The last chapter!
Looking for chapter one? Here you go.
Road Trip:
Chapter 3
Looking back, I suppose I've always been a roamer. Just like Dad, I've always had the desire to just move, whether aimlessly or with a location in mind. One time when I was younger, I remember wandering away from Mom while in a Walmart because I saw a toy on a shelf. It took her longer than it should have to realize I wasn't just uncharacteristically silent and she backtracked till she found me again.
She never was the observant one.
But this is a habit I've had my whole life, and I've never been as acutely aware of it until now, looking at a map of the United States resting on a small folding table while standing outside of the van with the three of them. Aid still had my gun of course, and I could feel the intimidating-yet shorter than I had first assumed-presence of Standoff to my side, taking a defensive posture like she was ready to break my neck at the first opportunity. The only one who was directly facing me was Bolt, who stood at the other side of the map with a disbelieving expression on his face.
"What you're telling me is," he asked again, "That you came from here, and were here when the Old World ended," he pointed towards New York City, "and came all the way here," he moved his finger towards our current location, a town in Ohio known as Richwood. Hadn't heard the name before now, then again, geography was never my strongsuit.
"It looks a lot bigger here then it did on the walk." I shrugged. "It just became routine I guess."
"It's the fact that you walked," he continued, "that surprises me. And it looks like you went through Pennsylvania too, which means you crossed paths with the men from Higgs Field. Am I wrong?"
A shiver went down my mind, I was pretty sure I still had a scar from where they shot me with that harpoon.
"No, I've met them, didn't like it, don't want to ever again." A chuckle was earned from Standoff, but Bolt and Aid just nodded. Standoff was the only one of their group who could take that lightly it seemed.
"What did you even eat?" Bolt asked, but he mostly said this under his breath. I took that as an excuse to not answer it, questions made me uncomfortable and I'd been asked more than a few on that day.
"He looks like he's missed a few meals," Standoff answered for me, grabbing my admittedly rather stringy arms. I tried recoiling, but then gave up rather quickly. Her point had been proven.
"The world's running out of canned goods," I answered grumpily when Standoff finally let go of my arm, "Should have learned to butcher when it was easy." Bolt laughed.
"Well they were lighter times," he cheerfully stated, "where such skills were not required."
"Gotta love how you only need to learn them when it's too late." I deadpanned. He grinned in response to my sarcasm.
"So," he said, "got anywhere you want to go? I mean, you can't have walked all that way for no reason."
I shook my head. "I was just roaming. I've got no plans for the future. Know any shelters where I could go?"
Standoff took the opportunity to speak. "Trust me, we haven't found any that aren't more dangerous than the zeds." Aid seemed bothered, but held her tongue.
"What about the Blue Merchants?" asked Bolt. This earned a skeptical look from Standoff.
"Those guys? You saw the gangs there, that group only had the illusion of control over its guys." Bolt sighed.
"Yeah. Not a lot of safe places left," Aid stated.
"How about we," Bolt started. I caught him turn his eyes towards Standoff, who was mouthing the word 'no' and didn't seem to think I noticed.
"Okay, group meeting," he said instead. "You just... stand right there Brakes." He led the two sisters off behind the van, leaving me too think.
If I was correct, Bolt was about to ask me to stay with them. Standoff, however, seemed intent on vetoing that possibility. She didn't seem to be the trusting sort. Wasn't quite so sure about Bolt, but he at least seemed to be willing to give me a chance. There was no way Aid trusted me though. I saw the look on her face in the car. That would mean two votes against one, right?
Yeah. I was on my own. I sighed when I realized it. And then, I looked up towards the road and saw a few figures roaming up the hill.
Without hesitating, I ran to the other side of the van.
"I don't know, I just-" Standoff cut off her words when she saw me. "The hell are you doing?" She snapped.
"Zeds," I answered. Their eyes widened, but like clockwork they immediately set to work. Aid pulled out a handgun-my handgun. Standoff grabbed her quarterstaff out of the van, and Bolt grabbed a crossbow.
"Sit in the front," Standoff ordered. "You aren't gonna want to be in the front lines without a weapon."
"So," he said, "got anywhere you want to go? I mean, you can't have walked all that way for no reason."
I shook my head. "I was just roaming. I've got no plans for the future. Know any shelters where I could go?"
Standoff took the opportunity to speak. "Trust me, we haven't found any that aren't more dangerous than the zeds." Aid seemed bothered, but held her tongue.
"What about the Blue Merchants?" asked Bolt. This earned a skeptical look from Standoff.
"Those guys? You saw the gangs there, that group only had the illusion of control over its guys." Bolt sighed.
"Yeah. Not a lot of safe places left," Aid stated.
"How about we," Bolt started. I caught him turn his eyes towards Standoff, who was mouthing the word 'no' and didn't seem to think I noticed.
"Okay, group meeting," he said instead. "You just... stand right there Brakes." He led the two sisters off behind the van, leaving me too think.
If I was correct, Bolt was about to ask me to stay with them. Standoff, however, seemed intent on vetoing that possibility. She didn't seem to be the trusting sort. Wasn't quite so sure about Bolt, but he at least seemed to be willing to give me a chance. There was no way Aid trusted me though. I saw the look on her face in the car. That would mean two votes against one, right?
Yeah. I was on my own. I sighed when I realized it. And then, I looked up towards the road and saw a few figures roaming up the hill.
Without hesitating, I ran to the other side of the van.
"I don't know, I just-" Standoff cut off her words when she saw me. "The hell are you doing?" She snapped.
"Zeds," I answered. Their eyes widened, but like clockwork they immediately set to work. Aid pulled out a handgun-my handgun. Standoff grabbed her quarterstaff out of the van, and Bolt grabbed a crossbow.
"Sit in the front," Standoff ordered. "You aren't gonna want to be in the front lines without a weapon."
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