Silence of the Apocalypse

Chapter 6: Country Road...

Mikayla's POV
".... To the place, where I belong..."
Armin's humming and the wood's beams of sun calmed Mikayla to a point of near-bliss.

She watched the trees and sun shafts coast by, rolling with the hills and forest knolls. She looked up at Admin, his eyes on the road. The old RV she'd kept was rattling along, occasionally slowing to avoid the abandoned cars on the road.

She smiled, finally able to relax for once. He was alright, and they wouldn't be so easily separated. The smell of pine treed never got old to her, and Armin seemed to be enjoying it as well. It's so weird, she said. It's almost like we're on a regular Sunday drive.

Armin's voice filled the car once again. "... To the place I belong; West Virginia, mountain Momma... "

"Take me home, country road. " Mikayla chimed in. He smiled, a kind of longing in his gaze. His eyes left the road for a moment, staring at the sky.

"Homesick?" she said.

"Absolutely." replied. Armin reached for her hand, which she gladly gave him. She laid down across her seat. "Your thigh makes for a great pillow." she remarked.
He looked down and smiled at her.

"Well, that spot isn't free. You owe me a nap on the way... Home." His voice trailed off. Armin's expression slowly grew more serious. "Mikayla, I've got to share something with you."

"Mmn, okay." Her voice was sleepy.

"The Militia. It was a dangerous job, and it was risky to do this-"

"Do what, exactly?" She said, sittig up to listen. "Was it that bad?"

He shuddered. "I did things... things I'm not proud of. Sure, they we're orders, but... That's why I did this."

He pulled the car over to the side of the highway. The crickets brayed in the over brush by the road. She saw him reach back to the case she'd found.

What is that? She wondered. The case was sturdily built, and even had a sort of panel in the top. Armin's pulled his necklace off his neck, her charm still hanging from the chain. Next to it was a key she has never seen before.

Armin's inserted the key and, after turning it this way and that, a small keypad popped out. Armin's carefully pressed the white, number-keys. The top of the case suddenly flung open; cold smoke eased out of the container.

Mikayla watched as Armin removed a single vial from the case, filled with an odd white liquid.

She saw him stare at the vial with such seriousness that she already knew what it was. Her mouth slowly hung open.

"This," said Armin, "is the cure. I'm going to save everyone babe." They stared at the vial, an almost intimidating aura eminating from it and the case.