They had found the white car quickly, everyone relaxing once they hit the road. Thankfully it seemed that they all knew how to drive, so they would be able to take turns driving if needed. Gale had volunteered to drive first, and Ryan called shotgun as he sat on the passenger side. The three row car was now filled with slumbering teens- well adults now.
Ryan found it adorable to see the tall bulk of a man Tyler wrapped in Harper's small arms, chuckling at the cute couple. Amber somehow slept with her arms crossed against her chest, and Patrick had wrapped himself up in his arms as he leaned against the window. If Ryan had a camera he would have definitely taken a picture of them all.
He refocused to the night sky and long stretch of road ahead of him as motion sickness came onto him, trying his best to focus his eyes on the road. Gale was silent as he focused on driving, and Ryan decided not to speak much either. He enjoyed the serene silence, and felt like any topic they spoke about would lead into a sadder conversation, and he didn't want that right now.
He didn't realize he himself had drifted off in slumber until he felt a breeze push pass him. He defensively jolted awake and grabbed whatever was in front of him, already reaching for his gun. A cry of pain stopped him as he looked over to Harper, who was now holding onto her bruised arm. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Harper. I didn't realize!"
Harper shook her head and smiled at him in understanding, her light blue eyes creasing from the gentle smile. "It's okay. I shouldn't have gotten so close... I'm sorry."
Ryan hesitated before shaking his head, feeling like he needed to explain more. "I'm just not used to other people. I've been alone all these years... and there were many times when a zombie ended up inside the place I was staying. I've gotten really defensive because of that."
Harper looked sad as she looked at Ryan, knowing that he definitely had it harder than the rest of them. The rest of the group had seen the interaction and seemed to think the same thing as Harper, and they all realized they would need to be a bit more careful with how they treated Ryan. Maybe it would even do them better to be more like him, as they seemed a bit too defenseless when their lives could be ended at any moment.
"I won't suddenly approach you like that again. Thank you for explaining." Harper said. Ryan smiled in appreciation, and for the first time took a look at his surroundings. The night sky had turned to dawn as they stopped on the side of the road at a resting station, and the others had set around a stone picnic table. The morning breeze swept through the surrounding forest and made it seem peaceful and calm compared to the chaotic city.
Harper had been most likely reaching over him to grab something out of the car, as Ryan still slept in the passenger seat. Her long blonde hair brushing pass his face had jolted him awake, triggering his defensive movement. Ryan realized that he was the only one still in the car, and now hopped out at he approached the picnic table. They seemed to be splitting two cans of beans they had luckily had on themselves before they left the house. Ryan realized that they were splitting such little food amongst the five of them, and when Harper grabbed one of the cans that still had some food in it and handed it to him he felt his heart swell with appreciation.
He rejected the can as he went through his bag, grabbing the three cans of beans and two cans of fruit he had along with the three bottles of waters. He handed it out, and his friends seemed to start drooling as they looked at the feast before them.
"Let's go ahead and eat them all." Ryan said. "Then we can stop in the next town to find more food and water."
His friends nodded and dug into the food, singing praises to Ryan as they shared the food amongst the group. Ryan laughed at the comments, and finally felt normal as he had a meal with his friends, just like old times.
He noticed that even Patrick was smiling a bit, which hadn't happened since the news of Lena. Ryan felt even more hope swell in his heart at the sight of Patrick's small recovery, and his heart felt full.
YOU ARE READING
Dear Diary, Paradise Awaits
Short Story[BxB] It's been 3 years since the zombie apocalypse began, and Ryan has desperately been fighting for his survival. All of his family have already turned. His mom, dad, and even his sister. And now, he was all alone. Things changed however, when Ry...
