Undead Rises

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰɪᴠᴇ

ᴄᴏʀᴀ ʜᴇɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

The sun crept up from beneath the horizon, signaling another day. We had survived another night. Kai and Jasper had moved some of the rotting bodies off the staircase so that Tobias would be able to get down safely while holding Zoey. Aria and I followed behind everyone. Kai and Jasper took lead, holding their weapons high in case we were attacked once again. I held my knife, but I felt too tired to scan my surroundings.

"The dealership isn't too far. Once we have a working car, you can get some sleep." Aria gently nudged my shoulder, I wondered how'd she noticed. "Are you going to drive?" I asked her as we passed by the old boutique, where my mother had loved to do her shopping. Aria shrugged before putting her handgun in the thigh holster, still keeping her hand on the handle. Just in case she would need to draw her weapon. 

"Yeah, I don't mind. I just hope I can get a minivan started." she said it like it had been no big deal. I made the assumption that she knew how to hotwire a car, but it wasn't my place to judge. However, I couldn't stop thinking of the idea that she may have been a thief before The Turn.

We made our way over to the dealership in a matter of minutes. The doors were unlocked, and the place was a mess. Papers were scattered across the floor, as well as the occasional dried blood stain on the floor. Most of the furniture had been laying on its side or was somewhere across the room. Most of the cars that had been on display were gone. People had broken into and drove the new cars away.

Aria led us through the reception area and through a back door. We walked into a huge workshop; filled with machines, tools, and most importantly; cars. "I'll look around for a car. You guys can look for water or food." Aria suggested before turning and walking away, I decided to follow her. We passed by cars with open hoods. Aria would look at the engines before walking away, she knew what she was looking for.

We came across a light grey Volvo SUV, it looked like the color of the clouds just before it rains. Aria scanned the engine of the car, before walking around it. "All the tires look good. Nothing seems broken. Probably just came in for an oil change." Aria spoke, but it sounded like she was speaking to herself, like she was making mental notes of the cars condition. Aria opened the driver's side and crouched beside the car. I watched as she opened a panel and used plyers to pull of the rubber of the copper wires.

The engine of the car came to life as she connected two of the wires. Aria stood up and looked down at her work. "Have you ever hot-wired a car before?" I asked slowly, it seemed like she had. Aria stared at me, she grew quiet and serious. "Stop beating around the bush, Cora. Ask me what you really want to know." she said, anger in her voice, like she knew what I had been thinking. Her arms folded and she looked down at me.

"What did you do before The Turn?" the words came quietly, uncertainty laced around my voice. "You mean you want to know if I stole cars for a livin'. I didn't. I was a mechanic." was all she said as she got in the car, angrily slamming the door behind her. Guilt settled in my chest, I had just assumed she was a criminal, and I was wrong to do so. I got into the passenger seat, ready to apologize to her.

"I don't want to hear it."

Looking down at my hands, I bit the inside of my cheek and remained quiet. Aria pulled the car out of its space to go and pick up the others. Jasper pulled one of the middle seats forward to allow Tobias to get in the back. He was still holding a sleeping Zoey. Jasper closed the seat before getting in, Kai followed suit. Aria drove out of the dealership, and we were on the road.

"Aria, can I grab another one of those antibiotics? Zoey should have another one." Jasper told her as he took out a water bottle from his bag. Aria did not say a thing as she pointed to the bag, already seated on the ground beside his feet. Jasper took out on of the pills, using the cap of the water bottle to crush it and pour the powder into the bottle. He rotated the bottle, shaking the small amount of water still in the bottle. The water became murky.