Caught in the Riptide {Unedited} {Watty Awards 2013}

Chapter Six

Caught in the Riptide

Chapter Six

“It’s the best thing for the human race!” Colton frowned at me through the wing-mirror.

“No it’s not! We don’t have to do it if we don’t want to, you know,” I glared at him.

“Come on Maykaylah! You’re smart, I’m smart, you should realise I’m suggesting this for the best of humanity.”

“How does that help humanity? It helps you, sure, but it does not help me or the other 7 billion people on this Earth!”

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, “Think positively, how will this not help you?”

“Uh guys,” Rylie interrupted us with an amused expression, stopping me before I could argue back. “You do realise what the whole conversation just sounded like right?”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I gazed at Rylie while Colton burst out laughing, “Wha-, oh. Rylie! Ew.”

She shrugged at me, chuckling lightly, “Just saying but I’m totally on your side, we should not be going to the army base in Pinjarra.”

“You too?” Colton groaned, “Why not though? They have food, they have water and they have weapons! We’ll be totally safe there!”

“Well then go there yourself,” I huffed, my fingers turning white under the pressure I was using to hold the steering wheel. “Think about it, Colton. 25 000 people live there permanently and if the zombies really have gotten that far, then no amount of guns will protect you from a number that big. Sure, we can’t stay in Perth but there’s less people up north so we should go north.”

“Whatever!” He yelled at me, throwing his hands up in frustration. “But I’m still radioing them in, ok?”

I nodded, my eyes never leaving the road and I put my foot down on the accelerator, the car shooting off towards the way I wanted to go –also known as the right way to go. Although no one knew exactly where we planning to go, we needed to get out of high population areas and Pinjarra was not the best way to go. Up north however, would mean open areas to see zombies, difficult land terrain for them to cross and not only that, but the population up there would was few and far between.

So far, I was yet to come up with a negative.

“Up north it is then,” Rylie grinned and it seemed like our future was set.

I heard Colton sigh and I had to stop a laugh, “Don’t be so down Colton, at least you don’t have to worry about becoming some psychotic muncher.”

“Muncher?” He laughed.

“Of course! After all, they do go around munching people.”

Rylie giggled, “Well, that’s reassuring.”

I smiled and the car drifted off into a comfortable silence as I drove.

A few minutes later, I heard Colton rummaging through the bag he had brought from his team which had a radio, one bottle of unopened water, a two way walkie talkie, two guns and ammo, a tracker and a bullet proof jacket. I glanced back to see him pull out his two way walkie talkie, flicking to the channel he wanted and interrupting the silence in the car.

“Foxtrot, this is Team Delta, come in please? Over,” he stopped talking for a bit and we all waited in silence for walkie-talkie to respond.

A familiar static filled the air and a voice replied, “Team Delta, this is Foxtrot. Receiving loud and clear, what is your position and status? Over.”