Surviving or Living

Chapter 32: Newport

They parked the vehicles along the sidewalk, and looked through the window. They were in Newport, not far from an hospital, and were watching the quiet town in silence.
"Is it just me" Kyle said in a whisper, just like if he didn't want to disturb the city's silence. "Or there's no infected here ?"
"Yeah it looks like a creepy ghost town" Meghan said.
"Okay." Elyza said with a big sigh, and turned around to look behind her. "Elena, you stay with Ofelia."
The little girl nodded, sat on the couch next to Ofelia.
"Guys, take your weapons" Elyza said to the others.
They all did as they were told, and exited the vehicle closing the door behind them.
"Okay" Travis said. "Madison, Daniel and I will go to the hospital and try to find some medicine. "You all stay here, and keep watch."
"Not me" Elyza said. "I have to go to Abigail's apartment."
"I'm coming with you" Alicia said.
"Alicia..." Madison started.
"I'll be okay, mom."
"Just be careful" Madison said and hugged her daughter.
"Yeah don't worry"
Alicia joined Elyza, and helped her to untie the motorcycle that was on the back of the camper.
"No matter what happens" Madison said. "We meet here in thirty. Understood ?"
"Yeah" Alicia and Elyza responded, and mounted the engine.
Elyza started it, and drove away.

They drove through the empty city for at least ten minutes without meeting any infected, and finally stopped in front of a building.
"It's here" Elyza said, and dismounted the motorcycle.
Alicia followed her, and looked around.
"No infected, that's really strange" she said. "Do you think the soldiers evacuated everyone?"
"That's possible" Elyza said. "But please hurry, we don't know maybe there are some not far."
Taking her pistol, Elyza opened the door of the building and entered it, closely followed by Alicia. But as soon as the door closed behind them, a man appeared in front of them, aiming a shotgun at them.
"Who are you? What do you want?" He asked in a scared voice, and the girls noticed he was trembling in fear.
Elyza slowly lowered her gun, and looked at him in the eyes. He was a tall and fat man, with long curly brown hair, but wasn't the kind of man to hurt someone.
"Relax" Elyza said in a gentle voice. "We won't hurt you. We're just looking for someone."
"Who ?" The man asked.
"Abigail Roberts?"
The man quickly shook his head no.
"Never heard of her" the man said. "Now go. Or I shoot you."
Raising an eyebrow, Elyza examined the shotgun.
"Are you really going to shoot us" She started, and grabbed the shotgun. "With a shotgun that's not loaded?"
The man quickly let go of his useless weapon, and Elyza put it on the floor.
"I told you, we're not going to hurt you. My name's Elyza, and this is my friend Alicia."
"I'm Hugo" the man introduced himself shyly.
"Nice to meet you Hugo. Now, is there someone else with you?"
"No" he said in a low voice. "I'm alone."
"Maybe you can come with us ?" Elyza suggested.
"To go where ? There's nowhere to go. Nowhere to go." He said shaking his head.
Elyza and Alicia shared a look, and Alicia spoke.
"Can we check upstairs? Apartment 6"
Hugo shrugged his shoulders.
"As you wish"
The girls quickly walked upstairs, and entered the apartment. As the door was closed, Elyza had to push it open. The apartment was in good order, but the dust showed that no one lived here for a very long time. There were modern furniture, and dead plants. Elyza looked around, and noticed there were no pictures. Only an empty picture frame on a shelf.
"Why are you looking for this Abigail ?" Hugo asked from the door frame.
"She's my mother" Elyza explained. "I've been taken away from her when I was two weeks, and I learned about her a few days ago. She was looking for me."
"I'm sorry for you" Hugo said in a sad voice.
"Why are you sorry?" Elyza asked a bit confused.
"Because she's dead"
Elyza raised an eyebrow, looking straight at the man.
"You said you didn't know her"
"I don't. But everyone's dead. There's no one left."
"That's not true. We're alive, and we met some people who are alive"
"Just a matter of time" Hugo sighed. "But if you really want to waste your time, I suggest you to go to north. Everyone went to north when it started, thinking it was safer. But that's stupid, right ? The whole world is screwed?"
"Yeah" Elyza said. "Thank you for your help"
"No problem" Hugo said, and stepped aside to allow the girls to exit the apartment. "But be careful"

"You're five minutes late !" Madison exclaimed when Elyza stopped the motorcycle.
"Sorry mom" Alicia said dismounting the engine. "Have you found something ?"
"No. The hospital has been looted. You ?"
"Just an empty apartment. And a man who told us that everyone went to north when everything started."
"North?" Adam asked. "You mean, Canada?"
Elyza shrugged.
"He just said north."
"It's not a bad idea" Victor said. "Maybe we can go to Portland, and find an other hospital"
"Yeah. Let's do this" Travis said. "Unless if someone has a better idea"
"Works for me" Meghan said and went back in the camper.
Daniel sighed, and suddenly pushed a wall.
"Hey hey !" Travis exclaimed and ran toward the old man. "Calm down we will find medicine."
"This is all my fault" Daniel exclaimed. "My daughter is in pain because of me, when I swore to protect her."
"It's not your fault and you know it. Now come on. We have to leave before it's worse for her."
Daniel nodded in agreement, and walked toward his car to get in it.

---------------------------------------------
Author's note
Hi :) please comment to let me know what you think :)