Shattered Horizon

06 Bo

Chapter 6
Bo

As the last rays of sunlight faded, Iris and I finalized our plan.  A somber silence hung between us as we agreed to split up and meet at the gate in 30 minutes to gather up our stuff.  I rushed back to the tent, frantically gathering our things. As I stepped outside, Simon stood there, his face etched with guilt. "Bo, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Simon. Nobody's," I said, my voice tight.

He studied me. "Where are you going?"

"To save Liam," I told him, walking on. He fell into step beside me.
"
Wait." He paused, the plea in his eyes undeniable. "Let me help, please."

"You can't. Once I break Liam out, before the eclipse, we were not coming back here. Even if we survive, they will be looking for us." I explained.
"I can drive. I have a van. At least I can keep Annalina safe while you find him. And if he needs help, I'll be there," Simon insisted. "If anything goes wrong, I'll get her out."
I considered it. Simon was irritating, but his offer was sincere. I turned to him. "Gather your stuff. Meet me out front with Iris in a few."
A smile flickered across his face. "See you soon." He dashed towards the medical tent.
I reached the car, tossing in Liam's things, some of mine, and Annalina's. Sliding behind the wheel, I eased the car towards the front gate. Iris and Simon waited with his van, her brother and an older man beside them.
I climbed out, handing Simon some supplies, and approached Iris.
"Reinforcements!" she announced, gesturing to her brother and the older man.
"I thought we were keeping this quiet?" I questioned.
"Sorry, I thought it would help," she said sheepishly.
"It does, but..." Her brother cut me off.
"No way we are letting you two go alone. Suicide mission," Ryan said. "Plus, she's my little sis. Couldn't let her walk into that alone."
I nodded at Ryan, understanding well.
"Here's the plan," I began, outlining the decoy strategy. "We'll use the car as a decoy. Ten minutes after leaving camp, I'll set off the alarm. It should be loud enough to attract the dead. We'll drive the car through the gate, abandon it, and search for Liam. Simon, you'll stay behind. When you see my flare signal, come pick us up." I tell everyone.
Everyone seemed to agree with me. But the older guy, Teddy, shook his head. "Where are we going to get a speaker that powerful?" he asked.
"Don't worry, Teddy. We'll find one at the electronics store," Iris said with a grin.
"He shoots her a glare and stomps to the car. 'What did I say?' Iris mutters under her breath.
Ryan shrugs. "Don't worry about it. He's a good guy, but he's got a short fuse."
I shake my head, a wave of worry washing over me.  I turn to Simon, my voice firm. "You don't have to follow us to the electronics store. Find a safe place with my sister. Don't come out until you see the flare. Get with Iris before we leave she will tell you where to go." I told him
"No worries, sweetheart. She already gave me the directions, I'll keep her safe, you have my word." Simon said.
I give him a thank you gesture and I walk over to the van where my sister is sitting up right.
"You okay?" I ask her
"I feel a little bit better." she says
I give her a hug and tell her to be good for Simon and I'll see her in the next. Couple of hours. She gave me a hug and laid back down in the back row seat.
We piled into the car and sped off, the van disappearing down a dusty road as we took a sharp right. The store was only fifteen minutes away, the promised supplies a beacon in our minds. A tense silence hung heavy in the car during the ride.
"When we get there, Ryan and I will go in. Iris, can you keep the car running for us?" I asked, my voice catching slightly.
She gave us a firm nod, the engine's rumble a steady thrum beneath our feet. Ryan and I hopped out, facing the overgrown facade of the electric store. Weeds choked the entrance, their tendrils snaking around the cracked pavement. "I think we might be the first people in this store in a while," I muttered, the weight of the silence pressing down on me.
Ryan jiggles the handle on the front door. "Locked tight," he grunts.
"Should we break the glass?" I ask, my voice tight with a mix of impatience and unease.
Ryan shakes his head, his eyes scanning the shadows. "No, too loud. The Saunters might hear."
A chill runs down my spine. "Saunters?"
"The Dead Boâ€"" Ryan starts, cutting himself off with a sharp intake of breath. His gaze darts to something behind me. I look behind me and see what Ryan was staring at. "The window is broke." he said "there is our way in"
Ryan squeezed through the broken window, the jagged glass scraping against his jacket. He landed with a thud, then fumbled for the door handle, finally wrenching it open, Cobwebs draped the shelves, and a thick layer of grime coated everything. It looked as if the place hadn't been touched in years. The air inside hung heavy with the scent of disuse and decay. I walked in behind him, careful not to disturb the precarious stacks of merchandise. We could see the raiders' handiwork â€" overturned displays, shattered electronics littering the floor. Yet, stubbornly, some items clung to the walls: the shelves were still surprisingly well-stocked. TVs lined the walls, their blank screens reflecting the desolation of the shop. Computers, their cases yellowed with age, sat on display tables, gathering dust.
I started to look around, trying not to make too much noise, in case something was lurking somewhere in the shop. I go down the aisle and see a bunch of notepads and pencils. I grab a couple notebooks and a couple sets of pencils and put them in my pocket. I knew liam would love these. I kept looking when I heard Ryan calling my name.
"Bo! I found the speakers!" Ryan's voice rang out. I hurried toward him.
"Great," I said, "But how are we going to power them?"
"Check for solar-powered ones," he suggested. A moment later, he exclaimed, "Found them!"
I joined him, grabbing a dust-choked box.  Three speakers remained on the shelf, one sadly cracked.
"So we got two" he said "will that be loud enough?"
"We have to hope," I tell him. "Let's get out of here and set these up while there's still some daylightâ€""
A tremor convulses the ground, throwing us off our feet. The earth groans beneath us. Lurching outside, hearts hammering, we stare in horror. A monstrous figure, flesh warped in a grotesque mockery of life, lumbers through the fading light towards the community we left behind. The air hums with a sickening energy.
Everyone piles out of the car, eyes wide. Iris sobs, and Ryan rushes to her side. "We have to go back!" she screams, her voice ragged.
"Iris, it's too late," Ryan says, his own voice thick with despair. "There's nothing we can do."
She cries into her brother's arms, he tells her we need to go now, we all head into the car and leave the decaying city.