Dead Ends: The Awakening

Chapter |5|

They gathered the rest of the supplies, Noah picking up Elizabeth's unconscious form, carrying her to the car, setting her in the back as Rose climbed in the driver's seat and James sat next to Elizabeth in the back. Finally, after everything was loaded and settled, they set off.

"I guess we need to decide where we're going, then." Rose mumbled, tapping her finger on the steering wheel as she focused on avoiding the garbage and decay littering the street. She felt flustered, like everything was out of her control. She wanted to go back to her old, mundane life. She glanced back at Elizabeth, a fleeting sadness covering her entire being. She missed it. She missed the boring mundane life that existed before this phenomenon occurred. It was silly. They always talked about how they'd love if something happened, for once, in their lives. Something that set them apart, made life interesting, meaningful. She guessed they both fantasized these scenarios for different reasons. Rose was a hopeless romantic, but she also had a adventuristic avenue that had been closed off. She had always wanted to explore it, but her upbringing and values, and her sometimes timid, shy-like personality had held her back from all of that. More than ever, she would kill for it all to go back to normal. For Elizabeth to be okay, to go to school, for the world to not be dead. She always thought she wouldn't make it if something like this happened, yet here she was. The thought filled her with pride, though her humble nature added that without her friends she would be broken, possibly dead. But she also supported her friends, helped them, and would continue to do so. She only hoped for some simplicity. She assumed that was a little too much to ask of fate, though. After all, she and her friends were alive, and at least they had each other. She was thankful for whatever was keeping them alive.

"I say we head for Cali- Watch out!" Noah yelled, grabbing the steering wheel to avoid a large decayed form on the side of the road.

This snapped Rose out of her wandering thoughts. She tended to do that a lot. She liked to think it was because she had a lot to think about, even though it came off as ignorance or stupidity sometimes. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about how many times Elizabeth had commented on her fantastical dreams and ideas. She realized she probably annoyed Elizabeth, and Noah too, but she also knew that they were very similar in their ways of thinking. She realized she had gotten carried away once again, and with a last glance over her shoulder at Elizabeth and a fleeting wish for her to be okay, she once again focused on the cracked asphalt she currently drove a path in.

After driving for a few hours, Elizabeth started to mumble and moan.

This woke James, who didn't look good.

"She's burning up." James worriedly ran a hand over her forehead.

"Oh god, just hang on." Rose whispered, feeling slightly panicked.

Suddenly, Elizabeth sat up, her eyes red and glassy.

"Help."

It was a whispered word.

The last word heard before the screech of tires silenced everything else.

Elizabeth felt sick, hot, sweaty, and most of all half-dead. She felt someone's hand, a few whispered words she couldn't make out, and then-

Nothing.

Dark.

Cold seeped into her pores.

Who was she?

What was her name...

E!

It started with an E.