Surviving

Chapter 4

Dad pulled into the grocery store parking lot, which looked just like the pharmacy. Bare. No car was in sight.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked, beginning to feel scared.

"I'll tell you later. C'mon, we're gonna need to get all the supplies we can. You load up on all the canned food items you can fit into the cart and I'll get bottled water. Then, we'll go back and get some fresh foods and more bottled water." He hopped out of the truck and looked around cautiously. "Billy, you stay put. Don't unlock or get out of the truck for any reason, and if you see anyone just ignore them." Billy modded. "And Adira, stay away from other people and don't make eye contact." These we're odd requests, even coming from dad.

We went into the store, where, oddly, the lights were off. I pulled out my phone, about to turn on the flashlight, when dad handed me a handheld flashlight. I took it, grateful I wouldn't have to drain my phone battery, and grabbed the cart, going towards the canned food aisle.

I loaded the cart with all of the canned foods I could, grabbing fruits, vegetables, beans, chili's, and soups. I could barely push my cart it was so full, and it took quite a bit of effort to get back to the truck. Once there, I loaded all of the cans into the trailer. Dad wasn't back yet once I'd finished, and it looked as if we didn't have nearly enough food, so I went to load the cart again.

I was ready to return to the truck with my once again full cart when I heard a low growling noise.

"Hello?" I said into the darkness. There was a slight thud, and then my dad appeared, pushing a cart overflowing with bottled water. He was holding a knife, which appeared to be covered in some red substance.

"Dad, what's that?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it, just go back to the truck." I did as he said, and we unloaded all of the bottled water and cans. Then, he took off without a word back to the store, and I followed with my cart.

I went to get more bottled water while dad got fresh foods. We hurried back to the truck with our carts full, unloading them as fast as we could. We left the carts there in the parking lot and got right back into the truck. Billy was playing with some little action figures, paying us no mind.

"Dad, what was that about? And why isn't anybody at their job?" I asked. He looked at me with pity in his eyes and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Take this. I hope and pray you won't need it, but ya never know." He held up a dagger in his sheath. I took it, puzzled, and attached it to my jeans.

He turned on the radio after we got moving, and the message surprised me.

"ALERT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED A STATE OF EMERGENCY. GO TO YOUR HOMES IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT LEAVE. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANYOME, AND PROTECT YOURSELF AMD YOUR FAMILY."

That was all it repeated, in the computer automated voice.