Incoming Apocalypse

Exploration

I dozed off for a quick nap on our way to Wyoming. It seemed almost everyone felt the same, except for Tapp. He had to drive and the rest of us could sleep. I didn't mean to sleep too long but by the time I was woken up, we were already there. I knew it was the smallest state in terms of population but it was a ghost town when we arrived. There was no one in sight and only a few stragglers.

 We could have just found a nice place to stay and waited there forever or at least until Vibby gave birth. Nope, I didn't want that. I decided I was selfish and wanted to bite more than I could chew. 

"Hey, Tapp. I think we should scavenge through all of these buildings and get whatever supplies we can. At night we can stay in the car or one of the smaller, empty buildings. I think we could do this as long as no one interrupts us." I announced.

 Tapp didn't look the way I expected him to. He actually looked skeptical and I could tell he was thinking over what to say. He probably didn't want to hurt the "child" or "teenager's" feelings. Well so much for that plan.

 "Tallulah, I know how you like to do things yourself and make the decisions, but maybe you should let the adult decide? I'm taking it one at a time and we're staying at this store for the night." Tapp finally replied.

 I walked out with Tapp to approach the store. I wasn't letting him be the hero or leader in this situation. I was still pretty pissed with him but, I wasn't going to let him get the glory. Spray painted on the store said, "The Dirtbags Who Crossed Us, Died". Another part said, "It's a trap! It's all a trap, run away". The "y" on the spray painted message seemed to smear as it faded into the brick. How reassuring for all of us.

 Vibby, Hecktor, and the animals stayed in the van. The chances of those things being in the store were grim. I let my guard down a bit but also enough to stay alert. I was so sure that we were going to be safe here.

 Tapp went full on into the store with his gun pulled out, ready to shoot. I kept watch behind us while Tapp secured the full place. I heard Tapp shuffle, followed by a yell.

 I ran into the store as fast as I could and 4 of the dirtbags were cornering Tapp. The only weird thing about it was, they all had matching cobra vests and slits across their throats. What in the actual... This was unusual for not just one, but all of those nutjobs. I wasn't going to be able to take them out with a knife, so I had my handgun with my silencer attached.

  I fired 5 shots before I was able to get all of them. The first one was to distract them to me, the rest were clean shots considering the short distance between us. I called to others and gave them the all clear sign.

 I dragged the bodies out and burned them while Vibby wobbled out and Hecktor wound up Trixie and the cat. I partially bordered the door after they all bounced in and the bodies were becoming crispy. They brought all the supplies we have left, including our pillows and two blankets.

 I set up Hecktor's corner that he would have to share with me. Tapp set up their corner, with Vibby aching to lie down and rest. From looking at the sky, it was between 4-5. We were all exhausted though, being on the road was so boring, so isolating that we all were ready to out of the van and into a warm sleeping corner.

 I barely slept and felt cold, even with it being summer and having blankets and pillows on and around me. I tossed and turned and possibly woke Hecktor up more than once. I was in the worst mood when I woke up and then I saw them.

 I saw two monsters outside the store's window. Their hideous faces mocking us of what's to come. What will eventually happen to all of us, alive, dead, and dying. They sensed us here, their instinct urging them to rip us apart if they could. They slapped the glass and chewed at the air, imagining tasting my flesh. They had a pale, lifeless look but were obviously still moving. I've seen what they can do, I saw it happen firsthand. Mom. Dad. They were the sacrifice for us. They are the reason we're alive. We'll never see them again, and if we did, I would regret looking. Their insides spilled everywhere when we had to run away, tears covering our eyes.