Anubis

Chapter two - Lost Vegas

"Lucy," I hear a deep voice call soothingly, followed by the tug of my blanket. The warm sun beats down on my face as I pull the blanket away, slowly opening my eyes to look at Kit. He smiles and waves the map beside his head. 

"We gotta get going," he leans down and picks up a half eaten can of peaches, handing it to me. I sit up with a quiet groan to take the can from him, eagerly fishing out a slippery peach slice while adjusting to my surroundings.

The grass is over grown, white flowers and prickly weeds standing out amongst it. The once bright fire is grey and dull, a small trail of black smoke streaming from the coal and into the sky. The river enclosing us is blue and gushing, the water rushing along the mossy rocks while dragonflies dance playfully above it. 

"According to the map, we have to follow that road over there," Kit announces, pointing towards a dirt road in front of us. I nod and bring the can up to my lips, drinking the thick peach syrup before throwing the empty can on the ground before I slip on my boots and tie them tightly. 

"Where's your water bottle?" I ask him, running my fingers through my knotty hair after I put my bag on and grab my own bottle. He hands it to me and I make my way over to the stream. 

My knees dig into the soft soil as I lean towards the current with two empty bottles. The water glugs as it fills up the flasks and I watch some turtles clamber onto a rock in the middle of the creek. Once I screw the lids on the bottles securely, I make my way back to Kit who's still looking at the map. 

"Let's go," I say with a sigh, not ready for the long walk ahead of us. Kit smiles and takes his water bottle from my hands before leading the way. 

... 

I peer over Kit's shoulder at the map, taking note that we've been walking for four hours. 

"How far is Vegas?" I ask, slowing down to take a seat on the bench of a bus stop. I quickly pull off my boot and rub my heel, wincing. 

"At this rate, a few days away yet," he grimaces, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks at the map again. I groan as I peel my sock from the blistering skin of my foot. As I look up at him, my eye catches glimpse of a red car a few hundred metres up the road. Hurriedly, I put my sock and boot back on before limping towards it with Kit by my side.

"Please have fuel," I mutter under my breath as we get closer, my hopes sky rocketing when I notice its tires aren't slit and all four doors are on. Kit leans towards the passenger window, using his hand to wipe away some dirt and dust that's built up against the glass. He jolts and murmurs "fuck" under his breath. 

"What?" I ask eagerly, taking a step closer to the car where he flashes a small frown. 

"There's a body in there," his frown deepens as I get closer to the car. "Two bodies," he adds. 

"Help me get them out, we can't do anything now," I grit, grabbing the door and reefing it open. A decomposing body falls from the car and onto the road, causing me gag. The eyes are rotten, replaced with a ball of squirming maggots. The smell of death fills the air quickly and I turn away, emptying my guts aggressively. 

Kit brings his shirt over his nose and kicks the body out of the car, his spare hand clenching the roof of the car as he looks into the drivers seat. I stand up and walk a few feet away, putting my hands on my head as I take deep breaths. 

"Fucking hell," I sigh as I wipe my wet mouth with my hand. He walks around to the other side of the car and opens the door, the second body falling out of the seat just like the first one. 

"The keys are still inside," I hear him say, hope outlining his words noticeably. I feel my heart skip a few beats as he takes a seat to start it. He tries three times before it roars to life and I jump excitedly, the items in my bag clanging together noisily.