Dark Chances

One

Evelyn's POV
I was stuffing clothes into my bag. It's been two weeks since everyone dropped dead from something unexplainable. I survived for some reason and I can't wait in this town anymore for people who won't wake up. Honestly this place has become the ghost town that every horror film maker would love. No one has touched the bodies, because I'm all that remains. I'm the last survivor of kilmarnock Virginia. There were 1,416 residents of this town. Now only one. One against the world; great. I wanted to see how bad things were up north; even though I knew deep down everyone was dead. I pulled on my backpack and headed for the door. The power had gone out yesterday and it wouldn't be coming back on anytime soon. I had already gone a bit crazy; going to each house in the town, and I mean every house. I knocked on each of them until my knuckles had bruises. When I realized there was no one left I snapped out of it. Hopefully that wouldn't happen again, because that creeped me out. I headed out the door and to my mom's car. The grave on the hill was all that remained of her. My mother had succumbed to the illness after just a day. And she was all I had. I'm alone now; truly alone and no one could understand this feeling honestly, because even castaways knew there were people out there. It's different now though. There is no people out there anymore. No bustling crowds in New York. No cars speeding down the road. There's just nothing. And it's time I excepted that and found somewhere I'd be ok with all of this. I drove through the winding roads into Westmorland county and through Montross. Cars had crashed with blood spattered windshields. I didn't stop to check for anyone alive. I knew I wouldn't find anyone. The sky was inky, black with thunderstorms; causing the summer sun to be blotted out once more. Rain thundered on the roof above me, and it kept me distracted.
I didn't want to think of how I was alive and my town wasn't. Every time I did I nearly started hyperventilating, and that was never good. Being consumed by grief was not going to help me. I needed to leave, I needed to run and never come back.
It turned to night not much longer later and I felt uneasy in the car alone. I felt watched, but that was impossible. I stopped along the road when I couldn't function any longer. Blocking the horror of finding everyone you know dead can't be pushed away.
I trembled in my seat like I had a fever.
They were all dead, how could this happen? Why did it have to be me alive?
My fist hit the steering wheel over and over again unable to stop. I think I'm permanently damaged and I don't know how to fix myself. Isn't that pathetic, why are we so easy to break.
I fell asleep with bruised and bloodied knuckles in the front seat that night, and I learned never to do it again.
That morning I woke up to something thudding against my window, it took me a moment to open my eyes and see a face. I recoiled away from the man's face. He was older than me, but not by much. I watched him raise the gun at me, "open the door, Miss." I felt pale. There were people left, but they clearly weren't friendly. I pretended to reach for the door, but instead grabbed my gun and shattered my window with buckshot. I didn't stay long to see if he was dead or alive.
Miles down the road I couldn't help, but wonder if I had really killed a man. I couldn't be stupid though, if I turned to investigate I could be caught in a trap. That wouldn't happen.
The car seemed too small in King George. A small little county with lots of people thanks to a naval base down the road. I had stopped by once to eat, but nothing reminded me of the friendly town. There wasn't any noise on the highway and it was torturous.
   At least I knew now I wasn't the only one on the planet left, or maybe I was now. I could've killed that man back there and then it would be my fault. My fault for ending the existence of humans and all the years of culture we developed. There wouldn't be dancing or even music. There wouldn't be diverse food groups or the postal service. Thousands of things that have been part of our lives for thousands of years will seize. That's around the time I entered Stafford county and saw with much hate that there were to many cars to get around. I looked at my gas gauge and sighed. The car was already on empty, I hadn't noticed how many of
the fifty miles of gas I had used during the day. I was too distracted to think of getting gas and that was idiot mistake number two. How could I of been that stupid. I looked around the car and thought over what I could scavenge.
  I couldn't take much, but I took the seat belts to use like rope if needed. I was sure it would serve useful in some way.
  The trunk held the few things I could bring in my hiking bag. It wasn't really a few things. I brought everything from food to medical supplies. My down sleeping bag, tarp and small wool blanket fit in the top pocket. Clothes had kept things from jangling in the pack, so I was perfectly happy bringing lots, but goodness this pack ways a thousand pounds. I pulled it on and tightened the strap at my hip to distribute the weight better. I was thankful that such a strap had been invented. It kept me balanced, I wouldn't be turtling today. The holster at my side held my glock and I picked up the shotgun I had used earlier and began my long journey. If I was lucky I would be able to find a car in a parking lot, or house ahead before nightfall and I could drive to wilderness before stopping. There was a sheetz there I could loot and then start heading west from there. I think I can get to lake Anna that way or maybe I should stop and get a map.
Well that also seems pointless. I know where I'm going and it isn't Lake Anna. I'm heading to Shenandoah state park. Plenty of fresh water and rural area up there. No body filled cars. All of them probably going to the hospital, how sad it is that even the doctors failed to save people in the end.
I found another car before getting to the huge fields spanning towards ferry farm. I liked it here with the fields and endless empty highways. They wouldn't last, well so I thought as I passed Walmart. I took the ramp and crossed the Rappahannock River. There were a few cars scattered here and there, but not as many as there should've been. My guess was the traffic accident that caused the random car pile up. Because everything else was a ghost yard. I should've kept my mouth shut though. Central Park was worse than I thought. Even with my windows now closed I could smell the dead bodies. Even if there weren't that many cars on the road, bodies made the ditches and parking lots look unforgivable. I barely made it out of the crowded streets of Fredericksburg without gagging. I did in fact puke my guts out farther down the road closer to wilderness