The world went to shit pretty fast and those of us in Atlanta knew there was no refugee center, no safety. While everyone in Georgia was rushing to get into Atlanta, we were rushing to get out. I didn't have anyone to leave with. I had no significant other, no nearby friends, and what family I had left was across the country. So, when my fifty year old neighbor offered to let me come with him I took him up on it.

I didn't know the first thing about survival. I'd never fired a gun. Hell, I'd never even been in a fist fight. I wasn't even good at talking people down. I couldn't run for shit and my upper body strength was a joke. If I was going to survive out there it wasn't going to be by myself.

Because of my shortcomings I did the only thing I could to ensure my survival. I did everything Sam told me to do. I answered all of his questions and ran about for any supplies from our homes he asked me to get. It didn't take long before we were stuck in traffic leaving the city.

I sat in the passenger seat of Sam's banged up old car. We were silent, staring out the windows and minding our own business. A sudden hand on my thigh caused me to tense up. My eyes focused on the trunk of a specific tree and my mind started to race.

This was the last thing I needed. Not only did his touch make me angry, but it made me extremely nervous. There was no one for me to run to and it was clear that I was in trouble. His hand gently rubbed my thigh, squeezing it tightly when he stopped and rested his hand much higher up than it had originally been.

I couldn't decide what to do. I could just move my leg away from his hand, but I had a feeling he was smart enough to recognize my rejection. How would he take that? I hadn't known Sam for more than a day. I had no idea what kind of man he was or what he was capable of. My only other options, however, were to yell at him or let him treat me however he felt like.

I crossed my left leg over my right, causing his hand to slide off. I was basically pressed as close to the door as I could get. Somehow, I was going to have to get away from him. Whatever he was feeling wasn't just going to go away. With tensions as high as this there's no telling what people will do whether or not they would have done it before.

About half an hour went by and we hadn't moved an inch. Sam had turned the car off just like everyone else around us. People were getting out and talking. Kids were playing as if the world wasn't in a state of emergency. In a way, it was refreshing. I must have fallen asleep watching them.

I woke up to echoing booms I could feel in my chest and a few shrill screams. I jumped, a sharp tingle spreading across my body and raising hairs. My eyes searched the oddly illuminated light until I realized what was happening. The second I heard Sam's car door open I flung mine open as well. I walked robotically to the median, gripping the concrete barrier tightly. I could see mushroom clouds and plumes of smoke blacker than the night sky rising over the treeline. They were bombing Atlanta.

Sam pulled me to him, one arm around my back with his other hand caressing my head and pressing it to his chest. My hands rose to his abdomen, ready to push him away. There was a whole city in ruins, thousands of people dead, an unstoppable disease tearing the world to pieces, and somehow this was the worst of all.

Sam tried unnecessarily hard to comfort me, which was only making me more uncomfortable. He wrapped a blanket around my sweating frame and told me to stay in the car while he spoke to the people around us. I did as I was told, not knowing what else I could have done. Not twenty minutes later Sam was back, telling me some people were going to set up camp at a nearby quarry and we were going with them.

I only nodded when he told me the plan, looking at him as briefly as I could. I could see his worried expression out of the corner of my eye. He reached out, snaking his fingers through my hair and kissed my temple. I wanted to puke.

"Look at me," He gently grabbed my chin and turned my head to face him. I forced myself to look into his eyes. I could feel my own getting dry as I was afraid to blink. "Everything's gonna be okay, sweetheart. I won't let anyone hurt you," I nodded because I knew that was what he wanted from me. He touched his forehead to mine and for a moment I was terrified he was going to kiss me. He moved back and tilted his head up to brush his lips over my forehead before he returned his eyes to the road.