Spero: A Post-Apocalyptic Short Story |COMPLETE| ✔

<NINE>

08:00
July 4, 2023
Day One~Hundred and Six

My arm snaked around the blonde haired child that held onto me as I moved quickly, silently, down the stairs. As I passed Ava, I made sure the grasp her head even more tightly away from the blood stained blanket.

My face felt exposed without my mask, and the wind felt almost unnatural. I could hear her strong breaths as I rushed onwards through the mask.

I moved through the open door, and I fully expected to see Tyrese outside on the ground still mourning for the loss of Ava. I froze when I noticed he was gone, and my eyes scanned the landscape before they fell upon the truck.

Raina tried to lift her head, but I whispered to her that there was nothing she needed to see. I began to love over to the truck when I heard cackling laughter. The laughter of a madman; the same laughter I had heard years ago alongside my fellow vets.

I clutched at my neck for dog tags that weren't there, and I took a deep breath. I could feel a slight sting in my lungs, but that was the least of my concerns right now.

The girl in my arms was the priority.

The laughter sounded again, this time much much closer. My heart leapt for a moment.

I ran over to the truck, which was keyless thanks to Tyrese ripping them from the console earlier.

Damn it, I think to myself. He must have the keys on him.

I think to myself for a moment, and I know that I can hot wire a vehicle fairly easily, but to ensure that no one heard the truck? There was no way.

I tugged the driver's side door open, which was thankfully unlocked, and slid Raina behind the seat over the console. I moved inside the vehicle, and pulled the door closed. I winced as the sound echoed.

"Stay back there, okay?"

I kept my eyes on Raina's for a moment to emphasize, but she was already under the back joint seats. I couldn't even see her under there.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice nearly nonexistent.

I nodded to myself as I tried to jog my memory on stealing a car. What model? What make? Body type? Engine?

Information flew through my mind, and I tugged on the small panel on the dash until it yanked free.

My hands began to trace over the wires until I paused. The laughter again.

It was right upon us. I grit my teeth as I made a decision. I ran a hand over one of the pistols on my waist and then tugged myself over the console and under the back seats. Raina gave a reluctant squeak as she was pushed even further backwards. I could feel the chill of chains and assorted tools in the storage area as I felt around for anything to cover myself with.

I tapped until I felt a plasticy material, and I sighed in relief. I yanked the black tarp out of the neat fold it was in, and over myself and the girl. I turned to face her for a moment and my face was only a few centimeters from the mask.

"It will be okay," I whispered.

She nodded, the large mask moving on her small face. The white skull protected her, and an odd feeling filled me as I turned over again, facing away form the girl once more.