There used to be six of us, now I'm alone.
At first, it seemed simple enough. All we had to do was survive.
But it really wasn't that simple.
The world came down slowly, but then all at once. There were rumblings on television and in the local papers. Something was seriously wrong but no one could put their fingers on it. By the time we realized what was happening it was almost too late.
We packed Jett's truck, loaded it with everything we thought we might need to get away for awhile; tents, clothes, food rations. Anything you might need for a weekend camping trip, except we expected it to go on for a lot longer than that.
We drove for days, past empty burning towns, abandoned cars and shopping malls that looked like ghost towns.
Kristine and Margo tried to come up with a plan, but how does one plan for the end of the world? How does one go about finding somewhere to live when the world has decided that living is no longer an option?
After our third long day on the road, Evaline passed a sign that read, "Cooper's National Forest. Two miles ahead."
"That looks promising," Jett said. "We could probably hike out a few miles and be undisturbed for a few days. It would at least give us a quiet place to rest for a few days. We could formulate a new plan."
As we turned off the exit, we passed more abandoned cars, doors left open displaying their contents. "I think we should stop." I said, surprising myself. It wasn't exactly the best idea, but we needed all the supplies we could get.
"Are you sure?" Evaline asked. " I mean, remember what we saw the other day? Those things are quick. If you're not careful.." she trailed off.
"I know, but look! That car is full of stuff. If you just pull up as close as possible, I could grab the bags and we could have a few more supplies. I think it's safe to say we'll need whatever is inside."
"She's right." Jett said.
"We're armed." Margo quipped holding up her small handgun. "We can do this."
And that's how I turned into monster bait.
Evaline pulled the truck as close to the car as possible. Margo opened the back door, while Jett opened the front to act as sort of a buffer, a little bit of protection while I jumped into the car and toss everything I could into our truck.
I stepped out, first one foot, then then another and paused as the gravel crunched beneath my feet. Be quiet. I urged myself. Make as little noise as possible.
I slide in the car pulling a large back pack from the front seat and tossed it out. Jett caught it and quickly pulled it inside as I fumbled for the second which was caught on the seat belt. "Cmon." I whispered. "This can't be that hard."
A sound from behind caught my attention. Margo was frantically waving her hands towards her. "Let's go."
"I still need this bag. It feels heavy. I think there is food."
"Just leave it, please." She begged, a hint of urgency to her voice.
I tugged one final time, the bag breaking free as I tumbled backwards and heard the tell tale signs of the flesh eaters. The shuffling of broken feet and low growls. I saw the first as it ran into the truck door, it's scabby hands grabbing for my face as I jumped to my feet, lifting the heavy bag as I went. Jett slammed the door shut as Margo grabbed my hand and pulled me inside just as two more approached the truck. Truck tires screeched as we sped away.
