The apocalypse

chapter 7: going camping

Chapter 7: going camping

The Chevy roared down the back roads, passing abandoned cars, houses, and unrecognizable piles of what could be people. I kept my head forward and my eyes on the road, making sure we didn't get in an accident. Michael was looking at a map, sorting out where the best place to go was. Catarina was asleep, her head was rested on the edge of the door. Isabella was arranging an assortment of items that she managed to recover from her house. Katie was giggling with the puppy, it's the first time she's smiled since I found her.     

"Wait." Michael commanded as the Chevy grinded to a halt. "What is it?" I asked intently, waiting for a response.                                                

  "There's a campground, down the road, about two hundred and fifty meters down. There might be other people there, or at the least, some supplies." He explained with hope in his voice.                                                                                  

 "We could have a look, besides, it's getting late and we don't wanna get caught out at night." I explained, trying to forget the events that had just occurred with mum. The Chevy's pace picked up, and before we knew it we were pulling into the driveway. It was a long drive way, but we eventually found ourselves at a locked gate with a sign that read: no one left, all gone.I stopped the engine, pulled the keys from the ignition then stepped out from the car.                                                                                                                                      

 "Looks like were climbing our way over, we'll have to leave the car here." I explained to the rest of the group, making sure they understood

"I'll get the bags and the map." Isabella explained. Me and Michael climbed to the top of the fence, then Isabella passed the three moderately heavy bags to us. We both dropped down at the same time, Catarina flick a small pocket sized flashlight from her back pocket and flashed it into the darkness.

From here you could barely see the cabins with the amount of shrub and trees around the campsite.  "Thanks." I smiled at Catarina "No problem" she said with a nervous smile.                                                                  

  "Me and Michael will check it out, you girls stay here and watch the car, we'll come back and tell you if it's clear."  I explained nervously, attempting to mask my fear with no emotion, only gestures.                                                                         

"Ok, don't be too long. Please." Isabella replied. I nodded and began to jog towards the site with Michael. There was nervous and dead silence between us. Neither of us knew what to say, only the deep, dark thoughts of the past. Once we reached he site we crouched down, into some shrub, waiting for some movement or even the reassuring sound of other people... waiting on the edge of sanity and paranoia, waiting for something to happen.

We waited for a full three minutes, we couldn't take the gut wrenching feeling we felt every moment we were in this shrub, so I moved out, hunched over and had a keen eye on every single bit of movement. Every time the dusk wind blew, my surroundings came to life, then died again.

Then, once I built up the courage to speak, I shouted out, attempting to the attention of every living being around me. But nothing, the life time of waiting was pointless, then suddenly the sickly feeling inside of me disappeared. I signalled Michael over.

"It's clear, go get the girls" I said, huge relief swirled inside me. Michael nodded and ran up the narrow drive. Before I knew it, they were all down here with me. "We should search the cabins, see if there's anything useful we can use." Isabella explained cautiously, before anything else could be said or done. "Good idea, we all get a cabin to search, Isabella will search the closest one."

He pointed to the ruff and claustrophobic cabin that resembled a large tool shed. "Catarina, you search the one next to that. Isaac, stay with Katie and the puppy. I'll search the two across from Isabella and Catarina's cabins." Michael ordered in a formal matter. We all nodded and headed towards where we were meant to be.

Katie was holding the tiny, terrified puppy as it whimpered in her frail arms. I knelt down to Katie's height and smiled widely. She tried to smile back, but couldn't muster the joy to do so. We then both sat down next to each other.                                                                                                                        

 "Thank you..." she said with slight happiness.                                                                 

  "No need to thank me, you were afraid, in danger. I would never just leave you or anyone like that." I explained with verbal silkiness.                      

  "How old are you?" I asked intently. She paused for a moment, thinking. "I'm seven." She replied, softer than before. Then, before anything else could be said, Michael called out.                                                                                           

   "Guys! Look what I found!" he called out, like a small child on Christmas morning. Catarina and Isabella rushed out from their cabins and over to Michael, I did the same. Once we were all inside his cabin, he presented two berretta 92 model, handguns and one bolt action hunting rifle. Along with sixteen handgun rounds and three, sixteen millimetre rounds for the hunting rifle. My eyes widened with slight happiness and more confusion "So, what'd you guys think?" Michael asked us, a smug look on his face, obviously proud of his great find.                                                                            

"What were campers doing with all these munitions and firearms? It's odd that some campers would have this much." I explained nervously, trying to think of a possible solution to my question.                                                                                       

"Does it really matter? Besides, they left them here, they're ours now." Michael responded, not as joyful.                                                                                          "Well, at least we have a better means of defending ourselves now. So if we find ourselves in a sticky situation we could start firing of rounds." Isabella added on to the conversation intently.                                                                               

 "If we're gonna keep them, then there will have to be rules placed around them. Does anyone know how to even use a gun?" I explained, attempting to be thorough.                                                                                                                        

"I had a bit of training with my father, he taught me how to turn the safety on and off, how to reload a handgun and how to fire it properly." Catarina added into the conversation.                                                                                                          

"Well, could you teach us how to use them? I can handle the hunting rifle, I know how to use that." I added in also.          

"Then it's settled, Catarina and someone else will handle the handguns, Isaac will handle the rifle."  Michael ordered in a more orderly fashion. Then, once that was all dealt with, we all chose cabins and rested for the duration of the night. I didn't sleep for hours, thinking about my parents, but primarily my mother. I pulled the locket from my back pocket and steered at it for about half an hour. The scenario of that dreadful and scarring moment of me putting that hockey stick in my mother's skull, replayed in my head over and over. In some ways, I felt terrible for what I had done, but deep down in my sea of doubt I knew I had done the right thing. I put her at peace, no more pain, no more misery, just silence and rest. Nothing more. With that thought I hung the locket on a decayed hook that rested on the roof. After a few minutes of more thinking, my eyelids became heavy, my head like a cloud. I then fell asleep, no more thoughts or gut wrenching memories. Just silence and rest. Nothing more.