Ashes (Of the Earth Series)

Chapter 7.3

The gas station loomed ahead, a solitary refuge of light in the desolate landscape. Its foreboding stillness contrasted sharply with the chaos we had come to know. As I steered the car into the deserted lot, a sense of unease settled over us. This place, untouched by the pandemonium, felt strangely out of place.

"We should be quick," I murmured, parking near the entrance. The station, eerily silent, seemed to watch us with unseen eyes. We stepped out, each of us alert and cautious.

The door to the convenience store creaked ominously as I pushed it open. Inside, the shelves were surprisingly well-stocked. Canned foods, bags of chips, and bottles of water were lined up as if waiting for customers who would never come.

"Looks like we are in luck," I murmured, stepping inside. The air was stale, but the sight of stocked shelves was a welcome one. Canned goods, bottled water, and even some snacks were neatly arranged, seemingly untouched since the chaos began.

Lilly followed close behind, her eyes scanning the shelves. "Can't believe this stuff is still here," she said, reaching for a bag of chips.

James, a bit more cautious, kept a watchful eye on the door. "Let's be quick about this. No telling if those creatures are around," he reminded us, his voice barely above a whisper.

As we gathered supplies, filling our backpacks with as much as we could carry, the conversation turned towards our next move. "We need to stay focused on getting to Whiskey," I said, checking the expiration dates on a can of soup. "She's our best bet for making it to the mountains."

Lilly, stuffing a pack of batteries into her bag, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and once we get there, we need to be smart about setting up a camp. Somewhere defensible."

James, who had been quietly surveying the store, suddenly spoke up. "Guys, look at this." He was pointing to a map on the wall, a detailed layout of the area. "This could be useful for planning our route."

We gathered around the map, tracing possible paths with our fingers. "We need to avoid major roads and populated areas as much as possible," I suggested, my finger hovering over a less-traveled route that skirted the city. A thought occurred to me. "I bet GPS on our phones still works. I have most of the state downloaded on maps."

The brief sense of security inside the gas station was abruptly shattered by a noise from the back room. James instinctively reached for the makeshift weapon he had tucked into his belt. "What was that?"

I signaled for them to stay back as I cautiously approached the source of the noise. Peering into the back room, my heart raced at the sight before me. One of those creatures... a... I searched for a name for it. A... Driller... was trapped under a fallen shelf, its spindly, insectile legs thrashing and writhing in an attempt to free itself.

"Shit," I whispered, backing away slowly. "There's one of them in here."

Lilly's eyes widened in fear. "We need to get out of here, now!"

Quickly, we grabbed our backpacks, now filled with supplies, and hurried back to the car. As we passed by the registers, James hopped the counter and tapped at the screens.

"James!" Lilly hissed. "What are you doing?"

James waved his hand at her. "Shut up!" He quickly jumped the counter once more and looked at me. "I work at this chain. I turned on the pumps."

I blinked. Good thinking bud.

****************

As we drove away from the gas station, the relief of finding supplies was overshadowed by the constant threat of danger. This world was no longer our own; it was a place where survival was the only thing that mattered.

The encounter at the gas station had been a damning reminder: safety was a fleeting luxury. As I drove, my mind raced with thoughts of Whiskey and the mountains. Would we find safety there, or just more of the same? Only time would tell. For now, we had supplies and a destination. That would have to be enough.

The road stretched out before us, an unending path through the ruins of what once was.

Lilly, looking out the window at the desolate landscape, spoke quietly. "It feels like we're in one of those post-apocalyptic movies," she mused, a hint of sadness in her tone. "Except there's no cut to the next scene. This is our reality now. Where's Tallahassee when you need him?"

James shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah, and those creatures... It's like they're right out of a nightmare." His voice was low, tinged with fear. "How many more are out there? Are we ever going to be safe again?"

I kept my eyes on the road, my hands gripping the wheel a little tighter. "We'll be safe," I said, more to reassure myself than them. "Once we meet Whiskey and get to the mountains, we'll have a better chance. We just need to stay smart and stick together."

"What if she's not what she seems?" Lilly asked, her brow furrowed with concern. "What if it's a trap?"

"We have to take that chance," I replied. "We can't survive out here on our own forever. Whiskey's truck could have everything we need to make it to the mountains."

As we talked, I could feel the weight of their trust in me. They looked to me for direction, for a plan, for hope. I wasn't sure I had any of those, but I couldn't let them see my doubt. We were in this together, and I had to believe we'd find a way through it.

The landscape around us was a blur of abandoned cars and crumbling buildings. It was hard to believe that just days ago, life was normal. Now, every turn held potential danger, every decision could mean life or death.

"We should be cautious when we meet her," James suggested, breaking into my thoughts. "Keep our distance initially, figure out if she's legit."

"Agreed," I nodded. "We'll approach carefully. Can't afford to take unnecessary risks."

The conversation dwindled as we each retreated into our own thoughts. The reality of our situation was overwhelming. We were three people against a world that had turned hostile in the blink of an eye.

As the miles passed, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. It was probably just paranoia, but in this new world, paranoia might just keep us alive. We were moving forward, but towards what, I couldn't be sure. The only thing I knew was that we couldn't stop. Not now. Not when we had come so far.

***************

It was slow going. The siblings had been quiet for a while. My mind drifted, unbidden, to the conversation I'd had with Michael just a few days prior. "You always were the responsible one." His voice echoed in my head, and bitterness tainted my heart as I remembered what we'd lost. My heart ached for his presence. I acted as if I knew what I was doing, but the truth was, I was as lost as anyone.

Anxiety gripped me, my heart rate accelerating as panic threatened to take hold. What was I doing out here? The initial shock and adrenaline of the past ninety-six hours were starting to fade, leaving me painfully aware of the reality of our situation. The thought that I could get us all killed loomed over me like a dark cloud. Could I handle that burden? Could I live with myself if they died and I didn't?

I took several deep breaths, trying to calm the storm inside me. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, the pain in my broken fingers grounding me, pulling me back from the edge of panic. The physical pain was a welcome distraction from the turmoil in my mind. I had to keep it together. We could all die at any moment. There was no time for doubt. I glanced at my phone. We were ten minutes out from Whiskey's location.

I forced a sense of composure. "Alright, guys," I announced, feigning confidence. "I don't know about you, but I could use a drink. We're going to get Whiskey, get it?"

I glanced in the rearview mirror, expecting a reaction, but found Lilly and James fast asleep, leaning against each other. I must have been lost in thought longer than I realized.

"Well, I thought it was funny," I muttered to myself with a wry smile, focusing back on the road.