"This is a national announcement, please stop what you are doing and listen.
"Good evening everyone, my fellow American's it is my deepest regret to announce to you what is happening around the world as I speak.
There was a virus outbreak which has spread around the world changing those infected into something unknown, something dangerous. We tried to keep it hidden from you, and I will always regret that decision.
I took away that chance for you to spend the last week with your family, your loved ones. Now, we know that the world is coming to an end. It wont be a few days or weeks from now but will be in merely minutes.
Please hug your loved ones, say your prayers, and ask for forgiveness from your sins, and know that your government is sorry for failing you. I am proud to say I've been your president; I only wish that it ended differently."
The face left the screen, I looked behind me to my father and saw the worry etched in his face before panic completely took over his body. He grabbed me and held me in his arms saying repeatedly how much he loved me, how much he's going to miss holding me in his arms. I cried openly, his large hand rubbing soothing circles against my back.
I don't know how long we stayed like that, I don't remember hearing screams but once I realized the neighbors were screaming, I wasn't sure how long it went on for, I didn't think about the fact I knew those people screaming, or why I wasn't screaming as well.
I do remember how silent it was once the screaming stopped, my dad's hands stopped moving against my back causing me to break away and look at him.
"Dad?" I whispered.
"Hon…" He barely whispered the words.
"Dad, what do we do now?"
"Honestly, hon, I have no idea." He rubbed his moustache the same way he always does when he's thinking through something, whilst waiting for him I tried turning the tv onto another channel only for static to click on regardless of the station. Defeated I turned it off and went to the window.
Looking outside the town was basically deserted, I did notice some clothes littering the streets almost as if the bodies once inside them were vaporized, I closed the curtain and went back to my father.
"I think we need to gather as much of our things we need as possible, that means clothes Hon not all your books. Take the picture albums though, I'll gather my guns and as much clothes as I can carry. Then we'll gather as much food that's non-perishable from the cupboards and put them in the car."
"Dad, are we going to leave?"
"Yes, call it a gut instinct." I nodded and ran up the stairs as quickly as I could, grabbed the suitcase I always keep in my closet and began by packing as much underwear, socks, pants, shirts, and jumpers as I could fit inside of it. Luckily, I still had space for a few books, my favourite David Edding serious the Mandalorian and the Belgariad serious were above my bed, the only other series I gathered was the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Lastly, I grabbed my pillow and blanket then went downstairs.
Dad grabbed my suitcase as well as his own and packed them in the car, I ran back upstairs grabbed his blanket and pillow and the family album and made sure they were packed in the back of the cruiser. Dad was grabbing his fishing gear and some camping gear whilst I went inside and gathered the last of the canned food. Dad kept a stepping stool in the kitchen purely so my tiny body could reach the top shelf, thank goodness he did because it gave me ample time to get everything ready for him whilst he was packing the car.
"Hon, Jen are you ready to go?" Dad's voice carried through to the kitchen,
"Yeah Dad, just need help carrying this food." I heard his footsteps coming, He gathered majority of the food and nodded to the bottles of water which I took to the car. Once we were fully packed up and both seated in the car, we drove away from the home that I grew up in, the home where my parents first moved into after they were married, the home where my mother left us when she couldn't handle the small town anymore.
It was the house where I had my first steps, the first word I spoke was in the living room, my first sleep over with a friend… My first birthday… I watched as the trees passed us in a blur as we travelled down the highway.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Where are we going?"
"As far away from civilization as we can get."
"Where's that dad?"
"There's a small place near us called Stehekin…"
"What's there?"
"Not a whole lot of baby… It's remote enough for us to stay until we find out more though." I nodded at his answer and once again focused on the passing trees. I didn't know how long we'd been in the car for since I fell asleep at some point, but when I woke dad had stopped the car and remained staring in front of us.
"What is it dad?"
"Shush." He whispered and pointed to the small group of people milling around a few cars that remained on the road, they were talking to one another but from this distance I couldn't tell if it a good conversation or not. Eventually they moved on, getting in their cars, and going, dad remained motionless as he stared at them his hand resting on his gun casually.
"Ok baby, they're gone."
"Why didn't we talk to them?"
"I didn't trust them; I don't trust anyone that isn't you or me at the moment baby. I don't think it's safe here…" He mumbled under his breath.
"Where do we go?"
"To the wilderness baby." Dad started the car and together we set off to the next part of our journey only stopping to go to the bathroom, fuel up, get fuel from the gas stations we crossed as well as stock up on any food we could carry.
We didn't come across anymore people after those first few, although I kept my eyes glued to the windows just in case. Dad switched on his music singing along to Queen, The Beatles, and any other people I hadn't figured out just yet. I loved watching him as he was driving though, he seemed so relaxed, at ease.
I don't know how long we drove for, I slept most of the way and dad only stopped long enough to catch a couple of hours' worth of sleep before we were off again. Now the sun was rising I was able to see the landscape more clearly, the trees that surrounded my family home seem to be encompassing this entire area. It was beautiful but looked alien as I stared at the moss-covered rocks that littered the dirt road.
"Where are we?"
"Still in Washington baby, this place is virtually untouched."
"Why?"
"Well, the Native Americans refused to give up their homes. They said their spirit warriors came down from the mountain tops and killed all the white men that tried to take their lands. So, no one ever settled in this area."
"So, no one lives here?"
"No one but the Native Americans if they still live here… Lets go slowly, there aren't any roads out here so the cruiser might have issues. Look for any flat areas we can set up camp."
"Yes dad."
We travelled down a semi-dirt road until we came to a clearing, before we drove any further dad got out of the car, not wanting to be left behind I followed. He was staring intently down at the ground and occasionally looking up into the trees.
"What are you looking for?"
"I wanted to make sure this was a religious site or a burial ground. If they do still live in the area this is their territory and I don't want to piss them off by destroying it." I nodded and went to stand beside the cruiser. Dad went stock still as he turned towards me; his face was completely pale as if all the blood left it suddenly. When I noticed he wasn't staring at me but rather above and behind me I slowly turned to stare at the bright golden eyes hidden in the trees.
Dad slowly walked towards me and tried to hide me behind his body, the shadow began to growl, the depth and fierceness of the growl could be felt through my body. It commanded obedience. The shadow stalked towards us, I watched as a wolf emergence through the trees.
Next to the fierceness of the wolf I didn't notice the giant man next to him, but my observant father did. I heard the language of their people being spoken, meaning that others must be in the trees behind them but were invisible to our eyes.
"I'm sorry, I do not understand your language." My father's voice was calm as he spoke to the man whose shoulder he barely passed.
"You are not welcome here." I looked directly at him; he could speak English perfectly although no one was allowed into this territory if what my father said was true.
"I understand that, we have travelled far to come here. The world has fallen, people disappeared because of a virus. Some remain but it is not safe for my daughter. I do not wish to see her harmed in anyway. I know the forests in Washington near our home, but there are too many people that remain in the area.
I know this area is your territory and home, but we ask for sanctuary. We will not bring others here; we will not impose upon your homes or food sources. All we ask is for a small area of land we can build a home, grow crops to survive with."
"Your ancestors came to our lands once demanding, yet you are asking?"
"Yes."
"Would you ask if your daughter wasn't here?" The giant man looked at me, I immediately hid behind my father's back again.
"Yes."
"Then you may come with us, you can ask our chief."
"What of our belongings?"
He whistled and two young men in just shorts came running out the forest and got into our car, they started it up and drove it away. "Hey!"
"They are merely taking it off the road so no one tries to take anything from it, I promise it will be returned to you. We do not take other belongings." They led us to two Jeeps fully fitted out for off-roading, my dad helped me into one of the backseats and sat up front with the man we were speaking to earlier, the giant wolf remained behind us the entire way.
AN:
I know... I know...
Another story...
I simply got an idea in my head and before I knew it I'd written 10 chapters...
Please let me know if you like it, please review, comment, message anything. XX