Apocalyptic Me

1.6 Rosemary

I feel a bump on the road and open my eyes, I look at my mom, still asleep. I look outside and see a mountain, we must be in south Germany somewhere. I look around at the people asleep, the children, the families, the elderly man and Anna with the dogs. I guess John took our stuff from the bus and took them with him in either the van or the Camper. The only one's who're also awake are Lucy and the busdriver. I stand up and walk walk towards the bus driver. As I walk I try not to wake the others. I tap the deiver's shoulder, "Sorry, but uhm... don't you need a break? Looks like you've been driving for a while." The bus driver nods, "I think I could use a break. Would you mind pushing that button for me?" He says as he points at a button next to the radio. "My name is Earl by the way." I smile kindly, "Julian." He nods. As I look at the red break lights turning on infront of us in the SUV, meaning we're stopping. Earl parks his bus behind the SUV and opens the doors. I get out and walk towards the SUV, I look around and see people getting out of the camper behind us. As I stand next to the SUV, the guy with the guns, the leader I think, opens his door and gets out, "I don't think we've properly met, my name is Max." He says as he holds out his hand. "I'm Julian. So where are we going?" The guy smiles, "We are on our way to Spain, our friend here, Paul. Knows people who worked for the American government. That's all he knows, maybe they know what's going on." The guy Max pointed at, Paul, get's out of the car's back seat and yawns, "We there yet?" "Not yet." Max says with an annoyed tone. I look inside the car, looking for John, "Where is John?" Max turns around again and points at the Camper, "Right over there, bud." I look at the camper and see John getting out of the camper, "Thank you." As I walk over to John, I look around and see a blonde haired woman with a hunting rifle climbing on top of the Camper, she seems... nice. I look at the driver of the camper, pale guy with medium long black hair, probably about 20. I look at John and he smiles at me, "There you are! I hope you don't mind that I took your stuff with me in the camper." I smile, "Ofcourse not, less careying for me." John opens his mouth to reply, but gets interrupted by an deafening gunshot, "Sorry!" I hear coming from the camper roof, "Wait here, just a sec John." I climb up the ladder, "Hey, wouldn't it be smarter to use a silencer? Or just knife them? Gunfire attracts more of them." The woman looks at me, "If you're so smart, why don't you take watch." The woman says as she walks by me and down the ladder. "John? Could you get me my bow?" I shout. I hear John saying something, but can't quite make anything out of it. As I look for any of the dead I hear a sound on my left, I look to my left and see John getting up the ladder with my bow and arrows, "Guess you wanted the arrows too?" I smile, "Yea, you guessed right, just assumed you knew that." He lays the bow and arrows on the roof as he is just at the top and then goes back down again, "Was nice seeing you." John says as he's trying to control his breathing. "Same to you!" I say as I hear him stepping of the ladder. I pick up my bow and span it, I look in the distance, no rotten to be seen. I grab my quiver and attach it to my belt. I then look back into the distance, again, no rotters. I turn around to see if any rotters are behind me somewhere in the meadow next to the highway. I see one walking towards us, I wait until it's in range... aim... and... shit! I got it in the heart, I grab another arrow and aim again and shoot, this time I got it right in the eye. Still getting used to the headshots only. I hear some talking in the distance and see my mom walking towards a few bushes. I shout, "Mom?! What are you doing?!" My mom turns around, "Look it's wild rosemary!" She says as she points at a bush. My mom has a thing for herbs, always had. I let her go pick some of it. And I hear her say stuff while she picks some of it and rubs it in her hands together and smells her hands. As she turns around I see something in the bush, as a hand reaches out of the bush for her shoulder I shout, "Mom run!" I point my arrow at the rotter and see my mom running away from it, before I can release the arrow I hear a shot and see the rotter fall to the ground. I look to the right and see the barrel of a gun. My mom runs towards the barrel and I see that Max was the one who shot the walker. My mom runs towards him and hugs him, "Did you get it?" I hear my mom ask him. I jump down and run towards her and hug her, "You need a knife to protect yourself, mom." She sighs, "I don't even know how to use a knife, let alone kill one of those flesh eaters." I smile, "I'll teach you when we get where we're going, just don't wander off too far again." She walks towards the bus doors and steps inside, "Wasn't planning on it."