Thank you all for your reviews, I have to admit I was shocked so many decided to add this to their favorites list! I was thrilled! But now I have expectations to live up to so here goes the next chapter. Don't forget to review! & I can take bad criticism.
Chapter 2
It seems we've been at this for years instead of a few short months. Oh how quickly time flies when you're on the run, away from your former bosses who want to use you, and away from anything that's trying to eat you. Strange thought process there…anyways, we've finally come to a stop. We're at the half way point to Tokyo, only about 75 miles to go now.
But it still feels like were dragging here, of course that could also be contributed to Mina, my twin like friend. She's a fun friend to have around when you're looking for fun or a club, but she's also a handful…plus sometimes she gets these sayings wrong. What she says makes you try to figure it out before you realize she got it wrong and is already flouncing off…no seriously she will FLOUCE OFF!
Again I'm getting off subject, it mostly right now feels like were dragging because Mina has this supposed 'bladder issue' that only surfaces on really long trips…such as ours of course.
We stopped off at this abandon gas station for refreshments and gas (obviously) but also for Mina. We, Ray and myself were out on watch duty while Mina went inside for bathroom and Lita pumped the gas while Amy played with the radio. Hopefully well get more than static on it at some point.
Things were going fine, till we all heard a loud scream erupting from the inside, only Mina (besides myself) can get her voice to practically ultrasonic levels while screaming. After giving Lita the signal to hurry up 9luckily we were at the breaking point for full anyways) and for Amy to shut off the radio Ray and I rush in only to find what remained of the owners, chewed up, and Mina only she was fending, or trying to fend off the 'chewer'.
See Minas good at kicking the 'infected' because of her long legs, she can swipe them down, and kick them 180 degree style like nobodies business but with her fists, she's sort of an easy target…ok she's an easy target-but to be fair when she does try to punch she looks like she's trying to catch a ride off the highway.
Ray actually puffs out a breath of annoyance before telling Mina to close her eyes. Mina being well Mina closes her eyes like a 10 year old about to get a spanking, though for Mina depending on how cutie the guy really is she'd probably pucker her bum in the air and say, "Go ahead."
Her 9mm fires. Ray shoots and scores, head shot, she always did have good aim. Its a little system we came up with when we first started out, head shots were worth 10 points, chest was 7 and any other body part was a range of 2 to 5. We set it up so that at the end of the day the one with the most points got to sleep without pause all night long.
Mina finally opens her eyes (cant risk getting the infected blood in any opening) to realize part of her pretty little face is covered in blood. Grumbling a little she walks over the bodies to the bathroom at the side of the station. Probably went in saw the 'chewer' chewing and thought she could get by. She can be ditzy sometimes.
"Damn it Ray you know how long it'll take to get this out of my hair?" She whines. "Ungrateful little…and just who do you think your going to get hooked up with out here at an abandon gas station in the middle of nowhere? Hun? The only thing moving out there either wants to eat you or well-EAT YOU!" Ray practically yells finally near her boiling point.
"You never know." Was Mina's simple reply coming out of the bathroom looking like she was swishing her long blonde locks behind her. The simplicity of her actions after what just transpired made Ray's voice practically ultrasonic at her next statement. "AAAAGGGGGHHH YOUR IMPOSSIBLE!"
She left the gas station 2 minutes later muttering something mostly unintelligible about ungrateful long haired blondes.
I stay there mainly as back up since Mina only carries this little knife with her. Though why she didn't use it remains to be seen. Maybe she got jumped before she could. The guns aren't her favorite; though use one to save her and she's all for it.
I waddled off into my train of thoughts, remembering something from only 5 months back. It feels like forever with everything else but this memory sticks out.
Flashback
Ray and I were at this convention of sorts where our favorite stars show up to talk and answer questions for the fans. Darien was there, Ray and I are both huge fans of his acting. How ever when it came time to try and ask a question Ray got caught up in hers, all 5 of hers and I got shy. But Darien was so sweet he came up to us and said, "Don't be nervous, besides you're not the one on stage in front of over 800 fans filled with mostly girls." He was trying to make me laugh.
I let go and managed to get out a question that I had put on the back burner since it seemed to me to impersonal since he was taken now. "Do you like girls with tattoos?" he looked shocked at first then smiled and replied, "Yeah, I take it you have one." I blushed so bad he started to laugh, till I turned around and lifted my hair up. Sitting in the middle of the back of my neck was a crescent moon tattoo with the earth in the back of it.
I turned back around after swearing to myself that id nearly felt his fingers touch it. He had an unreadable expression on his face that shook me to my core. In fact I was pretty sure that with that look he could get a girl to orgasm on the spot! I know I was close. "Next question?" he asked obviously uncomfortable. Ray looked at me like I grew another head and asked, "You actually asked that?" After that she pelted me with questions since she'd apparently been trying to remember just one of her questions and not all of them at the same time.
Present
Those were the days. As Mina walks out we finish up foraging the place and head back out onto the road. We have a good plan if the refuge place exists, simple actually. Gets as much supplies as we can carry there in a big, big bus, head there, make it there intact, then offer the supplies to share while they share their roof. A supply of give and take is all. Hopefully it'll work, because it's the only plan we have.
Once we make it to the point where we can't focus enough on the road we stop again only this time for the night. We take our shifts in sleep ( Amy first since she'll read of the books she snatched from a library we took supplies from. (Hey we hit any and all buildings for supplies). I stayed up next then, so that I could get in 4 hours Lita took the last shift. Ray didn't have to since she got a head shot in and settle down for the night. However during my sleep my thoughts were bombarded by trying to figure out what I could have done, what I didn't notice. I wake up to the sound of a leaf moving, but I notice there's no wind. I open an eye just incase it's the dead. Apparently 'alive' meat is better is sought after more than dead meat.
Who knew they would have standards.
My eye widens as I see something that in my minds eye is scarier that the 'infected', a spider. And with my fear and hatred of them I quickly start to panic. This suckers huge and no more than a few inches from my face. (AN: I don't know if Japan has huge spiders but in this story there is-cause that's one thing I'm not looking up! Cause I to am fearful of them!)
It moves forward an inch slowly, I open my other eye. It stops. Shit, it knows I'm awake. Ok 1 of 2 options here. Option 1: bolt up, try to find something to smash it with and scare the crap out of anyone nearby which will entitle me to a cranky Ray (not fun by the way) and give it the potential time to hid in my stuff or to run and bite me anyways or 2: stay still, fish for something with in reach and either smash or shoot it.
I go with the second one since Ray would be cranky after her first real night of sleep in months. I feel around for a weapon as I stare my worst fear's 8 beady little eyes down at me. I grip my knife hidden away underneath my blanket. I only have one chance before this thing catches wind of my intentions and scurries the other 3 inches to my face. Not how I want to wake up. I make my move watch as its eyes see the object reflect in my hand due to the sun and start its 8 legged movement. However in fear I am faster, probably due to the adrenaline running through me. I slam my knife down into its main body effectively pinning it to the earth. I look down to where my head was moments before to see that had I not moved it even the 5 inches in the air that I did I would have been bitten.
It struggles against the knife not completely dead, a little to afraid to pick the knife up I carefully get up so as not to disturb anyone, even if they are on guard duty, to go get the sledge hammer we took. I look back to find the arachnid still struggling though it was dying, and since I was merciful I swung. SPLAT! The fangs managed one last movement before they to die out. However no more than 10 seconds later did Mina wake up and see that she somehow got smashed spider guts on her neck. Oops. She screams very alarmingly waking Ray and alerting everyone else. "What the hell is going on?" She yells. Lita comes in with her gun but doesn't see any 'infected' so she lowers it, thankfully.
Lita's great with a gun but she's got as bad a trigger finger as Ray does, sometimes worse.
Mina wipes a furry little leg off of her neck while screaming, "There's spider parts on me get it off!" Amy now awake at this point asks, "How'd you get an arachnid leg on your neck? Besides its obviously dead. Where were you laying?" As soon as she points they also find the point of origin, and also my knife. Oops.
Mina looks to me horrified, like I did it on purpose, Amy looks in disgust but in understanding, and Lita looks like a bit nauseated looking at now pulled off spider leg currently in her 2 fingers.
Ray however is smoldering.
"The first really good sleep I have in months and you ruin it over a damn spider?" Her voice is gruff for morning but the message is clear.
No matter what option I took I was never getting out of being yelled at by Ray.
We make it another 50 miles before we hit a road block. These were put in place around Japan trying to keep the 'infected' out while trying to protect the citizens. Judging by the houses we see over the road block with all the broken windows and partially busted doors it was an effort in vain. But there might something useful in there so we head on in and as Amy pointed out, "We have to go through it anyways unless you want to take an extra 3 days to go around this city?" while its not overly big its overly wide for a city in Japan, cutting though saves us 3 days journey just as she pointed out so we head in.
We split off into groups of 2, all of us with radios, however Amy is usually ordered to stay in the vehicle. While she's incredibly book smart she's not the fighting type. Don't get me wrong if she were backed into a corner she'd fight but otherwise she'd try to reason with the opponent or fall back. Besides as long as she's out there she can see for any other vehicles that may pass or any 'infected' that decide to come in behind us.
Mina and I go off for the first 3 houses on the left while the '2 smoking guns' go into the 3 on the right side of the block. Entering in, we all have our radios on so if the other needs help we can rush to their aid. However to avoid any surprises unless it's an emergency, like the occasional 'infected', it's to be radio silence.
I enter the kitchen; slowly make my way towards the cabinets, empty. I open the fridge top find an excessively repugnant odder emanating from it. The milk completely curdled, the cheese I think is growing, and the eggs, um yeah I'm not even going top go there. But there's a small shred of hope, behind the curdled milk lays three 6 packs of peaches with cherries. Expiration dates not for another 4 months, YES! And still tightly sealed double YES! Even better are these packages having the option to not be refrigerated triple YES!
I hear Mina's synchronized 3 tapping system the floor, well her floor my ceiling to come up stairs for possible medical supplies. Here's how this bizarre system works, so there can be radio silence. If we're separated by floors, 2 taps means food and 2 taps means meds. Works well if you don't want a shout out cause the other person to be shocked enough to drop whatever they have in their hands.
I go up slowly always checking. Making my way to the first bedroom I find her to my left in the bathroom. Seriously another bathroom? I'm beginning to wonder if Mina even does a thorough check …"Serena what's 'viocotin'?" she asks me. "Pain killers, strong ones too. Take 'em, that's the over the counter shit, not the by the register shit." I reply. She bags it along with Midol and Advil. Just because the world is in chaos and crap doesn't mean we still won't get periods and head aches.
We leave out of the bedroom to hear a thump coming from another room, the only other room in this house. Great just what we needed, I just hope its not some 'infected' kid, those are the hardest. I compose myself before memories of my brother haunt me once more and get my 9 mm into position; Mina gets her knife out and is in a defensive stance. Good girl. We slowly go to said room, open door, nothing. We go in seeing as there's a sizable closet with a CD sized hole through the bottom of the closet. Someone was trying to kick it in, but why?
We hear the sound again and aim our defenses upwards. I get close enough to be able to open the door, I signal to Mina to be ready. She nods in understanding. I open the closet door swiftly, MEOW! A black cat screeches while a mouse jumps out and runs off effectively scaring the living shit out of Mina. I think we may have ruined din-din for the cat because now she's-at least I presume she's a she-is growling at us. Mina gave a scream loud enough to wake the dead and alert the girls. I forgot she's afraid of mice, if I were a guy id say 'Woman, cower over a little mouse a 100 times smaller than yourself and scream like a banshee while your at it'.
"Serena, Mina are you guys ok?" Lita calls out over the radio. "Yeah were fine, Mina just discovered her best friend the 'mouse' hiding out in a closet." Amy laughs along with Lita, Ray just growls into her radio piece trying to rein in her temper then asks, "You guys find anything useful-other than a mouse?" "Yeah we got a little bit more food and some meds. It should keep us covered till we hit the next house. You?" I ask. "Lita picked up some extra blankets, and I found a stash of canned foods." Good I think to myself. Now we can hopefully zip on out of here faster.
"Ok we'll head out with our picks to the next house." I reply. "Ok see you in 10." Lita replies this time. I look up to see the still pissed off black cat. I look into its eyes to make sure it's not 'infected'. We don't know how far the disease has spread but were not ruling out crossing over specie barriers. She looks fine so I make a move to pick her up, she backs into a corner hissing and trying to claw.
While she may not be 'infected' I'm still not risking other diseases so I grab a nearby blanket and wrap her in it effectively shushing her screeches down to growls knowing she's been subdued. I walk out wondering to myself why I took her, Mina must have seen my expression so she asks. "So why take the cat? It'll be another mouth to feed and I know we never grabbed any cat food." "I guess with all the crap I need a little sense of normalcy, why not have a cat to create that normalcy?" I reply. She looks at me in thought then says, "Great idea. Maybe she'll even calm Ray down from her bizzaro mood swings." I laugh at that, Ray's temper aside her mood swings are not something to be trifled with, especially during that time of the month.
The next house ends up holding more canned goods, more blankets, more stagnated food and more Advil. The last one we go to has blankets and some stored food but no salt, seriously NO SALT. We need it to keep our smell from bringing them to us. And its getting hard to come by out here especially if we lay it out every time we settle in one place for long. I mean we so much of it at first because we were on foot before Lita helped us get the bus. So we used a LOT.
I looked high and low nothing. I meet up with Mina in the living room, same, zip. "What kind of house doesn't have SALT?" I exasperate with my hands indicating the house.
I'm serious what are they low sodium freaks or something?
Mina signals me to move out since Ray and Lita are done with theirs. With nothing left within the house to grab we head back to our ride and move on in the same fashion. We hit the end of the town only hitting houses in our path never straying away from it. We keep going till we find another blockade only this ones bigger. Sensing something slightly off with this one I tell Mina to climb up the tree and look over quietly. The blockage might only be 15 feet tall but id rather the resident 'blonde' be careful-hell I rather us all be careful. Sides she's a great rock climber much like me but she doesn't have nearly 30 pounds of supplies on her back weighing her down, much less a cat growling her ass off.
She gives it a good 2 minutes before climbing back down to give us the details. "Doesn't look completely promising, but it look's possible. There's 10 'infected' out there looking thin, wiry and wondering around looking for food. Plus there's a military convoy that could be carrying supplies. One of the 'infected' looks like the convoy guy to, judging by the gear that's hanging from him. How do you want to do this?" For a moment everyone looks to me, I look at them all and ask, "What we're ALL in this together!" everyone holds up their hands in defense. "I'm thinking shoot all the 'infected' then plow through the blockade." Of course Ray would suggest that. But how bout we tweek it a bit. "Ok how about we shoot them as you said then after there's no more movement 2 of us, Ray and Amy go over to see how we can unblock it, while Mina stays in the vehicle this time to watch our backs (despite what I said Amy does go out and help us, just not ALL the time). I'll stay on the tree as look out while Lita goes in for any weapons or supplies from the convoy. How's that sound?"
They nod in agreement and move out. Ray snipers them out as best she can considering we don't have a sniper gun. They start to run or in this case hobble fast for her, but her accuracy is amazing. All 10 dead in under a minute. One thing Ray and Lita have always stressed to me is never waist your bullets, if you can't hit the head shot the heart, and lastly once their down only shot once (in the head) more then STOP!
She never wasted a bullet.
Once that was done we went off to do our separate parts. I stayed up top with the black cat still growling at me from inside my pack. Not such a good idea to be up here, the weight of my pack was starting to get to me and Lita was looking a little to happy at the stuff she was finding. Finally nearly at the point of complaining Lita says we're good on supplies while Mina screeches 'Eureeka!' with excitement.
Ray actually looks happy about it. I guess they figured it out. Lita heads up the tree while I make sure she gets to the other side without damaging the goods, unfortunately one of the goods happens to be a grenade that's falling from its resting place. I barely catch it as it falls causing both Lita and myself to both have a near heart attack.
I place it in a better place on her pack. "Thank got Serena for a moment there I thought I was going into cardiac arrest." "Just be careful because you almost took me with you. We may be 15 feet up but who knows just how big and loud that blast will be." I warn her while trying to sound light about it. I mean we can't afford that big a noise to bring them any closer to us.
Ray and Amy are next saying that they managed to move it in a way that we can plow through without damage to the vehicle. Luckily it wasn't some huge cement wall. Just enough to keep whatever you want out. However if you move it just the right way, you have yourself a cheaply constructed BREAKABLE wall. We head down the tree get in and plow our way through. We're over the half way point; we keep like this we'll get there in only 2 days time. I keep my fingers crossed hoping that we'll make it there. Which is funny for me considering my talk with Mina on that word one day.
Flashback
"Mina are you insane? We should leave now he's obviously not here." I state very worriedly. We came to her place in hopes of finding her boyfriend, there was nothing left. Literally, the moment the initial outbreak happened it was every man for themselves…so to speak. People went as far as breaking in to steal what need be and from the looks of the place they picked it clean, save for a few pictures and pieces of furniture. I knew the possibilities but Mina didn't want to know so I convinced myself to tell her, as much as I hated to. "Mina he maybe-" "No he's not dead he can't be! He's just…I have hope that he's alive. Maybe if we wait-" she starts to say. I can see the desperate hope in her eyes and the borderline of hysteria about to cross over. I needed to say it so I cut in, "No we can't stay and you know that! We have to move on Mina you know this. I know you care for him but he's not here, he may not even be alive. I wish you didn't have such high 'hope's' sometimes Mina. 'Hope' is just a con job people fall back behind till they get a cold hard grip on reality." Her heart broken expression had broken my heart. I knew I had been harsh but I still said it. She left the apartment in a huff not even looking at me on the way out. I followed letting my gaze linger on a picture of her and her probably now dead boyfriend for only a few moments. Sweet guy he was, he meet our approval for her, which now makes it worse in the end.
Present
She acts like she doesn't care now, but she still hasn't looked at me in the eye completely since then. I'll do whatever it takes to keep my friends alive and safe even if it means giving them the pain filled truth, because in the end I know I'd rather have the truth than not know or be dead. Besides as long as I'm alive I have the chance to protect other people, especially after my involvement, I did work for the company. Or maybe I'm just a coward, and selfish for wanting to keep my friends to me by says the truth and keeping them from where they want to be…with their loved ones…even If they would have wound up dead…like Mina would have had I not said what I said. I knew she'd stay there even if I'd left, not that I would, because she has this 'hope' inside of her that before that day, had I not said anything, would shine on.
She'd like to pretend that it never happened, acts completely indifferent about it and refuses to talk about it, hell had Ray and Lita not been there with me and my family and had Ray not come up stairs after hearing the gun shot they wouldn't know either. So as I stray away from my thoughts I look up at everyone, Lita driving a bus, Amy reading away-escaping into another book-I wish I could, Ray listening to her MP3 on the battery that's got 4 hours left on it, and Mina whom I wish I could talk to and whom I wish would look at me in the eyes again. This is going to be a long trip. I think to myself, as I watch the beauty of the woods go by me. I think that if I stare long enough I can pretend I'm on one of my old school bus field trips on our way home, where my mom has a roast beef ready on the table, where dad's just getting home as he greets his wife, and where my brother Sammy…is trying to get in some last minute video gaming in.
I close my eyes tighter trying to stay in my memories hoping that I can block the world out, if only for a few more moments, but alas I cannot. My body is refusing sleep and I'm itching to kick something for all the crap that has fallen upon me. Why did it have to be me? Some times I really do wish I was dead with my family but then something will happen…"Ray could you turn down your 'music' its disturbing my reading…again." Amy asks. "Hey this stuff is classic." She defends back. "Yeah classic crap." Lita replies back with a hint of sarcasm to her voice. "What was that?" Ray's voice starts to reach that point again. Lita just laughs and waves it off as nothing. Ray slouches back down cranking the music down so Amy can read.
I smile as I laugh internally watching the display. I guess there's no use in having a genius friend if she can't get in her vice while we drive. And we all have our vices, Amy reads, Lita drives, Ray's 'music', Mina's hair and my vice is them…its these little moments that keep me from letting one of 'them' get that bite in. its these moments that makes me glad I'm still alive and kicking. Sometimes all it takes is something simple to make you realize how much you're glad you're alive…despite your previous thoughts. And finally after over 13 hours of being alert, my bodies need for sleep kicks in. Hopefully I'll be able to get more than 4 hours in this time around; the human body can only live off that little of sleep for so long. Last thing I need is to be come delirious due to lack of sleep. And after that train of thought my eyes finally close, the last images I see are of the scenery of the woods as peace filled slumber surrounds me.
