Desolation ✔️

Chapter 7: Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

My faded auburn hair stands up in random places with knots everywhere. Dark stains paint bags beneath my eyes, and I realize they're makeup smudges. After all this time, it's still there? It makes me look even more horrifying. The bruise right above my left eyebrow is almost completely gone, along with the pain. And my eyes—dark, almond brown and completely boring—seem darker than usual. Grim, even.

"Ew," I mumble, just before wiping my face. Once I finish, I grab the comb on the counter and pull it through my hair. Then I hear Robert swear outside.

"What's the matter?" Keilah calls out.

"We have a leak in the engine!" He calls back.

What? I finish tugging the comb through several of the knots until it's as detangled as I can get it and hurry out of the bathroom. Everyone crowds around the front door. I make my way over and stare out at the car. Sure enough, a puddle darkens the pavement beneath the car.

"Oh, no..." Keilah says, her hand over her heart. "So what are we supposed to do?"

"Well," Robert huffs, throwing the bag of guns into the trunk, "It must've happened during our outing this morning. There was more debris on the road than usual. But don't worry, it's not bad. I'll have this thing fixed up in no time."

We all exchange worried glances. Dean rushes out to help and I follow close behind. I don't know much about cars—in fact, I know exactly zero about cars—but I offer help anyway. Robert shoos me away. With Dean, Marvin, and Robert all outside preoccupied with the car, there's no one to stay watch for zombies entering our range. So I decide to sit watch outside with my handgun ready.

Robert's "no time" turns into "lots of time." Four hours later, he, Dean and Marvin are still trying to fix the car.

I watch the sky fade to gray. It looks like it might even rain. A low wind picks up and raises goosebumps on my arms. I look back at Robert. He's busy arguing with Marvin on which car part is supposed to go where.

"It's getting dark," I say.

Robert throws a wrench and it clatters on the pavement. He stands up and puts his hands on his hips. "I can't believe this. This is your fault, Dean."

"My fault? You were the one driving!"

"Yeah, but you're the one who told me to take a detour. Now, we—"

"It's no one's fault," I interrupt. "But obviously, this isn't gonna work. What's Plan B?"

I look between the three of them. No one says anything. Then, of course, Robert speaks up. "We walk."

I blink. "We walk?"

"Yeah. Unless you've got a better idea."

I look back at the car. Unbelievable. Our only mode of transportation, and it's already gone. Like everything else. What if Carter's out wandering the streets right now? What if, as each day passes, he's only getting further away? I'll never find him at this rate. I should've just left the store when I had the chance. I might've found him by now. Yeah, I might've run into the hoard on Maple Street, but maybe there'd be a way around it.

"Guys, just forget it," Keilah shouts from the shop door. "Come inside. It's getting late."

At her request, everyone—including me—heads inside.

We plot our next steps, literally. On foot, it'll take twice as long to reach Ostford, but we have no other choice. It's already too late at night, so we decide to start first thing in the morning. We write out a list of everything everyone will carry. Robert says we'll find a way to bring everything.