Brandy Creek (Book One Completed)

Prepare (Part 3)

Natalie

We had stopped outside of a gas station, Wyatt had given me a stack of cash and told me to go grab things. Energy drinks, water, juice, beef jerky. The two boys came with me, more then willing to help empty the shelves. The older women behind the register held narrow eyes on me and the boys, until I dropped five crisp bills on the counter, she eagerly rang us up after that. Wyatt had filled the tank, filled up two gas cans in the back and bought some propane tanks.

By time the women at the register rung me up Wyatt had written out two lists, giving me one. The Costco just a parking lot away, it still wasn't crazy busy, I wouldn't hold my breath though.

"Mason go with Nattie and help her load stuff." Wyatt said as he pulled into a parking spot, handing over more bills. I'm not going to read into the nickname. "We need to make it quick before people start coming in droves."

"I was just thinking that." I said and hopped out of the hummer, the two boys not far behind. Even though I heard Mason muttering complaints to himself he followed at my heels. I wasn't sure why he trusted the ten year old to go with me, or maybe he thought I'd be less likely to run with him tailing me. I just glad he doesn't stick me with the younger one, I'm not a fan of young kids. The ten year old I might be able to handle.

Wyatt gets us in with a membership card and we split up, Mason trailing me as I glance at the list. Rice, beans, flour, pasta and a whole lot of other things. I grab one of those large carts that's used more to unstock boxes onto the shelves and started loading up in the dried food area, instructing Mason as we went.

We get a lot of weird looks as I pile on a box of canned soup. I don't know if its because of the load of food we are getting, or because people might recognize me. I have my hat and sunglasses on, hopefully people don't look to closely and just think I'm some crazy mom who is having a manic episode.

I pull the very full cart while Mason makes sure nothing tips over. People at this point at openly staring at us, I don't give them any attention other then rolling my eyes at them. When we trek close to the registers Mason asks. "Can we get candy?"

Hes so excited as he asks so I turn to look at what he's looking at. Most of its chocolate, different types in large bags or bars. I let out a sigh but say. "Sure."

I'm keeping a mental count of the total for all the food, Wyatt had given me enough for three carts full of food. I help Mason grab a few bags of candy's and add what we can to the top, he ends up filling his arms more then happy to be holding bags of candy.

"Does she really need all of that?" A middle aged women says not in a muttered voice to her husband. Mason flushes and looks around nervously, I grab his shoulder and move him closer to the front of the cart angling him so the women couldn't see him.

"Does she really need to voice her shitty opinion so loudly?" I said. There's a gasp and Mason looks up to me with brows raised, his face is red from embarrassment. "Maybe some people just need to mind their own fucking business."

Okay maybe I would need to try to curb my use of swear words around the kids.

"You doin' okay hun?" I heard Wyatt, he was amused. I looked behind the cart and he was dragging along his own piled in paper products, clothes, books and a few things of fresh foods.

"Yup." I said clipped. I pulled my cart to the beginning of the belt, Mason drops his arm full onto it. With the two of us we get the belt full and the cashier scowls at me.

"Can you even pay for all of this?" He's squinting at me, doubt all over his face.

"I'm putting it on the belt to be rung up, not running out the store with it." I snark back. The cashier just lifts his nose in the air and sniffs. He starts scanning things I move to help bag as Wyatt helps Mason unload.

"Can we put our things together?" Wyatt asks getting the stuck up cashiers attention. "We are shopping for my grandparents, huge weekend long family reunion. We lived close by so we decided to help out."

His explanation seems to calm the cashier a little and he tones down the rudeness. After our first cart is unloaded and moved down to be reloaded it seems like half a dozen different families enter at the same time. They're some what panicked and I groaned internally.

"Wyatt." I warn him and he nods at me, we begin hustling as fast as we can. Mason helps as Mikey just makes sure nothing falls off the carts.

We manage to pay when another wave of even more families enter the store. I might be short but when I start pulling the large cart out of the door, people part. I'm not sure if its a threatening aura or what. It helps now as we head to the hummer, packing it as best we can in a short time and making it so we save room.

"My phones not working." Mason says from the backseat when I hop in.

Wyatt hears him and says. "There is a radio in the glove box can you set it to 447.6"

I open the glove box, inside is a host of papers, a gun in a simple holster, a extra mag for the small pistol and a large hand radio. Its bigger then a standard one you'd get from the store, even the sporting good stores. I turn it on and find the channel as Wyatt gets into the hummer.

"I have a small solar panel in the back, its only good for charging things up, slowly but it works." I had saw the three duffle bags in the back, shoved almost under the back seats. I thought they were just all clothes or things the kids would need.

"I don't have any clothes." I said just realizing. "We also need guns, knives, grenades."

"There are some guns in the back and that one." Wyatt nods his head to the one in front of me, thinking about it I hand it and the mag to him. As much as I would love to have it I couldn't take it. I'm the one that was in prison and he had to be taking in a lot of trust with me just being here with his little brothers.

Shit, I was becoming thoughtful of other people.

"I can get the guns." Mason suggested. I noticed the little barley spoke, he mostly just watched everyone with wide eyes. Was he always like that?

"Not yet." Wyatt said shaking his head. "We don't have much ammo to spare."

Wringing my bottom lip through my teeth I watched him attach the small gun to his belt, shoving the mag in his pocket. I had watched a lot of horror movies, a lot of zombie ones of different style and I new more guns and ammo the better. People killed people over them in movies and TV shows. I had moments to debate on this, as Wyatt turned the key to the hummer and I heard a scream from Costco. Looking over I saw people running from the store, that made up my mind.

This was happening and it was here.