The sun begins to rise along the horizon, pushing the clouds upwards with its warm rays. The white blotches in the sky line look beautiful in contrast with the purple and orange background, it's probably around 5am.
"How's everyone holding up?" Kit asks sleepily as he fishes around in his pocket for the map that he tucked away before we were captured. I look back at the group and give them all small smiles. William sways with his steps as Sarah sits perched on his back in a piggy-back-ride. Shortly after we escaped the city, we inspected Sarah to make sure she was okay, finding that she'd damaged her ankle during her time with the Landman.
She tried to fend him off but ended up kicking a table. It was pretty swollen and bruised so William decided he would carry her until we were safe.
Cameron winks at me and I roll my eyes, focussing on the abandoned road that we are on. We walked through the woods all night and ended up in the back streets of a small town.
"So how far is the shopping centre?" I ask again, shielding my eyes as the sun reaches the peak where it glares into my bloodshot eyes. Kit extends the map and looks at the crumpled sheet with concentration.
"It's only a few streets over, we should reach it pretty soon."
After about half an hour of walking, we arrive at the abandoned junction, tired smiles plastering on our faces at the sight.
"Jackpot," Cameron grins, high fiving Sarah. Rows of trolleys board the doors but with a few tries, we all manage to push them out of the way, smashing the glass of the front doors.
Sarah sits in a trolley and I grab ahold of it, giving William a break from carrying her. She smiles shyly at me before I wheel her over the shards of glass and into the dark shopping centre.
"Grab backpacks and fill them up but not too heavy because we are going to have to carry them. Only essentials," Kit demands, pinching an unbranded backpack from the rack. Cameron scoffs as he walks past, turning to face Kit with a cocky smile.
"You grab the essentials, I'll grab the good stuff," he pats Kit on the shoulder earning a scolding glance in return. I stiffle a giggle and grab a bag for myself and Sarah, handing her one then steering off deeper into the store.
The dark shop bears half empty shelves, empty packets of chips and cans litter the white floor. The trolley's wheels squeak as we make our way down each isle, passing the others a few times before meeting back at the checkouts. Sarah clambers out of the trolley while I adjust the straps on my back. I pack a torch, batteries, rope, some matches, deoderant, some rations of food, a few bars of chocolate, tampons and a couple of bottles of water and cans of food.
I kneel down and steal a travel bag that was hidden under the fruit and veggies bucket, stuffing the rolled up sleeping bag and blanket under my arm.
"Okay is everyone ready?" I ask, blowing my hair out of the way of my face so I can eye the group. They all nod in unision and I smile slightly, looking out of the shopping centre window at a small clothing boutique.
"I think we should get a change of clothes then head out, you have the map?" I direct my last comment towards Kit, to which he winks at. His hand taps his jean pocket and I let out a breath, leading the group towards the clothing shop.
The jingle of the bell echoes into the shop before falling still, silence suffocating us once again. Everyone follows after me as I shine the light of my torch into the darkness. I flinch when I see a manequine standing to the left, raising a hand over my heart to calm myself down.
"Sarah you and Lucy can go get changed first, we will wait until you're finished before going and changing our clothes," William suggests, flicking his flash light into her face, causing her to squint and swat at him. He apologises before turning around and standing guard.
"Good idea, lets make this quick," I compliment, grabbing Sarah's hand and pulling her towards the womens section. Circular racks are placed spaciously throughout the store, models standing posed sporting assorted outfits. Three changerooms are found towards the back with yellow curtains for privacy. We both filter through the clothes, our excitement falling as most of the clothes are riddled with holes from moths. We end up finding a practical outfit after about five minutes of searching, taking our treasures to the changerooms.
As soon as I close the curtain, I cover my face with my hands, smothering my silent sobs as the stress begins its downpour. I've came to face to face with death, and I can't even tell if I'm going to survive anymore. Before we met the landmen, I was fairly confident we were going to make it no problem, that civilisation would rebuild in no time. I was so wrong.
I smear the tears that had managed to escape and quickly shed my clothes, not wanting Sarah to suspect me of crying. My almost naked body reflects in the long mirror, showing off my slight curves, stretch marks, but most noticeably, my self harm scars. I touch the ones protruding from my inner thigh before changing my line of view to my pretty tattoos. I miss my parents so much.
My black bra is dirty and torn, matched with stretched pink underwear. I take them off swiftly and replace them with a red lacy set, pulling the tag off when I notice it. Black leggings slide onto my legs effortlessly before I slip into a dark green long sleeved shirt. I step into some new black boots and after pulling on a black coat, I leave the changeroom.
Sarah smiles at me then twirls shyly, showing off her dark red jeggings and black tshirt, a leather jacket tucked under her arm. Similar boots to mine hug her feet and I throw a smile at her, approving of her outfit.
We head back over to the guys and change posts. After waiting for about minutes, all three come back over with new versions of their old outfits, causing Sarah and I to laugh. Their faces mask over with confusion and we shake our heads, leaving the store feeling refreshed.
"Now what?" Cameron asks as he plucks some fluff from his shirt, throwing it into the wind. The bright sun reflects from the white paint, small waves of heat radiating from the deserted carpark.
"There's a motel behind the shop," Kit explains, pointing at a one story motel under a black sign which would've showed the name when there was power. We all nod and begin our hike towards it, kicking over bottles and other sorts of rubbish that are scattered on the dying lawn. This entire town must have been evacuated after the virus broke out. At least we hope so.
Cameron shoulder barges the brown door open, the "7" above the peep hole shaking with the impact. It creaks open, revealing a decent sized room.
We all file inside, dropping our bags by the door before closing it behind us. There are two queen beds situated closest to us while a small kitchen and bathroom is tucked away in the corner. Its moderately clean even after the apocolypse. I fall face first onto the bed and sigh, inhaing the fresh sheets that have already began to crinkle. I feel the bed dip beside me and I lift my head, snarling at Cameron who's looking at me with a smirk.
"Wanna share a bed with me gorgeous?" He asks flirtatiously and before I can answer, Kit grabs his leg and yanks him off the bed, causing him to land on his back. I hear a groan before Sarah giggles.
"The couch is all yours buddy," Kit smiles, stepping over him to sit next to me on the bed. I smile as Cameron struggles to get up before grumbling towards the fouton beneath the small tv on the wall.
YOU ARE READING
Anubis
Cerita PendekA couple of teens manage to survive the Anubis outbreak, a human killing disease that was released after an icecap broke off in Antarctica. Their only hope is to make it to New York for their second dose of the vaccine, without it, they're as good a...
