September 26th, 9 P.M EST, N.Y.U. Dormitory
"Claire, you're out of your fucking mind to be driving to Raccoon City on a whim! It's a twenty-hour drive alone! And you're only taking your bike?" Jennifer practically shrieks at me from where she's sitting on her bed as I dart around my room. Grabbing small things like my brush, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, wallet, and a couple changes of clothes because there's no way I'm making this drive in one go.
I wish I could bring more, but there's only so much space in the back of the bike, and I definitely want enough room for the SLS Chris bought me when I moved into this place and hip holster for safety. "Yes, I'm going, Jen!" I state firmly to her, calling my roommate by the nickname I know she prefers as I count the remaining money in my wallet. A whole ten-dollar bill. I'll have to pull from savings from the bank on the way out if I want to afford this impromptu trip. "I've been calling all day, and nobody's answering. I'm getting nothing but a busy signal, which I know isn't normal. That city's police station is big, but it isn't that big," I reason as I throw everything into a plastic bag before ducking down to the drawers under my bed.
Grabbing a white tee, socks, and a new pair of jeans. I throw them on quickly before grabbing the leather jacket Chris bought as my high school graduation gift. Putting it on swiftly, bag in hand, I head for the door—
Jen literally jumps in front of the door now, blocking my exit. She flaps her arms frantically at me, "Hey! Earth to Claire Redfield! You cannot just jump onto a bike and ride off into what is a now set sunset. You need to think this through before you leave on a whim." Her blue eyes are wide in fright, she's been fighting me for the last ten minutes as I've hurriedly packed. Her initial words to try talking me down quickly failed after a spurred decision to call Chris's apartment instead of the station. I was met with the same buzz of a busy signal from there too.
He's not answered me in over a goddamn month, any calls to the station are always sent straight to Jill. Now there's a busy signal from his own apartment phone and the station's? Something's up, and I guess I'm going to have to drive there myself to figure it out. I'm gonna wring Chris's neck when I get there.
"Jen, I'm going because I have a brother who hasn't answered my calls with his own voice in over a month. I want to go check on him," I coolly explain to my terrified dormmate. Knowing she doesn't understand, having told me herself she's an only child and has no idea what it's like having siblings. Especially when they're your only form of a parent after losing your real parents so young.
"Come on! You can write a letter to him, or keep calling. You can't just go though. It's too long, you'd miss a whole week of classes getting there and coming back. You didn't even put in that you're leaving!"
I purse my lips in frustration, she's being a good friend. With this being our second dorm we've shared together since freshman year. I will give Jen that at least, because if I had another dormmate, she probably would've let me ride off into the unknown without so much as a blink.
"Jen, please move. I'm going no matter what you say, and the longer you stall me. The longer I'll be on the road before stopping somewhere for the night."
She goes to say something, but I just raise an eyebrow in retaliation. She won't change my mind, not even if she grabbed my leg and I had to drag her out to my motorcycle with me. Without waiting to see what she'll do next; I roughly push into her and grab the doorknob. Opening it quickly and rushing out the door with my bike key in hand.
"Wait!" Jen yells, but I don't as I dart past a group of students coming in through the stairwell. One of them holds the door open for me and I thank them as I take the steps nearly two at a time. I hate that we're on the fourth floor of this building...
By the time I'm at the first floor, an elevator dings behind me before I hear the doors open. "Claire!" Jen's voice booms loudly in the empty commons area, and I stop, sighing and turning around to face her.
"What?" I demand, exasperated now.
She stands in front of me, a folded paper in hand. "I know I can't talk you out of it, so call this number if anything happens and you need help. Mom and Dad prefer I use it emergency's only, but I'm sure they'll get it. It's to my personal cellphone."
I take the sheet, kind of surprised by the offer. I guess I knew Jen's parents were rich judging by the designer clothes she owns, the type of makeup she wears, and the people she hung around when she wasn't with me. I just didn't think they were so rich Jen had a cellphone of her own. Not even Chris had one yet before...
Taking the sheet and tucking it into my wallet, "If I run into any problems, I will call you the second I'm able to," I promise.
"You call me when you're near Raccoon, okay? Otherwise, the time frame for a missing person's report is twenty-four hours. If you don't call by then, I'm calling the cops," she threatens in a serious manner. But I just smile and even giggle a bit at the sincerity behind it. At least someone in this world gives a shit about me beyond Chris and his co-worker, Jill. Even if she too was dodging my calls and questions a lot these days.
"Give me forty-eight, okay? I gotta sleep on the way," I budge the timeframe.
"Fine..." she huffs, not wanting to, but even in her panic she knows I'm going to stop at least once on the drive. "Forty-eight hours, and then I call the police on your missing ass," she jokes.
Rolling my eyes as a jest, "I'm not going to get kidnapped, but I appreciate the thought," I step forward to give her a hug. Something we don't normally do, but with me driving off like this, it felt necessary. "Alright, I'm heading out now, okay? Just tell anybody who asks I had an emergency with Chris and it's why I'm gone. I'll be back by the end of the week, I'm sure," I determine.
"Okay," she nods, and at that we wave our goodbyes as I step outside into the cool September breeze. Glad I brought my jacket; I tell myself when I reach my Harley out in the student parking lot. Grabbing my bike helmet from the cubby in the back of the motorcycle. I replace it with the plastic bag before slamming the seat into place.
Fixing the helmet on, "Alright Chris, you better be there when I arrive so I can kick your ass," I say aloud as I climb onto the bike. Turning the ignition, I kick the kickstand up, and quickly leave the parking lot for an exit ramp out of N.Y.U. and New York City altogether. My only destination is Raccoon City from here on out.
YOU ARE READING
The 0714 Files: File #1 Inferno (Remake 2)
Terror"I think you're going to learn a lot of things about this city and the people that you won't want to." Madeleine Sówka has spent the last twelve years of her life believing she knows what monsters look like. They are the people who hide in the backg...
