool air inside the car's confines... she didn't want Parkson to get overheated.

I finally nodded off to sleep, my eyes growing heavy and my racing heart slowed... the time of missed sleep finally caught up to me.

I felt a war inside of me.

Was this the feeling of guilt?

Sorry for the shorter chapter!!! Thanks for reading!!!