Expired

Chapter 24

This is Alice⬆️

I finally get up and walk across the street to a gas station as I'm the last one to leave. I meet Danielle, Ben, and Jade there. "Are you doing okay?" "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" "Everything is going to be okay!" I'm suffocated by all of these questions and statements. "I'm fine." I say wiping my eyes of the little bit of tears that remained there. "Okay are you positive?" Jade asks and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Yeah.....now common we need to find Alice." I say with a smile and motion them to come closer.

We get to the curb and we call for a taxi. We all hop in and this time the driver is a girl. "Where to?" She asks. I turn to Danielle and she's already got her journal out and reading through to find the location and she looks up to the mirror. "Denver Colorado." She says with a smile. "You realize that is going to take ten hours right?" The woman asks like Danielle is stupid. "Ummm what do you guys think should we drive or take a plane?" Danielle asks us. It's completely silent and everyone just shrugs except for me. "I think we should drive." I say without expression. "I don't know.....that's ten hours away Skylar." "I know but think about last time we went to the airport to take a plane." I argue with Jade. "That's true." Ben says looking at Jade.

Jade just sits there for a moment and closes her eyes. "Fine." "But we have to stop every three hours for a bathroom break or food or drinks." She demands. "Okay bossy pants." I smile and laugh a little. She just rolls her eyes but I watch her for a moment and a little later she laughs a little just enough to barely see it. I just smile and state out the side window. I lay my head against the door but something pushes my head up instead. I freak out and get really startled but it's just Ben's arm going around my head to act as a pillow. I breathe I sigh of relief and fall asleep.

"I REMEMBER NOW!" a voice shouts and scares me to wake. I get startled and freak out again. "Calm down." "Everything's okay." Ben says and kisses my forehead. "What was that noise?" I ask. "It was just Danielle." Ben says and points to Danielle as she looks at all of us for any reply. "What is it Danielle?" I ask annoyed. "I remember where Amber is from!" She practically screams from the front seat. "Shhhhhh" the driver shushes her. "Sorry." "I remember where Amber was from." She says again quietly.

"Alright where is Amber from?" Ben asks trying to sounds interested. "She's from camp!" She says excitingly. What?! From the expired camp? My eyes practically fell out of my head. The same thing with Jade and Ben their eyes were just wide open. "What?" Jade asks like Danielle just told her that her mother died or like she just saw a ghost. "Why is this so hard to believe?" Danielle asks. "Because isn't she too young?" Jade asks like Danielle is stupid. "Uhhhhhh Jade and Amber aren't that different in age!" "How old are you my dear?" She asks Jade in a western accent. "Eighteen." Jade says with no expression like she's bored.

"Amber is seventeen!" "See there's hardly a difference!" Danielle practically screamed again stating her point. "Shhhhhhh" the driver shushes her but really means it this time. "Shut up......or I will turn this cab around!" The driver screams. "Alright fine sorry." Danielle says rubbing her arm like she's shy. "How old are you my dear?" She asks me in that western accent again. "Almost sixteen." I say fast and quiet so the driver won't freak. "Uhhhhhhhh" Ben spits out like he's embarrassed and keeping something. "What is it?" I ask worried. "I'm twenty five!" Ben says in a panic. My while mind fills with panic. This guys was ten when I was born! Ten years old! "What?!" I say as quiet as I can but it's close to a shout. The driver shushes me and gives me this look.

"Sorry." I whisper and Ben bursts out laughing. "What's so funny?" I ask paranoid. "I'm not really twenty five!" He says bursting with laughter. "You're not!" I say being as quiet as I can but it comes out almost a shout again. The driver doesn't say anything but she stares at me from her mirror with her scary stalker eyes watching me. I get the shivers and wait for Ben to answer. "No!" "I'm really only sixteen." He says and slaps his knee in laughter. I just sit there and roll my eyes and stare out the window again. "I'm sorry." He says with a fake frowny face. "It's fine just don't do anything like that again." I say calmly. "Got it." He says.

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Eight hours sixteen minutes and three stops later.
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"That'll be three hundred dollars." The woman says and rolls her eyes. "THREE HUNDRED BUCKS!?" Danielle screams. "Yep not hand it over!" The woman demands. "Ugh!" She groans and reaches into her pocket for her wallet and pulls out six of the fifth dollar bills. "Here!" Danielle says and slams the door closed. We walk up to a medium sized welcoming home. Knock knock knock! Danielle knocks on the blue door. The home is a grayish and light blue color.

It takes about thirty seconds and Danielle knocks again. "Danielle!" Ben groans. "What?" "You're not supposed to knock twice!" "And why not?" "Because it's rude!" "I'm gonna be rude to you if you don't fix that uptight attitude mister!" Danielle finally snaps back and Ben doesn't mouth off again. A moment later a woman comes to the door. She doesn't say anything for a second she just pauses. "D Dani?" She asks. She has really light blonde hair with sparking green eyes and the lightest skin. It looks like this girls been living in an igloo all of her life. But she's very beautiful.

"Alice!" Danielle screams and gives her a big bear hug. "Why the last time I saw you, you were about fifteen!" She says and goes on and on about how long it's been. "I know!" "After the fire and after all of the hunters came in I ran away and started my own life." Alice says.
"Was that hard?" Danielle asks tilting her head to the side. "Of course it was hard I left all of my family behind and I had nothing." She says looking at the ground. "I'm sorry Alice." She says rubbing her hand. "I've been all alone allow these years with no one to love or care for. She says all sympathetic.

"Waaaaaaa" it sounds like a baby's cry. "What was that?" Danielle asks. "Uh." Alice doesn't finish. "Honey!" A voice calls. I'm assuming it's a males voice by the tone of it. "Who was that?" Danielle asks. "Oh um."