The End : An Apocalyptic Struggle

They're Everywhere!

Time: 5:41 p.m.

Date: July 2019

Place: Near Downtown, Richmond, VA

Before we knew it, shit hit the fan fast. It was getting worst before "better" was anywhere in sight.....

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"Where is the hell is the closest Menards?!" I mumble to myself in slight irritation.

Now all of a sudden in this commotion I don't know where anything is, though I've lived here my whole life. There is so much traffic in the streets. Cars are weaving in and out of traffic, folks beeping, honking, and yelling at each other through car windows. People were speeding past traffic lights, and getting into near- accidents.

"Holy crap I ain't never seen road rage like this before." Josh says.

"People really lose their minds when the world ends I guess." Jacob adds from the backseat.

I recognize the upcoming McDonald's on my left side and remember that Menard's is the next turn. I put on my left turn signal, check my blindspot, and get ready to merge into the left lane when I'm cut off by this guy in a red mustang speeding past me.

"Woah! Watch it asswipe!" I yell out the window.

"Wow. Honestly, I think people were crazy even before the world ended." Josh stated.

"Yeah you might be right Josh. Even so, I need to keep my cool. I need to be able to make smart decisions in times like this. I have to be someone Josh and Jake can rely on. They need me right now." I thought to myself.

I finally pull into Menards, and I should've known, it was packed with vehicles. There were barely, if no parking spaces left. People we're running around frantically with carts full of stuff in bulk.

"I-I don't even see the other car. Guys, I don't see Mom's car."

"Jake, calm down. There's no way we're gonna see it in this madness." I reply.

"Why don't you just park as close to the entrance as you can?" Josh suggested. I decided to take his idea.

As I drove up to an available space by the front doors, I see what had to have been about hundreds people in there.

"Where is mom?? It's been too long. Should I go in there and find her? Did she already leave?" All of these questions raced my mind.

I decided to leave my brothers in the car. "Guys, I'm coming right back. I'm gonna go look for mom."

As I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the driver side door, Josh grabbed my arm to halt me before I jumped out. I turned to look at him.

"Don't get lost in there, big Sis." he glares at me in absolute seriousness.

"Ha! Me? Get lost? I'll be fine. Lock the car from the inside and don't get out! I'll be back!" I made sure they locked the doors before I left.

"Me? Get lost in a giant supply store full of hundreds of fearful people looking my mom? Oh yeah, definitely possible."

As soon as I walked in the doors, it seemed like there was a sea of people everywhere!

"Mom! Mom! Mom, where are you?!" I yelled through the whole store as loud as I could. I went through almost every isle, searching.

"Hey, watch it!" a rude older lady who bumped into me had a cart full of tools.

Come to think of it, everyone around me had carts full of tools and supplies.

"Kayla!? Kayla is that you?" I hear a familiar voice call my name. I turn around and follow the voice until I find the source.

"Kayla! It is you! What are ya doin here?" It's our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Yeun.

"Mr. and Mrs. Yeun! I was looking for my Mom. She left our house over an hour ago to come here for supplies and she never got back! Have you seen her??"

"Ms. Williams? Oh honey, it's nearly impossible to find anybody in here." Mrs. Yeun said.

"I'm sorry but there's no time to talk, Kayla. We have to go and you should too!" Mr. Yeun said gripping their full cart heading to the check- out lines. "Let's go honey!"

"Wait! where are you guys going?! Our neighborhood is overrun!" I exclaim following after them.

"We heard there might be a safehouse or a closed community in Atlanta. My husband thinks that's our best bet!"

"Excuse me, what?? Atlanta? Why?!"

"Honey! We have to go!" Mr. Yeun exclaims.

"Oh alright, dear! I was just trying to help!"

Then I lost them in the sea of people flooding this store.

"Atlanta?? Georgia?? A safehouse?? Closed community?? But Mom.....I can't leave- "

"Hey! Wake up and get out the way kid!" a father with his family wakes me out of my thoughts shoving past me in the crowd.

I snap out of it and run back outside. It takes me a minute to locate the truck where I parked it. I make a dash to it and hop in the driver's seat.

"Kay!" both brothers exclaim.

"See, I told y'all...*huff*.... I would be fine." I say in between breathes from running.

"But what about mom??!" Jacob asks frantically.

"I couldn't find her." I say as I put the keys in the ignition. "We're going to Dad. He'll know what to do. Don't worry, we'll reunite with Mom."

"I hope so..." Jacob's voice trails off.

Josh doesn't say a word he just looks out his window at the chaos filled inside Menard's.

"Well, let's get to Dad's." I declare.

After I stop for gas, we make our journey to our dad in North Carolina.

"Maybe the virus hasn't reached where dad is yet." Jacob points out.

"Yeah, hopefully not." I reply looking at him in the review mirror.

Josh still didn't say a word, and continued to stare out his window.

"Hope? What even is hope at this point?  I thought after I made that statement.

...I thought I didn't know what hope was then...Tuh! Boy, was I in for a rude awakening....