Blue agreed.
“I think it’s kind of bad,” Lazlo said. “But it could be worse.”
“Yeah, it could be your CD,” I said, and Blue laughed.
“Ha ha.” Lazlo rolled his eyes and sunk lower in the seat.
“Who is this?” Harlow asked.
“Somebody who’s probably dead,” I said and looked out the window.
The burgeoning development started giving way to more established homes, and the houses got older and less nice. It wasn’t until we’d been driving for a while, and houses turned into buildings looking sad in the desert sun that it dawned on me where we were.
We turned on the strip, which should’ve been glittering with garish bright lights but instead looked like a dusty ghost town.
A reproduction of the Eiffel Tower had fallen on its side. Cars were crashed or simply left deserted up and down the road. A massive fountain was filled with stagnant water and floating bodies. Trees on the boulevard were wilted and dead. Several rotting corpses lined the sidewalks, and carrion birds circled in the sky.
“Oh my gosh.” I leaned forward, looking at the broken marquees that hung in front of towering hotels. “This is Las Vegas.”
“Yeah. Where did you think we were?” Lazlo asked.
“I didn’t know. I just knew desert.” I had spent so much time isolated in the quarantine that it never occurred to me how near we were to a city. “We should stop.”
“What for? You in the mood to gamble?” Lazlo asked.
“These are really nice hotels. I’m sure the suites and kitchens are loaded with non-perishable food,” I said.
Blue slowed down. He rolled up over the curb, driving around the deteriorating decorative features to pull right in front of the doors.
“We won’t be able to get up to the suites because they’re on the top floors and the elevators are broken, but there has to be stuff on the main floor,” Blue said and turned off the SUV.
“So we just started on this road trip, and we’re stopping?” Harlow raised an eyebrow at us.
“We should stock up while we can,” I opened the door and hopped out. “We don’t know when we’ll be able to again.”
I went around the back and opened the door so Ripley could get out, and I grabbed the handgun from Harlow’s bag and shoved it in my waistband. The sun was blinding and hot, making me even more thankful for the vehicle and its air conditioning.
Blue and I walked into the casino first, with Lazlo and Harlow following. I didn’t like the idea of them being together, because Harlow froze and Lazlo was an idiot. I wanted to get in and out of here as quickly as possible.
“I’ve been here before,” Lazlo said to no one in particular. “I played at the Hard Rock, and we partied it up in Vegas for like three days after.”
“Yeah, great.” I did my best to ignore him as I stepped through the broken glass and squinted in the darkness of the casino. “Does anybody have a light or something?”
Casinos were built without windows so people can’t keep track of how long they’ve been there. That’s fine when it’s full of bright lights, but with the power out, the casino was a pitch black tomb. We were left feeling around broken chairs, upended slot machines, and lots of dead bodies.
“It smells horrible in here,” Lazlo grimaced after he’d made it a few feet inside. It smelled pretty rank, but I was getting used to the smell of death, as much as anyone could get used to it.
“You should’ve smelled the truck I was in yesterday.” Harlow gagged at the thought.
“Blue, can you see anything?” I walked farther into the darkness. Blue was ahead of me, and I couldn’t see him anymore
“Not really. I’m trying to find security. They should have flashlights.” He started to say something else, but he grunted and I heard a bang. “I’m okay. I just tripped.”
“You know, I saw a flashlight in the car,” Lazlo said. He waited just inside the doors, rubbing his arm and looking around in the dark. “Should I go get
“I think it’s kind of bad,” Lazlo said. “But it could be worse.”
“Yeah, it could be your CD,” I said, and Blue laughed.
“Ha ha.” Lazlo rolled his eyes and sunk lower in the seat.
“Who is this?” Harlow asked.
“Somebody who’s probably dead,” I said and looked out the window.
The burgeoning development started giving way to more established homes, and the houses got older and less nice. It wasn’t until we’d been driving for a while, and houses turned into buildings looking sad in the desert sun that it dawned on me where we were.
We turned on the strip, which should’ve been glittering with garish bright lights but instead looked like a dusty ghost town.
A reproduction of the Eiffel Tower had fallen on its side. Cars were crashed or simply left deserted up and down the road. A massive fountain was filled with stagnant water and floating bodies. Trees on the boulevard were wilted and dead. Several rotting corpses lined the sidewalks, and carrion birds circled in the sky.
“Oh my gosh.” I leaned forward, looking at the broken marquees that hung in front of towering hotels. “This is Las Vegas.”
“Yeah. Where did you think we were?” Lazlo asked.
“I didn’t know. I just knew desert.” I had spent so much time isolated in the quarantine that it never occurred to me how near we were to a city. “We should stop.”
“What for? You in the mood to gamble?” Lazlo asked.
“These are really nice hotels. I’m sure the suites and kitchens are loaded with non-perishable food,” I said.
Blue slowed down. He rolled up over the curb, driving around the deteriorating decorative features to pull right in front of the doors.
“We won’t be able to get up to the suites because they’re on the top floors and the elevators are broken, but there has to be stuff on the main floor,” Blue said and turned off the SUV.
“So we just started on this road trip, and we’re stopping?” Harlow raised an eyebrow at us.
“We should stock up while we can,” I opened the door and hopped out. “We don’t know when we’ll be able to again.”
I went around the back and opened the door so Ripley could get out, and I grabbed the handgun from Harlow’s bag and shoved it in my waistband. The sun was blinding and hot, making me even more thankful for the vehicle and its air conditioning.
Blue and I walked into the casino first, with Lazlo and Harlow following. I didn’t like the idea of them being together, because Harlow froze and Lazlo was an idiot. I wanted to get in and out of here as quickly as possible.
“I’ve been here before,” Lazlo said to no one in particular. “I played at the Hard Rock, and we partied it up in Vegas for like three days after.”
“Yeah, great.” I did my best to ignore him as I stepped through the broken glass and squinted in the darkness of the casino. “Does anybody have a light or something?”
Casinos were built without windows so people can’t keep track of how long they’ve been there. That’s fine when it’s full of bright lights, but with the power out, the casino was a pitch black tomb. We were left feeling around broken chairs, upended slot machines, and lots of dead bodies.
“It smells horrible in here,” Lazlo grimaced after he’d made it a few feet inside. It smelled pretty rank, but I was getting used to the smell of death, as much as anyone could get used to it.
“You should’ve smelled the truck I was in yesterday.” Harlow gagged at the thought.
“Blue, can you see anything?” I walked farther into the darkness. Blue was ahead of me, and I couldn’t see him anymore
“Not really. I’m trying to find security. They should have flashlights.” He started to say something else, but he grunted and I heard a bang. “I’m okay. I just tripped.”
“You know, I saw a flashlight in the car,” Lazlo said. He waited just inside the doors, rubbing his arm and looking around in the dark. “Should I go get
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