The Rain (Book 2 - The Constant Fight)

Chapter 3 - Gravure et regarder le spectacle

A/N - I suggest you listen to the song on repeat throughout the chapter

They'd pulled over to eat a while ago. They didn't get out to talk to one another, there wasn't anything to say. Courtney, Drew and Ross were in the Mercedes. Nate, Jeanette, Bethany and Jane in the Hyundai and the DeMelo family in the Volkswagen in the middle, between the two cars. The sky was clear and welcoming. Leaves scattered across the ground, chasing each other. Trees swayed in the wind and a few birds swooped through the sky, their black bodies cutting through the bright blue sky like knives.

It didn't look like it was going to rain, but then again, Drew never knew when it would. His eyes moved to the map, following lines and trying to figure out what all the signs meant. Courtney was in the driver's seat, her fingers tapping on the wheel. She'd eaten a can of cold beans and tossed the empty cylinder out the window. Ross and Drew did the same.

"So where to?" Ross asked from the back seat, pulling himself forward so he was leaning between them. His eyes bounced between Courtney and the unfolded map on Drew's lap. Courtney quickly spun around in her seat so she was facing both the boys.

"How long has it been since...this started?" She asked. She was trying to add up all the days and weeks in her head. It felt like ages, years, but in truth, it was only a few weeks, maybe a month or two.

"Eh..." Drew looked up from the map, his face to Courtney but his eyes on the radio. "Almost a month, I think." He said after thinking it all through. "Why?" He asked looking her in the eye.

"It's almost October, Christmas." She said troubled, looking out her window to the fields and dotted houses.

"So..?" Ross asked, dragging out the word. Courtney sighed moved back to a more comfortable position, her fingers went back to tapping on the wheel.

"Rain gets heavier later in the year. October, November, December and January are the worst for rain and snow." Drew said, confirming Courtney's thoughts. Ross nodded and moved back, sitting in the middle seat. "So what do we do?" Drew asked her. Courtney bit the inside of her lip in thought.

"We keep heading West, stay in the cars and find a place to hold up, just for the winter. I don't want to risk going out, I don't want to risk anything so we should find as much food as possible." She lifted a hand and rubbed her jaw. "I also want you to teach people how to shoot in case we run into any more dogs but knives would be better. Quieter." She said looking over her shoulder slightly to Ross. He nodded in acknowledgement and pulled himself forward again to look down at the map.

"So where do we go?" He asked following Drew's finger as he ran it over a yellow line. Courtney stayed silent, breathing. She racked her brain for any idea of where to go or where to stay.

"I want to find a place where knives are...I just don't know where exactly to find them." She said, looking over to the map.

"What..like a butcher so something?" Ross asked looking up at her. Courtney's head tilted to the side and she slowly turned to face him. She nodded and looked over to Drew.

"Know any butchers?" She asked hopefully. Drew breathed out a laugh and shook his head.

"No.." He said. Courtney and Ross sighed in defeat. "But, my Aunt always said there was a really nice one where she lived, she always got her meat from there." He said, trying to think of where she lived. He closed his eyes and scrunched them up, shaking his head slightly.

"Where? Where is it?" Ross asked, leaning forward even more.

"Eh...," Drew said, dragging out the word. His eyes snapped open and a small smile came across his face. Courtney leant forward too. "Woking." He said with a breath.