Aftermath: Awakening

A Vacation to Remember

Eric stands blindfolded feeling the wind blowing against him from the east. The sounds of a large truck and the hiss of air brakes doesn't help his state of confusion."What's going on?" He asks. "Shhhh, you'll see." Shannon's voice replies. "See what? That's kinda hard with a blind fold on." He gets an elbow to his right side. "Quit being an asshole." He can hear the smile in her voice. "That wasn't very nice..." he grins in her direction or he hopes in her direction, feeling like he looks like an idiot. He can hear chains clanking together and scraping the concrete in front of him, he shakes his head trying to see through the blindfold. "Okay Eric, you can take off the blindfold now." Eric reaches up behind his head and pulls it off and stares in awe at his truck sitting pretty in its usual parking spot. "I thought you had to junk it!" Austin laughs and shakes his head. "I was going to but Shannon talked me into just fixing it." Eric goes to the driver's side door and opens it, and climbs into the driver's seat. The interior was all new, much newer then the original and much more modern. "I don't owe you shit now." He laughs. "I couldn't have gotten my shop going without all of your help. Saved me a fuck ton." Eric turns on the engine and it rumbles into life and smiles. He turns the truck off and gets out and walks around seeing the new paint job, the old truck was no longer covered in rust spots and most of the major dents are gone. "It looks brand new! You did this all yourself?" Austin nods, "Yes I did, I wanted it to be a surprise. I was hoping to get it to you before you left for vacation. I've been hearing about it all over Facebook." Austin's radio buzzes, "Welp, back to work I go." He gives a final wave as he climbs into the cab of the tow truck, "Thanks again man. Have a good one." Austin salutes and nods as he begins to pull off.
Shannon wraps her arms around him from behind, and he turns and glares at her grinning. "You are amazing." He sweeps her off her feet and carries her into their apartment she squeals "Put me down!" Eric grins, "Your wish is my command..." he drops her playfully on the sofa and sits on her and turns on the TV pretending he can't hear her. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." He gets up and lets her up. "You're an ass." She slaps his shoulder playfully. "I know... But you love me anyway. You know we need to start packing, we leave in a day or so." She laughs and sits beside him. "I already have. I've been packed for a few days now." Something catches his eye as he's flipping through the channels. He flips it back. "Breaking News." On the screen, the areal shot shows a large amount of these figures blocking the highway, cars are haphazardly laying about and crashed together as these things are ripping into people, the news casters voice is narrating the scene. The police arrive with fire trucks and that seems to enrage the mass of strange looking creatures, they charge at the officers, taking hits and not slowing down. Eric looks at Shannon, who's face has gone pale. "They're getting bolder, aren't they? They are everywhere now." Eric nods. "I don't know that they are." Shannon looks at him.
"Do you still want to go? What happens if we run into these things?" She asks.
"Well we will figure it out when we get there, I won't let anything hurt you. Promise."
The look she gives him tells him she's not convinced. She takes his hand and squeezes it.
"We'll have fun, I promise." He tells her as he squeezes her hand in return.
"I know."
She lays her head on his shoulder and he flips the channel.

That night Eric lies awake, watching the rise and fall of her chest and pulls her close to him, feeling her warmth under the blankets. He lays there planning each stage of the trip, all of the camping gear they can now bring because of his truck being back. Should we camp? With those things lurking around all the time it might not be a good idea. He shakes his head, Shannon rolls onto her side facing him and lays her head on his chest throwing her arm across his middle. He smiles to himself and closes his eyes. Tomorrow is the day they leave, not the next day or the day after, it'll be tomorrow. He smiles and closes his eyes.