Don't Talk To Me | BOOK 3

fourteen

Riley Murphy
2048

As the clouds rumble to a halt, rain starts to spit onto the windshield.

I move the sticky indicator as it pushed the rain away, only slightly.

"We're gonna have to turn in soon... this cars not gonna hold us with this weather."

I nod, staring out the window.

The sky is turning darker by the second. It doesn't help that it's turning to night, or that there's a storm coming.

Gage and Levi are conversing in the back while Dee is looking out the window, her chin resting in her hand.

I grip the steering wheel, angry at myself.

Why can't I get a grip?

Pull yourself together Riley. You promised yourself and you promised your family that you'd bring them home, safe and alive!

My thoughts consumed me. As they always do.

A warm hand covered my own and I turned my head, seeing Dakota looking at me with wary eyes.

Concern was laced in them. She bit her chapped lips, swiping her tongue over them slightly.

I focused my eyes back on the road, memories from that night resurfacing as her hand let go of mine.

The warmth her hand gave me immediately left and I felt cold.

"RILEY LOOK OUT-" Gage screamed.

My arm flew out to hold Dakota in place.

The tires screeched on the wet road as I jumped on the brakes.

We lurched forward and our bodies jolted.

"Sorry... again." I apologised, placing my hand on my beating heart to carry and calm myself down.

Don't have a heart attack... I mumbled to myself.

I looked out the windshield to see what Gage was screaming about but I couldn't see anything.

It was then I noticed the harsh winds and the fact that the trees were blowing dangerously close to the road.

"Dude... the trees." One tree was wrapped around a power line and the others around it looked ready to snap.

Dakotas fingers wrapped around my own as she lay her head on my arm. I could feel her heart beating a million times a second and I closed my eyes.

"It's okay..." I whispered. She nodded, not meeting my eyes.

I felt a sense of guilt wash over me... I feel guilty. For dragging them into this and for failing them.

"Okay, we need to keep going. But we need to be on the lookout. Any place you think looks liveable, shout."

I started the car again, with my own doubts seeping in and drove with one hand. The other played with the pocket knife that was hanging from my pants.

I accidentally dropped it on the floor beneath my feet and growled.

Dakota bent down to pick it up and switched it between her fingers, "Gotta be more careful with this thing, Riles." She smiled, placing it back on my lap.

I thanked her and continued to run the non-sharp end of the blade between my forefinger and thumb.

* * *

The rain had settled and we were in a quiet neighbourhood. The streets were whizzing by, "Do you remember  this house?" I ask Gage, catching his eye in the mirror, "No, why?"

I slowed down, the engine rumbling to a stop.

I look at the broken brick house with the mailbox that read '47' and sighed, "It looks familiar to me, that's all." I shrugged.

"It's probably a sensory thing... I don't know."

"I feel like I've seen it before... somewhere." I mumbled, wracking my brain.

Ignoring it, I continued the drive.

I saw Levi with a wide eye in his face and got panicked, "What's wrong Levi?" I asked.

Dee turned to face her brother, grabbing his knee, "Levi?" She asked softly.

He shook his head, "Nothing I just-..." He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"It's nothing. I don't want to scare you guys."

Dakota looked to me with a permanent worry line on her forehead, then back to her brother, "Now you have to tell us."

"I just... I find it suspicious that the second we leave Canada we've already had a run in with the bad guy? How come they didn't target us while we were in the country?" He said.

"Maybe they're Canadian?" Gage joked, trying to lighten the mood. I stopped the car and turned around, smacking Gage on the thigh, "Shut up you idiot!"

"We were attacked that one time.. with the arrow?" Levi reminded us.

"Yeah, and Elle said it's the same threat from when they were our age?"

"There's no way they've survived on their own?" I said.

"We have." Dakota added.

"Barely."

Silence.

"Maybe they didn't want the others to think too much of it? I don't know." I shrugged.

If Elle and the others thought that these guys were targeting them, they'd want to keep us safe, right?" Dakota said.

Uh oh... I know this look in her eye.

A quick flash of light caught my eye, and apparently Dakota saw it too, because nodded at me.

Turning around in my seat and starting the car again, I pressed my foot on the gas and drove a little faster.

"But when we leave, the dangers following us, meaning they've been targeting us the entire time... which means-"

"They're following us." I cut her off, glaring at the rear view mirror, "Everyone stay calm and alert, and get your guns out."

I death glared the silver camaro, which is entirely too shiny for a zombie apocalypse.

"Wait- guns, why?" Gage asks, unstrapping his gun.

I drove with one hand, steady on the road as I took my gun out, "Load this for me." I said to Dakota.

She took the gun from me and unclipped the magazine, putting 12 new bullets in and throwing the other 4 on the ground.

"Riley... why do we need our guns?"

"Because they finally decided to make an appearance."

* * * 

take a wild guess on who it is >:)

could be a returning character... could be someone new!