Today has turned into a complete and total disaster.
After we met Mr. Grady and his daughter Amelia, the two strangers in suits, we learned that the reactor core was melting down meaning anything within three hundred miles would be killed in the blast. Even if we would've found a vehicle we never would've made it out of the blast zone. So in attempt to save our lives we helped Mr. Grady get into the building to fix it.
That backfired.
Mr. Grady died from radiation poisoning and we were forced to find other options. Thanks to Amelia we were able to find Homer, another former employee of the plant, and he agreed to help us. We split up after that, Warren and I going with Amelia and Murphy to help get Amelia's plane up and going. Amelia would be flying with Murphy out of the blast zone, we just had to convert her plane to run on alcohol first. The others went with Homer, together they were going to attempt to fix the reactor core.
Amelia and Murphy took off twenty minutes or so ago, meaning our part of our mission was completed. Now Warren and I were on our way back to the nuclear plant.
"You don't say much." Warren looked over at me.
"I don't really have anything to say." I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
"You're worried about them aren't you?" She asked, "Doc and 10k?"
"I'm worried about all of us." I answered honestly, "We don't have much time before that reactor goes off."
Warren sighed, "Yeah, I know."
Warren turned the golf cart, driving us back down the gravel road leading us to the plant. I didn't had the nerve to say it, mainly because Warren scares the crap out of me but her driving scares me worst than 10k's sometimes. Earlier she nearly tipped me out of the dang thing trying to wrap corners. I could tell her nerves were clearly starting to get to her but I felt that it was better that I didn't say anything.
My nerves were going completely bonkers also. I mean, we only had so many hours if that before us and everything three hundred miles from here turns in radioactive waste.
"Doc, this is Warren we're back at the plant, coming in the same way." Warren spoke into the walkie talkie.
There was no response.
Warren looked at me, a flash of worry spreading across her face, "Doc, Warren."
There was another moment of silence as Warren pulled out vehicle to a stop, turning it off.
"Hello Roberta, welcome back ladies." Doc's voice boomed through the speaker, "Please be advised we are now entering the reactor core on the other side of the facility."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"Oh, just the usual prayer." Doc laughed.
Warren and I laughed too, Doc was always the one to make light of the situation.
"What's the status of that precious cargo? Has the mouthy package taken off?"
"Yeah." Warren answered, "He's in the air."
"How's the other kid?" Doc asked, referring to me, "She ok?"
Warren handed the walkie over to me, the large device resting in my hand as I held it up to my mouth.
"Yeah Doc I'm ok." I smiled.
"Good, good." He let out a relieved sigh, into the speaker.
"I'll see you on the way out, ok Doc?"
"See you on the other way out kid."
I couldn't help but smile as I climbed out of the golf cart, walking over to Warren. She was searching through a nearby truck, struggling to get it started. Mr. Grady was right, any of the working vehicles were already taken and long gone.
We were shit out of luck.
Grr!
"Warren, we've got friends." I announced, stepping back as two zombies came stumbling out.
"Hello, Delta-X-Ray."
"This is Delta-X-Ray, copy." Citizen Z responded.
"I need a little information on glowing zombies." Warren responded.
Warren and I both took several more steps back, each of us pulling out our weapons. I opted with my pistol this time, I wanted to stay as far back as I possibly could from those radioactive freaks.
"Okay, checking zombie-pedia."
"Are you kidding?" Warren scoffed.
"For now, but it's not a bad idea." Citizen Z chuckled.
He paused.
"Okay, it's call 'Angel's glow and it comes from nematode bacteria." Citizen Z explained, "Somehow the radiation affects zombie skin and lets bacteria grow there. The bacteria glows when exposed to high levels of radiation...First observed at Fukushima."
I staggered back the glowing Zs grew nearer, my feet slipping a bit in the loose gravel. Citizen Z's voice continuing to crackled through the talkie's speaker.
"Can we hurry this up?" I called, turning around to look at Warren. My head snapping right back, keeping an eye on the Zs.
"I just need an answer." Warren interrupted him, "Are they hot or not?"
"Don't let them...splatter you."
With that piece of information I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger, taking down the first glowing zombie. I took a few more steps back, steadying myself before I pulled the trigger a second time. The second zombie dropped to the ground a few inches away from the first, both of the bodies laying motionless.
"Nice shooting kid." Warren smiled.
"Thanks."
"You guys still there?" Citizen Z asked.
"We've got no other place to be." Warren answered.
Warren and Citizen-Z continued to banter, leaving me to entertain myself. I walked past the first vehicle Warren searched, it was useless and wouldn't do us any good. The dang thing wouldn't even start. I moved onto the next vehicle, only parked a few feet in front of the first.
I stood next to the driver side door, my hand grasping onto the handle. I paused for a second, checking the area to make sure the area was clear of anymore glowing zombies.
Thankfully it was still clear.
With my free hand I held my gun tightly in my hand, my other hand quietly pulling on the door opened. With the door opened, I raised my gun quickly. Before I started to search the vehicle I wanted to ensure that nothing would come popping out of the backseat.
When nothing tried to eat me I climbed into the front seat, resting my gun on the middle console. Whoever drove the vehicle last was nice enough to leave the keys still resting in the ignition. How kind of them right?
I turned the key over, the entire dash lighting up with a variety of signals. While the car still wouldn't turn over, more than likely being out of gas, it was a good sign the dashboard still lit up. It meant that the battery was fortunately still good.
I crawled out of the car, placing my gun back in its holster. My fingers crept under the steering wheel, just above where the pedals were. I fumbled around for a few seconds before I found the small lever, pulling it. I walked up to the front of the vehicle, the hood now popped open.
My hand slid in the small crack, finding the small latch underneath the hood. With the limited space it didn't take me long to find it. The hood released as my fingers pressed against the latch. I lifted the hood, using the hood prop to hold it upright.
"Find something?" Warren asked, peering over me.
I shook my head, "No, but car batteries will work in our little golf cart over there."
Warren looked at me, smiling, "That's not a bad idea."
Warren walked back to the vehicle she was once searching, reaching into the back and retrieving something. She came walking back with the object held in her hand. When she came back to me, she held the object out to me.
It was a wrench.
"Figured you'd need this."
I took the wrench from her, "Yeah, that might come in pretty handy."
Warren laughed, "Let's get us some car batteries, maybe even a battery charger if we're lucky."
"On it boss."
I've been with the group for a few weeks now and until today I had never realized how much fun Warren could be. However, if you wanted the truth I don't really think I had ever taken time to actually pay attention.
I'm happy I did today.
The two of nearly spent the last two hours or so together, having tons of fun while out scavenging. In a weird way it felt nice to be carefree for a change. I mean, we were possibly going to die in a few short hours anyway, right? Why not enjoy ourselves?
We had already managed to round up quite a few working batteries and even found a battery charger like Warren had hoped. The golf cart wasn't the most ideal form of transportation but it fit all of us and it was at least better than walking. And that's even if we even make it out of here alive.
"So," Warren cleared her throat, "Since we might possibly die in-"
"You want to know why I went to juvie?" I interrupted her, cocking my eyebrow at her.
"I'm just curious." She laughed, "You seem so innocent."
"It was only ever petty crimes." I answered, "Stuff to get me out of the house for a bit."
She looked over at me, shifting her hand on the steering wheel, "Trouble at home?"
"My mom liked her drugs more than she liked paying her bills. I just figured it was better I sit in juvie than a freezing cold house with no food."
Warren stayed silent while I continued to talk.
"I did beat a girl's ass in juvie though." I said, changing the subject, "Broke her arm and gave her a gnarly concussion."
"Not so innocent...got it." Warren chuckled, "Who knew the innocent one had a wild side to her?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "Who knew?"
Warren and I laughed, the two of us enjoying each others company. I had hardly even noticed that Warren had turned back down the same gravel road we came down earlier. Which meant that we were arriving back at the plant.
I could feel my smile slowly start to slip away as I started to come back into reality. We hadn't heard from the others yet so it was still possible that the end of our lives was near. Which really put a damper on my good mood.
I think Warren realized the same thing.
Her smile disappearing from her face as well, her eyebrows furrowing like she was in deep thought. Warren just continued to drive the golf cart like nothing had happened, like we had been silent the whole time. Although I could when she rounded the corner and she saw the others that she was a bit relieved.
They had done it.
Doc came over to us first, smiling, "You remind me of my ex-wife back from Costco." He teased Warren.
"Who'd marry you?"
I climbed out of the golf cart, Doc's hand coming to clamp down on my shoulder as he stopped me.
"Check on the kid." He whispered, "He's not doing so good."
I nodded my head, looking over at 10k. I could just tell how broken he was just by the look in his eyes. His bright green orbs glossed over with sadness, tears threatening to spill over his cheeks.
"I couldn't save him." He croaked out.
I wasn't sure who he was talking about at first but it didn't take me long to put the pieces together. Homer had never made it out, he had died. While the two of them had only known each other for merely a few hours I could tell they got along.
I reached up slowly, using the pad of my thumb to wipe away the tears rolling down 10k's cheek. He stayed still under my touch, his green eyes pouring into mine as he looked down at me.
"You did everything you could 10k." I reassured him, pressing my fingers against his cheek softly, "He died knowing you would've done anything to save him."
10k stayed silent.
"You saved us 10k."
10k's hand lightly brushed against mine, his fingertips tracing the palm of my hand. His fingers slowly weaved through way in between mine. The roughness of his hand tickling my skin as our hands pressed against each others. 10k softly squeezed my hand, silently telling me he understood what I was saying. The small gestured not going unnoticed.
"Great news!"
I turned around, shocked to see Murphy climbing an old gravel trail. He had a bottle of vodka clutched in one of his hands. He looked less than thrilled.
"The vodka made perfect fuel for 10 minutes!" Murphy glared at Warren.
"What happened?"
"Crash landing." He took a swig of vodka, "About a hundred miles out of town."
"Wooww you covered a lot of ground." Doc mocked, "Did you hitchhike?"
"Tens miles, whatever." Murphy groaned, flopping down on the golf cart seat. "It felt like a hundred miles when you're walking."
"So what happened with Amelia?"
That I had been kind of wondering myself. Murphy was the only that had made it back, there was no sign of Amelia.
"Oh no." Cassandra said, turning to look at all of us.
I had spoken to soon.
A zombified Amelia had followed Murphy throughout his journey. Her feet staggering as she came climbing up the steep hill.
"You didn't give her mercy?"
"It didn't feel right, somehow." Murphy sighed.
"So you just let her follow you?"
"That... , somehow."
Amelia continued to come stumbling towards us. 10k released my hand as he reached for his rifle. He raised it, pointing it directly at Amelia.
"No, no! No no no no!"
Murphy came flying off the golf cart, his beloved bottle of vodka forgotten in the front seat. He stood in front of us, preventing anyone from getting a shot at Amelia.
"She is not hurting us!" Murphy yelled.
Murphy panted loudly, looking at all of us with a bizarre look on his face. He looked clearly distraught at the idea of giving Amelia mercy.
"Okay." Warren sighed, "Everyone climb aboard."
We all walked towards the small motorized vehicle, 10k and I walking to the back. Warren climbed back into the driver's seat, Murphy sitting passenger. Cassandra and Doc sat in the second row.
I sat down first on the small platform on the back, scooting over to make room for 10k. He sat down next to me silently. He only looked over at me, his eyes still full of sadness. I softly sighed, resting my head on his shoulder as Warren took off. Our golf cart now in motion.
"It's going to be ok 10k."
"I know." He whispered back, placing the softest kiss on my forehead.
Maybe this is where things start to get better for us.