stay alive // jack metzger

eight

Jack, JJ, and I went day in and day out trying to find where the red truck went and who was all in it.
Tire marks ran out when the gravel road met with the paved road. Days, even weeks had gone by since Ryan had left the map and the house.
   I held the map up as we tried to follow all of the markings Ryan hurriedly had written down in the time he had.
   "It's pointless," JJ said, pointing in my direction.
    "What is?" Jack said, squinting as he looked up to see JJ. Jack covered his eyes from the blistering sun with the back of his hand.
   "The map," JJ said, pointing again towards me. "I mean, what if something happened? What if they couldn't be on those roads because of a hoard of them or because they needed to relocate. That map gives us nothing."
    "You don't know that J-" I started, but he turned around and stopped me in my tracks.
    "But I do, Ana," He said getting in my face. "We probably wouldn't be separated right now if it weren't for you and the meddling you've done."
    "Hey," Jack said as he stepped into the conversation. He held his arm out to stop JJ from getting any closer to me. "Enough."
   "What?" JJ said looking at Jack. "We would be fine right now. Elisha and Adam would be in the field right now reading. Audrey and I would be arguing over the covers, Kiana would be out getting dinner, Aubrey would be alive."
    "Don't bring her into this," Jack said, staring him down. Sweat droplets fell from his forehead onto the sizzling pavement. "Don't even day her name."
    "And why's that?" JJ asked, letting out a little laugh. "You just want to forget her like that? You think it's just that easy? I mean, look at Ryan with Cam."
    "I would if he was here," Jack shot back at him, moving his arm away from JJ.
    "And whose fault is that?" JJ asked as he returned his gaze to me, making me jump a little.
    "You're seriously blaming me for the fences being weak?" I asked, scoffing at him. "You did realized all I did was laundry and dishes those weeks before the attack, right? I never stepped foot in those woods."
    "But none of this happened until you waltzed into the equation," JJ said, looking me up and down.
    "No one to blame, so blame the easy target, huh?" I asked, walking past him and shoulder checking him as I did. "Here, you just need to cool down."
    I threw my nearly empty water bottle behind my shoulder, hearing it land in JJ's hand.
    "You're welcome," I said to him, opening up the map and continuing to follow the path Ryan was leading us to.
***
    "What doesn't make sense is that this is leading us right into a major city," Jack said pointing to the map that was sprawled out onto a department store's countertop. I lit a lantern as we discussed. "Why would Ryan go to such a highly dangerous place?"
    "Maybe he's not going to the city," I said setting the lantern down. "Maybe he is just remaining on the outside only going in for supplies."
    "They may be desperate," JJ said, looking up at the two of us. "I mean if they got everyone they could, that's four mouths to feed and to keep alive."
    "I mean look at us with three," I said as my stomach growled from within.
    "Nice one," Jack laughed as he nodded towards my stomach. He reached into his pocket and broke me off a piece of a protein bar.
    "I say we just take all backroads and see if we can't find some more truck tire tracks," JJ said, running his fingers through his hair.
    "I say we follow the main road Ryan had outlined," I said looking up at him, warning him to not start something like he did previously today. "It's obviously the road Ryan meant for us to follow,and even if he had to spare out a little, he would make it back so we could find them."
    "To him, we are probably dead," JJ said, trying not to make eye contact with Jack. I could feel the anger rising in Jack as JJ spoke. "We focus on keeping us three alive while trying to find them. And an essential part of staying alive is sleeping."
    "Wow, haven't heard of that in awhile," I scoffed as my eyes dropped down with tiredness at hearing the world "sleep".
    "I'll take first watch," JJ said, pointing to the map. "See if I can get up top in the roof and see if I can see this city and how far it could be. Give us some groundwork for tomorrow."
    Jack nodded and he handed JJ his hand gun. JJ took it in his and started out the door of the department store.
   I grabbed the lantern and held it up to see if there was anything suitable for a bed.
   "I'll take the carpet and you take the clothes?" I asked, slightly laughing as I pointed to the ground.
   "Deal," Jack smiled and started piling up clothes for a pillow. I pulled sheets of carpet from the ground to make the makeshift bed.
    "Can't get anymore five star than this," Jack laughed as he laid down on his piece of carpet while forming me a pillow.
     "Thank you, Macy's," I laughed as I looked up at the ceiling. I let out a sigh as I tried to sleep. Even though my body needed it, it was rejecting the idea.
      "I miss my bed,"Jack groaned, flipping over to meet my eyes. "I miss how warm all four of my blankets were. I miss the way when my head hit the pillow I would be out like that."
    Jack snapped his fingers as his last words, something that make me laugh a little.
   "I couldn't tell you how much I miss my bed," I laughed, looking up at him. "But what I really miss is a nice warm shower."
   "Oh don't get me started," he laughed, covering his face.
    "The hot water hitting my skin," I sighed. "I can feel it now."
    "That's probably just the roof leaking," Jack laughed.
    Just then, we both heard some rustling in the store. We both perked up with our hands on our guns, ready to fire.
   "Sorry!" We heard JJ say as he came into the store. "I accidentally dropped the map."
    "You know, for a trumpet player,you'd think you'd be better with your hands," I joked with him as he flipped me off going back up to the roof of the store.
    "Oh geez," I said letting out a sigh to end my laugh. "I'm sorry, what were we talking abou-"
   Before I could finish and turn around completely, Jack's lips were pressed into mine softly. The shock of it all made me want to pull away, but his warmth made me stay.
   He pulled away slowly and looked into my eyes, unaware of what he just did.
  "Oh gosh," he said, realizing. "I'm so sorry, Ana, I didn't mean to-"
    But this time I cut him off, pressing my lips into his even harder than he did to me. He was caught by surprise but quickly conformed to the situation.