Zone Zero (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 40

(Evie's memory)

We are driving to go see my father so we can travel with him to Moscow; the heart of Zone Two. Logan is riding shotgun next to mum as she drives with a hint of nervousness about her. She is worried about something and is desperately trying to get us there as fast as she can.

Declyn is too busy playing games on mums phone to even notice me fogging up the window with my breath and drawing pictures on the glass. Music is all that is heard apart from the occasional grunt of anxiety from mum. The traffic is horrendous and as we travel through the city, it gets worse.

I can't recall where we are driving too but I know that once we get there, dad will take us on a plane for the first time.

The sun has set and mum keeps telling the other cars to hurry up. It's almost like she is afraid to be out at night but it is peak hour as the other people finish work and make their way home.

I am wearing a pink padded jacket so I know it's cold outside. It must be winter.

Suddenly, mum's phone begins to ring and Declyn passes it to Logan to answer it for mum.

"Mum, its dad. He wants to talk to you." Logan holds the phone outward as a smile grows across my face.

"Tell your father that we are only a few blocks away. The traffic is crazy."

Logan mutters back into the phone and then once again extends the mobile to mum.

"Dad said he needs to talk to you right now. He said it's important."

Concern grows on Mum's face as she accepts the phone and holds it to her ear. The traffic has come to a halt and we have barely moved a few meters in the last 10 minutes.

"What? Are you sure?" Mum sounds worried as she begins to look all around the car.

Logan and Declyn exchange glances while I study my mother's face. I have never seen her more concerned in my life.

A flash of colour goes by my window so I turn to witness it. It was the blue jumper of a man running past our car with a woman in yellow following behind him. They both seem terrified at something and I feel myself grow nervous.

Declyn and Logan begin looking around frantically along with our mother as she swiftly hangs up the phone and unbuckles her seat, turning towards us all.

"We have to leave the car now and walk the rest of the way ok kids. But we have to be really fast. Do up your jackets and make sure you are nice and warm ok."

She exits the car before she finishes her last words and makes her way to my seat. Declyn and Logan have already unbuckled themselves and ran over to mum as she hurriedly undoes my seat belt and zips up my pink coat.

She doesn't allow me to walk by myself and instead carries me on her hip. We all begin to make our way down the busy street as quickly as we can without running and I notice that lots of other people are doing the same as us; abandoning their cars and going by foot.

Some people have started to run past us as screaming can be heard off in the distance. I can feel mum's heart begin to beat faster as she quickens the pace as my brothers begin the jog next to her.

"Boys, we need to go all the way to the end of the street and then turn left. Ok? But we need to go fast. So the first one there gets a prize." The panic in mum's voice doesn't bother the boys as they begin to race ahead.

Mum also chooses to pick up the pace to an almost run as more and more people begin to race next to us.

It feels like a game as everyone takes to foot and runs in between the cars. It almost feels fun until screaming is heard louder and louder.