Chapter 11 June 24 Noon
Jeremy walked into the empty shell that once felt like home, he entered what had been his bedroom and opened his closet door, he grabbed a black duffle bag and opened his drawers and filled the bag with things he knew he would need. He then walked into his kitchen and grabbed a boiler that was in its spot where he put it after he made Nicole her last dinner, and he walked into the room that was once where he would watch television, he noticed two photos on the shelf that made him stop, one photo was of His grandmother, mother, and his father standing in front of a ship that has washed up on the beach during a hurricane in 1969, Jeremy and his sister were in front of the Trio, Jeremy remembered the trip well, it had taken place nearly six months before the crash that took his mother, sister, and father. His grandmother took the other photo nearly a month ago; it was Jeremy and Nicole they stood arms over one another's shoulders smiling. Jeremy walked over and took both of these photos, frame and all, and put them in the packed duffel bag. Jeremy then went out the door, locking it behind him, he never expected to see this place again, in fact he knew he never would.
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Jeremy looked at his watch, 3:00 it had taken him three hours to reach Dogwood Festival Market on Lakeland Drive, nearly fifteen miles away. The outlet mall was empty and haunting, Jeremy rode down the sidewalk making his way to the Outdoor Supplier, a "Hunters Paradise," as Jeremy called it many times before, he needed to get some supplies before he made his way to Brandon, Missouri. The lights were still on in the mall, Flowood had not lost power until early this morning and the backup generator would function for a few more hours, at most. Jeremy Got off the bike and decided to walk, he looked in windows of shops no longer bustling, Copper Children danced eternally in front of the American Eagle Store with their dog running along behind them, frozen in time. Jeremy walked up to the glass door at the Outdoor Supplier; he looked through the glass door, hunting supplies, tents, lanterns and three ATVs. He looked around outside the door, for something that could break the glass, and then a thought entered his head, the back door was unlocked.
Jeremy made his way all the way around the mall, until he reached the rear of the complex; he was not at all surprised to see a vehicle in parked where the Outdoor Supplier was located. He continued up closer, there was a body behind the wheel, it had been there for a while, and the stench was reaching Jeremy from the SUV. As he edged closer he noticed that the body was male, and covered in maggots, he started to run and slammed into the door of the Outdoor Supplier, it opened and he fell to the floor. He waited a second to regain his composure before he stood and made is way into the main part of the store. He quickly gathered rations, which included raiment noodles, a lantern and a propane stove with some portable propane canisters, he also grabbed a popup tent and a sleeping bag, and he checked behind the desk and grabbed the keys to one of the ATVs, it worked in the blue ATV, Jeremy was glad to see that it had a full tank of gas, He then picked up a the cash register yanked out he cords and threw it through the large glass door, he then mounted the ATV and drove out the Store and made his way out of the outlet mall. He went in the Direction of Brandon, Missouri just like he was supposed to.