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PREVIOUSLY ON SACRIFICE ═══════════════
The four had been riding for about six hours, only having to change their route a couple of times due to blocked roads, but they hadn't had any problems. Until now. They had just gone through a toll and were about an hour from the Oklahoma/Colorado state line. Ahead of them was an old bridge that stretched about a half mile long, and it looked to be finally, after over a decade, cracking under the weight of the hundreds of cars on it. It looked like a larger truck had made a path through the vehicles, just wide enough for their truck to fit through. If this weren't the only way into Oklahoma that wouldn't put them way off schedule, he wouldn't even be contemplating continuing over the bridge.
She pursed her lips and sized the bridge with her eyes, then up at the dark clouds in the distance, and just by that look, Tommy knew they were thinking the same thing. "I... I think if we take it slow, it'll be fine."
Jesse had been quiet lately, most likely a bit guilty he'd put a minor kink in things, but took this time to voice his own opinion. "Well, think about it this way- look at all those cars. What's one more? And whatever pushed them out the way had to've been pretty big, right? Bigger than this truck."
"Which means it was a lot heavier too," Jeanie agreed.
Maria looked over at Tommy and raised her brows. "I think it'll be alright."
"As long as we take it slow," Tommy added, warily.
With that, Maria put the truck in drive, easing it onto the bridge. When it didn't make any cracking sounds or sway with the added weight of the truck, a bit of Tommy's anxiety eased away. The windows were rolled down, and with every scrape of rocks under the tires, Jeanie leaned over the side, no doubt looking for a new crack in the cement. Tommy heard her mutter an, 'oh, God,' and Jesse an, 'it's gonna be okay'.
Over half way across the bridge, Tommy let a small smile slip onto his lips, "Just take it slow, honey," Tommy told her calmly, placing a hand on her arm. He watched the road under them, making sure they weren't going to be running over any potholes or cracks. "You're good right now. Almost there."
Then, out the corner of his eye, he noticed a bright, shining light on the other side of the bridge, at the top of one of the single buildings that was still standing. He squinted his eyes. It was there just long enough to make Tommy's face fall with his stomach, then it was gone. He thought for a moment that the light could have been a reflection- but of what? The sky was darkening, the sun gone away. Lightening?
Before he could think anymore about it, he noticed a line of dark smoke forming in a curling motion, then heading straight for them. His eyes widened and he could feel the color drain from his face. Tommy gripped Maria's shoulder and shouted, "Maria, floor it. Go!"
