CHAPTER 2 - Route 15
Zeke loaded his gear into the trunk of Mallory's car and closed it heavily. "That's all that's going to fit, the rest is going with you Broadway." He crammed Bianca's sleeping bag and camping gear into the backseat of her truck beside Seth and Luke's stuff. Broadway shielded her eyes against the sun.
"Is that all? Are we ready to go now?" Mallory checked her watch.
"Yes, we're running just a little bit behind but if we hurry, we should make it before rush hour."
"Alright then, lets go." The group said their good-byes to Mayra and headed down the driveway. Broadway clicked on her CB radio and placed her favorite CD into the dash. AC/DC's Back in Black album blared from the Avalanches sound system. It was a beautiful spring day, not too cold, but not scorching hot yet. Because it was only Tuesday, there wasn't much traffic in or out of town and the group reached their first checkpoint by two o'clock.
"Maybe we'll get here sooner than we thought, wouldn't that be a bonus?" Zeke said thoughtfully.
"We still have a long road ahead of us so don't get too carried away." Broadway replied hopping onto the hood of her truck and leaning against the windshield.
"You're so mean, Broadway."
"Nah, just realistic."
Seth crossed the parking lot of the coffee stop the paused at, carrying drinks for everyone. "Make these last because we're not stopping again until we reach Swanson." He warned. Luke too a long drink of his Orange Crush and mumbled a "Whatever" to his brother. Bianca was looking over her maps again.
"We might not even make it to Swanson, look at this." The group crowded around the hood of Mallory's car and examined the points Bianca had circled in red marker. "If we take this highway for another 30 miles and then turn north-east onto this highway - route 15, we can pass through a place called Willow Grove and save ourselves the hassle of driving through Swanson and going AROUND Little Lake. Willow Grove goes right over the lake and after that, it's a straight drive to the resort!"
"Shit, we'd be there before five o'clock if we took that route." Seth said.
"I say we go for it, me ass is getting flat." Zeke added.
"I don't like it." Mallory said sternly. Broadway rolled her eyes impatiently.
"Mallory, we don't have time for one of your paranoid spazz-outs. Last time I checked, they don't build houses for the hell of it, there has to be some houses or something there. It's still daylight and it's going to be daylight for a long time. We have cell phones, we have tow ropes, we have a CB radio, we have everything we could ever possibly need for an emergency so what the fuck is the problem?!"
"I just don't like it but I suppose majority wins." Lucas smiled.
"Who knows, it might be fun."
~*~
There was a bright flash followed by a brief scream. Her body was thrown backwards and she landed not so gracefully next to half a dozen other bodies. She pulled herself up onto her elbows and retrieved the knife that lay at her side.
"Well that sucked." She murmured. Another girl to her left sobbed.
"I can't take this anymore, it's not fair! What did we ever do to deserve this?"
"We died."
"Well, I'm glad YOU find this funny!"
"I don't. I just don't like to sit and complain about it like someone I know. At least we're all; trying to do something about it."
"Yeah, well a lot of good it's doing."
"Cut the gas, both of you! Quit acting like a pair of ankle biters and cool it before I get frosted." The pair erupted into giggles once more.
"I swear Prince, you become more and more incoherent as the days go on."
"Says you!"
The approaching Giant grunted at the three and pushed against the invisible barrier. Sparks flew up around his hands and shoulders and he groaned again in pain. The barrier gave slightly before sending the Giant stumbling backwards. He uttered a single curse word and stormed off to uproot trees.
Zeke loaded his gear into the trunk of Mallory's car and closed it heavily. "That's all that's going to fit, the rest is going with you Broadway." He crammed Bianca's sleeping bag and camping gear into the backseat of her truck beside Seth and Luke's stuff. Broadway shielded her eyes against the sun.
"Is that all? Are we ready to go now?" Mallory checked her watch.
"Yes, we're running just a little bit behind but if we hurry, we should make it before rush hour."
"Alright then, lets go." The group said their good-byes to Mayra and headed down the driveway. Broadway clicked on her CB radio and placed her favorite CD into the dash. AC/DC's Back in Black album blared from the Avalanches sound system. It was a beautiful spring day, not too cold, but not scorching hot yet. Because it was only Tuesday, there wasn't much traffic in or out of town and the group reached their first checkpoint by two o'clock.
"Maybe we'll get here sooner than we thought, wouldn't that be a bonus?" Zeke said thoughtfully.
"We still have a long road ahead of us so don't get too carried away." Broadway replied hopping onto the hood of her truck and leaning against the windshield.
"You're so mean, Broadway."
"Nah, just realistic."
Seth crossed the parking lot of the coffee stop the paused at, carrying drinks for everyone. "Make these last because we're not stopping again until we reach Swanson." He warned. Luke too a long drink of his Orange Crush and mumbled a "Whatever" to his brother. Bianca was looking over her maps again.
"We might not even make it to Swanson, look at this." The group crowded around the hood of Mallory's car and examined the points Bianca had circled in red marker. "If we take this highway for another 30 miles and then turn north-east onto this highway - route 15, we can pass through a place called Willow Grove and save ourselves the hassle of driving through Swanson and going AROUND Little Lake. Willow Grove goes right over the lake and after that, it's a straight drive to the resort!"
"Shit, we'd be there before five o'clock if we took that route." Seth said.
"I say we go for it, me ass is getting flat." Zeke added.
"I don't like it." Mallory said sternly. Broadway rolled her eyes impatiently.
"Mallory, we don't have time for one of your paranoid spazz-outs. Last time I checked, they don't build houses for the hell of it, there has to be some houses or something there. It's still daylight and it's going to be daylight for a long time. We have cell phones, we have tow ropes, we have a CB radio, we have everything we could ever possibly need for an emergency so what the fuck is the problem?!"
"I just don't like it but I suppose majority wins." Lucas smiled.
"Who knows, it might be fun."
~*~
There was a bright flash followed by a brief scream. Her body was thrown backwards and she landed not so gracefully next to half a dozen other bodies. She pulled herself up onto her elbows and retrieved the knife that lay at her side.
"Well that sucked." She murmured. Another girl to her left sobbed.
"I can't take this anymore, it's not fair! What did we ever do to deserve this?"
"We died."
"Well, I'm glad YOU find this funny!"
"I don't. I just don't like to sit and complain about it like someone I know. At least we're all; trying to do something about it."
"Yeah, well a lot of good it's doing."
"Cut the gas, both of you! Quit acting like a pair of ankle biters and cool it before I get frosted." The pair erupted into giggles once more.
"I swear Prince, you become more and more incoherent as the days go on."
"Says you!"
The approaching Giant grunted at the three and pushed against the invisible barrier. Sparks flew up around his hands and shoulders and he groaned again in pain. The barrier gave slightly before sending the Giant stumbling backwards. He uttered a single curse word and stormed off to uproot trees.