This Dark, Dark World

Chapter 7

"Do we really need to pack more supplies?" I moaned as Joey crammed the last can of baked beans into my backpack. The steady beam of the flashlight showed the frown on his face as I said that.

"We've been here too long kid," Joey grumbled, "we're in a zombie apocalypse here. I don't know how we've managed to keep a place this big and well-stocked for four days but somehow we did. But that can't last us for much longer."

"Three and a half days," I corrected him, "and that's hardly long!"

"It is, kid, trust me," Joey muttered. Then he took a small box out of his pocket, "I'm gonna go for a smoke. Want one?"

My mouth hung open but before I could say anything I heard Lewis roar, "Joey!" and he came storming over from behind me, looking furious. Joey laughed.

"I saw you standing there, Lewis!" he said, "I was fucking with you! You are too easy!" he laughed again and walked away to have his cigarette. Lewis rolled his eyes and smiled at me.

"Hey, Sunshine," he said, "what you doing?"

"Just had Joey make my bag weigh ten tonnes in case we have to leave," I sighed.

"If we do, I'll carry it," Lewis said. I smiled but then thought of something.

"Why does he have everything so prepared for leaving? I mean, we don't even know if we'll have to any time soon so what's the point?" I asked, "a-and," I stopped wondering if I should tell him.

"And-?" he prompted. I sighed.

"I see you guys talking at night, when you think I'm asleep," I said, picking at the nails of my fingers wrapped around the flashlight nervously, wondering if I was going to get into trouble, "what are you all meeting about?"

I aimed the flashlight at Lewis, scanning his face to check if he was about to lie to me or not. I was getting good at that now. Lewis scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and thought for a minute, and then sat me down on one of the mattresses.

"We're leaving tonight, Sunshine," he said. Panic immediately flooded me.

"What?" I exclaimed, "b-but we're safe in here! The zombies can't reach that open window and we have all that food and beds!"

"Calm down, Sunshine," Lewis said slowly, "there's... there's bad people out there who would take this place away from us... even if it meant hurting one of us for it." I watched his face and saw that he wasn't going to tell me anymore than that.

"I get it," I sighed, "but where will we go?"

"Well, you know how I told you I used to be in the army?" Lewis said, finally smiling, "well I have a feeling that the base I was at might be a camp like this one used to be... but, more secure," he added quickly, "and if it's not it'll be way bigger and have way more supplies then this place so we'll just take it for ourselves!"

"How far away is it?" I asked.

"Well, it's in D.C. so I think only about three and a half hours," Lewis said reassuringly, "we just have to hope that Leo has enough gas to get us from Virginia to Pierce."

I nodded slowly. "Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked.

"We didn't want to scare you," Lewis said, scratching the back of his neck, "we were actually going to carry you out to the van while you were sleeping," I raised an eyebrow, "which I realise now would have been way scarier than us telling you," he said, smiling sheepishly. I opened my mouth to say something when Leo came over, knocking his beanie askew as he ran his hand through his hair.

"You okay, man?" Lewis asked, standing up. Leo took a glance at me and took Lewis' arm but I quickly stood up as well.

"If it's about the plan to leave, you can tell me," I blurted.