Escaping the Black Market

Ch.3

AFTER THE SHOOTING

I packed our stuff in my truck and we got on the road. I tried to pack only the most needed items: warm clothes, blankets, pillows, a first aid kit, flashlights, and I took the 800$ we had saved up. I did; however, bring two things I wanted to keep. They were my new blue dress, and a locked with my mom and dad's picture in it. Lorri packed som clothes, a bunny my dad had given her, some blankets, a family picture, and a music box. The tune of the music box, was the tune our mom used to lull her to sleep. After we had chosen a destination, California, I had no plan on stopping.

Once we got to California, I rented us a cheep and shabby apartment. It had three rooms, a bed room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. It was tiny, the smallest place I bad ever been in, but it was only 75$ a month. The neighborhood wasn't great so I kept the dead bold locked on the door at all times. All of the kitchen appliances were out of date and the stove didn't work. It was dirty, musty, and smelt a little moldy, but it was a warm place to stay even if it wasn't that great.

I managed to find a job as a store clerk in the small town that we lived in. It wasn't the best job, but It gave me the opportunity to keep up on the gossip and pay the rent. I would read the papers, and watch the news on the small tv in the break room, to keep a look out for Jeremy. I knew our safety wouldn't last forever but, I hoped it would last at least for a couple months. I was wrong, the black market doesn't like loose ends, and I knew that, but I wasn't expecting it so soon. I was listing to some of the gossip when I heard the talking about Jeremy, he and his gang were we'll know around here so people talked a lot about him. Somebody heard he was coming to town in search of some people, I knew he had found us, and started to panic. I quit work, took my last pay check in cash, and went home to get Lorri.

I entered the house, "Lorri, we have to go." I started to pack my stuff back into the suitcase.

"What? Wait? Why?," she asked confused.

"It's not safe here anymore!", I replied quickly moving on to pack her stuff.

She was she'll shocked and took a seat quietly on the bench and whispered to herself, "he-he found us..."

I finished packing the stuff and we had to go. She was still in a daze, so I gave her a hung and lightly shook her out if it. "Come on," I took her hand,"time to go." She followed in my wake.