Family Made Along The Way

Chapter I

"On the road again. I just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' music with my friends. And I can't wait to get on the road again-"

"Lucille, if you don't shut the hell up right now, I promise you I won't miss when I throw my this rock at your skull."

"You throw like a girl anyways, so I'm not too worried, cus."

Bobby groaned quietly and readjusted his backpack. Sometimes he hated going on runs with Lucille, but other times, there was no other person he'd rather be with. Other than his parents, of course. Lucille tossed a snarky look over her shoulder if only Bobby's face could wrinkle into that perfect sneer without a smile breaking its way through.

"Com'on slow poke! We gotta be able to find some more pain meds somewhere in this Grandpa forsaken city. It's so hot," Lucille moaned, rubbing her hand across her face melodramatically. Bobby patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Lu. We'll get what we need, make it out of this insane Georgian heat and back to the air conditioned bliss that is the Impala," Bobby reassured her. Lucille sighed and squeezed her cousin's hand in thanks. They continued walking in silence, passing by abandoned cars (which they took some clothes and forgotten canned food from) and made good progress from their temporary base camp to around a department store. They passed by the occasional Croat or two, but they quickly and quietly incapacitated them with their angel blades. Lucille groaned in disgust at the foul-smelling blood that now stained her favorite pair of jeans.

"You know, I might just jinx us by saying this-"

"Please don't then."

"-but I'm very surprised by the fact that there are very little Croats around-" her sentence cut short when they saw the mass of Croats in their path. Bobby smacked Lucille upside the head.

"I told you not to say anything! And look what you did!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, let me just knock on some wood to make it all better!" They tried to turn around to go back to base camp, which was in one of the abandoned houses outside the city but saw the way back was crawling with Croats. The wet growling of the Croats revoked whatever retort Bobby had as they mad dashed back to the alleyway a few blocks down. On their way, they turn a corner and see a thin kid wearing a baseball cap running away from them, carrying a bag full of guns. Bobby and Lucille shoot a quick look to the other and follow him.

They jumped over the flour sack barricade and see the kid sneak back into a different alleyway. They hear terrified shouting and sounds of a scuffle, and try using their grace to make them move faster. A car drives up the entrance of the alley. Two Hispanic guys climb out and run into the alley.

'Bobby, you follow them and I'll help out here,' Lucille prayed that her dark haired cousin understood her look. Ever since Angel Radio went down, it had been getting harder and harder to sort out even the simplest tasks of the apocalypse. He nods to her before sneaking and hiding in the backseat of their car. More screaming ricochettes through the air before they see the kid from before being dragged away from the alley by the guys and thrown into the back of the car.

Lucille stopped in front of the alleyway to watch them drive off, confident that Bobby will make good choices. She hurriedly enters the alley, pushing past the metal gate there and sees four men. One is dressed as a sheriff and is holding back the one with the crossbow while the big black man is keeping a thin Hispanic boy from fleeing. The man with the crossbow is yelling at a thin Hispanic teenager.

"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!"

"Chill out!" Sheriff tries to placate.

"Let me go!" The teenager tries to escape but the black man keeps him in place.