"April, grab your gear," my mother said. "We need to find more powdered milk and possibly any kind of meat products we come across. Also, bottled water, detergent, and soap. Got it?"
Groaning, I snatched the page of lined paper with her neat writing pressed into it. Mom had been a teacher before the end of the world and teaching English year after year had been her passion. Now, only my brother and I were her pupils, more so Jeremy than me. I was seventeen and my eighteenth birthday would be coming in just a few months. I was no longer a child, being thrown into adulthood and survival mode faster than I ever would have thought.
"How far in are you planning to go today, Mom?" I tied my dark black hair into a tight ponytail and pulled on a thin jacket. The fall weather could get a bit chilly in the shade, but in the sun's warmth, it felt perfect. The dry air was still today as the usual wind made itself scarce. I slid daggers into the sheaths on my belt and one on the side of my boot then slung a quiver of arrows onto my back and a crossbow over my head to strap across my chest. I had come to love weapons. The crossbow was a bit bulky but I had chosen the lightest one I could find in the sporting goods store. It took some practice to get used to it but I could hit things dead on now. It was nice and quiet, which was a major plus. I favored it along with my machetes. Blade fighting was more intense and messy, but also quiet.
Mom pulled on her own gear as Jeremy fidgeted on the ottoman. He always got nervous seeing us prep for an outing. We always took him with us; leaving him was not an option. If we died, he would be all by himself in the bunker, a thought that sent a shudder down my spine. I ruffled his wispy medium-brown hair. It badly needed a cut. Mom hated trimming it because it was so thick it clogged the clippers with every pass. She tended to put it off as long as she could. He glanced up, giving me a nervous smile as he visibly relaxed under my touch. He always felt safer as long as he was near one of us.
"April, is it a short or long trip?" His small voice came out shaky as he gulped down his apprehension. I motioned him to move over on the ottoman and plopped down next to him, giving him a squeeze.
"Hey, trooper. Nothing to worry about, okay? What did I tell you before? Stick by mom or me and we got your back. Don't wander away and be extra quiet." Leaning down I whispered into his ear, "Short trip, I hope." I straightened up when mom turned towards us to grab a couple of duffle bags for the supplies. She tossed one to me and motioned for me to get moving. I stood up and winked back at Jeremy. "Come on, squirt, you want to have fun don't cha? How many do you want me to shoot today?"
"April, stop that!" Mom's tight voice pierced through the air. I rolled my eyes, making Jeremy giggle as he jumped off the ottoman and ran towards the door.
"Sorry, mom," I said sarcastically. Pressing my lips together, I gave her a feigned smile and batted my eyelashes at her as I walked by. Her eyebrows rose into arches as she shook her head and sighed. I was seventeen but she treated me like a child, even after everything that had happened. I was more adult now than a child, and I never would be one again.
Checking the monitor that connected to the camera that scanned the outside perimeter, I verified that is was all clear before turning the huge deadbolts, releasing the thick steel door. The cool autumn air rushed in along with some dust and dried leaves. There was a breeze dancing about and it kicked up the dirt and pollen like crazy. I sneezed, rubbing the itchiness that immediately stung my eyes, making them water. I hated fall and spring just the same; they sucked pretty bad for the allergy-plagued like me. I tacked a note to myself in my brain to snatch up more allergy meds when I hit the stores in the city today. A stock of them would be good; lord knows they would not be manufactured anymore.
"Hit the lock code, April. Jeremy, switch off the electricity to the house." Jeremy complied by flipping a dozen switches on the wall, deadening any electricity that would leak from the house above our bunker and clicking the lights off inside to conserve solar power inside our hideaway. We always tried to involve him with the technicalities of our survival; it made him feel like less of a helpless little man.
I waited as my mother locked the steel door behind her, tapping the numbers into the keyboard and closing the hidden door for the finger pad. We were lucky that the instructions to get into the bunker had been left in plain sight in a kitchen drawer up in the cabin or we'd never had been able to get in or out of the place. It was truly our home now.
I stretched and flexed my muscles, preparing for the scavenging ahead. My skin was a cool light brown which would deepen in the rays of the intense sun. In Vegas, it seemed to burn brighter than anywhere else I had ever been. I had already slathered sunscreen on me and Jeremy before we left, otherwise the nasty burns from the sun would not have been pleasant.
Jumping into our van, I strapped myself into the middle seat. Jeremy hated to sit alone so I either sat in the seat with him or he rode up front with my mother. Today he jumped in next to me and we spread out on the bench seat, laughing and giggling as I playfully poked him on his sides.
"Ok, guys, no playing around now, its work time."
"Aw," Jeremy moaned, crossing his arms across his chest and jutting his lower lip out at Mom. I shrugged and sat up straighter as she cranked the engine and started down the road. We would have to siphon gas while we were in town too. The van was efficient but the trek up and down the mountain still burned a lot of fuel. The engine hummed as the trees and asphalt raced by. I hated the forest around us; it was so sparse and ill-looking that I wondered why trees bothered to live here at all. Most were dead and strewed across the landscape in piles along with heaps of pine needles and mulch. The scattered cabins we passed were off the main road and looked dark and neglected.
I sighed, wondering how many humans were left after the virus had hit. I hadn't found one soul that I had known in my previous life. My mother had insisted on fleeing for the mountains when it became apparent that the vampires were not going to be leaving any humans alive. The massacre of the city, the chaos, had been a scene from a horror show. Blood and guts had been strewed across the streets; people's screams echoed in the night as we had desperately loaded up our belongings, what little we could salvage, and rode out onto the dark highways outside the city. That was the same night I had looked back, watching the lights of the Strip flicker on and off until the death shroud of darkness had swallowed it up. I could still hear the people screaming in my ears.
"Well?" My mother's voice broke through my thoughts. I peered up at her eyes glaring at me through the rear-view mirror.
"What did you say?" I shook off my terrifying memories like a heavy fog that clung to my brain.
"What's wrong with you? I said, 'do you want me to drop you off at the pharmacy first or do you want to scavenge the huge sporting goods store again?' I need you to stick to the list of foods we need. Take the rolling cart with you." Mom looked away and returned her attention to the road as she sped along, avoiding debris and stalled cars.
"Um, yeah, that would be good. There's a pharmacy right next to the sporting goods store. Drop me there and I'll meet you at the supermarket that's down two streets from there. It should have some stuff left that's edible."
I took a deep breath in and shuddered, shaking off the past with one draw of air. I stretched my arms, rolling my shoulders and tilting my neck side to side, hoping to loosen the knots that formed while I anxiously waited to reach the city. It never failed to make me nervous. The buildings were not safe. Feral vampires could be lurking anywhere where sunlight did not touch. Even the stores I frequented had to be searched first before letting my guard down. The night sometimes brought new visitors to these places, in search of fresh blood.
I stretched to keep limber, too. If I had to fight one, it would be to my advantage to be ready. Jeremy watched me with studious eyes, filled with a knowledge he was too young to own. I smiled brightly to deflect the anxious energy floating in his eyes. He smiled and turned back toward the window. He knew that every trip into the city could be racked with danger. He didn't deserve this kind of life. He should have been allowed to be a kid, playing on swings and jungle gyms, eating cookies and ice cream under the intense sun of Las Vegas summers. Swimming in crystal blue pools and playing ball. I missed these activities myself but to deny him his childhood cut me to the bone. I wish he had had that before all this happened.
The van reached the first buildings after turning down I-95 southbound into the city. I watched the concrete speed by as the van swayed, dodging the debris and cars strewn across the way. Jeremy's eyes were staring at the back of the seat in front of him. He had averted them to avoid taking in the gruesome details outside. I wasn't so squeamish. I glanced over him through the window. Crashed and stalled cars alike were not out of the ordinary now. What bothered him was the endless array of corpses laid out in their last positions of death. Sitting in cars, hanging halfway out windows, lying in pieces across the highway after being hit when the panic of the masses had set in. Though they were mostly mangled and mummified now, I didn't blame him one bit. I looked at the bodies and emblazoned their empty eyes and terror-set faces into my head. I would not forget and I would not let it disillusion me. I couldn't.
Mom's voice softly interrupted the silence. "Coming up on the store, April."
I unbuckled my seat belt and, grabbing my weapons and equipment, nodded my acknowledgement to her. She slowed the van down to a crawl then lightly tapped the brakes to bring it to a full stop. I glanced out towards the huge Pro Shop sign that sat dusty in the bright morning sun. Butterflies fluttered their wings in my belly as I took a deep breath in. I loved these stores. So many fine weaponry and goodies, it got my heart racing. I needed to restock some of my supplies and today seemed like a mighty good day to do so.
I hugged Jeremy and kissed the top of his sandy brown hair. Smiling, I gave his fear-filled eyes a wink. "I'll see you in a bit, squirt." He nodded slightly but my reassurance was not convincing. I turned away, stepped out of the van and clicked the door shut behind me. I didn't look back as I heard the tires crunch away, rolling on the pavement toward the supermarket two streets down. I stood staring at the windows of the sporting goods store. Scanning the area around me, I expected nothing but I wasn't going to start getting careless.
The breeze was cool this morning, sweeping up small billows of dust and dead leaves. The street was desolate; cracked pavement, smashed windows and garbage were littered about. I closed my eyes. Standing by myself and listening to the eerie quiet made me feel naked, like I was exposed. I no longer heard the van and no steps betrayed anyone's presence. Opening my eyes, I sighed and said a silent prayer for courage as the flood of fear threatened to break. I'd done this dozens of times, but each time never got any easier.
I unsheathed my machete from my right side; it was perfect for close range combat and did the job. I didn't want to have to use it but that wasn't up to me. I had to secure the place before browsing the goods. Pushing the heavy glass doors to enter, I glanced around the store, looking for signs of movement, especially in the shadows. The air was stuffy but not sour, like the places that had rotting corpses and dead vampires lying around. This store wasn't frequented by the feral and wild vampires. The skylights high in the ceiling and the walls of glass windows kept it well lit and therefore, mostly vampire-free. I hadn't run into one in this particular store yet, but I wasn't taking my chances.
Systematically, I walked the perimeter of the isles then down the middle and zigzagged, stopping frequently to listen for footsteps or other noises. None came. Only the slight whistle of the wind outside broke the solace of the place. Having finished with the storefront, I made my way to the storerooms in the back. It was riskier there, darker. I lit a flashlight and scanned the area, shoving the double doors open to let the sunlight in. Luckily it wasn't a large area and the many boxes were stacked flush against the walls, since space was limited.
Satisfied, I closed the doors and turned back to the racks of camping stuff, weapons, bikes and more. A flutter of excitement now ran through my chest as I turned down my favorite isle of knives and arrows to restock my supplies. I grabbed a few boxes of ammunition and retrieved the wheeled metal cart to start piling it up with things. I opened some of the large duffle bags. These were for the smaller items, to keep them together and arranged as space efficiently as I could.
I slipped a few packages of arrows into the cart along with several daggers and throwing stars. I grabbed some extra boots–mine were wearing out–and a dart throwing set for Jeremy. Satisfied with my haul, I pulled the cart outside, letting the doors swing shut behind me.
I looked around and felt a slight chill down my arms. Even though I was wearing my thin jacket, it felt cold and I rubbed my arms. The sun was rising and would warm the air soon enough, but the feeling of dread seemed to stick to me as I scanned the area again. Nothing but silence greeted me. I shook off the feeling and turned towards the intersection. Turning east, I slipped my sunglasses down over my eyes and followed the road.
I scurried down the sidewalk, glancing around me and studying each building as best I could as I hurried down the road. When I turned down the second street, I felt silly for feeling skittish. I let out a laugh. Sometimes I felt like a fool, but living in this ruin of a world had made me so paranoid, I could swear that I was always being watched. The sun was brilliant and its intensity would burn the vampires to a crisp if they attempted to leave their shadowed sanctuaries. I talked myself down as I continued, calming my inner voice to silence as I approached the supermarket I was to meet my mother and brother at.
The van was nowhere to be seen but that wasn't unusual. They could have thought of another place they had wanted to visit before heading to our meeting spot. I looked around, repeating my surveillance of the outside of the market. Pulling the cart to the doors, I pushed them open and unsheathed my machete once more. The market was darker than the sporting goods store, though it had high windows lining the store front. Still, the back was lined in shadows and anything could be lurking at the ends of the isles.
I grabbed my flashlight and let its beam caress the rows of food and along with the mess of things flung across the tile floor. Some stores had been ransacked when the epidemic hit, but most were still generally intact. A few stragglers had made it and looted supplies before probably dropping dead when they attempted to escape the city or getting ravaged by the wild vampires that the virus had created. I stepped into the store slowly, watching my step to avoid tripping on the bottles, boxes and cans that blocked my path. The further in I went, the less of a mess there was, like the looters had not considered going too deep into the store for supplies. They'd had good reason for that.
It took a few minutes but it was well worth the peace of mind to do my rounds. Finished with my examination of the store and back storage area, I started to load up my cart with non-perishables that were on my list. It was a tedious job, dragging the cart along with one hand and holding the flashlight in the other hand, I was used to it and managed to dump a ton of supplies into the cart.
Finishing up in the store, I wanted to get outside to see if my mother and Jeremy were there yet. It didn't seem like much time had passed but it was near noon. Where were they?
Pushing through the doors, I spotted the van parked to my left. Looking around for them, I saw nothing. How could they be here, but not have come in and say hello? I headed for the van and peeked inside. The keys were in the ignition and the back seat was filled with bags of supplies they had probably stuffed in there. Glancing around again and listening for any noise, I shrugged. They were probably in the store and I had just missed them.
I opened the trunk and started to fill the rest of it up with the stuff I had acquired. Once I was done, the metal cart folded up nicely and slipped in, too. Closing the hatch slowly so as to not make too much noise, I pushed at it and felt it click. I sat on the back bumper as I looked around again, feeling the tug of anxiety as I wondered once more where my family was.
Deciding to recheck the store, I hopped over the sidewalk and went through the front doors. Clicking the flashlight back on, I listened for movement but none came. I decided to call out to them, figuring it was safe since I had already secured the place.
"Mom? Jeremy? You guys in here?" My voice echoed in the emptiness, giving me a shudder as the large room seemed to grow dimmer as the midday sun no longer shined directly through the grungy windows. I licked my lips, feeling my throat close up as the air seemed to suddenly thicken and the staleness of it choked me.
I called out to them again and again but no answer came. I backed out and slammed the doors open, looking wildly around. The van was still parked in the same spot, nothing out of the ordinary that I could see. There was just no one else there.
Where were they?
My eyes fell on one thing that I had not noticed before. The driver's side door was slightly cracked open. My stomach lurched for a moment as I slowly stepped around the front of the van to look at the door. A smear of blood ran along the handle and up to the edge of the window. A bloody handprint of dark brick red in color, painted the center of the door. I gasped as my heart jumped, immediately drawing my machete out. I crouched against the van as my eyes darted around, looking for anything that would lead me to where they were. I searched the ground for blood trails but none could be found. If scavengers were out here too, they could have snatched them and I'd have been none the wiser. Not that I had seen any for almost a year.
I prayed for something but nothing came. I ran out toward the sidewalk that lined the street. It was quiet and desolate as ever. The sun reflected brightly on the dusty white buildings around me and fluttering trash floated by, riding on the breeze. My hair was flying in a halo as I wildly looked around.
"Oh, God, no, please! Where are they? Help me, please!"
I sucked back the sob that threatened to spill, not noticing the tears that already streamed down my cheeks. I ran to the corner of the sidewalk and glanced down both ways, desperate for any signs of them. Was Mom hurt? Was Jeremy? If I couldn't find the sign I needed, I could lose them forever. It wasn't something I was going to do, no, I couldn't lose them.
As I was about to turn back into the parking lot, I spotted what I needed. A tire track was pressed into an old bag of stuff. Whatever had been in it was now smashed and imprinted with the wavy lines of a tire. I ran to it and studied its lines intently. It was fresh. The track was well defined and nothing interrupted it, no dust, no streaks of the sparse rain that had recently fallen. I looked in the direction the tires headed, but that was the only clue that anything had changed. I ran down the street but nothing came into view. I came to a stop, slightly out of breath but feeling the panic surge like an overwhelming asphyxiation. I bent over, feeling the world spin as I tried to tame it back down.
They're gone, they're gone.
No, no, no, no!
I fell to my knees and let my stomach release the knot of breakfast, spilling it across the pavement. Tears flooded my eyes as I finished and let the sobs rip through me and shake my body. How could this happen? Who would take them? I hadn't seen anyone or come across any scavengers in so long that it had become a world of just us three. We had often spoken of that, wondering together if we truly were the last humans left.
The thought of being left by myself jolted me up from my position. My machete was on the ground where I had dropped it. I scooped it up and began walking back, glancing around as I wiped the tears off my face and sheathed my weapon. I wanted to get to the van and follow the track. If I could find another clue, maybe, just maybe, I could find them in time. Trying not to think of the feral vampires or worse that may have captured them, I ran until I found myself back at the van. Flinging the door open, I cranked the engine. I slammed the door shut as I accelerated, screeching from the parking lot and out into the streets of Sin city.