Phase 43

Chapter 13 - Finn

We drove for hours on end. We stopped for gas, for food, for a small game of musical chairs, but we were always getting back into the car.

"Should we try a hotel?" Francis was talking to my mom, a map sprawled over her lap in the front seat of the car. My mother, who was driving, kept glancing over.

"Not sure, the phones aren't working through here. We'd have to see if they'd do a walk in," my mom said as she took turned down the vacant freeway. There were very little cars here.

I slouched down more in the very back seat, pinched between Sam and the window. Charlie and Lucas were asleep in the regular back seats. Elliot was in the other car with the adults.

"I saw a new map with some of the safe-zones and cellular function areas. I wish I would've grabbed it," my mom huffed. Her words were heavy. I closed my eyes, trying to get a lick of sleep, but the constant vibrating of the car pounded against my temple painfully and completely obliterated any chance of shut-eye.

Sam was reading a book (nerd) next to me, but his long legs were spread out across me. I hadn't minded it earlier, but his heavy limbs were pushing down on my lap and making me lose feeling in my toes. My knee brace pinched against my jeans, cutting through.

"Sam, can you get your feet off now? It's been like 2 hours," I huffed, trying to push him off. He looked up for a moment, his shamrock eyes wide and confused for a moment as he registered my words.

"UGh, but it's so comfortable," he whined for a moment. I turned a glare to him, waiting impatiently. He huffed, but then bent his knees and curled his legs close to his body. I breathed, savoring the loss of heavy weight and hard bone off my legs. I shifted my toes, preparing for the static that was going to fill them surely within the next few minutes.

I spent the rest of the car ride shifting around, searching for a position that would let sleep swoop in and claim me. It finally did about 20 minutes before we pulled up to a small motel. Talk about serious bad luck.

"Hey, up up," a voice called. I uncurled, blinking sleep out of my eyes. It was dark, but I could make out small lights outside the car.

"Wha...Where are we?" I slurred, still bogged down with fatigue. My brother shrugged and hopped out of the car. I was the last one still in.

Rubbing my eyes harshly, I clambered out of the backseat, sliding out of the door and slamming it shut behind me. Immediately, cold air bit at my skin. I hurried around to the back, grabbing my heavy aviator jacket out of the corner of the trunk and slinging it over my bare shoulders. I had only been wearing a plain black tank top before, and goose bumps had already begun to litter my arms.

We met up with everyone, exchanging "hello's and "how was your drive's. Elliot was also rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he hopped down from the car, his long hair rumpled and messy.

"Where are we?" he mumbled as he walked over to stand by me. I shrugged, waiting for someone to tell us. The adults had gathered by the front seat of the car I had been in, huddled with flashlights around a large map. The kids had been abandoned by the back of the car Elliot had come in, playing in the dirty snow.

Elliot and I watched for a moment before the parents came back and shoved us back into the cars. Their sudden change in behavior made my heart rate spike.

"What's going on? Why did we stop?" I yammered, grabbing onto the hem of my father's jacket. He glanced back at me for a moment before telling me to hop back in. There was a scramble as people found a seat, but I ended up in the other car as we pulled out. Elliot was crushed into the backseat with me, Darren and Ashley in the seats in front of us with my father and Scott in the very front seats. Both cars tore out of the hotel parking lot, wheels screeching. I held on for dear life in the back, more confused than ever.