I don't have any real excuse as to why this chapter took so long. All I can say is I've been preoccupied, and my inspiration has always been notoriously up and down. I don't have any intentions of abandoning this story, and hopefully the next chapter won't take quite as long.
Lynn Sr focused intently on the road ahead, barely acknowledging most of what was happening around him. It had only been ten, maybe fifteen minutes since he became a widower. Despite pulling it together in time to escape those people, and save his family, he was not remotely close to being alright. The only thing keeping him from going into a catatonic state was the presence of his children close by. Still, he was barely with them outside of the physical sense. Many questions regarding their mom had been asked shortly after their departure, but none had been afforded answers.
Nobody else inside Vanzilla was faring that well, either. Lori and Bobby found themselves unable to release the other for what felt like forever, holding the other hostage in their comforting envelopment. Bobby had darkened blood in the process of staining small patches into his flannel shirt, the t-shirt he had underneath, and more sparsely over his jeans. A solemn mark stating that he'd killed two men that day. Lori had a few scratches above her ankles from running through the woods in slip-on shoes. Otherwise, the two were physically okay. When they finally broke away, each pulled out their cell phones and began punching in numbers. Bobby wanted to contact his family, while Lori tried getting through to 911 again.
Leni was currently sitting in the back alongside Lincoln. With her help, the boy was in the process of calming down Lily until she stopped crying. The toddler had been terrified by the commotion when those two sickos were assaulting the van. Now their baby sister was finally calming down, her smile almost soothing the two as their hearts were still racing. It was possible one of the three had peed themselves in terror, and it wasn't the one in diapers.
Luna hadn't said a word, nor had she moved an inch since their rescue. She sat there, leaning forward slightly, staring ahead at nothing. Her breathing had gone down considerably from the hyperventilation she'd experienced prior. Otherwise, she hadn't improved much. Sam sat beside her, arm draped over her shoulders, trying in vain to get some form of a response. No matter what her girlfriend said or did, Luna proved to be entirely unresponsive. Everyone was beginning to get worried.
Luan was half-heartedly attempting to tell Lana and Lola a wide array of jokes to lighten the mood. They were still in shock, and Lola had teardrops crawling down past her cheeks. Lana was on the verge of crying as well. The sight of those deformed men wasn't easy for six year old kids to handle. Luan was fourteen and she was barely holding in her trauma. She eventually stopped telling jokes, and instead brought the twins into a hug. Now all three were brought to tears.
Lynn squirmed in pain as Lisa and Lucy tended to her wound. The latter had been conscripted by the young genius: first sent to fetch bandages, disinfectant, string, and a needle from specific luggage in the back. Now she attempted to hold the patient still as well as any eight year old could. In truth, she had little hope of keeping the athlete still. It was mostly Lynn's own fortitude, built up from years of roughhousing, which kept her from flailing about every five seconds. Lisa was silently grateful to have her thoughts preoccupied, forced to focus on her work as she stitched her sister's cut to the best of her ability.
After more time of everyone's copping activities, it was eventually Lori who broke the silence. She sighed deeply as her phone was tossed to the seat below, "Yeah, still can't get through to the police."
"What do you think is going on?" Lincoln asked, softly.
"If a hypothesis is required," Lisa interjected, "I believe that our previous confrontation is correlated with the absence of emergency services."
Leni blinked, "Ehm… what?"
"She's saying those things-" Lynn flinched as the needle glided in and out of her skin, "...might be the reason 911 isn't picking up."
"But how?" Luan asked, pulling away from her embrace, "Those people were out in the middle of nowhere. It looked like nobody else had…" She trailed off, losing the steam to continue that conversation. Sniffling, she wiped her tears away.
Lisa finished her suture work, and motioned for Lucy to help her cover the wound, "It may just be speculation, but I'm apprehensive to the proposal of our encounter being an isolated incident."
"What do you-" Lana gasped, "Do you think there's more of those people out there?!"
"Maybe it's best if we don't talk about this right now." Lori suggested. Bobby cursed under his breath, prompting her to ask, "Bobby?"
He rubbed the palm of his hand against his temple, clearly worried, "My parents aren't picking up. Neither is Ronnie Anne. I just…" He covered his eyes with one hand, unable to finish.
Lincoln leaned forward, being careful not to disturb Lily, "Do you think they're alright?"
Bobby glanced down over his shoulder, putting on a face of fake confidence, "I wouldn't worry, Little Loud. I'm sure they're fine. I'm just a little bit shaken right now, y'know?" The boy didn't seem reassured, "Hey, you and I both know Ronnie's a tough kid. And she's smart, like you, so she knows to keep away from trouble." This at least appeared to help, although it was possible Linc was giving a false smile back.
Lucy's head tilted to the side, facing away while her younger sister finished her impromptu medical work, "You don't think that… something bad is happening back home, do you?"
She didn't get a response. As the goth had spoken, Luna began hunching forward. Sam quickly leaned to keep close, concerned about the sudden movement, "Luna?"
Almost everyone was captivated by the display, after the teen had been nearly paralyzed for a short time. They wanted to see what she would do. After a solid twenty or so seconds, making everything more tense, Luna sluggishly turned her head towards Sam. The teen brought herself closer, an ear resting closely to the rocker's lips. A few of the siblings noticed Luna was shaking as words began to escape her lips. Her girlfriend listened intently, ensuring she did not miss the few words spoken. Nobody else heard what was said.
Ending the silence which had enveloped Vanzilla's inhabitants, Sam stood from her seat. Lynn Sr barely acknowledged when she tapped his shoulder, speaking clearly after, "Mr. L, stop the van." He ignored her, or perhaps didn't even realize she was speaking to him, "Luna needs you to stop the van, dude. Now."
He still didn't speak. Luan, noticing her sister/roommate was looking worse by the second, tried her luck, "Dad, I think you we should stop for a minute."
By now, the third oldest Loud sister had begun to flimsily remove her seatbelt. Lori took notice, "Luna? What's wrong?" She didn't respond, instead rising from her seat in a sluggish manner.
"Mr. Loud, you gotta snap out of it." Bobby told him, squeezing in next to Sam between the front seats, "Seriously." Aside from them and Luan, many of the Loud siblings were hurriedly trying to get the patriarch's attention. It was too little avail. He was beginning to break away from the thousand yard stare ahead. It wasn't happening fast enough, though.
By this point Luna had bumped into the van's right sliding door. Her hand was grasping the handle, ready to open it at any moment. Lori, unsure if Luna would wait for the van to stop, wasn't taking any chances at this point. Bobby and Sam were both knocked aside as she barged between the two. Lynn Sr returned to reality as his oldest daughter slammed her fist on the dashboard, yelling beside him, "Pull over! Now!"
She wasn't proud about having to do that. Shouting at her father, in front of all her siblings. After what they'd just been through, what he must have gone through. But they couldn't afford to have their dad so distant that he failed to realize his kids were on the cliff's edge. He needed to snap out of it. For them.
Taking in all that was happening around him, Lynn Sr shook his head, "Okay… okay… we're stopping…" He eased Vanzilla down to cruising speed. They'd left that forest behind some time ago, returning to the farmlands they'd driven past prior. Whatever crops the surrounding fields had produced was harvested already, meaning that little blocked their view for miles around.
Immediately finding a dirt road to their left, Lynn Sr made the turn to give them a safe spot to park. Satisfied that they'd be alright here, for now, he brought Vanzilla to a halt on one side of the wide path. No longer moving, the side door was thrust open right away. Luna darted from the vehicle, stopping beside a wooden fence about three yards away. They didn't see much, but the sound of retching left little to the imagination.
Sam hopped out of Vanzilla soon after, sprinting over to Luna as she hurled. Luan, Lori, and Lucy stepped out as well, keeping an eye on them while giving the girl space.
After a short time passed, Luna leaned away from her hunched position. Taking a few steps away from her mess, she turned to face Sam, who was standing a few feet behind her, "I…" She avoided all eye contact.
Giving Luna a once over, Sam took notice of how badly her shirt had been ruined by that guy in the woods. It had been nearly torn to shreds, the bottom right half barely existing anymore. A rip reached most of the way up the front, stopping around the bottom of her chest, as if it were a cheap alternative to a button up blouse. Outside of her clothes, there were bruises over her exposed legs and midriff. A few scrapes were visible above her boots, one even leaving a few dried blood droplets which had rolled down, but nothing severe. It was clear she hadn't been badly hurt, and this just confirmed it further. But that wasn't what had her friends and siblings concerned.
Sam, stepping forward, carefully took off her teal leather jacket. Once she was standing right by Luna, the article of clothing became softly draped over her shoulders. Despite a small, passing smile, she still avoided the girl's gaze, "Luna…?"
Everything the girl had been holding back was released. Luna began rasping, failing to keep her breath steady. She pulled her crush closer, the other girl taken off guard by the sudden act. Tears fell as she clung to her, head burrowing just under her chest. And then she spoke.
"He… he… what was wrong with him?! H-his back was- his… and he did-didn't have a mouth! He didn't have…! And-! We left our mom back there, didn't we?! We..."
She wanted to say something. To tell her that everything would be okay. That they were safe now. That her mom was alright. But Luna wouldn't hear any of that. What she'd seen, the guy who had pinned her down, wasn't something any normal person could just recover from. Not from a few comforting words. So instead, she returned the hysterical teen's embrace. They slumped closer towards the dirt, on their knees, as Sam gave her a chance to let out all this anguish.
All of Luna's siblings watched the display. Some were uneased, not prepared to see her break down like this. Others were sympathetic, knowing the ordeal she'd been through wasn't to be taken lightly. All of them, along with Bobby and their father, only hoped that she would be better with time. Truth be told, the same could be said for most of the family after what they'd gone through.
Lisa, quickly composing herself, knew she had to address something now while she had the opportunity, "Father, I think it might be best for us to locate a hospital before long. Lynn has sustained a significant laceration by foolishly charging into a man covered in glass shards." She shook a little, thinking back on how a human specimen could even function with such injuries, "I have treated the affliction to the best of my abilities, so it may not be truly required, but I know others would be comforted by the assistance of professional physicians."
"That's a good idea, Lisa." Lynn Sr, after returning from his thoughts, agreed. He reached over to the glove box, rifling through the papers inside, "I'm sure we've got a map of the state somewhere in here. Hopefully we're not too far from a town or-"
He, and everyone who wasn't far from the van, turned towards Lincoln as he spoke, "Dad? Why did we leave mom behind?"
Lynn Sr stopped moving. He'd been so preoccupied, so devastated that his wife was dead. That the mother of his children was gone. And they didn't know yet. Only Bobby had been there when she was attacked. Only they knew, as fact, what happened. None of his kids were aware that she'd been killed.
Bobby nearly cracked on the spot when most of the siblings turned towards him for an answer. They were aware that something must have gone down, given how their dad was acting. And they didn't want to wait any longer for him to fork over the truth. He sighed, shaking, before mustering his will to tell them, "Linc… girls, your mom… she-"
"We got separated." Lynn Sr lied, cutting the boy off, "A bunch of those people were all over the road, around that pile of cars. I didn't see them until Bobby and I were surrounded. Your mother was on the other side, and we couldn't make it to her. She had no choice but to run the other way."
Some of the kids gasped, believing the story. Others felt as if that wasn't entirely the truth, or felt as if something was off. Bobby just stared at the older man in disbelief. How did he expect this to turn out well? Lying to all of them about what had happened to their mother. When would he plan to tell them the truth? Would he tell them the truth at some point?
Outside, Luan and Lucy had approached Luna to offer whatever comfort they could. Lori had turned away from her sister's ordeal, facing her father from outside the open door, "So you just left without her? Why didn't we go back for her?!"
Lynn Sr retreated from the glove box, turning to face his rightfully outraged daughter, "Neither of us had a choice. You have no idea how many of those people were attacking us." He placed his hand behind the passenger seat, moving himself to better face her, "Your mother was forced to run away. After that Bobby saw you kids getting attacked! If-"
"Your bleeding!" Lola exclaimed, pointing towards their father's arm. The others were quick to see it as well. The end of his sleeve was torn, and there was dark blood visible over his wrist.
Lisa, grabbing some of the supplies she'd been using on Lynn Jr, now approached her father's injured arm before he could retract it. She seemed unfazed upon examining the area near the wound, "It doesn't seem too severe. Looks like the bleeding stopped shortly after it started, otherwise there would…" She paused, which caught more than a few people's attention, as she rolled up his sleeve further, "be… this is a bite mark."
"Bite?" Lincoln asked, perplexed, "Was there an animal there, too?"
Lynn Sr shook his head, "No, it was some guy. He caught me off guard; tried to chew on my arm. Almost-" He jerked as Lisa poured disinfectant over his wound, nearly causing her to drop the bottle.
Leni was (un)surprisingly confused, "Well that doesn't make sense. People aren't tasty enough to eat." She glanced to her arm, staring unsurely towards it. Surely it couldn't taste that good. Right? Opening her mouth enough, the girl's curiosity dictated her into raising the arm closer.
"Leni, don't you dare!" Lori ordered, having glanced just before she could bite down. While not entirely surprised by Leni's actions, they weren't really in a position to deal with another injury.
Lana, looking downcast, spoke as Leni's arm calmly lowered, "I hope mom didn't get hurt. We should go back for her soon."
"I wouldn't expect her to still be anywhere near that area." Lisa stated, wrapping her father's arm with the appropriate amount of gauze, "Considering the hostile nature of the individuals we encountered, it was wise of her to retreat elsewhere. Even if she desired otherwise. By the time we could return, it would be pointless to do so."
Lola, along with others, wanted to object. Bobby spoke first, however, "Look, we shouldn't go back there anyway. You all saw how dangerous it was." He debated heavily whether to tell them the truth. It wasn't right to lie to them, nor was it going to go over well when they eventually learned the truth. For now, at least, he'd hold off on it. For now anyway, "Imagine if we'd gotten back to you ten seconds later." Some of them were freaked out once more at the thought. The sight of those deformed men still fresh in their minds.
After subconsciously messing with his bandages, responding to an itchy sensation sparking from his wound, Lynn Sr resumed searching for a few maps; speaking as he did so, "Lisa and Bobby have a point. She wouldn't be there, and it wouldn't be safe."
"But we can't keep going without her!" Lincoln said, his voice a little higher than he meant for it to be. He began cradling Lily as she stirred, and thankfully remained calm.
Lori looked again to her father, "Linc's right, we need to do something. I don't like leaving mom out there with those psychos wandering around." Lola and Lana both hummed in agreement.
"We should go back." Lynn declared, standing up despite a few protests from her siblings, "Even if she's not there, we could search nearby."
Lynn Sr pulled out a few folded maps, "Absolutely not. I am not putting any of you kids in danger." He looked towards Bobby, motioning for him to sit in the passenger's seat, "Help me look over these. I'm pretty sure we have one that'll give us an idea on where we need to go."
"I'll go by myself if I have to-"
"What you are going to do is sit back down and rest!" He ordered, pointing at her seat for emphasis. Bobby took his seat up front, grabbing a map while the older man continued, "We're going to a hospital so you and I can get checked out. While we're there, I'll find some way to contact the authorities. We'll…" A slight pause, "We can talk more about your mother then."
"Dad," Lori began, as Lynn sat down in a huff, "I've been trying to call 911, nobody is picking up."
"Lisa said it might have something to do with those people we came across!" Lana exclaimed, recalling the previous discussion, "That maybe there's more of them out there or something!" The young genius nodded in confirmation.
Lynn Sr shook his head before speaking in a tone of comfort mixed with authority, "We don't know that. What happened back there was so… crazy that it can't be widespread." He didn't believe that much himself, but it was either tell another lie or risk panic amongst his kids. The choice is fairly obvious to him, "There could just be a problem with their phones, or maybe there's something wrong with the network."
Lori tried to interject on how she'd already proven the latter possibility about the network wasn't the case. Instead she was distracted when Luna, with Sam and Luan on either side of her, silently walked past to get inside the van. The teen didn't look any better than she had a minute prior, and that only accounted for what her older sister could visibly see. All three had small traces of dried dirt on the lower halves of their bodies, and Sam's shirt was noticeably damp from where Luna had let her tears flow onto it. Luan looked to have been crying a bit herself while she'd been comforting her older sister, with drying trails visible down her face.
"I don't think she's feeling better." Lucy told the oldest sibling, who nearly jumped in fright from having no indication that the goth was now standing right beside her, "But it's good that she's had a chance to let her emotions out now, rather than later."
Composing herself, Lori gave a half-hearted nod. Inside Vanzilla Lana and Lola had moved closer to Luna, who'd taken back her seat. Luan and Sam, along with the twins, were doing everything they could to take her mind (and theirs) off of everything they'd recently endured. Lincoln and Leni had returned to caring for Lilly, who remained asleep. Meanwhile Lisa stood next to Lynn, checking her medical work on the athlete once more. Their father and Bobby were going over a particular map only to discover it to be of little help. With any luck they'd find a decent map amongst the mess of papers.
"Hopefully we can find mom, soon, and just go back home." Lori spoke softly, "I want to just put this entire trip behind us as soon as possible." With that, she climbed back into the van to take her seat. Lucy, on the other hand, stood in place for a moment. Nobody saw it, but the young girl seemed to be holding back a wave of raw emotion herself. As if ready to break down on the spo. She knew, somehow, that Lori's wish wouldn't be fulfilled. Somehow, Lucy knew that things were likely going to get worse.
It had taken a good span of time to get back on the road. Their stop had caused issues with Vanzilla's transmission, among other troubles under the hood, which at this point surprised neither the vehicle's owner nor his kids. Lana was a great mechanic, especially for a six-year-old, but the family's van was nearly five decades old. Older than the man who owned it. Sometimes it took a while to fix. Realistically, they were fortunate the thing could be fixed every time it broke down. Still, it had cost them a good few hours, and now the sun was getting low in the sky.
They'd seen a few vehicles pass by as they were stopped. One guy even slowed down for a moment, offering to help if they needed it. They graciously declined, but it was a small comfort that things were still normal enough for a stranger to offer help on the road. Still, the overall lack of people was odd. Unsettling.
After some time looking over the mess of unorganized papers and whatnot in the glovebox, the men found a full map of Georgia. While it was more than a few years old, it did the job they needed in telling them about where they were, and where they could go from there. It turned out that they were in Linden County, about 36 miles to the southwest of Atlanta. Unfortunately the nearest town big enough to have a worthwhile hospital, which was a solid half an hour away, would take them right back through the winding road in the woods neither of them dared to return to. So instead they had to go in the opposite direction, into the nearby King County, where the second closest town could be found.
While there were small conversations here and there following their initial stop, not much was said overall. Everyone was preoccupied by their thoughts; with their worries. The only person hugely vocal was Lynn, and even that had died out when she finally stopped moving her injury about. Lily had been awake for a while, and aside from asking to be held by Leni she was mostly tranquil.
After a few minutes of driving, the scenery had transitioned from farmland back to another forest. Despite the trees being less densely packed together here than they were around the winding road from before, it was still off putting. Most of them were uneasy from being back in this setting, even though it wasn't the same woods. Some more than others. Luna wouldn't be putting her guard down any time soon. The sky was beginning to dim as the sun was falling further towards the horizon. It was well beyond the tree line, casting shadows over the road which only served to make everyone feel less at ease.
Lynn Sr was focused intently on the road, fighting the urge to fall back into his abyssal state from before. But right now, he had two new problems to contend with on top of everything else. The first was himself: the patriarch didn't want to admit it, but he'd started feeling sick not too long ago. It started with a minor ache in his gut before ascending into a state of nausea. Despite having already emptied his stomach when they initially came across that wreck earlier, he felt that he was on track to throw up once more if this got worse.
It wasn't limited to his lower body, though. A headache had formed and was swiftly working its way to a full blown migraine. His hands were shaking, if only slightly. And perhaps the most troubling, Lynn Sr's vision was starting to become impared to a troubling degree. So much so that it became truly tempting to pull over to give his eyes a rest. After working through what may have caused these sudden illnesses, he came to the frightening idea that it may very well have been from the bite he'd received. It wasn't as if getting bitten by a crazed man in the middle of the road was the most sanitary thing in the world. All the more reason to get himself, Lynn Jr, and the rest of them to a hospital as soon as possible. Which was further hindered by the second issue that had arisen.
Vanzilla was running on fumes.
All the gas he'd put in the tank earlier that day was used up during that portion of their road trip. Most of what was left was gone following both their detour away from that damned winding road, and sadly from the brief periods the van had been idling while Lana was trying to fix their engine troubles. There wasn't enough to make it all the way down this country road, let alone to town. Maybe they had some spare fuel in the back? Possibly, but for some reason he was having trouble recalling what all they'd packed just yesterday. Probably due to stress mixed with his worsening head pains. Either way, the last thing he wanted to do right now was be stopped along the side of the road next to a forest for the night.
It was some kind of miracle, then, that a sign covered in dim lights came into view far ahead on their right. Driving closer, he discovered it to actually be a gas station. Filled with originality, and perhaps a bit of immature humor, the sign in a more clear view read 'Jacob's Gas'. The building looked to be mostly alone along this path, with nothing nearby aside from the two pumps out front. While the woods were still ever present on both sides of the road, both the station and it's gravel lot offered a small clearing of the trees on this side of the road.
Vanzilla came to a slow crawl as they neared this isolated place. This, of course, caught the attention of nearly everyone. Before any of them could speak, however, Lynn Sr stopped the vehicle altogether before turning to face them, "Alright kids, I know everyone's pretty freaked out after today. Pretty soon we'll be safe in town."
"Why are we stopping?" Luna, obviously not wanting to be stopped in the forest once again, cut her father off before he could continue. Her voice was a bit shaky, though not as much as it had been earlier.
"We're almost out of gas. So we're going to need to stop here and get some. Otherwise, we won't make it to town. It won't be long, we'll just fill up the tank and pay, then we can go. Alright?"
With a few grunts of agreeance, and no vocal opposition, the van went into motion again as it turned into the parking lot. Soon they were parked right next to one of the pumps. Once the ignition was turned off, and the keys were in his pocket, Lynn Sr was the first to step outside. Only for him to lose his balance when his legs gave out. While he did catch himself on the open door, the display was enough to give his children a quick scare.
As some of the teens scrambled out through the side door, Lana and a few others jumped up in their seats, "Are you good, dad?!"
Bobby was quick to exit and go around the front of the van, joining Lori, Luan, Leni, Luna, and Sam as they went out to check on their parental figure, "Is he hurt?"
"You look sick, dude." Sam commented. In the luminescence of the gas station's night lights, they were able to notice things about him that had been masked by the creeping darkness prior. His skin, while not concerningly so, was noticeably pale. Any of them paying enough attention could see that his hands were shaking a bit. What went most unnoticed, only really picked up by Lisa, was how her father's pupils seemed to be slightly more dilated than normal.
He dismissed their concerns as Lincoln, Lisa, and (to a few protest) Lynn came out as well, "I'm alright, kids. Just… lost my footing there…"
Lori didn't believe that for a second, and with no resistance placed her hand to his forehead, "You're feeling pretty warm."
Lisa stepped forward, giving her own inspection with a small array of medical tools she seemingly pulled out of nowhere, "It would appear that our dear father has come down with a mild fever. My assumption would be that he contacted something with the injury on his arm."
"The bite?" Luan asked, becoming worried.
"Bodily fluid exchanged in such a fashion isn't hygienic. And I doubt those people were the healthiest specimens in this area to begin with."
Lori, now really worried for him, helped steady her father as he stood up straight, "You literally need to sit down, alright? Just rest. Bobby and I can fill up the tank."
"No, Lori, I'm fine." He protested, now able to find his footing.
"You're not fine, dad." She retorted, looking him square in the eyes, "Please."
With a wave a nausea flowing over him, and a good glance at the worried faces of all the teens and children, he gave a defeated sigh, "Alright. You're right. I'll…" He leaned back, with some light assistance from Lori, Bobby, Luan and Sam, into the open driver's seat, "I'll just stay here for a minute…"
Lori, now having unintentionally (and undesirably) gained authority over the situation, turned to her siblings, "I want all of you to stay here with Vanzilla, alright? No arguing. I'll be on the other side with the gas pump." She turned to her boyfriend, "Would you go in and pay, Boo-Boo Bear? I'm putting $30 in."
Bobby, admirably just a little embarrassed about having his pet name used in front of his girlfriend's father and siblings, felt his face brighten a little as he answered, "Uh, yeah. I can do that."
"I'll go in, too, if that's alright." Sam offered, stepping forward.
Lori didn't seem to mind much, offering short approval before reinforcing 'no arguing' part to some of her siblings. Luna, on the other hand, was rather apprehensive, "I don't want you to go, Sam. Please just stay out here with us?"
"I'll just be inside, Luna. Besides, I seriously need to stretch my legs some more after being packed with the luggage. You know I'm not a guitar case, right?" As she'd hoped, the cringy attempt at a lighthearted joke gave back a smile from the fellow musician. If only briefly, "I'll be back out soon, promise."
With a sigh, Luna gave a hushed approval, "Okay."
"Wait." Before Sam or Bobby could move, Lynn Sr grabbed their attention. Reaching into his back pocket, the experienced man of the middle class pulled out his wallet and grabbed out a few bills, "Here's fifty." He stated, handing the money over, "Go ahead and get everyone some stuff to eat, alright?"
Bobby and Sam nodded, with the latter graciously taking the cash, "Will do. Thanks, Mr L."
While the two made their way towards the station, Lori did as she'd said and went around to the side to start fueling the van. Leni and Lincoln went back inside while Lynn sat, grumbling inaudibly about her shoulder and having to stay put, with her legs dangling outside the open door. Luna, following a half-hearted joke regarding her ripped clothing from Luan, accompanied the younger sibling to the back so they could pull out a more intact shirt for her to put on.
Lisa, meanwhile, continued to look their father over. If she wasn't mistaken he appeared to be getting worse already. Whatever he'd contacted from those people on the road was working fast. She retrieved a few pills from their still unpacked medical bag, but it was clear that they'd only do so much. If they weren't already going to the hospital she'd feel the need to suggest it. Whatever this was, chances were he'd need proper medication.
Bobby was the first inside, holding open the door for Sam as she followed. As the lack of vehicles outside suggested, no other customers were here right now. One man currently made his way from a closed door in the back into a seat behind the counter. His face was concealed behind a newspaper stand sitting next to the register. They spotted him right away, subconsciously making sure he wasn't going to attack them. Unseen by them, he was doing the same.
After a quick exchange, Sam gave Bobby most of the cash while she searched around for anything that looked good. As he approached the front desk the cashier brought himself more into view. He seemed to be in his mid thirties, with a harsh stubble adorning his roughened face. His voice came out in a noticeable southern accent after he puffed on a stub of a cigarette between his fingers, "Hello there, String Bean." He drawled, poking fun at the boy.
"Hey." Bobby replied, being polite, "We're, uh, my girlfriend's putting some gas into that van outside. She said that-"
He was cut off as the man, paying no attention to his words, pointed his way, "Is that your blood?"
His eyes grew wide as the teen looked down. He'd completely forgotten. There was dried blood staining his clothing from the people he'd killed. A fact that, while resonating for a while, was just now truly setting in. He could see the man starting to grow a bit anxious as he quickly stammered out, "N-no, this isn't mine! There were these people on the road and they-!"
"So that ain't your blood, then?" He clarified, ignoring the rest of what Bobby tried to say, "None of you are hurt?"
Sam, who'd overheard the conversation and swiftly ran towards the front, shook her head upon stopping, "No, we're not. Really. There was this-"
"You don't gotta explain, girl. I know what you came across."
They were both puzzled, glancing quickly to one another before the taller teen asked, "You know about those people on the road? The wreck?"
He readjusted in his chair, putting out his smoke in a nearby ash tray shortly after, "Not out wherever you saw them, specifically. But I know about what's going on. Had one of those people come by here not too long ago. The ones acting out of their minds."
In an instant, Bobby and Sam became truly scared. The latter getting shaky breath before she could talk, "You mean… there's more of them?"
"Sad to say, missy, but there are. More and more from what I hear. Shit... from the sounds of it they're popping up all over."
"All over what, dude?" She demanded, leaning on the counter top, "This county? The state?"
He simply shook his head, in a defeated manner, "Try the whole damn country. And not just here, either."
That hit them hard, yet neither could believe it at first. The country? These crazy people were all over the country? That wasn't true. That couldn't possibly be true. Could it? How? Everything had been normal just yesterday. There hadn't been any signs that something was wrong until just a few hours ago!
Sam backed away from the counter, more than she meant to as she nearly knocked over a stand holding tiny bagged doughnuts behind them. Bobby stared into nothingness for a brief time before shaking his head, "That can't be true… it just… it can't be."
"How…" Sam found herself leaning against the shelf, her legs alone unable to hold her steady, "How do you know this?"
Rather than giving an immediate verbal response, the man stood up and went further out of sight behind the front desk. He returned shortly with a small portable radio that looked to be older than either of them. He unfolded the antenna, the older metal offering slight resistance. Then, with the turning of a few nobs, the antique buzzed to life.
Following a brief period of crackled silence, they soon heard the static ridden voice of a man on the other side. He was in the middle of a report about panic going on in a few major cities, also noting a rise of crime in New York City seemingly overnight. The radio host went on to list several cities that were experiencing a sudden flux of violence, including Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, more and more he named off major cities.
While Bobby and Sam stood there, too disturbed to find words, the cashier spoke over the device, "Earlier they were talking about supposed reports of similar shit going down in other countries. Not just Mexico or Canada, mind you. They were naming off places in Europe, Asia, Africa, you name it. Worldwide." This made their stomachs drop even deeper, Sam feeling as if she'd be sick, "Whatever's going on it started a day or two ago, but really got kicking this afternoon. Hell, I didn't even know something was wrong until some asshole threw Jacob to the ground and started tearing into him."
Sam found the will to speak, "Your friend got attacked?"
"Not a friend, really. My asshole boss. Still, he didn't deserve it. We were out back stocking the ice machine when this fucker came out of nowhere and just…" He shook his head, recalling the recent event, "Poor bastard. I would've left by now if I didn't have to wait for a buddy of mine to pick me up after my shift. Like Hell I'm gonna walk home with this going on."
The radio host soon switched from the topic of major cities to talking about the attackers, themselves. He spoke of reports involving people attacking one another without warning, and what to look for in the attackers. What really caught their attention, though, was when he mentioned a notice sent out by the C.D.C. warning people to avoid contact with any hostile individuals.
"C.D.C.?" Bobby asked, a bad feeling crawling up his spine.
"Center for Disease Control, if you didn't know. Apparently this mess is a new virus or what have ya. Some kind of epidemic. It's why I was worried when I saw that." He explained, pointing again towards the dried blood on Bobby's clothes, "Didn't know if you had it or not." While the man spoke, the radio made mention about reporting any bites or scratches received from contact with the hostile individuals. When he turned away, Sam and Bobby both exchanged worried glances. They had an immediate problem on their hands if all of this was true.
Leaving the radio on, the employee began making his way out from behind the register, "You can keep your money, kiddos. Shit won't do me any good anyway." He made his way towards the door in the back, which looked to lead into an office of sorts based on curtained window facing out into the store, "Take whatever you want, fill up with as much gasoline as you need, and then I suggest you all get the fuck out of here and find some place safe. I know that's what I plan to do…" He disappeared behind the door, leaving Sam and Bobby filled with terror they'd never before experienced.
"You know, Luna, it's a good thing we packed extra shirts." Luan stated, the ruined clothing in her hands, "I didn't wanna say it, but I think this one might be too revealing."
Luna, having finished slipping on her clean replacement wear, gazed down as her sister emphasized the now open midriff her old shirt had been given, "Not funny."
She smiled, "Oh, you didn't like that joke? I'm torn!" She didn't laugh at her own pun, instead waiting for the musician's response.
"I'm serious, Luan!" She declared, throwing Sam's jacket back on for the time being, "Alright? I don't want you joking about it anymore. It's not funny! " There was immediate regret following her outburst, seeing how downcast the younger girl became. A hand ran through her hair as she silently berated herself, "I'm sorry, dude. I know you were just trying to… that was really freaky back there, y'know? That guy was just so messed up and…" she tried to put her thoughts to words, failing with each attempt, "I'm still messed up over it, and… I was just so scared."
A humorless chuckle fell past the comedian's lips, "And you think we weren't scared?" She asked, tossing the fabric scrap among the exposed luggage, "That's funny."
Lori watched nearby, while she finished up with the pump, as Luan chose to walk away following the exchange. She stopped somewhere near Lynn, perhaps checking on the wounded athlete. Taking on the role of the eldest sister, she approached as Luna kicked the rear bumper in distress, "Luan's right, y'know. That was literally terrifying for all of us."
She sighed, feeling miserable, "I know, sis. When those dudes tried to get to us in Vanzilla that must've totally-"
"I wasn't talking about that, Luna." She interrupted, getting emotional as she continued to speak, "I mean, yeah that was scary but… when I watched you get pulled off the road like that it was the most panicked I've probably ever been in my entire life. And it wasn't just me, either. I mean you saw how most of us went after you, right? Even Linc and Lana and…" Her voice began to break, though she tried to not let it, "And then Lynn got herself hurt charging into a guy with glass literally sticking out of him! I couldn't…"
Luna was beginning to feel guilty for how she'd reacted before to her ordeal, regardless of how justified it may have been, "Lori-"
A finger was held up, silencing her before she could start. By now Lori had a tear rolling down her cheek. She was doing her best to maintain a strong act around her siblings, but it was hard. Really hard, "I know I can be a real… bitch sometimes, okay? And sometimes it doesn't seem like I really care about someone. But if anything seriously bad ever happened to you, or Lynn… Linc, Lana, Lola, Lucy, Lisa, Lily, Luan, Leni… I don't know what I'd do."
She had no words to respond. Her older sister had just let out her anguish over what had happened, and whether she'd meant it or not Luna now fully understood the situation her siblings had been put through. She could imagine the sheer terror of what that was like if she'd been in their shoes, watching Lori, Luan or anyone in her family being attacked by some crazed guy in the woods. It didn't take away from what the rocker had been through, but she now grasped that she wasn't the only one truly affected by what went down.
Without a word, Luna embraced Lori in a hug as the latter tried hard to reign in her emotions. They stood there like that for a short time, not wanting to let the other go. Both knowing full well the other had every right to be messed up right now. Luan, along with some of their other siblings, watched the exchange go down in silence. None too sure on how to act right away.
Up front, Lynn Sr drew some of their attention as he interrupted a small coughing fit to call out, "Lynn, get back in the Van."
"I'm just going inside for a minute." All of the siblings now saw that she'd abandoned her seat at Vanzilla's open side, and was now halfway between it and the gas station's glass doors, "Gotta use the restroom."
"You can hold it until we get to the hospital." Her father stated, rather than asked, "Now get back inside the van."
Lincoln, who had been preoccupied playing with an active Lily, stopped to grab the injured athlete's attention, "I think you should stay here, Lynn. Dad's right, you can wait until we get to town right?" A few of their sisters were also expressing their desires for her to not go away from them, worried about her shoulder.
"I'll be fine, guys, okay?" She confirmed, allowing her brash nature flow a bit, "I know how to act with an injury."
Before Lynn Sr could retort, Sam and Bobby came hurriedly out from the gas station. They both held a few plastic bags in each hand, all filled to the brim with an assortment of food and some miscellaneous items, "That looks like more than twenty dollars…" the older man trailed off, feeling his wallet cry in distress.
The pair were greeted by Lynn on their way to the van, the girl tagging along back with interest as she nabbed a frozen burrito from them. Cooked or not, it looked really good right about now. Luan, who stood outside the van's door, stepped aside to allow the older teens access inside. Lori and Luna went around to greet them upon their return, both surprised by the amount they brought back as the younger spoke, "That a lot of snacks, Sam. I hope you didn't spend too much."
"Oh don't worry, Luna," Sam began, glancing her way as she hurriedly unloaded the haul in an empty seat, "it was actually free."
That wasn't what any of the Louds present were expecting to hear, and some had to do a double take. Leni took a triple take, "Free? Are they having a clearance sale or something?" She quickly added, with a faint gasp, "Do they have cute clothes in there?"
"It's a Gas Station, Leni. They don't sell clothes." Lori explained, getting next to Bobby, "Why is this stuff free? Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, not at all." He replied, walking back a bit, "Sam and I are gonna get more. If anyone wants to help that'd be great."
Lynn Sr stood up, despite Lisa's mild protest from beside his seat, "Now, hold on for just a second." He found it easier to stand this time around, despite a momentary give in his knees. Steps were taken forward as he continued, "This isn't something we can just do, kids. How are you able to take this much stuff? You're not stealing, are you?"
Sam quickly dismissed the claim, pointing towards a window that must lead to the back office based on the interior they saw, "No, that guy said we can take as much as we want. He said-" She cut herself off. Lynn Sr had been suppressing his coughs to address them, but now he was nearly doubled over in a bad fit. This brought her and Bobby back to a very serious problem.
"Dad, do you need some water?" Lynn asked, despite her mouthful.
He kept going for a few seconds before catching himself, holding out a hand to dismiss the worries of his kids, "I'm fine. I promise, I'm…" He trailed off as another fit surfaced.
"Are you sure, Mr Loud?" Bobby asked, silently glad he had a small distance from the older man, "You don't sound good."
"Trust me, kids, I'm perfectly okay. I swear. It's just a bad cold." He didn't entirely believe this himself, but best to not cause worry with his children if he could help it.
Bobby glanced at the man's wrist, which did not go unnoticed by some, "How's your wound? Is it feeling any worse?"
"I believe it'd be beneficial to depart right away." Lisa declared, standing next to Lucy's seat as the two watched from everything from inside the vehicle. She, at a more rapid rate than her older siblings, was catching on that something was wrong, "The sooner our father and Lynn get to a hospital, the better."
Lori agreed, "She's right. Dad, why don't-"
"We're not leaving…" Lynn managed to choke out between coughs, before successfully fighting them back, "until we get this mess sorted out. I don't want to have an issue with the authorities in town."
"We're not stealing, Mr L.!" Sam swore, holding her hands up, "We swear!"
Still berated by his still progressing migraine, he looked to them with irritated disbelief, "Then why is it free?" He watched as the two teens glanced towards one another, immediately realizing that there was something they needed to say but couldn't quite get out. For one reason or another, "Well?"
In the back office, the employee sighed as he had to step around the crimson puddle on the floor. Its trail followed across the floor to a low desk, where the limp body of a recently deceased man lay on top. The body was of a male, in his early fifties or older. His previously tattered teal shirt was now darkened by the large quantity of blood that had recently drained out. His wounds consisted of a flesh chunk missing in his side, which had since been stitched together with makeshift string.
That hadn't been his cause of death, however. It may have finished him off in time without proper medical care. Well, under normal circumstances anyway. Regardless, his death came from the point blank gunshot wound in his chest. A result of the now former employee doing what he believed was right. He'd heard on the radio ever since they were attacked. He knew what would happen. So he stopped it.
He glanced at the weapon he'd used: an older, retired shotgun from Jacob's hunting days. Ironically now the tool that ended his life not even twenty minutes ago. Tragic, really, "Poor Bastard." He muttered, turning back to the corpse. There was a blood stained rag lying limply over his face, draped over in a makeshift sign of respect. It hadn't been easy, even with his resentment for the old man. But it had to be done. He'd been infected. He was a threat.
Outside he could hear those people talking. The ones with that van. He'd heard them when the vehicle first pulled as well. For a while he sat back here, reeling from what he'd done. Coming to terms with it. When suddenly he's brought back to reality as actual customers decide to stop by. He's just lucky the smell hadn't reached the front, or that none of them went out back. Really, though, he was relieved none of them were infected. He couldn't risk it. Hell, once these people were gone he was going to get as far away from his bosses' lifeless body as possible until his ride came.
Curious, and a little antsy for them to just go already, he went up to the curtains and made a gap to peep through. He could see the two who'd come into the store speaking with the rest, trying to explain something. He couldn't hear them too much over a noisy fan nearby, but he gathered enough to figure they were talking in regards to the food they'd taken out. In hindsight, people taking stuff for no charge to other people who weren't fully aware of what's going on must seem pretty suspicious. Perhaps he'd go out and explain to them, as well. No use in…
A quick glance around caught his eye to something. One of the girls out there. The one with eating on a cold burrito; something was on her shirt. Her shoulder. There was some dried-
"Holy shit."
"Sam, what's going on?" Luna asked, worried.
"You guys look like you've seen a ghost." Luan commented, having watched them since they came close, "That's not some joke, by the way. You really look that way."
"Was there a ghost?" Leni asked, getting freaked out. Lana and Lola similarly grew scared.
Bobby shook his head, "What? No, no, there's…" He still tried to think of a way to explain it, in a much more gentle way than it'd been told to him, "Look, there's something going on. Alright?"
"What?" Lynn Sr asked, shifting from his worry of shoplifting to a bigger concern, "Did something bad happen in there?"
"Did it have to do with those people on the road?" Lori asked, with a bad feeling there was some connection. Upon hearing this, Lucy began hugging her knees to her chest.
"It..." Bobby sighed, realizing there was no really good way to lay it out, "Alright, listen. Apparently there's-"
He didn't finish. From behind, back at the building's main entrance, the door was kicked open in a flurry. The cashier came bustling out, a look of fearful intent on his face. In his hands were gripped a hunting shotgun, which he'd already wielded once that day. With one motion, he raised the gun into the air and fired off some buckshot, creating a thunderous crack. By the time everyone was facing him, the weapon was pointed in their direction, "You motherfuckers!"
Several of them screamed in response, Lily becoming frightened by the noise. Lincoln was quick to shelter the baby from sight as the man glanced between all of them. Lori similarly tried to shelter Luna and Luan who were still outside. Lynn nearly choked on her burrito. Once her throat was cleared, she could tell the man was now focusing on her more than anyone else.
Lucy and Lisa backed away further into the van in fear, Lola and Lana doing the same. Leni wasn't sure what to do, so she followed the lead of her brother and older sister by attempting to shelter the 6 year old twins. Sam and Bobby backed away from the man, fearing for their lives, while Lynn Sr stayed put in a cautious manner, "Woah! Sir, what is this about?! Look, please, we can talk about-!"
"Ain't shit to talk about!" He declared, aiming the gun in his direction briefly, "I'm protecting myself, mister! Understand?!"
Their father threw up his hands in a defensive manner, "Jeez, alright! Listen, I'm sorry we took from you without paying. We'll put it all back. I swear!"
"This ain't about the food! It's about her!" He motioned towards Lynn for emphasis, her eyes going wide as the gun was pointed at her. Luna and Luan darted from behind Lori to try and shelter their younger sister.
Lori followed them, now standing as a protector in front of the trio, "What has she done?! There's literally no reason for this!"
He tried to motion for the teens to move out of the way, "It's because she's infected, that's what!"
"Infected?!" Luna demanded, arms wrapped around Lynn on one side, "What are you talking about, dude?!"
"Her shoulder! The goddamn wound on her shoulder! She's got it!" He glanced at Bobby, who had been slowly moving towards Lori to hopefully shield her, "Tell 'em, String Bean!"
"Bobby?!" Lori, confused, looked to her boyfriend.
He was flustered, "L-l-look, when we went inside, this man told us that some outbreak is going on across the country! A disease, or something! He's been hearing it over the radio!" Lisa, too scared to speak, was for once perturbed about being correct on something.
"You mean those people on the road were sick?" Luan choked out, holding onto Lynn in a defensive manner similar to Luna, "And there's more of them?!"
"That's right, girl. And your friend there is going to turn into one of them! So get out of the way and I'll take care of it for you!"
Lori, Luna, Luan, and now Bobby only stood more firmly between her and the gunman, now. Sam, despite her fear, made a cautious move to join them, as well. Lincoln, from within the van, did what he could to try and help his family, "Lynn's not sick! She cut herself on glass!"
"You expect me to buy that, kid? I ain't stupid!"
Lynn Sr tried to take control of the situation again, despite another oncoming bout of coughs, "Listen, I don't…" the fit began, "know about any... outbreaks, but my... daughter's not sick! So... please, just...!" This was the worst one yet, and he felt close to spitting something out.
The man turned his gaze from the girl to the, now evidently, sick man. Scanning him as the father doubled over, "What the hell's that?" He demanded, making heads turn towards the source of the coughs, "On your arm! What the fuck is that on your arm?!"
"It's not-" Lynn Sr, despite his best efforts, now couldn't hold back. He threw up right there on the pavement. Not a lot, as there wasn't much left on his stomach, but enough to make the situation worse.
"You fucks!" As he slowly stepped back in fear the gun went from Lynn, to her father, to Bobby, "Are you lying, boy?! Is that your blood?! Do you have it?!" He didn't give the teen a chance to respond, as he now held his firearm to no single target, "What about you, missy?! The ones in the van! Any more of you sick?! HUH!? ARE ALL OF YOU INFECTED!?" The kids all became panicked with the man's increasingly erratic words and movements. His eyes were now wide as he came to his own conclusions.
Lynn Sr, standing up once more as things escalated, tried once more to protect his children from this man, "Listen, please-!"
"Ain't nothing more to listen to, fucker! None of you are giving it to me, ya here! I've heard what happens! I know what you become! And I'll do whatever it takes to keep myself from becoming one of 'em! I KILLED MY BOSS! YOU THINK I WON'T PUT ANY OF YOU DOWN!?" He didn't afford them the chance to answer, "So ya'll get the fuck out of here, now! Or else I swear to God I'll-!"
This time he was the one cut off by the front doors busting open. Out came a corpse, or rather what used to be one, with its arms outstretched and intent in its glazed eyes. The cashier, too close to the door to be able to turn more than his head, wasn't ready to see his boss up and walking. He wasn't ready to be grabbed from behind by the man he'd killed in self preservation. And most of all, he wasn't ready for that very shell of a person to sink its teeth into his neck. He wasn't able to run or defend himself. Nor could he use the gun to stop his attacker. All he could do was scream in agony as his flesh was torn.
All the children who saw it, and a few of the teens, screamed in terror at the sight of the ghastly pale man. From his blood soaked clothing to his actions. They watched, mouths agape, as the man gave a brief futile struggle to break free. In his squirming he'd pulled the trigger. A reflex as his entire body went into shock. Most of them ducked; unsure of where the firearm was aimed when it went off. By the time any of them looked back, the man had been brought to the ground. A walking corpse hunched over, feasting on the quickly dying meal.
Not a single one of them paid the sight any due attention. Instead, they saw something which would forever change their lives. Lynn Sr, loving father of eleven, now had a gaping wound right beneath his chest. He'd been knocked to the ground with force from the shotgun's blast, his head laying a yard away from the front of his vehicle. Most of his children had a clear view of the wound thanks to this.
"DAD!" A few of them screamed. Lori, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Bobby and Sam ran towards him in dread. He turned to them as they approached, his face filled with shock. His teenage daughters knelt down at either side of him, tears forming in their eyes, as Bobby and Sam stood close by their affectionate others.
He tried to say something to them, the words getting backed up in his empty throat, "Kids, I…" He tried, as hard as he could, but his entire body was rejecting everything he wanted to do right now. No amount of will could force him to stand, and anything else from speaking to moving his arms seemed like an impossible task. So he laid there, staring into their eyes. Hoping to convey his words that way.
Lori turned back to Vanzilla as she heard Leni crying. She sat in the van still, peering out the doorway. Behind her she saw Lana and Lola trying to do the same. They knew what had happened, evidenced by the tears on their face, and now they tried to see the aftermath. She couldn't allow that, "Leni, get them back! Don't let them come out!" Leni stared back at her, registering her words, "Leni, please!"
She complied, despite not fully understanding the reasoning. Leni ushered the twins into the back, where Lincoln and Lily were still hidden out of sight. The boy hadn't looked on, himself, gathering what was going on with what he'd heard. Instead he chose to keep his baby sister away from the window. Up near the front, Lucy and Lisa didn't have the same luxury as their youngest sister and the twins. They had a clear view of what was going on. As they sat there in shock, tears soon flowing, they watched their father's final moments.
"Oh, dad, I don't…" Luna choked out, now holding his left hand along with Luan, "What do we do? Please…"
Bobby had kneeled down beside Lori, hoping to maybe apply pressure against the wound. It became quickly apparent that wouldn't do any good, "Wha-what do you need me to do, Mr Loud? Tell me what to do!" He was awarded no response outside of a small glance, followed by a weak cough bringing a trickle of red to his mouth, "I can help you! Just… jeez, I-I don't know how!"
Luan and Lynn had grasped the reality of what they were witnessing. They both couldn't find words to say as they were reduced to merely sobbing. Luna soon realized the truth, as well, and joined with them. Sam held onto her shoulders in a vain attempt at comfort, tears flowing down her own cheeks at the sight she was now witnessing. Bobby tried once more, in vain, to hold back the flow of blood coming from his wound. This only succeeded in getting his hands covered in a thin coat of darkened red.
Lori couldn't fathom what was happening. Her entire world, everything up to this point that she'd ever known, had come spiralling down in just under a minute. She didn't know what to say. What to do. She was lost, "Dad? Please, dad… daddy…"
Thinking as clearly as he could, their father silently reached into his pocket. His hand came back out curled up into a loose ball. With the last of his fading strength, he raised that hand up towards his oldest child. They all watched, none daring to speak, as Lori shakily held out her hands at his gesture. She silently gasped as he relinquished the contents of that pocket into her waiting palms. It was the keys. He was giving her the key to Vanzilla.
Blood slowly coming to his mouth, a result of his ruined insides, he gazed into Lori's eyes while mustering himself enough to speak. She stared back in silence, waiting for him. There were a thousand things he wanted to say. To all of them. How he was sorry. How he wished he could be there. Mountains of wise words, advice and kind words he, sadly, would never be able to pass on. He had to settle on something, and he chose the only thing that made sense.
"...keep them safe… please…"
She had little time to process his dying words. Bobby turned her attention, and that of those present, back to the gas station's inhabitants. The employee's cold, mutilated body was no longer the main interest of his assailant. Now, the pale man was staring at them as he rose off the ground. With an inhuman growl, he began lurching towards them. While he was sluggish in his movements, compounded with tripping over the dead body, there wasn't distance between him and the teens.
"We have to go!" Bobby declared, being the most in his wits out of anyone present right now, "C'mon!"
Despite how much they desired not to, the Loud Sisters were forced to abandon their father. It took a bit of prodding to get them off of the ground. Sam helped Luna and Luan to their feet, guiding the sisters away. Lynn rose by herself, looking back as she ran. Lori was the last to leave, looking into the face of her father one last time. He gazed back in pained sadness. To the best of his abilities, he conveyed a silent plea for her to go. With help from Bobby, he watched as that desire went answered.
Pursued by the new attacker, who ignored the dying man close by, they raced to Vanzilla and hastily piled in. Sam, the last one into the open side door, closed it behind them. Bobby went around to the passenger seat as Lori hopped into the front, sliding the key into the ignition as the family vehicle roared to life. As Bobby slammed his door shut their pursuer reached his target. The driver side door was shut right as the cold body slammed into it. He banged viciously against the glass in hopes of breaking through.
Lori gave him no such chance, as she drove forward to gain some distance. Using the parking lot to her advantage, she drove in a circle to keep him far away. Once she came close to the main road, everyone else suddenly felt themselves get pushed into the walls or one another following a sharp turn across a small stretch of grass. Once they were on the road she drove forward, not caring which direction she now faced. All that mattered was getting away from that place. And so she did. Not once looking back.
Lynn Sr watched from the ground as his children drove off. The pale man gave chase, but at his speed he'd never catch up. Not before they'd lose him. With his final moments, the patriarch thought back to a sea of memories he'd made with his family. It was now, with these thoughts on mind, that he finally allowed tears to fall. His final sight was spent watching his family driving far away. With his final breath, he prayed to whoever might be listening that they all remain safe. His final thoughts were riddled with guilt, knowing he'd left the burden of protecting his children to his own daughter. He couldn't only hope, with his final breath, that Rita would be able to forgive him once they found each other. Wherever they were going.