Day 110: July 27th, Wednesday
YOUSEF
"Aria, I still don't think this is a good idea," Yousef said.
He watched as Aria opened the washing machine and started pulling out the food they had hoarded for the past week and placing them inside her bag. It was Yousef's idea to hide the food here since no one used these machines nowadays without electricity, and he was sure no one would think to look inside.
Aria paused. "If we stay here, we're good as dead. You've seen how many vectors are now walking around. They're growing in numbers, and Pete and Paloma would rather stay put than move somewhere else."
"But what about Bren?"
Aria sighed. "Look. I know you are trying to honor your best friend by sticking by Bren's side, but he is probably dead. You can't hinge your life on a ghost, Yousef. Not like Paloma and Pete. They've made their bed. We should be smart about this. I'm sorry, but we're the only ones left. We're the ones that mattered."
"If they survived—"
"We saw them, Yousef, with our own eyes! No one could have survived that fall off the bridge. Let's not talk anymore about this and put these supplies in your bag. We don't want Pete to find us."
Yousef wanted to believe her, but he couldn't shake off the awful feeling that he was betraying Luke. He promised Luke that he'd stay close to Bren's side, support him, and watch out for him even when Bren probably promised the same for him. He didn't like to feel this way, yet the thought that Bren might also be dead only broke his heart. Yousef was truly alone, and he couldn't help but be angry at both Bren and Luke for leaving him in this terrible place. They were much braver and stronger than him, and he invited that guilt into his mind, that creeping doubt, asking many times why he was still alive and not them. Frankly, he didn't deserve it. Only Allah knew how far Bren went to save everyone and all Yousef did was be stubborn, scared, and angry.
But he couldn't stay put either. He couldn't just sit around, waiting to die like the others. He still wanted to see his parents and his brothers, hear their voices, and hold them again. He prayed day and night to Allah that they were still alive and to keep them safe. Sometimes, that soothed his fears and his anxiety.
Marie and Barry returned, and Aria looked over their collected things. She nodded, pleased at what they brought.
"This is probably good for a week," she said. "If we ration it carefully, it might last more than that."
"Are you sure about that car, Aria?" Marie asked. "What if it doesn't work, and we trekked the few blocks for nothing?"
"It works. I scouted that car dealership many times and found the keys for the Mazda in the manager's office. There's a half tank of gas in it to get as close to Pittsburgh."
"And is that really enough? What if we ran out of gas in the middle of the highway?" Barry asked, unsure.
"We can always walk."
"Hike to Pittsburgh? Are you insane? You told me we won't do that!"
"Oh my God, Barry. Shut the fuck up, or you'll wake everyone."
"They're several floors above us. We're in the garage."
"Still! And besides, if you really are scared of walking, Barry, you can grab that hose over there and suck a gas tank. I didn't get to check if the other cars were there. They might still have some juice in them."
YOU ARE READING
Carrion (The Bren Watts Diaries #1)
HorrorWhen a deadly plague spreads like wildfire, 17-year-old Bren Watts is trapped at Ground Zero of a global pandemic. ---- Bren and his classmates are stranded in New York City, now filled with thousands of murderous infected and desperate survivors. F...