It's been 30 minutes since we left. I'm glad to say that we've traveled farther, faster, than we ever did before. "So.. Chris, how do you feel about the hotel? And what we do there?" Sarah says, breaking the silence. I look at her confused, "where is this coming from?" She doesn't answer my question, so I just answer the one she asked. "I don't mind it, but I don't enjoy the feeling that everything we do is being monitored. As for the president.. same answer as last time." It's quiet for a while before she responds again. "Tell me. Are we only gonna interact on missions or when we have to from now on? now that we dont need each other to survive?" She asks. Being honest, I haven't thought about this since we last spoke about it. The answer is simple.
"Sarah, you're dumb." She gave me a really harsh look, but is willing to let me talk. "I mean, why the hell would I just discard my now closest friend simply because I don't have to depend on her to survive? I might be nonchalant, greedy, sarcastic, and an asshole sometimes.. But I don't just use people to further my own agenda. Like it or not we are close, and you dont have an option in this. I'm sticking around." She looks down for a second, I can't tell what she is feeling by the look on her face. All she says is "I see." We finally see a building worth looting and she pulls over. We both get out of our respective doors and head inside. This building looks to be one of those gas stations out in the middle of nowhere, with the SHELL logo on a large sign and an abandon semi parked out front. I get the idea to check the truck for a gas can. The side cabinets, nothing. Somewhere outside the truck, nada. In the cab? Score! I show Sarah and then I fill it and throw it in the back of the truck we rode in on.
I join Sarah in the building, and we both head straight to the back, since there are more canned and non-spoilable goods there. We snag all of the canned goods we see, so we look around for cases of water, even if they aren't good, water can always be purified. We are walking down an isle when we hear some rustling and glass falls behind us. Sarah and I both quickly turn to see a bottle rolling across the floor. Sarah quietly signals for me to see what that was, so I head in that direction. I follow the sound and see something in the corner, or, well, I much less see it, but I know its there. I reach behind my back and place my hand on the knife back there just in case this thing isn't human. Its breathing heavily, and pushing itself further back in the corner. This thing isn't a mutant. If that was the case it would have killed me by now. this thing, is human.
I take my hand off of the knife and step back and show them my hands. "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. It's okay. Just come into the light so I can see you okay?" I think it inches forward, but flinches back again. "Hey. I promise. I wont hurt you, just come towards me." I say, sticking my hand out for them to take. A small, malnourished hand touches mine, and uses it to pull itself forward, into the light. "Oh my god... you are just a kid." I say in disbelief. How is she alive? Did this little girl, no less than ten years old, Survive all of this? "Sarah! come here!" I shout out to her. She makes her way to me quickly, and sees the girl. "Oh wow. Okay." Sarah kneels, looks the kid in the eyes and says "I found three cases of water, lets take the girl and head back to the hotel. Now."
I look back towards the girl, "what's your name?" I ask. "Layla" she says with a weak raspy voice. I pick her up, and start heading out of the building. "Listen, Layla. We are going to take you somewhere where you will never go hungry or thirsty again, okay?" Layla looks at me and nods in response. I open the backseat door, put Layla down in the backseat and buckle her seatbelt. Once that's done, I open the front passenger side, and get in. Sarah looks at me with concern. "I'll keep an eye on her. You just try to get back as fast as possible." Sarah put it in drive and starts driving as fast as possible.
Come on. We need to get back before this girl is in severe trouble.
YOU ARE READING
Life In A Dead World
HorrorChris and Sarah have to survive the mutation apocalypse, though it seems the mutants arrent their greatest foe. Through gaining both friends and enemies, they may find hope.
