BAD DECISIONS ━ JOEL MILLER

4| w̶a̶i̶t̶

( then )

       THE WORLD AROUND  Rose was crumbling right in front of her eyes. Sirens, screams, and darkness engulfed her senses. And she was terrified. The lights of nearby civilizations were almost just simple dots at this point. She hadn't stopped running through the woods for what felt like hours but had to be only 15 minutes. She was praying that she was heading in the direction of her neighborhood, where she'd hopefully find Joel and Sarah.

The long, gangly branches of the dying trees scraped across her skin as she flew through the foliage. Her mind was racing, and her heart was pounding against her chest. Soon enough, the forest ended and she stumbled onto a familiar road that was littered with empty and abandoned cars.

She peeked into the different vehicles as she walked by, noticing a few that were still running. A frown found its way to her lips. She looked around at the eerie scene before her, a nervous glint in her eyes. She took a deep breath and gently patted the car in front of her as she thought of what to do.

After a moment, she continued down the road, heading back towards her house. She pulled her phone out again and dialed Joel, hoping to get through to him again. The line rang and rang until his voicemail came on, making her heart sink. Soon enough, the comforting sight of Rose's house came into view, sending a wave of relief through her.

Before she stepped onto her driveway she stopped in her tracks, glancing over to Joel's. His door was wide open and blood was splattered on the front porch step.

A lump formed in the base of her throat at the sight. She hesitantly walked over to the open door and peered into the ominously silent house. She looked at the floor for a few seconds before stepping through the doorway. The lights were off but the faint noise of Joel's radio could be heard from upstairs.

"Joel?" She called his name into the air.

She knew he wouldn't be home, but she hoped by a stroke of luck that he'd appear from his room. She yearned to see his wide grin, tousled hair, and slightly curved nose that she loved so much. But she was only met with more silence, which began to overwhelm her.

She shook her head and hurried back outside and over to her own house, reaching into her pocket and pulling her keys out. She rushed to unlock to door and slammed it behind her, securing it back up.

Rose leaned back against the wooden door, and slowly slid down, landing on the floor. She rested her head in her hands as she took deep breaths, trying to process everything that just transpired. People were turning into things - scary, deadly things. Houses and cars were deserted and no one was around. She had never felt more alone. She had no idea what to do.

Suddenly, her phone blared through the thick silence. She jumped slightly and quickly pulled it out - hitting answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey? . .Hey . . baby?" Joel's gruff voice came through the static, panic suffocating his tone.

"Joel! Joel where are you?"

"I'm . . . You need to get out. . . and Tommy at the abandoned warehouse on . . . Hurry." His voice came in and out, making Rose more panicked as she held onto every word that managed to come through the phone.

"Joel, I can barely hear you!"

"The old . . . warehouse . ."

"Okay, okay, I'll be there." She replied before hanging up and jumping to her feet.

She rushed up the steps and into her room, grabbing her old backpack from the back of the closet. She began to stuff a few pieces of clothing in, along with what she deemed essential. Before exiting her room, she plucked a polaroid photo off of her mirror.

She glanced down at the picture - Joel, her, and Sarah were all smiling at the camera. A beautiful meadow was taking up the background. It was one of the days that Sarah had dragged the two of them together, telling them about a cool spot she found at the park. Turns out it was a very romantic looking flower field.

Rose grinned at the memory before slipping it into her bag and making her way downstairs. She rushed over to the kitchen and tossed in a few granola bars and water bottles before looking around one more time. A wave of sadness rushed through her as she took in her home. Would she be back? Would this blow over soon? So many questions plowed through her skull, it made her stomach ache and her head hurt.

She let out a shaky breath and reached over, grabbing the small stuffed bunny plushie that was sat on one of the shelves. She slipped it into her bag that was running out of room before heading into the garage.

She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon, since she didn't have a gun - something that Joel nagged her about many many times. She spotted a metal bat leaning against the wall. She snatched the object and tossed it into her car along with her bag.

She hopped inside and quickly hit the garage door open, bringing the car to life. She prayed the car would get her to where she needed to go. She hit the gas and reversed out of the house, stopping at the edge of the driveway. She clicked the close button and watched as the door shut. She took one more look at her home before she sped off, heading down the deserted road. 

☓

As the dark scenery passed her by, Rose's heart continued to ache at the emptiness that engulfed her. She hadn't seen another soul on her journey to meet up with Joel. It was eerie and made her uncomfortable. Her mind was reeling and going through every zombie movie and show she had ever watched. Would it be just like the movies? Would zombies overtake the world and was she destined to die? She didn't know. Right now she just wanted to focus on finding Joel.

In the distance, she could see the shape of the abandoned warehouse she had been searching for. It was an old storage facility that had gone out of business years ago. It was known all around town for being haunted. Kids and teens were constantly caught trespassing there, trying to catch evidence of the paranormal. As she pulled into the parking lot a frown found it's way back onto her face. No other cars were insight.

No Joel.

No busted up truck.

Nothing.

A shaky breath left her lips as she put the car into park, making sure the doors were locked. She glanced all around, trying to find any signs of life - but all was quiet. She pushed her seat back slightly and laid back, staring up at the car's roof. Maybe Joel was just running behind, even in the apocalypse? Maybe he got caught up in some trouble? She didn't want to leave, just in case he did show up.

So she waited.

Her tired eyes fought the sleep that was tugging them shut. Her head lulled to the side, but each time she would catch herself and jump up - until she couldn't do it any longer. She let the exhaustion take over and her eyes fluttered shut, letting her slip into unconsciousness.