Chapter Five
Has it been weeks or maybe a month since Camila left that gas station? She didn't know anymore. The days and the hours seem to all blur together. All she knew was the endless walking. her weight as well as her sense of time had been seeming to slowly disappear. The small amount of food she had Rationed from the gas station ran out what seemed like an eternity ago. At this point, the young woman was just surviving on the pure will to live even though she didn't know why. Her family was gone Along with her boyfriend. All perished in the explosion as well as a whole city and what seemed like the world. Her career and saxophone, all vanished. Darren, the guy helping her survive this apocalypse was also....gone. Camila often thought about just lying down on the road as that old woman had done, but instead of baiting strangers, she would just give up and die. An overgrown green signs up ahead read in white letters 'Lake Charles one hundred miles. Camila had stayed off the roads and avoided moving cars, Homes, and other places where people were gathered. Most of the places, once no doubt a bustling town, were now vacant. places were in shambles and picked clean while others were overgrown or barricaded. The bomb may have dropped miles away, but its effects were made known far and wide. How far, Camila didn't know. There was still no cell service and her phone had died weeks ago. The young woman was lost, afraid, and had nothing to put her faith into.
That night the air was thick and humid as Camila made her way through the moonlight night. A few nights ago she almost ran into a large jungle cat. No doubt it had escaped from one of the local zoos. It had its attention on a large doe and paid Camila no mind. It wasn't enough that she had to worry about people and radiation, but now wild animals were on the loose, and Tony the freaking tiger was out here and not giving out frosted flakes. As she stumbled forward in the thick bush, avoiding the roadways as much as possible, Camila wandered into an opening. It looks like a half-cut cane field. A few feet in front of her an orange glow illuminated a group of people. Camila froze in terror and held her breath, silently praying they hadn't seen her.
"Hey! You! Let me see those hands." The sound of an older woman rang out in the night. Camila raised her hands slowly as fear looped in her stomach.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Another female voice spoke up.
"My name is Camila....I am just passing by. I mean no harm." It was a weird saying she thought to herself. Like it was plucked right out of an old west movie. It felt like an old west movie to her though. Dangerous pre-technology areas where it was an eye for an eye and lawlessness ran a muck. The only thing missing was a cowboy hat and a petticoat, two she would never be caught dead wearing. She was her fashion mother's child after all.
"Come over here and sit down." An older woman spoke up in a welcoming tone. Camila was hesitant but she knew if she ran she would seem guilty. She pushed the flight response down deep in her belly aside and slowly made her way toward the fire. As she drew closer, Camila could make out the faces of each person. They were all women. One was an elder black lady. One was a middle-aged white lady and the two younger girls around her age were both Hispanic.
"Come sit by the fire with us." The older lady beckons Camila to sit by her.
"Where did you come from? Do you have any news on what is going on?" The middle-aged woman asked. Camile shook her head no and sat quietly down beside the older woman.
"Men did this" one of the younger girls spoke up.
"No humans did." The elder replied.
"We are all to blame." The middle-aged woman added.
"Should have gone to the moon or mars or something." The other teen spoke.
"Why?The same thing would have happened, humans have a sickness in them." The elder glanced at each other, the young girls, and then Camila.
"Nice to have you, Camila. I'm Grace. The two young ones are Jessica and Angel. This is Tori." Grace pointed to the middle-aged woman.
"Nice to meet you. Where did you come from? What is your story?" Tori asked. Camila looked around at each female before facing Tori."
"I live in Oklahoma, but I was in New York for a job interview. I left to head down to New Orleans for my mother's birthday...but ."
"But what?" Jessica asked.
"But the bombs...duh." Angel rolled her eyes.
"Oh, honey I'm sorry." Grace pat Camila's hand.
"I was on my way to New Orleans too. Was gonna pick up my husband. Only made it to Kenner before the whole city was leveled. I was lucky I made it out alive." Tori sighed.
" my sister and I were found in a bus going to Baton Rouge," Jessica added.
"I lived on the outskirts of Lafayette when the radiation came blowing through. Most folks died and couldn't escape fast enough." Grace gazed into the fire.
"Does anyone know what happened?" Camila asked.
"Some say Chinese and Russian troops were spotted up north. Others say it was that North Korean fellow. And then some say terrorist, like 9/11 but on a larger scale." Grace explains
"We don't know for sure. Only that pretty much most of Louisiana we've been through is affected. Probably because we are one of the main suppliers of oil and gas to our country. I bet Texas was hit hard too." Tori could only guess and Camila thought about how other parts of the country must look if that was true.
"We are traveling to texas. the word was there was a safe shelter there." Grace added.
"It is taking longer since we are not using a vehicle. We don't want to attract the wrong attention. You can come with us if you like." Tori turned to face Camila. The young woman shrugged a bit.
"I guess. I have nowhere else to go really." She confesses.
"Good. Rest up and in a few hours we will head out." Tori takes out a paper map from her pocket and looks over it in the firelight. Camila wondered how they knew where they were going since all the phones and electrical GPS devices were out. The group resorted back to the pre-internet era, a time she knew little about.
It took them three days of almost nonstop walking to reach lake Charles. Just like Camila, the group of women knew to avoid the roads and towns. Groups of people were dangerous, especially when no one knew what exactly was going on in the country. Even though they avoided cities at all costs, they did need supplies.
"Camila, Angel...why don't you two go in and see what you can find." Tori the leader suggested.
"Why? I can go in alone. I don't need her slowing me down." Angel rolled her eyes. From the beginning, Camila could tell this angel did not like her. Dirty looks and comments under her breath made Camila feel that Angel was somehow jealous of her. For what reason she didn't know. Camila was quiet and kept to herself. The only one who really talked to her was Grace and occasionally Tori.
"Angel, just do as I asked. Camila needs to learn how to scavenge as well as if something ever happens to you or your sister, we can use Camila as a backup." Tori explains.
"Everyone has a job to do, remember." Tori glanced over at Angel who stood with her arms crossed. From what she had learned, Jessica was good at hunting. Grace was skilled in sewing, herb remedies, and other skills older people knew. Tori was a sort of leader. She planned the trips and kept the women safe while Angel was the scout. She would go into the cities quickly and quietly gathering things.
"Whatever. If she gets caught or left behind, it's not my problem." Angel rolled her eyes. Her sister gave her a few words in Spanish. Camila, coming from a half Hispanic half black home knew exactly what they were saying. In general, Jessica was telling Angel to stop being ugly to Camila. Angel thought Camila was going to take her place in the group. Jessica thought she was being ridiculous. Jessica rolled her eyes leaving her sister with Camila. Camila faked a smile as she looked at Angel.
"Come one. " Angel brushed past Camila and headed towards the city. Camila followed silently, clutching her backpack straps. The two entered the city quietly. There were a few people scattered around, but many. The city was in ruins. It looked like it had been through a few riots or bombings itself. The buildings were in shambles and the streets were littered with paper and cars. It looked as if most people abandoned the city and fled in a hurry leaving everything behind.
"Stay quiet and search everything. Cars, buildings, and even trash cans." Angel commanded in a harsh tone. Camila could not take her attitude any longer.
"Look, I am not here to take your place ok." Camila barked. Angel whipped around and glared at her.
" So you speak Spanish huh?" Angel asked, glaring at the slightly older female.
"Yes. And I don't appreciate you having an attitude with me. We are all just trying to survive together. I don't know you and you don't know me, so don't just assume I am here to cause issues. I am not." Angel walked closer to Camila and almost got in her face. She had those attitudes and ways about her like a mean girl high schooler who always wanted to fight.
"I don't know what your problem is. We have bigger issues than stupid high school crap." Camila spoke between gritted teeth. Angel pushed her and started to curse her out in English and Spanish. Camila caught herself from stumbling over and pushed Angel back. She was not going to have the chick in her face like this. All Camila wanted to do was travel with the ladies. A safe place to be with others and not alone, but no. there had to be one little brat who thought she was entitled. It felt like high school all over again. Camila was not having it. Those days were over and there was no place in this world now for such low priority childish mess. Angel tried to swing to hit Camila, but Camila dodged it and hit Angel in the face. The two started to scuffle in the middle of the street. Hair pulling and fists were flying. Somehow ended up on the ground rolling around. The two hit an abandoned car and Angel was able to get on top of Camila. She pulled out a knife and began to stab her over and over. The pain was not immediate, heck Camila didn't know she was being stabbed until she felt the warm blood and saw the knife in Angel's hand. Camila was able to kick Angel off her with her last bit of energy. The pain now floods her whole body, seizing her up. She clutched her side and tried not to scream out. Angel stood up screaming more profanities before grabbing Camil's bag. She ransacked it and tossed what she didn't want behind her. She then saw the necklace on Camila's neck and quickly snatched it.
"You are not coming with us!" Angel kicked Camila in the side one more time before running back toward where the group was. The young female left Camila bleeding in the street to die.
'Why? Cause she was jealous?' Camila thought to herself as she lay there in excruciating pain. This girl picked a fight with her over nothing pretty much, stabbed her, took her stuff, and left her for dead in the middle of a city. It was madness. This world has declined into a horror show and Camila could not figure out why. Is This what Darren felt when he was dying? Many thoughts raced through her mind. A few memories from childhood when she used to play with her best friend before her first accident cycled a few times. Next, her music audition in New York played in her mind. The sounds of music and the excitement of possibly having a career there bubbled up. The scene then switched to the last time she spoke to her family. The words played in her mind like a dream. Camila could see the blackness out of the corner of her eyes closing in due to the blood loss. She was losing consciousness and then what? Death? And then after death what? Was God real? Was she good enough to be with him and her family? Or would she be sent to that place the Christians talked about? The one called hell? Or was this hell and she would relive it over and over? She believed in God, but she never went to church and read her bible, so she knew nothing about what she was supposed to do to get to heaven. Just as she was about to close her eyes and accept her fate two men's faces came into focus.
"Miss..miss are you ok?" One spoke and Camile could barely make out the words he spoke. Camila could no longer keep her eyes open. The young female passes out on the street. The two men slowly scooped her up and headed into a building.