Finding Peace: a Sad Milk Apocalypse Story

Chapter 6

After going through the hardships they faced before, things were finally going right for the group. Hopes were on the high as the group joked and laughed for the first time since they left. The two dogs ran around barking happily weaving between the agitated horses' legs. The sun was out, filtering through the trees as they traveled through Nebraska. It was just a perfect summer's day.

Too perfect.

Blair looked down at the map, the trails they were traveling was drawn down on it. "We're getting close to a city now. Then we'll be out of Nebraska." She announced, getting a few unenthusiastic tired woos from the group. "We are going straight through the city, we can't waste anymore daylight. I'd like to get out of this state by nightfall."

"Yeah no shit. This has been the worst twelve days of my existence and my existence has always been shitty." Oz commented as he does. He had been getting back to his old ways, of just acting like he snorted a long line of crack.

"I'm not arguing with that." Click made a face. "I miss having an actual shower.

"Yeah." Topic wrinkled his nose, "I'm going to be happy when I get another bar of soap, because someone decided to take mine and drop it in a river."

For a while they were washing in the cleanest bodies of water they could find, because cleanliness is important. Each of them had their own bar of soap to use, thanks to Wonder who came up with the idea. Until Click had in his words 'accidentally' took Topic's soap instead of his own and lost it in the river. Topic, wasn't all that happy with Click and seemed to be still upset with the guy.

Click stayed quiet, his ears a bright shade of pink.

Flinders stifled a laugh finding the situation pretty funny. "I still can't understand how you read Click from Topic." He teased the cursed Swedish man, which he soon realized he should've done. "Don't you fucking dare." His eyes widened in fear when he saw Click smirk.

He was on watch with Click the previous night guarding the tent as everyone slept. With nothing else to do as they sat outside staring out in the darkness as Click played his guitar to have some background noise as they sat by the fire. "Seen you and Oz have been getting pretty close huh." Click was the first to break the silence, he spoke quietly to not wake any of their friends, or to not be heard by someone not entirely asleep.

Flinders shrugged running his hand through the grass, he looked down at the ground. "I guess." He answered after a while, Click over exaggerated a gasp. Flinders looked at Click an eyebrow raised, "what?" Click only narrowed his eyes smiling, confusing him. " What?" He backed away from the man, scared.

"You like him don't you Flindy windy." Click was acting like a middle school girl trying to pry her friend to tell her who their crush is. Flinders shook his head his flight or fight instinct wanting to kick in. "You do." Click grinned a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"No," Flinders defied the accusations again. "I'm not gay Click." Adding an, "at least I don't think I am." To himself.

"You sure?" Click dropped the act now serious. He had seen how Flinders laughed at every wisecracks Oz made, and how he looked at the guy. He might've misinterpreted though, it could've been something else.

"Okay maybe I do." Flinders sighed knowing that Click would end up getting Blair on the case about it, and she's known for interrogating people about their crushes and successful at it too. "Maybe doesn't mean yes Click." He told the man before was attacked more with this bullshit.

"But also doesn't mean no." Click wiggled his eyebrows, Flinders immediately regretted his decision. "But in all seriousness," Click's mood changed again, "I understand how you must feel. It took me plenty of time to come to terms with my feelings for Topic. Still, now, I still second guess them. Take your time, no one is going anywhere anytime soon. I'm sure Oz is still in denial."

"Wait what?" Flinders looked up from the ground.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Click wasn't going to repeat himself.

Back to present time, Flinders glared at Click. There was no way with after the conversation that they had last night that he trusted Click with that vital information. It just wasn't happening.

"Boys settle down." Blair said, not knowing that she just saved Flinders. He sighed tiredly resting his forehead on Oz's back. That was a scare.

As they grew closer to the city, they saw signs of life within it. Not good signs either. "Fuck, a gang." Salty murmured pointing out a spray painted logo of a dead rabbit an arrow through its neck on a large rock. It wasn't a nice sight, it was pretty graphic.

"Okay, not going through the city." Blair looked down at the map for a more safe route. There was no actual rout, they'd have to make their own. "Lets go around but we're going to have to keep sight of the city so that we can get back on the route. Any objections?"

"Lets just jet pass the city as fast as possible." Mini had a bad feeling on how this was going to not end well. Everyone agreed.

"Lets get going then." Blair lead the way picking up the speed, the rest following her lead.

Deeper into the forest they went, rushing past trees and high shrubs. They kept going when they heard shouting after being spotted. Zig zagging through the trees as arrows were shot at them. They managed to outrun the people shooting arrows at them.

Or so they thought. A last arrow came flinging for Mini's head. Blair blocked the arrow with her arm, getting impaled instead. After that they were finally away from the city, and in Iowa. They kept riding until they were a good distance away from the city.

"Blair, we need to stop. First because you have an arrow in your arm, second we are starting to loose daylight." Topic spoke up after a while.

"Fuck, I guess you're right." Blair lifted up her arm seeing the arrow for the first time. "I didn't notice it."

"Now the fuck to you not notice a fucking arrow in your arm Blare?" Oz jumped off his horse not warning Flinders so it was more of both of them fell of the horse onto the ground, Flinders on Oz. "Smooth Oz." Flinders rolled off him trying to compose himself. Oz only laid there his lips a thin line, he was going to live with his life decisions.

Wonder looked down at Oz, everyone else was prepping for camp. "You just going to lay there or.."

Oz sighed sitting up, he ran his hand through his hair getting the dirt out of it. "I am the worlds biggest dumbass." He murmured.

"We all have our moments." Wonder chuckled to himself. "Now come on 'worlds biggest dumbass' you can help with setting up camp." Oz rolled his eyes but got up anyways.

First Oz went over to Blair to make sure that she was doing alright. "How's the arm doing?" He asked, sitting on the ground next to her.

"Thankfully no broken bones, but its going to be tender for a while." Blair flexed her fingers. "It could've been way worse than that though." Oz nodded looking elsewhere, his mind also off in a different world. "You are the worst at hiding your painfully obvious crush. You know that right?"

Oz side glared at her, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"So Fl-" Oz cut her off, "shut." "Ders-" "the." "Hhmm?" "Fuck up Blair." Oz crossed his arms not looking at Blair.

"We're not done with this conversation Oz." Blair called after him as he walked away, his face burning.

"Hey O- what happened to you?" Topic greeted a pile of sticks in his arms.

"I want to commit arson." Oz muttered going over to the nearly made campfire that just needed to be lit.

"Hey wait," Topic went after Oz. "There will be no committing arson, but if you want to light the fire you can." Oz snapped his fingers muttering, "get it next time." Nevertheless he lit the fire, his favorite part of setting up camp.