Acid

Chapter Ten: The Calming Before The Storm

PEOPLE WERE RUNNING around the camp, throwing supplies in trucks and other vehicles. The clock was counting down, and as it did the panic level throughout the camp grew higher, but luckily everyone was on schedule, so it at least kept our heads on our shoulders. The kids and the selected adults left 10 minutes ago, Poppy among them. It scares me that she's not near me, but I have to trust Tatum and Lilith that she'll be safe. I stood calmly beside Tatum, he was just throwing some last minute things in the car.

"Everyone, the camp is now empty!" Lilith spoke.

Everyone around soon cheered and hopped into their cars, starting the engines.

"Everyone must follow behind, slowly. We don't want any accidents, and remember! If you see any feral's remain calm, stay in your cars and continue driving. Don't exit the vehicle but use the walkies to radio the gun man, that will positioned in the front, middle, and back of the entourage, so they can deal with it." She paused looking down at the ground, before back up "God bless us!"

The people nodded and smiled, and soon we were all in our cars, embarking on our journey to this "shelter". Honestly the faster we're there the happier I'll be, being away from Poppy this long has got my insides feeling weird. I soon rolled down the window of Tatum's car, throwing my head out the window. The wind blowing it past my face, as I looked back at the long row of cars then to the campsite. I can't shake this feeling that I'm forgetting something. Slipping back in through the window, I sit back in my spot, rolling the window back up and adjusting my hair.

"What's on your mind?" Tatum asked, while sternly looking at the car in front of us.

"I don't know..." I say with drawing from the conversation, before hopping straight back in it "Have you ever felt that you forgot something, and later you either find it or, your suspicions were true?"

"All the time! One time I was on this hunting trip with some guys from the camp, and the whole time we were driving to the forest I felt like I left something behind, and it turned out I left the water, so we all had to return back to the camp" He laughed "You know maybe you just left some rations or something, no big deal"

"Yeah I hope" I say yawning "Going to catch a few winks"

"Okay, I'll wake you up when we're there" He smiled.

Smiling back I feel this darkness washing over me. Almost like a heavy blanket, but not quite, more like a heaviness of all the decisions I've been making. Somehow it's making me feel as if I had never slept before. I am truly exhausted, it seems everything I did was just tiring me out. I could feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier, fluttering. I finally close my eyes, sending me into a dreamless, yet restless sleep. I dream't of what life would be like if everything had never happened. 

In my dreams I could see Poppy and I walking to the park, her eyes filled with joy and excitement, so much so that she couldn't walk without jumping or skipping down the sidewalk. I watched us turn into the park, Poppy running ahead, meeting up with some of her friends that she met at daycare. I waved at the mothers before waving to Poppy as I walked away, leaving for what I suppose was work. I hopped into my old crappy van, still smelt like baby powder, as it had before the apocalypse. Smiling I took the wheel in my hand the car key in the other. Putting the key into the ignition I stopped. My phone ringing. That's weird I never had a phone. I look around before it suddenly appears in my hand. 

Opening it I respond with "Hello?"

On the other end I could hear a panicked petite voice "Momma?"

"Poppy?" 

"You left me momma"

I finally manage to wake up, my eyes wide open facing the window. I couldn't stop myself from wonder weather it was a dream or a feeling that something is wrong. I sat back up in the seat, for some reason it took me some time to realize where I was. Tatum soon looks over at me.