smiling.
“That was so incredible!” said Stanley, still in a daze about the whole thing.
“It happens,” said Jacob philosophically. I laughed, mostly in relief that everyone had come out unscathed. Driving north in the early morning hours after a double zombie fight, I felt energized and exhilarated. It was madness to feel this alive after almost being killed, but that’s how I felt.
Stanley seemed to be lost in thought. Jacob and DeAndre had come to his rescue and saved his life. He in turn had come to their rescue not minutes later, and helped to save us all. It was a lot for him to take in. He had known us for less than a day. Stanley remained quiet for a long time, then dropped off to sleep, his head resting against the window. Everyone else was asleep as well, and it was a dark, quiet drive that took me onward.
Chapter Six
I drove on into the dark, passing through South Dakota and entering North Dakota as the sun rose on my right side. The brilliant orange hue on the morning sky seemed to promise renewal and hope. Yawning, I pulled over at a gas station, looking around for any trouble. The place was deserted, as were the others I had passed on my way here. The van was pretty low on gas. As I pulled to a stop next to a pump, the others began to wake up.
“Hey guys, it’s almost six. We need gas and bathroom. Who’s coming with me?” I said.
“I’ll come,” said Jacob beside me, giving me a sleepy smile. We looked out the window at our surroundings. Everything was bathed in the dawn light, and the placed seemed utterly deserted.
I grabbed my shotgun and opened the door of the van to hop out. I had decided to carry it with me from now on. I didn’t want to be caught without it. This far west, the danger was very real and present.
“Wait up, I’m coming with you,” said Risa. Luke was stirring too. I reached over and unbuckled him and lifted him out of his seat. He raised his face to look around.
“Any zombies around here, Mama?” he asked.
Smiling and kissing his cheek I replied, “No, baby. I think this place is just deserted.”
We all went in one group to the bathroom, taking turns standing watch with shotguns and semi-automatics. Jacob filled the van at the pump and Stanley washed the windows, which were gritty from the drive. In less than ten minutes we were all back in the van and ready to go. Everything was very quiet in the parking lot, so we took the time to pass out some food and drinks.
“Alyssa, I’ll drive. You should get some sleep, you’ve been up all night,” Jacob said.
Munching on a sandwich, I nodded sleepily. I was sitting next to Luke in his booster seat, and I leaned my head against him. I felt exhausted.
“I love you,” Luke said, kissing me lightly on my cheek and patting my arm. I fell asleep smiling.
I had been asleep for less than an hour and a half when I was awakened by the movement of the van slowing. Opening my eyes, I looked out the windows at a traffic jam, of all things.
“Where are we?” I asked, stretching my arms and yawning. I think I felt worse from getting just a little sleep than none at all. Scratch that. Any sleep was preferable to none. I think. I yawned again.
“Not sure, just came upon this now,” Jacob said.
I sat up straighter and looked closer. There were several police cars with lights circling, and there were two full fire engines pulled up to … something. I couldn’t see what the problem was. But I could see huge amounts of smoke billowing out from the center. We were maybe eight or nine car lengths away from whatever the commotion was. Suddenly there was a huge explosion and our van windows rattled.
“Oh my God!” I said, putting my hand on Jacob’s shoulder in front of me and sitting forward in my seat to get a better view.
“What’s going on?” Risa said.
“I don’t know, but I’m getting out of here,” said Jacob. He put the van in reverse and began to back up. Luckily no one
“That was so incredible!” said Stanley, still in a daze about the whole thing.
“It happens,” said Jacob philosophically. I laughed, mostly in relief that everyone had come out unscathed. Driving north in the early morning hours after a double zombie fight, I felt energized and exhilarated. It was madness to feel this alive after almost being killed, but that’s how I felt.
Stanley seemed to be lost in thought. Jacob and DeAndre had come to his rescue and saved his life. He in turn had come to their rescue not minutes later, and helped to save us all. It was a lot for him to take in. He had known us for less than a day. Stanley remained quiet for a long time, then dropped off to sleep, his head resting against the window. Everyone else was asleep as well, and it was a dark, quiet drive that took me onward.
Chapter Six
I drove on into the dark, passing through South Dakota and entering North Dakota as the sun rose on my right side. The brilliant orange hue on the morning sky seemed to promise renewal and hope. Yawning, I pulled over at a gas station, looking around for any trouble. The place was deserted, as were the others I had passed on my way here. The van was pretty low on gas. As I pulled to a stop next to a pump, the others began to wake up.
“Hey guys, it’s almost six. We need gas and bathroom. Who’s coming with me?” I said.
“I’ll come,” said Jacob beside me, giving me a sleepy smile. We looked out the window at our surroundings. Everything was bathed in the dawn light, and the placed seemed utterly deserted.
I grabbed my shotgun and opened the door of the van to hop out. I had decided to carry it with me from now on. I didn’t want to be caught without it. This far west, the danger was very real and present.
“Wait up, I’m coming with you,” said Risa. Luke was stirring too. I reached over and unbuckled him and lifted him out of his seat. He raised his face to look around.
“Any zombies around here, Mama?” he asked.
Smiling and kissing his cheek I replied, “No, baby. I think this place is just deserted.”
We all went in one group to the bathroom, taking turns standing watch with shotguns and semi-automatics. Jacob filled the van at the pump and Stanley washed the windows, which were gritty from the drive. In less than ten minutes we were all back in the van and ready to go. Everything was very quiet in the parking lot, so we took the time to pass out some food and drinks.
“Alyssa, I’ll drive. You should get some sleep, you’ve been up all night,” Jacob said.
Munching on a sandwich, I nodded sleepily. I was sitting next to Luke in his booster seat, and I leaned my head against him. I felt exhausted.
“I love you,” Luke said, kissing me lightly on my cheek and patting my arm. I fell asleep smiling.
I had been asleep for less than an hour and a half when I was awakened by the movement of the van slowing. Opening my eyes, I looked out the windows at a traffic jam, of all things.
“Where are we?” I asked, stretching my arms and yawning. I think I felt worse from getting just a little sleep than none at all. Scratch that. Any sleep was preferable to none. I think. I yawned again.
“Not sure, just came upon this now,” Jacob said.
I sat up straighter and looked closer. There were several police cars with lights circling, and there were two full fire engines pulled up to … something. I couldn’t see what the problem was. But I could see huge amounts of smoke billowing out from the center. We were maybe eight or nine car lengths away from whatever the commotion was. Suddenly there was a huge explosion and our van windows rattled.
“Oh my God!” I said, putting my hand on Jacob’s shoulder in front of me and sitting forward in my seat to get a better view.
“What’s going on?” Risa said.
“I don’t know, but I’m getting out of here,” said Jacob. He put the van in reverse and began to back up. Luckily no one
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