Pandemic

Chapter 5 - Get out me caahr

5

They drive for hours, never taking care for the speed limits. It never seems to end. Aria wonders why she got in the car anyways. She refuses to accept the most logical explanation, because it includes her caring about someone. If she stayed behind, she would have been stuck with Amanda. She’d take Matt and Claire over Amanda any day, even though losing her does affect her mood.

 Her back is hurting, and every bump on the road makes her wince. Luckily, she still has her backpack.  She tries stretching her legs out a little. Immediately she feels one meter longer. The luggage room isn’t a very comfortable place, but she can’t imagine Matt and Claire have it any better. John doesn't make any effort to lighten the modd by looking like he just won the lottery but lost his coupon.

Finally the car stops, and the music gets lower. Jacqueline starts swearing, using words even Aria hasn’t heard before.

‘We are out of gas!’ the driver snorts. What a glorious place to suddenly be out of gas. There is nothing but swingy roads and a white horizon ahead. The only things on each side are trees. Woods as far as the eye can see. Aria looks up at the sky. The skies are grey and it doesn’t take a meteorologist to see that it’s going to snow.

 ‘Go check if there’s a spare tank in the back,’ Jack says. Aria feels her heart speed up, and a new adrenaline kick is sharpening everything. There is a box of tools right behind John and just of her reach. She also sees a shiny crowbar. The guys who owned the car didn’t seem like nice people.

 She crawls the harsh rug and manages to get the crowbar. It’s cold in her hands, and it weighs more than she had originally expected. There’s little space, but enough for her to be able to swing the bar.

 As soon as the door opens, she smacks the guy right in the head. The noise of metal hitting his skull nearly makes her puke. He goes straight down, and Aria closes the trunk again. Her conscience isn’t at its best, but it had to be done.

 In a matter of seconds, two of the other guys are out of the car. One of them is big. In fact, he is so massive that he probably would be able to kill someone by just sitting on them. Muscle is ripping up his tank top, revealing a burnt forest of wonderful, almighty armpit hair.

 Next to him stands his friend who looks like the stick drawings of Gregory from Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

 When they see Jack hopping out of the passenger seat, John and Aria quickly throw themselves over the seats, thanking Germany for making cars with tinted windows. Matt jumps when Aria falls down in his lap, but he seems glad to see her nevertheless. It occurs for her that neither Matt nor Claire had any idea they were in the trunk. Awkwardly, she gets off him, wearing an apologetic look. It wouldn’t have bothered her to stay where she was for a couple of more seconds, but there isn’t time.

 ‘We need to get out, open the door.’ Claire does as Aria says. ‘Carefully!’

 There is more swearing and cursing outside. Whilst calculating risks and options, she grabs a hand. She doesn’t know whose hand it is. She’s just scared, and she needs something to hold on to.

 ‘His pulse isn’t beating,’ Mr. Muscle says. Aria freezes and squeezes the hand she’s holding harder. It squeezes back.

 ‘Let’s get out of here,’ John hisses. He has woken up from his trance and it sounds like he’s back on track. For that, Aria is ever so grateful.

 Claire goes first and starts crawling in the snow. Everything makes crackle noises, and Aria realizes they have no chance in sneaking away. Every little step makes noise loud enough for the men to hear. Their only shot is to run. Fast.

 Using the crowbar as support on the slippery ground, Aria follows Claire. The distance between them and the forest is no more than ten feet. If they only get far enough away, Jack and his crew will probably give up. Her pulse is beating so fast, and her legs are trembling. Everything from here can go wrong, but there isn’t any other option but to leap forward and hope for the best.

‘Run,’ she whispers. They all do.

They run like fools and get about halfway to the woods before anyone notices them. Her palms are sweating, and she holds onto her crowbar like it’s the last thing left on Earth.

Shots are fired, and she tenses up to be ready for the pain of a bullet digging into her skin. Nothing hits her. Nothing hits Claire. She has no time to look back, but she knows that she still is holding a warm hand, and that the owner of the hand is still running with her.

Snow starts snowing, slowly filling their footprints. Wind starts blowing, forcing them to slow down. Claire has tripped twice in the knee-deep snow, and trips again. Aria is catching up on her, getting ready to give her a hand, but John has already gotten in front of them all to help her. This makes her realize that it is Matt’s hand she clings onto. Knowing that it is his hand makes it softer and even warmer.

Being drunk and swimming in snow must have been hard, because when they finally stop there is no sign of anyone behind them. Aria tries to catch her breath as she collapses, dragging Matt down with her. She quickly checks if anyone is hurt. Luckily, the shots hit no one.

‘You ok?’ Matt breathes and rubs her shoulder lightly. She buries her head into his chest and realizes she is crying. Usually, she doesn’t go around hugging people, but she needs it now. Being in the arms of someone bigger than her makes her feel safe. She justifies everything by telling herself that she would even have hugged Claire if there hadn’t been anyone else around. Matt seems a little startled at first, but he eventually hugs her back.

Aria keeps crying, and he gently holds her. She doesn’t know if she is making him uncomfortable, but she doesn’t care. The tears won’t stop streaming, and she can’t make herself let go.

‘I killed him, they said his pulse stopped beating,’ she gasps in between her sobs. Every plan of being tough and cold has faded, leaving her just as small and vulnerable as she had thought Amanda was. Truth shows her that she isn’t ruthless or able to act emotionless, and that she is just as terrified and weak as everyone else.

                                                                       * * *

 It’s cold, and the deep snow isn’t exactly the optimal resting place. Aria, John and Claire were the only ones who managed to bring their stuff and neither of them has a tent. Walking back and keep travelling along the road isn’t an option. Jack and his guys can be anywhere.

 ‘Let’s see if we can find a lodge somewhere,’ Claire suggests and stands up. Her clothes are clammy and her lips are nearly purple. What seem to be uncontrollable shivers have taken over her body and she starts walking whilst clenching her teeth.

 Aria finally goes out of Matt’s warm embrace and starts following.

 ‘You can borrow my mittens now as well, but I don’t think they will help too much but…’ Aria takes off her sky blue, wool mittens and reaches them out towards Claire.

 ‘Thank you,’ she smiles and accepts the moist, but still warm mittens.

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