Miles of Death-6

In the morning, I wake slowly and for the first time since I can remember I could smell bacon. Real Bacon and it had my stomach growling instantly. I dress slowly, looking out the window. I could barley see across the yard the rain was coming down so hard. It was not going to be fun getting back to the car in this. How long could one storm blow for anyway? All I knew was I was sick of the wet and cold like I was sick of seeing the dead.

I make my way to the kitchen, I can hear people laughing and talking like they didn't have a care in the world. I thought of my grandparents, alone some where with no heat, no food and an endless storm raging above their heads. I needed to get on with it, I needed to get back on the road. I couldn't just sit around and wait for it to pass.
I walk in the kitchen and Sarah sees me first. "Good morning Aria, did you sleep well?"
I smile kindly for the first time. "I slept like a baby, thank you."
She smiles back at me. "Good, how about some Bacon and eggs?"
My mouth literally watered. "That sounds like heaven to me."
Sarah laughs, "Its been awhile since you had bacon huh?"
I nod. "Not much of that left that's still good and I don't know how to butcher and animal."
Ben sets a cup of coffee down and pulls out a stool. Why was he always making people drinks?
"Have a seat, make yourself comfortable."
I sit awkwardly. "Thank you for all of this, I don't know how I can repay you for all of this."
Ben smiles. "You could stay, help us manage the farm. Despite how it looks, its a lot of work, even with four people."
I take a sip of my coffee. "I have to get to Virginia as quickly as I can, Its important. Maybe after I can come back?"
Grace brings over a plate for me and sits down next to me. "You haven't heard have you hunny?"
I look at her curiously. "Heard what?"
Logan watches Aria as he drinks his coffee. "There is no more Virginia. They dropped bombs down the entire eastern coast before the outbreak took them all, they thought if they hit the effected areas it worn burn and kill the virus. It didn't. But Virginia is a waste land now, just like California."
I look around the room. All of them not looking at me and picking at their food. "How do you know this?"
Grace takes my hand. "Come with me, I will show you."
I leave my plate and follow Grace into the den. "They taped the last few news broadcasts before it all went dark. This is the last one, see for yourself."
She hands me the remote. "I'll be in the kitchen, I'll keep your plate warm for you. Take all the time you need."
I don't wait for her to leave. I sit on the couch and press play. The women comes on the air talking about how many had already died and which areas were effected. Just as she is talking about it, reporters start chattering around the room so much that the news anchor stops and asks what is going on. They list the states that have been bombed and are no longer showing any life, by this time four hours had passed since the first bombs were dropped. And then the TV goes black. That's was the last bit of information given by anyone on the situation. I shut the tv off and just sit there starring. I didn't know what to think or how to feel. All this time I had thought that if I could just get there, if I could just see for myself that some how I would know what to do. Now there was nothing. There were no Grandparents to check in on because there was no way they could have survived the bombs. All I wanted to do was scream out in the deepest pit of rage but I just sat silent. I didn't even notice that Logan had come in and sat next to me.
"I'm sorry kid, did you have family there you were hoping to find?"
I look at him not even sure of what he said. I couldn't even form any words. I hear Raya's voice and turn.
"Her Grandparents, she thought they might have made it like she had. Its all she had left, the only plan she had."
Logan watches me, I can feel his eyes on me. "You'll have to get a new plan now. Plans change and shift all the time, even before all of this. You cant put all your eggs in one basket."
I didn't have the words to explain to anyone what I was feeling so I decided to just get up and walk back to the kitchen. Grace sets the plate in front of me.
"Just eat, one bite at a time. You need your strength. No matter what, your going to be okay here. Were here for you."
I muster up a small smile. "Thank you. But I don't know if im staying. Virginia might be gone, but that doesn't mean I want to stay here."
Grace nods slowly. "Because you don't want to let anyone close again? So it doesn't hurt if something happens to them?"
I shake my head. "No, people are not the problem."
Grace takes my hand. 'what is Honey?"
I sigh frustrated. "Time, nothing to do. I don't like having time to think and mull things over. I don't want to get comfortable just to have to leave again."
Sarah sits next to me. "Why don't you just stay till the storm has passed at least and make up your mind then. I have plenty of things to do around here if you want to stay busy. I'd appreciate the help."
I smile at both of them. "Alright. Thank you again, for taking us in. You didn't have to. You could have killed us and no one would even know about it or come looking. Instead you gave us a meal and a roof and I appreciate it. I know Raya is happy to have found a group."
Ben pushes her plate closer. "Were happy to have more survivors, come now, eat up before it gets cold. You can come help me in the barn after if you would like?"
I take a bite and he smiles. "Good. Your gonna make it kid, I cant say for certain but, I just have a feeling."
My smile fades. "Why didn't we get sick to?"
Sarah and ben look at each other. Logan comes in with Raya. "Were immune. Something in the DNA."
I turn to look at him. "Is that a guess or do you know something we don't?"
Sarah laughs. "Two peas in a pod the two of you."
Aria looks at him curiously and he just smirks at her. "I know a thing or two. The last report that came through my unit was a doctor who had discovered a birth defect in a percentage of the population that the virus didn't effect. They said one percent would live."
I Look at him. "One percent is a lot of people alive still."
He nods. "It is but then you have to take in to account all the bombs they dropped, sicknesses that one gets out there and the number drops even more."
I eat another bite. "Did they have a location where they planned to rebuild again?"
Logan looked surprised at my question which I found a little odd. It was a reasonable question.
"Even if they did, do you think anyone would have made it there?"
I look at him and around the room, they all were watching me. "Yes. Someone would have gone if they were on their own, hoping someone else would make it. When your on your own out there for a long time, your willing to try anything."
Ben and Logan exchange a look. Ben smiles at Aria. "He said the same thing when he came here. He wanted us to try and go see if there was anyone."
Raya sits down with a plate next to me and smiles. "Aria would have gone. She is strong like that and determined and she knows how to take care of herself. If I didn't find her, I would still be stuck in all deadsville Texas alone."
I smile at Raya, "You would have been fine, your not so bad out there yourself."
She smiles. 'So Aria, you interested in taking a drive to this location?"
I turn and look at Logan. "Where is it?"
Logan downs his coffee. "Forget it, its gone now. Come on Ben, lets get started in the barn."
Ben gets up and they both put their coats on. Annoyed I stand up. "So that's it then, your not going to tell us where?"
Logan sighs. "Your just a kid, don't worry about it, its not worth the risk."
I raise my chin. "Despite my youthful looks, im not a kid and I haven't gotten too comfortable. I'm not scared to go out there. And what happened to there is not a lot of us left and we should stick together?"
Logan smiles. "So that's it then, your going go out there and save the world?"
Sarah sighs. "Logan, enough..I think she has had enough for one day."
Logan smiles. "No, she needs to learn this Sarah, you all do. Everything you knew, its gone. Everyone you know is dead and their not coming back. You cant help those people any more than we can help ourselves. Be thankful with what you have and make it work. That is what we do now. We have power, water and enough food to stay alive for years to come. And it would be stupid to leave it behind."
Ben and Logan walk out and head towards the barn. I sit down and rub my eyes. He had a point but it wasn't enough to give up. She had to get the location somehow. Raya shakes her head at me as if she knew what I was thinking. I just smile and continue eating my breakfast. I would get it out of him one way or another.

Over the next few days despite my best efforts Logan has remained tight lipped and refuses to talk about the location any further. I even had Raya try to seduce it out of him which she was happily willing to do. But he saw it coming and shot her down. I was beginning to think he was full of shit. That he made the whole thing up. But, the curiosity got the better of me. Here I was in the middle of the night searching his bag in the barn like a FBI agent. I had managed to get it out of the house after dinner without him noticing and I was just winging it from here. I find his wallet and open it. His military Id and drivers license were in it.
"Logan Thomas Garland, age twenty seven. Ha, I knew you weren't thirty yet."
"Did you?"
I jump and toss the bag in the stall next to me and turn around. I already know its him. But I pretend to be surprised.
"Oh hey Logan, Didn't hear you come in."
He watches me closely. "Did you get a good look at everything?"
I roll my eyes and put my hands on my hips. "Its not like I didn't try to do it a better way, you wont spill so I had to look."
He shakes his head. "Why do you care about some idea of a camp?"
I step a little closer to him. "Why do you care if I go find it or not? What are you hiding? Did you make it up?"
He laughs. "You need to find yourself a hobby Aria."
I grab his arm when he tries to walk past me. "Your a liar. You never heard of any damn camp did you? You just were trying to leave here and they wouldn't let you. I want to know what the fuck is going on around here that none of you are telling us. Why do Sarah and Ben say they grew up here and not a single picture in this whole house has them in it? Who are they really, and how the fuck do you have power with no generator, no wind mill or a solar panel? You better start talking."
He shoves me hard into the wall and grips the front of her shirt. "You want to live, you better stop asking questions, you better stop sneaking around and putting a target on your back. If you run, they will find you and haul your ass right back here. They already got your car, all your things. Right under your damn nose. Your not getting out of here without me so shut your mouth, do what your told and maybe when its time I will let you come with me."
I knee him in the balls and run as fast as I can out of the barn and towards the house. Before going in I take a few breaths to get my breathing under control. My hands shake on the door knob but I turn it anyway. Everything is quite in the house, most have gone to bed. I make my way up the stair case tip toeing towards Raya's room. I just need to get her to come with me and we could get the hell out of here now. I didn't know what the hell was going on but I knew how I felt when I came here. Something was off and I was done playing their games. I would leave with or without her, but I hoped she would listen and come with me.
I open the door slowly. I hear a male voice and almost shut the door again but I had to see what was going on.
"What does she know about this place Raya?"
Raya sits on the bed sipping her wine. "Nothing. She hasn't figured it out yet. She is still trying to find out where the camp is."
I watch as Ben tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "Do you think she will except it like the others?"
Raya sighs. "No, I think were going to have to kill her Ben. She is too smart, too good out there. If she got away she would cause trouble for us."
I slowly shut the door and run back quietly to my room. I had never been more mad in my entire life. Who the fuck are these people, who the hell is Raya? Had she known the whole time? She was in Texas, what would she have been doing all that way away from their precious farm. All I knew was I wasn't spending another second in this place. I dress quickly and pack what I need from my room. Quietly I ease my way down the stairs to the kitchen. I listen for anyone around but everyone is up on the second level. I put some food and water in my pack and slip out the back door. As soon as my feet are off the porch I run, I run like there is a gun pointed at the back of my head and I don't stop running until I can no longer see the farm anymore. I needed a car, I needed to get the hell away from this place or they would find me and I wasn't waiting till morning.

A hour into my hike I stumble on another farm house. This one is dark and cold looking. I go inside and light a candle I took from my room. I damn near swallow my tong. Everywhere around me was stacks of supplies, tools, fuel and weapons. I had hit the mother load, which means I needed to get out of there quickly, this would be the first place they would check once they saw I was missing. I fill up a duffel of ammo and food and water and weapons, just grabbing what ever is there, not wanting to waste any time. I grab two gas cans and run out the back. I see a truck near the tree line and I run to it.
"Please god, if you exist, let the keys be in it."
I open the door and throw my stuff inside.
"Aria!"
I freeze for a split second and then I hop in the car as quick as I can but he has the door.
"You wont get far without these." He holds up the car keys.
I glare at him. "Your not coming with me, your one of them. you will just knock me out and take me back to that shit hole. Raya said they have to kill me, their going to kill me."
Logan shoves me so hard I land in the passenger seat. He gets in and shuts the door.
"I'm not going to kill you and were not going back there. Were getting the fuck out of here. I came here just like you, I didn't know before it was too late. I was going to go the night you came, using the storm as cover but I couldn't leave you there like that."
I roll my eyes. "Whatever you say, just start driving and I swear if you head back there I will shoot you myself."
He turns on the car. "That's fair enough. Hold on."
He speeds out of the yard and onto the road. He drives as fast as he can with the rain.
"How long until they notice we have gone?"
Logan looks at her. "Soon, maybe a hour or so. If they were talking about killing you then they would plan to do it before you woke up. Their cowards like that."
I watch him curiously. "Who are they?"
He sighs. "They were with the CDC. Sarah is a one of the technicians that created the virus. That's why their so well prepared. They knew it was coming before it even came. Ben was her boss and the two of them took over the farm by force, they killed the family and pretended to be the original owners."
"Is Grace in on it to? Did she even have kids or break her leg?"
Logan smiles. "yes, Grace is innocent but they wont hurt her. She has been officially brain washed. I tried to tell her the truth once but she wouldn't listen to me. She wouldn't leave there willingly."
"What about Raya? Who is she?"
Logan shrugs. 'I don't know, I don't think that they knew her before you came but like Grace she had no intention of ever leaving but she knows more than Grace does. I think she likes it."
I shake my head. "This whole time, I thought she was my friend."
Logan looks at me. "There are no more friends. Not even Me. Were just to people trying to survive."
I look out the window as the storm rages on. "They wont go that far looking for us, they don't want to loose their farm."
Logan grips the wheel. "I thought that to. I didn't come to the farm alone Aria. I was able to get her out, but, they hunted her. They dragged her back and they killed her. They will keep looking."
I rest my head against the window. "You said she, who was she?"
He continues driving. "My wife, Norah. I tried to stop it but I couldn't get to her, they drugged us both and I couldn't move my body."
I look at him, I want to believe him. The pain in his eyes says he is telling the truth. But I no longer knew what to believe.
"I'm sorry Logan."
He smiles weakly. "We all lost people in this. None of us are whole."
I lean back in the seat, finally letting my body relax. "Where do we go from here? Where can we hide?"
He sighs. "Your not going to like it."
I laugh, "no offense, but what is there to like anymore?"
He laughs, "True. We have to go in a city. They don't go far into city's mostly because of the stench and they wouldn't think we would stay there in it either."
I shake my head. "We wont survive in a city. There is too much dead, too much fires and issues. Its like living in a bomb."
Logan turns off the road onto a wooded lane.
"We don't have to stay long, we just have to set an ambush and take them out. Then we can go back to the farm if we want."
I would have been surprised if I hadn't just learned and saw what I did.
"I hope you know how to do that. How long?"
"A week or two, maybe more?"
I rub my face. "I cant take cities for a few hours let alone weeks."
Logan slows when the rain starts coming down harder. "We will find a way. If we don't, their just going to keep collecting people. Look how easy it was for you."
I shake my head in pure frustration and anger. " Fine, what city?"
"The first one we see. You have a map don't you?"
I swear under my breath. "Had a map, Raya took it."
Logan shakes his head. "We'll figure it out. You should try to get some rest, we can switch when you wake up. You look exhausted."
Something in his tone had the fatigue wearing off. "I'm okay, I can drive if you want to take the first shift?"
He smiles. "I'm okay."
The all to familiar feeling of dread came over me again. Suddenly I just wanted to open the door and jump out but I needed this car and I needed to put some distance in. I would have to stick it our until I could escape. I never should have stopped for anyone, I should have stayed out on my own. I never would have stopped at that farm house if Raya wasn't with me. How had I read everyone so wrong? Why didn't I just listen to my gut and get out of there the first night. I almost bought into their act and I probably would have had Logan never told me about the camp. I suppose I owed him a tiny bit for warning me. Was this another trap? I hoped not, but I knew that from here on out, I was no longer interested in being in a community again. I longed to be back by myself, unaware of the farm and the others. Everything was so complicated all the time, I was desperate to get out of there and get back to doing my own thing. Solitude wasn't a bad thing in this kind of world. It was your salvation.

Miles of Death-5

It had been a few days since our attempt to explore Dallas. Since then we have stuck to the back routes and avoided all major road ways and towns. The weather was taking a nasty turn. For the last two days it has poured, endless rain dropping and flooding away whatever is in its path. For the first time since all this began I didn't see bodies every where. There were still some floating along but it felt as if the world was trying to wash itself clean again. We were out of fuel and there wasn't a drop in any of the cars around. The rain was whipping all around and the wind was picking up. We needed to find a place to lay low until it passed. But we would have to do it on foot. As Raya packed a bag with some supplies for a few days, I decide to review the map. I would need a new one very soon, I didn't have much left on the current one before we would be winging it.
Life was back to feeling hectic and out of control. Nothing had gone right for us since Dallas. Even the vibe between the two of us has changed. We barley speak more then what is needed to say. Raya has fallen into a sort of sulk. She doesn't jump up to help as much, not that she isn't doing anything. She is just low and down and I didn't know what to do about it. I suppose its expected, hadn't I holed up for a few days myself feeling sorry and sad before I got back up? It would pass, or at least I hoped it would pass. I could use some of those positive thoughts she used to have.
"There is a town three miles north east, looks to be the only one for awhile. Maybe we will find a house along the way or something. We need to make a fire. All this damp is going to get us sick if were not careful. We have to try and stay dry, at least our heads."
Raya nods looking out the window. That was about the usual input from her lately. I sigh and climb into the back seat opening my bag. I had a few trash bags and I made us some homemade rain ponchos. I dressed in layers and packed a bag with as much as I could carry, and then wrapped that in a bag to stay dry. I tossed some clothing up for Raya.
"Put these on, you don't want to get sick, let me see your bag, I will wrap it so it stays dry."
Raya does as I ask without complaint or words at all. While she is getting ready I decide to hide what I could incase anyone stumbled on the car. I planned on returning to it once we found some fuel.
Once we were ready to go, I checked the map one more time and put it where it would stay dry. I get out first and lock the doors. Raya gets out and I make sure her door is locked, anyone could break the window, but I wasn't about to make it easy for anyone to take our food.

We walked on through the rain and the wind. I was freezing after the first ten minutes but we kept a brisk pace and it helped to focus  on not slipping or getting stuck then the cold. It was a muddy mess but nothing was so bad that they couldn't get around it. After two miles we stumble upon a farm house and to our surprise smoke is coming out of the chimney. Raya and I look at each other with the same look of, surprise, Raya starts running to the house.
"Raya...wait!"
I catch up to her but she wouldn't stop heading toward the house like her life depended on it, like I was some kind of bad person she was running away from. I decide to stop behind a tree. Peaking out I watch Raya go up to the porch and she slowly walks to the door. I see her knock but no one comes to the door. Raya starts looking in the windows and I see her wave me over. I take a calming breath and run to the porch. Raya smiles at me.
"There is fresh bread on that counter in there. Someone is here for sure. But I don't see anyone. Maybe their out in one of the barns?"
Aria looks around nervously. "What if their not up for visitors Raya?"
Raya smirks. "You worry too much, im sure they will be happy to see other people have made it. Weren't you happy to have found someone?"
I sigh and try not to roll my eyes. "There was bad people before this world got sick, there will still be bad people if there are good people. What if they take all our stuff and then shoot us?"
Raya laughs. "You watched too much walking dead didn't you?"
Despite my nerves I laugh. "It was one of my favorites."
Raya smiles at me. "Okay, your right, we shouldn't assume their not weirdo's so maybe we should like sneak around and see for ourselves what is going on here?"
I nod. "Yeah, that's a good idea. lets start with the barns, people put their freaky tools in barns."
Raya rolls her eyes. "Oh lord."

I make my way across the field like I'm some highly trained recon marine or something, watching for movement, listening for sounds and ducking behind things so I wouldn't be seen. Raya stayed at the tree line as my look out in case anyone followed me in. I make it to the big barn pretty quickly, but instead of going in the front, I slip around to the back. There are cows and cattle, chickens, pigs and lamb. There is fresh food and water in their bins and a fire to warm the barn. I see that they have running electricity with the lights on and it looks like their still using the milking machines. So, They had live stock and power. They were doing pretty good, better then them. I didn't see anything out of the normal and there was no indication that there was any sort of creepy activities taking place, so I moved on to the smaller barn. It was what looked like a canning area, lots of tools and work spaces. Again nothing out of the normal. I look around the back of the main house. There are a few green houses with lots of plants growing in it, no people though. After a few minutes of peaking in the house windows I make my way back to Raya.
She comes out nervously. "Did you see anyone?"
I shake my head "There is someone here, there has to be. But I didn't see them. Do you think they might have went somewhere?"
Raya wipes her face. "In this weather, im not sure. Maybe their asleep somewhere?"
I shrug. "I guess we wont know unless we check the house?"
Raya looks around, "Do you think we should just go in there?"
I pull out my gun and Raya laughs. "Of course you brought that."
I make sure its loaded and put it back in my pocket. "You never know what's out there, better to be safe then sorry. Come on."

We walk to the house together and slow, looking in every direction. The front door is unlocked so Raya opens it slowly. We step out of the rain and into the house. Raya walks in a little bit ahead of me.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?"
I follow Raya with my gun drawn. Both of us stop to take off our shoes. If someone was here, they wouldn't be happy if they got mud all over their rugs. We walk the main floor, one room at a time. The house was very chopped up, lots of doors and halls. There was a library even. Everything was very neat, recently dusted and warm. I could hear the vents kicking on with the heat. I wondered how they powered their house, I didn't see any solar panels or wind mills. Maybe they had a generator, which meant they would have some fuel. But I didn't hear a generator anywhere. There were photos of a happy middle aged family with their kids. They seemed to be like the usual American family. I hoped that they were all still here.
When the first level is searched, we go down into the basement and find a large surplus of food and supplies. I assumed things that they had taken from other locations or a store. Raya looks around to with a big smile on her face.
"How many do you think they have here for all this food?"
I look around at the items in the basement, looking for anything useful to them like fuel or weapons.
"Maybe they are just stock piling what they find. Maybe that's where they all are, their out scavenging somewhere."
Raya shakes her head. "I wouldn't in this weather unless I had to."
I nod. "Maybe they had to?"
We both jump when we hear a door open and close and footsteps across the floor.  We quickly duck behind some boxes. I take my gun and aim it towards the staircase. Raya covers her mouth when the basement door opens. She hears someone coming down the stairs and freezes. "Shit."
Aria watches as a shadow shape comes down the stairs and when it gets to the bottom becomes a man, covered and soaked but caring a box of supplies. He doesn't seem to be aware they were in there, he wasn't being quite or cautious. I watch as he sets the box on a table and starts taking stuff out of it. When a second set of footsteps come through the door I see the man look up.
"I'm down here Sarah." I hear the footsteps stop and then head toward the stair case to the basement. Again I watch the shadow before the women is at the bottom of the stairs, also carrying a box.
"Its really coming down out there. When is it going to let up, the animals are getting restless."
The man hands her a towel and she wipes her face. "Thanks, so did you find anything good?"
He shrugs, " I got some more medicine and some food and water, the basic's, what about you?"
The women puts her box on the table. "About the same. Are the others back yet?"
The man takes off his rain coat and hangs it on a hook by the staircase. "I don't think so. They should be along soon its going to get dark early tonight. I'll go tend the animals, why don't you go see if you can get anyone on the radio."
Raya and I look at each other curiously but neither of us make a move to get up and show ourselves. When the two of them go upstairs and shut the door we finally come out. Raya looks at me with excitement. "They said there were more!"
I smile. "I heard, but what should we do now? Our shoes are up there, their bound to find them and come looking for who they belong to."
Raya listens to them walking around. "Maybe we should just go up and explain ourselves, they didn't seem dangerous to me."
I wipe the last remaining drops of rain off my face. "They both were carrying guns on their sides Raya, even if it was for protection, were in their home without their permission. Maybe we can get out and then just knock like we were never here?"
Raya looks around. "What about that little window, you could boost me up and I can go around to the front to explain?"
I hear the footsteps coming again and grab Raya and pull her back down behind the boxes. I can hear them talking but I cant make out what their saying, its too low. The basement doors open slowly and one at time they come down the stairs, this time with their guns drawn. They must have found our shoes. I watch as they hand signal to each other, one walks to one side of the room, the other goes to the other side and they start looking around. Raya looks at me like we should stand up and just tell them but I shake my head. This was not going to go well if they found us down here with all their supplies. Annoyed Raya tries to stand up but I take her arm and shake my head, she doesn't listen and stands up.
"Hello...don't worry..were not going to hurt you. Our car ran out of gas a few miles up the road, we saw the chimneys and came to see if there were other survivors, but no one was here so we just looked around, then you came home and here we are."
The man and women jump and turn to aim their guns at Raya. Oh goodie, a stand off in some stinky basement. Just where we all want to die, I thought to myself.
I roll my eyes and stand up slowly, putting my gun in my pocket before they can see it. "Hello."
The man and women look at each other, and then at us. They start speaking to each other in what I assumed was French, it sounded like French. Raya and I start to sweat despite the chill. What the hell were they going to do to us? Why else would they be using another language?"
The man looks at them "Are you armed?"
Raya points at me. "She has a little hand gun thing, just for protection."
I wanted to punch her so bad but what could I do, it was already out in the open. I set the gun down with an angry thud and glare at Raya. Friend or not, she was out of line for getting our weapon taken. Its not like you could just go get a new one. The man watches me, curiously.
"How old are you?"
Raya smiles politely, although I could hear the nerves in her voice. "I'm twenty four, my name is Raya and I come from Texas. What about you?"
The man and women look at each other. "I'm Ben and this is my sister Sarah, we were raised in this house."
They all look at me. "My name Is Aria. I'm from California. And my age doesn't really matter does it. Are you going to let us go?"
Raya elbows me. "Aria, don't be rude. I'm sorry, were not used to other people. We were on our own until we found each other a few weeks ago."
The man nods. "Its all right. Are there many people starting to come out as you travel?"
I shake my head no, but I wasn't going to get into it. I had a very bad feeling and I just wanted to get out of there and be on my own where it was safe.
Sarah lowers her gun. "When was the last time the two of you ate?"
Raya smiles. "We have some food, we do okay there. We would be happy to share with you for keeping us out of the rain?"
Sarah smiles, "We have plenty but thank you. Why don't you come on upstairs and get dry by the fire. No one will do you harm here."
Raya smiles and takes it as fact, I smile just because its expected but I still didn't trust them, and I still wanted to get out of there. But it would be nice to be dry and warm again.

We go upstairs and Sarah takes our homemade rain ponchos and jackets. I sit on the floor next to the fire and warm my hands, still watching them. Ben was making drinks on a little cart near the window, Sarah hung our things up and comes to sit down near us. Ben hands me a glass. "Its whiskey, its strong but it will warm you up a little more."
I take it so its not rude but I had no intention of drinking it. He could have put something in it, something to make you sleep. I watch as Raya takes a sip. I just hold it between my hands. Ben smiles at me.
"Your not very trusting around people are you?"
I look at him strait in the eyes. "No, im not. Have you been here since it all happened? In this house I mean?"
He nods. "Our family went rather quickly but Sarah and I never got sick. We couldn't think of anywhere else to go. Everyone we know has lived in a five mile radius of us our whole lives. Its the way farm country works. My father was a doomsday prepper and five years ago he started to convert the farm to be independent from the rest of the world. Because of it we have power and water and it keeps us going. I cant imagine there are places with power out there?"
I wasn't so convinced that he wasn't a threat but, I was relaxing a little bit more. I still had my eye on the exit.
"I came across a gas station that was run by solar power, but your right, there is no power, no running water, no heat. You are smart to stay put. You said there were others. How many people are living here with you?"
Sarah smiles. " A week after the outbreak a man found us in town salvaging, his name is Logan, he will be back soon. Then after a little bit more time passed, maybe a month, we found a women with a broken leg on the highway. Her name is Grace. Its just the four of us. We haven't seen anyone else alive, until you came."
Ben refills his drink. "You said your from California Aria? Have you traveled all this way?"
I Nod my head yes and watch as Sarah pokes the fire.
"Its like this the whole way isn't it?"
I nod. "I'm afraid so. California is a waste land, the fires started a week into the outbreak and im sure by now its all burnt to the ground. It was heading into Arizona as well as I was leaving but we got some rain and I didn't see anymore fire. But everywhere I have been, their all dead. Its all the same everywhere."
"Where are you headed?"
I look at Raya giving her the look to not say anything.
"Were just going where we go. We don't really have a plan. Why do you ask?"
Sarah looks at ben "You can stay here with us, as long as you chip in. That's all we ask. Its not like there is an abundance of people out there. I think we should stick together."
Raya tears up and stands. "Oh thank you so much."
I Stand up and hand Sarah her drink. "That's really nice of you but, I need to get going. I have to find some fuel and get back on the road."
Raya looks at her surprised. "Aria, we cant leave!"
I smile at her. "You can stay Raya, really. But I cant."
Ben stands. "Its going to be dark in a hour, wont you just stay till morning? I have a little fuel I can spare for you, Ill take you to your car myself in the morning if you'd like. Its miserable to try and drive in this, especially in the dark. You shouldn't be out there by yourself."
Raya takes my hand. "Just one night Ari? Please?"
I know that Ben is right, it would be dark and it was horrible weather, what would one night hurt. I could leave in the morning and most likely by myself now that Raya had found a place to call home again. But I had to press on to Virginia. I could always come back and check on Raya after. But I was going. I had to.
"Alright, one night. Thank you for your hospitality."
Ben smiles. "You can relax Aria, were not going to hurt you. Just think of it like a hotel."
I smile. I wanted to believe him but something was off and I couldn't put my finger on it. I always believed if something was too good to be true, it usually was. Hopefully Raya would come with me in the morning. It would be hard to leave again on my own.  But I wont force her to. She was on her own before me. I had to finish this out.

Logan and Grace come in together a half hour later, each carrying a box of things. Grace was someone I felt I could trust easily. She just had one of those sweet voices and kind faces. She was in her thirties, tall for a women but thin as a pole. She had lost all four of her children and gave up on life until they found her and brought her to the farm, to heal from her broken leg she got trying to jump to her death. I could see that out of all of us, her burden seemed to be a little more than the normal. I couldn't imagine having four kids under the age of ten and loosing them all in a single night. What that must have done to her mind, I have no idea how she came out the other side and is still so nice.
 Logan like me is quite and looked at me with just as much distrust as I had for him. I couldn't tell how old he was and he didn't say. But I doubt he was thirty yet. He was from Virginia but hadn't been back home in years due to being deployed, he didn't give much more about anything about him self and he said very little in general. Something about him seemed to draw me in but I ignored it, why wasn't he trying to get home now? Did he know something about Virginia that I didn't?
 Raya made quick work of getting to work on flirting with Logan and despite my unease it made me smile. Looks like she got the hot guy she had been wishing for. Maybe she was meant to stay here and that is why I found her. I wanted to believe I could still go out on my own, but the thought of it made me sick to my stomach. It wouldn't be easy but its necessary. I would just enjoy my last night with people. At least I would finally get that hot shower I had been dreaming of. Life had changed on me once, and it was about to change again. I just had to deal with it, what choice did I have. If I stay on this farm and never try, I don't think I can live with myself. What if my grandparents need me. I'm all they have now as far as help coming. I still had a lot of miles to cross, I just hoped it wasn't too late. The more time that passed the more worried I became. Was I chasing a fantasy, was I lost in my illusions like I thought Raya had been? Was I stupid to believe that they could survive it at that age. Still, the not knowing was eating at me. Id give anything to have phones running again. one call could save me one long trip right about now. But that's the way the cookie crumbled...and its a cookie im going to have to eat.

Miles of death-4

I look at the map and try not to notice that Raya is currently puking out the side of the car. We had arrived in Dallas and were broaching the entrance but it was too congested with cars, so we would have to go in on foot and see what we see that way. I didn't want to leave the car with all these supplies for anyone to take but, we were doing it despite my better judgment. I have started over so many times at this point, I knew that we would be alright either way, I just hoped no one reaped my hard work. Raya has been struggling with the stench for the last hour as we got closer. As I suspected it was thick with rotten nastiness, and it was much worse than when I had left LA.  I prepared with my usual Vicks and bandana and helped Raya apply hers. It was something to help, but it was not going to be easy in there. I made sure we had enough water and food with us for a few days, just in case.  When Raya gets out of the car, I do the same and lock it up. I watch her carefully, it was easy to get dehydrated in the heat let alone when you keep throwing up.
"You sure you want to go in there Raya?"
She takes a deep breath "Not exactly but were here, might as well see it though. Maybe we can at least find out what happened?"
I sigh a little hesitant to stick it out. "Maybe, alright, lets get moving. We should be back to the car in like six hours just to be safe. There is a town we can stay in a few miles to the north."
Raya smiles. "Sounds like a plan, so where should we start?"
I look around taking my map out. "We should avoid the bridge, I think its longer to walk it.  Lets see if that boat down there has fuel in it, maybe we can just go across in that?"
Raya nods. "Good thinking."
We make our way down from the road to the docks, walking around any dead or debris. We walk in silence, each of us looking around watching for any sign of anyone else. I get to the boat and am happy to see its a basic boat, one I know how to use and steer. I get in and see that there is fuel and start up the engine. It purrs and I smile at Raya.
"Were in business."
Raya cheers and whistles."Awesome! This will save us a lot of walking, can we get around the city by water?"
I look at the map. "Only the coast line on this side of us and around to the other, you'd have to walk in to get to city center."
Raya looks over the map. "Where do you think people would be hiding out?"
I sigh looking over the map. "I don't see any fires, I wonder if the power station is still in tact, or the water station, those would be places to look first. Maybe someone would know how to turn it on and settle where they can manage it. We could check out the grocery stores and see if there is a lot taken, if there is someone is probably around."
Raya nods. "Lets start at the power station, I think that's the smartest place. We can at least see if it has been tended for power to go to a certain area."
I tuck the map in my pocket and untie the boat from the dock.
"Alright, I will get us as close as we can by water."
I head out looking around the water for markers and once I get my bearings I head down the coast where the map shows the station is. After a ten minute boat drive I pull over to a dock and tie off. We get off the boat and walk up the pier.
"We don't have far to walk, its three blocks up. Look out for any food stores, we can check that on the way."
Raya nods and we start walking. The bodies are literally everywhere, like people literally dropped and died where they were walking. The heat was getting to the highest point of the day and I was already sweating. It made the stench feel like it clung to you. My eyes were watering a bit but I pushed forward. Raya also showed signs that the smell was getting to be too much but like me she kept on.

A block up we see some shopping areas and go to look inside. The shelves looked pretty much untouched other than where people had fallen or taken a few things. There didn't seem to be anyone around collecting any of the water which was a big give a way to me that there was no one alive here. They wouldn't be able to live in this stench. But I kept my opinions to myself and took a few things along the way that I could carry. You could never have too much water or food in this world. Raya decided to get a cart and fill it, which we would pick up on our way back to the boat. Since it was good thinking I filled a cart to. We didn't dawdle and made fast work of looking around. Then we continued towards the power station. As we passed buildings we peaked in the windows, no movement anywhere other then an ungodly amount of rats and birds. I was getting a bit light headed from the heat and smell and my legs were heavy but I ignored it. Only a little further to the power station and I was pretty sure I could talk Raya into going back to the car and calling it. We tried, but to be honest we have not been here long and we can barely stand it, who would live here? I was beginning to think that Raya was making choices based on her hopes and not the reality of what is. I would have to keep that in mind in the future. I couldn't waste too much more time on my way to Virginia. I didn't mind stopping for a few minutes here and there but I wasn't going to go hiking through city's of dead to make her feel better. Not that I begrudged her for her hope, but I'm a realist. As much as I can be anyway.

At the power station, just as I predicted it is not running and no one has been around at least not that I could tell. Raya walks around trying to think of where else they could look, while she does that I sit down and drink some water trying to get some shade for a few minutes. After a few minutes Raya comes over and sits down. I hand her a bottle of water and she chugs it.
"There is no one alive in this whole damn city is there?"
I lay back in the grass, it was nice to not be in the beating sun. It was still hot but, at least I didn't feel my skin burning under the noon sun.
"I don't know about the whole city but I think it would be too much to try and stay in any city. If there were survivors I'm sure they took what they could and got out. I mean look around, its holy hell between the stench and the heat. Would you stay here?"
Raya sighs and also lays back in the grass.
"Your right, no one would stay here. Maybe there were people and they got out like you said. We should probably stop looking in citys huh?"
I nod. "I think its best to avoid them when you can but maybe there are city's that aren't hit like this. Maybe the East Coast is okay? Don't give up hope just because this was not successful, its Texas, its too damn hot here."
Raya laughs. "True, where would you go from here if you lived in the city?"
I knew where this was going and I didn't want to stick around any longer. I sit up slowly.
"I think I would load up a car and just pick a direction and go. I don't think they left with a certain area in mind. That's what I did at least. I knew to head towards Virginia and that's all I knew. If they had family somewhere they probably headed in that direction or maybe they think like us and hope the East Coast is okay and headed there. Its hard to say. I think that if we are going to find people, it will happen like how you found me, at the right place at the right time."
Raya dumps some water on her head. "I think we should head back now and get the hell out of here."
I stand and pick up my book bag. "Alright, lets go get those carts, at least we found some stuff. We can check some fuel stations to on our way, I saw two."
I was trying to cheer her up and give her something to keep her mind on but she just walked on with her shoulders hunched. I never seen her down in any kind of way. I wasn't sure what to say or what to do. Maybe she knew someone in the city and wasn't telling me. She was from Texas after all. As much as I had learned about her, I still didn't know her well. I let her walk on in silence. I didn't have any more answers to the questions either. And I didn't know how to make it better for her, I was just trying to survive myself. We walked in silence all the way to the carts, we found a few gas cans and filled them out of the cars on the street. At the boat we load it up ditching the carts. I let her collect her thoughts as we head back towards the car. I pull back into the same dock where we found the boat and shut the boat off. I tie it up and begin to gather the stuff to start carry it up to the car. Raya sits and continues to look out at the water.
"Would we get further by Boat?"
I stop and look at her. Thinking it over for a minute as I work.
"We would have to go out to sea and this boat wouldn't make the trip, its made for lakes and rivers and that kind of stuff. We can drive along the coast and try to find a different boat if you want? We would probably get a lot further a lot faster by sea. Less distractions, but there is not a lot of places to find fuel in the middle of the ocean. We would have to fill a boat to the max to make it. Then you have the weather issues that come up and neither of us are captains or know how to navigate the maps on sea, it would be a risk."
Raya picks up a bag and tosses it on the dock.
"Never mind, seems like too much against us. How do you know stuff like this, like what to do?"
I just shrug. "I don't, I just am trying to figure it out as I go. You know how to fish and hunt and change a tire, I don't know how to do any of that."
Raya smiles. "So your saying im useful to have around?"
I look at her curiously. I see the questioning look in her eyes. "Of course you are, you pull your own weight. Is that what all this was about? You think we need more people because your a burden?"
She shrugs and looks away. I laugh lightly. "Raya, it was hell on my own, its twenty times better when your around, not just for your help but because I consider you a friend now. Were in this together alright, we will figure out what we need to as we go. What I don't know you probably will and vice versa. Maybe we were meant to find each other, maybe some where up there someone is trying to help us out."
She sighs. "I'm glad I found you to Aria, and I consider you my family at this point. Were the only two here. I could have ended up with some nut job or something but instead I found you and you have been my sanity these last few weeks. I know im a mess and im a little out there with thinking we will find people but I feel it, there's others out there alone Aria. We were alone, you remember what its like."
I nod. "I do, and we will find them somehow, im not giving up either. We just need to be a little smarter about where we look."
Raya climbs out the boat and I hand her a bag. She smiles at me. "Lets blow this popsicle stand."
I laugh. "Id kill for a popsicle right about now."
Raya grunts. "I'd kill for an ice cold pop right now."
We spent the rest of the time naming off all the cold things we could think of to take our minds off the blistering heat.
Once the car is loaded and aired out a bit, we get in and start driving away from the city. Raya watches in her rear view mirror as it fades in the distance. Aria looks ahead, without any reason to look back. The two of them both lost in their own thoughts about what the road ahead would bring.

Miles of Death-3

 Raya and I had been on the open road for a week now. Our constant chatter turned to long silences. I think we both ran out of things to say. It was still a comfort even in the silence. I learned that Raya was not only a excellent shot, but she knew how to fish and she knew how to hunt. One morning as I was making us a canned special breakfast, she went out and caught us a rabbit. And I have to say, rabbit is pretty damn good. Maybe its because I have been eating processed foods for over a month strait. I missed cheese. But Rabbit was a nice change to the norm. I hoped one day to have cheese back in my life, and condiments. Hell, Id give anything for a hot shower.

 I drive along the road slowing as more cars come into my view. "We got some cars up ahead, lets check them for some fuel. Were not going to make it much further."
Raya sits up slowly from her nap "Alright. Hey, maybe we will find something exotic like a joint."
I laugh. "That would be pretty cool. I never smoked before, maybe I should have?"
Raya laughs. "Oh, you definitely should have girl. But its alright, at least you don't know what your missing. How does one go to college and never try weed?"
I laugh, used to her bluntness. "I was boring, what can I say. All study and no play, I was going places or so I thought."
Raya smiles. "You went places alright, at least you accomplished a goal. I never had any idea what the hell I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be an actress but of course small town Texas makes that a dream come true you know."
I smirk. "If you meet someone else you can just say you are one, and then you can be an actress playing and actress."
She laughs. " I like your style Aria, wait what should my name be, it has to be something really like..fu-fu weird."
I laugh as she starts listing out random names.
"Farrah, no too slutty, what about Bianca? No, that is too bitchy."
I roll my eyes "I'm sure you will come up with something."
She laughs "What about something short and weird like Poe."
I park along the cars as close to the gas cap as I can. "Like Edgar Allen Poe?"
Getting out she looks at me weird, "Was he an actor?"
I giggle despite myself and she looks at me "What?"
"Poet actually, He wrote dark and twisted tales, I actually like him. He was interesting."
"Poe is probably too manly. What about Zoe?"
I roll my eyes. "It just sounds like you forgot to say the whole name, Zoey."
Raya laughs. "Well, I will sleep on it, maybe something will come to me."
We work along draining the cars with what we can salvage. I had shown Raya the ropes and she was getting the hang of it. It cut the work load in half for me and I was happy that she is willing to help out and not just make me do all the work. I thought she was going to be a girlie girl, and don't get me wrong she is in certain ways, but she also has grit to and she earns her share. As far as survivors go I think I lucked out. We don't really get on each others nerves, at least not yet. Time shall tell.

I pull into a little town near twilight. I let Raya pick the house this time. We had started a game, every time one of us picks a house we have to try to guess what the people would have been like that lived in it. We give them names and a whole back round story. At least it gives us something to do while we make dinner and sit in the weirdness of some dead people's house. Sometimes we stayed in really nice houses with things I wouldn't of been able to afford. Other times we stay in places that make you feel so gross you don't even want to be around your own self the next day. It was a give and take, where we ended up was where we stayed. We had a system and we had a plan and we knew in what direction we wanted to go. It was something to hold on to. I didn't feel so down and out anymore. I didn't feel great but it was bearable. It was like one really long summer camp and you just want to go home but you cant. I keep hoping to wake up in my old bed and all this was some dream. It was a nice illusion before bed.

When I was on my own, I had so much to do, so many things to worry about. But now that there is someone else around I don't have to worry as much and the things I try not to think about comes up a lot more. I try to put it away. If I let it take hold of me then I will give up, I will stop trying and I will just lay down and rot like the others. I couldn't do that. I survived, for what reason I was unsure but I survived and I was going to make it count. Over the last few days we had talked about where people might have gathered, places we can check on the way to Virginia where there might be some others alive. I marked them on the map and although I think they all will be wash outs, Raya is confident that we will find more people. I hoped she was right. Not that I didn't enjoy her company but I longed for a community. I longed to be in one spot with a plan and things to make sense again. I didn't know how much longer I could make it on faith and hope without seeing it.

As I clear the bodies from the home she picked, a task I still seemed to handle on my own. Raya insisted that we could just leave them in a room. but I did that before and you don't get adjusted to the smell. It was better to get them out. Even if its chilly to open the windows and try to get some fresh air moving about. It wasn't healthy to be dwelling around death, I knew that much. I knew that all these rotting bodies were going to make us sick if we were not careful. I wear a mask and gloves, not that it helps to block out the smell but it makes me feel a little cleaner about it. I don't stay in a bed they died in either. That's just gross.  I just stay for the roof and walls and I leave as quickly as I came. I try not to disturb anything and only take what I need. It feels a little like grave robbing but I don't think they would mind if they had a say. I mean, what do they need it for now? Were all that seems to be left.

 I was worrying about getting close to Dallas. With the heat the way it is during the day, the stench was going to be horrific. But Raya insisted that we try to see if there is any life left in the big city. I don't think she had been in a city since the outbreak and I doubt she knew what she was getting into. I tried to tell her what it was like but she insists that she can handle it. I'm not sure If I can handle it. I have been around some thick stenches but, time has gone on and its getting worse. It had to be one giant cest pool if there were anyone alive they probably died from the disease that comes with the unburied dead. The thought of getting stuck in there is eating at me, but a promise is a promise and we would be there in another day. All I had to do was drive until she couldn't take it and we could get back on the road. Or so I hoped. But what if she is right and there is others, are they going to be friendly? Are they going to want to come with us or just take what we have or hurt us. I wasn't exactly a trusting person. I would need to be alert. Raya was a rose colored glasses sort of girl, I had to make sure the reality doesn't become our undoing. She will hope and I will worry but were in this together and I do want to find others at the end of the day. I just couldn't help the sense of dread that kept coming up. By now, I have learned to listen to my instincts. Was I making a huge mistake, I don't know. But, we will soon find out just what secretes Dallas holds for us. Hopefully its one we can live with.

Miles of Death-2

It had been a few days since I began my route around the highway and so far I was having pretty good luck with the roads. There wasn't much traffic on the back roads to get clogged up and it wasn't a bad view as I drove past. I could almost pretend I was off on some road trip and the world was still alright, until I find a house to stay in for the night and the reality hits me all over again. Every house I go to there is dead in it. I have yet to find a house where there is no signs of what im trying to forget, then again most people stay home when their sick, makes sense that they died in their beds. I just wished that for once I didn't have to take the time to move the corpses, it wasn't a pleasant job in the slightest and the more time passed the more gross it got. I wondered how long till they were just bones and if the smell would still be there at that point. I was trying to remember what the world smelled like before death corrupted everything. I am getting used to it in the sense that I don't want to puke so much when I see one, but the kids still mess me up a little bit. I mean why did they have to die and im still walking around here like nothing ever happened. I had no idea what anything meant anymore, Maybe I was dead and this was hell. Whatever was going on, I was determined to figure out what had happened in some sense. If I'm alive, there has to be someone else out there. I don't know if im immune or if I just have lucked out and not gotten it yet. Either way I don't think I would be sad to go, at least I would feel normal again and not like a big freak.

 My legs start to cramp and fuel is running low again, I decide to pull over and check out some of the cars on the street. I was able to get some fuel out of other cars with a hose, but not for a few days. I am finding that the cars that were abandoned were empty, where are the bodies? Are they out there wandering around somewhere to or did they walk on and die up the road. It was a big mystery to me, maybe I would see someone walking as I drive down the road one day. I had to keep hoping for that, the thought that there is no one else and just me is just too much for me to face at this point.

 I eat my lunch sitting on the side of the road, looking over my map I see a town a few miles up, I need to start finding some fuel or I was back to walking. I had plenty of food and water still but it wouldn't hurt to fill what I already used. Its always good to stay ahead, its really not fun when your hungry and there is nothing around to eat. I'm not at all experienced with hunting or fishing so I have had to rely on finding things to eat. I assume that wont last forever but for the meantime, its keeping me going. I circle the town on the map even though I was already planning on stopping there. I was literally leaving a map of where I had come from if any one were to stumble upon my remains one day. Not that it mattered. I think I just need ways to fill the time and feel like im doing something. Its better than sitting here freaking out about things I cant change.

  I decide to walk up a bit and stretch my legs some before I hit the road again. I check the cars and take what little fuel I can get with my hose trick and put it in my car. I find a few bottles of water and a blanket. Not much of anything else but it was better than the normal findings on these back roads. One thing about country folk, they keep it at least at half tank. I couldn't be more thankful their set in their ways. Each of them had a gun with bullets in their trucks. I have enough bullets to kill a small army if I need to. Not that there is much to shoot at but when I have to try to hunt for some food, I have a way to do it. I will have to eventually set down roots some where and try to grow food. That's what you see in all the movies you watch about the end of the world. Not that I know how to do any of that, but it cant be that hard to figure out. Find some seeds, put them in dirt and water it, basic. The thought of it gave me a chill down my spine, what the hell was I going to do when the food ran out? I didn't know how long food took to grow or where to get seeds. It was all too much, how can I do this by myself, and without google? I guess I could find a library or something. I wrote it on the corner of the map just in case I saw a library some where. It was still ironic to me that even in times like this, I still write reminders to myself like I'm back in my dorm room trying to keep it all together. Id give anything to go back to worrying about a test.  Life was so much simpler then. Now all I have are me, myself and I, and its not very good company. I feared if I didn't find anyone soon I might loose my mind all together and start seeing people that aren't really there or talking to mannequins. At least the dead didn't get up and try to eat you like in all those movies the world used to watch. I guess this is a little better then that.

I make my way back to the car and get in. I had a few hours before it started to get dark and I needed to make it to the town for some fuel. I make my way around the cars slowly, its not like their parked out of the way or anything. Just as I'm turning a corner a rock hits my windshield. I hit the breaks and look around frantically. Had I just imagined that, did it fall from somewhere. I roll my window down listening carefully. I jump in my seat
 "Waittttt!"
 I shut the car off and grab the gun in the console just in case, tuck it in my pocket and get out slowly. I look all around and finally I see someone running toward me. She waves her arms, I lift mine and wave but I feel as if im frozen. I'm scared but at the same time Its so nice to see someone, to hear someone. Was she real. Was I already loosing my mind? I watch as the women comes up to me breathless and smiling.
"I'm so glad to see you! Thank you for stopping."
She bends over to catch her breath, still watching me as if she was also trying to decide if she was crazy or if I was real.
I smile weakly, "Your welcome, are you with anyone else?" looking around I don't see anyone else coming. A little bit of hope diminished. I was secretly hoping she came with a pack of people. To be in a crowd again would be a miracle.
The women with a short fashionable bob of black hair and freckled to the max, big blue eyes like some tropical water. She had to be just reaching five feet tall, a small mite of a person. She couldn't be that much of a threat?
 "No just me, since it all happened, you?"
I shake my head. "Same. Where are you headed?"
The women smiles nervously. "Where ever your going. I just don't want to be on my own anymore. This place was a shit hole before everyone died."
I smile despite the circumstance. Like I was going to leave the one and only other person I have seen in a month.
 "I'm trying to get to Virginia. You can come if you want."
I stiffen and cringe when she leaps and hugs me like a child would after not seeing their mother for awhile. I give her two awkward pats on the back before stepping out of her reach. Unsure of what to say I just smile at her, probably a stupid unsure smile, but I hoped it looked friendly.
"Sounds good, thank you so much. You saved my life, I couldn't take one more day out there on my own."
I nod. " I know the feeling, come on, lets get out of here."
I watch as she gets in the passenger side. I fumble with the door nob not sure what to say or how to act. I had somehow forgotten what it was like to talk to someone, even though I wanted to so bad.
I get in the drivers seat. I leave the gun in my pocket, still not sure if I should trust her or not. I smile and look in the back seat.
" If your hungry there is some food and water back there, you can help yourself. My name is Aria by the way."
The women smiles and reaches for a bottle water and opens it, chugging it quickly. "Thank you, I ran out of water this morning. My name is Raya. Your not from around here are you?"
I laugh. "No, I'm from LA, you live around here?"
"Yeah a few miles back, I didn't make it very far. Not compared to you. There were a lot of storms that passed through."
I smile. "Well, now you have wheels, its a little easier. I wouldn't have gotten this far without one."
The women watches out the window. "So its like this in California to?"
I nod. "Arizona to, I just made it in to Texas a few days ago, I had to go around the high way."
She nods, "Yeah I saw that, that's why I just started walking. I figured it was clogged everywhere. I saw your car and I thought I had died and finally went to heaven. Good gracious I never thought I would see another person again. I'm sorry if I'm talking too much."
I smile at her. "Its alright, its nice to hear a person talking. I guess I forgot how it goes."
Raya smiles softly. "We'll get the hang of it eventually. Have you seen anyone else alive along the way?"
I shake my head. "Your the first. Do you think there are more out there?"
Raya sighs "God, I hope so. Especially a hot looking man. That would be nice."
I laugh for the first time since it all began, to my own ears I could hear the awkwardness of it, it seemed I had forgotten how to be normal, then again what the hell is normal these days. All I knew was it was nice to not be alone anymore. I could tell she was a little awkward herself, unsure who I am and what im about. Like she said, we would get the hang of it eventually.
We chatted as I made our way into the town.
"We need to get some fuel. Were running really low."
She nods. "Alright, lets try the gas station, do you think the pumps will work?"
"Probably not but I have a few tricks to get it out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If not we will just have to go car to car and fill up that way."
I pull into the gas station. "Why don't you go see what's inside we can use, any food or drinks you can grab and I will try to figure this pump out."
She gets out. "Okay, I can do that." She pauses before walking away "Your not going to leave without me right?"
I smile. "I wont leave you here." I wanted to say not on your life, im not being alone if I don't have to but I kept it to myself. I didn't want to seem too desperate.
She sighs. "Okay, sorry, its just ..."
I nod "I understand. I don't want to be alone either. Go ahead, I will be right out here."
Raya goes inside and I get to work on the pump, to my surprise it comes out in a slow drain but, it comes out none-the-less. I slowly fill the car up and the cans that I had emptied. After I go inside and help Raya collect what we can take. Both of us hit the head before we get on the road again, a toilet was a treat, at least for me. I had spent one too many nights in the woods.
 It was getting to be time to start looking for a place to stay the night but I wanted to try to make it a few more towns up first.
Raya actually brought along a cd she had burned and the two of us sang our hearts out, windows down as we passed. It was still the same shit hole of a situation, but it didn't feel as desperate or sad anymore. I wasn't alone, for the time being, that was enough. I didn't know Raya or what kind of person she was but I had never been more grateful to meet someone in my life. If it was just her and I, at least we had each other. Hopefully she knew how to grow food and hunt and fish. It would save me a library trip. I wouldn't have to wonder if im the only one anymore, and if she found me, maybe we will find others. Hope was coming back, and it was a nice change of pace. Tomorrow didn't seem like such a dread to wake up to.

Miles of Death.

I wake up slowly to the sound of the birds in the trees above me. I stretch slowly letting my muscles relax after a night of sleeping on the ground. I look around carefully, looking for any movement, any sound. When I'm sure there is no one around I get up and find a place to go to the bathroom. I don't know why I bothered listening for anyone, it had been weeks since I saw anyone alive let alone in the middle of the woods. I gather some sticks and work up the little fire pit I had made. I didn't have much left as far as food went. I would have to go back into a town to try and find some food and supplies, maybe find a working car with some fuel in it so I could get a little further.  I was trying to make it to Virginia where my grandparents lived, in hopes that eventually I would hit an area that hadn't been effected. I have only made it about a state away and there is no signs of any life what so ever. Not a plane in the sky, or a car on the road or any movement other than an occasional animal here or there. All there was, was rotting bodies with no one to come and mourn, no one to burry them. I was beginning to think I was the last one left. I have no idea why I never got sick, I had certainly been around it enough to have been exposed to it. My entire family passed with in 48 hours of each other. It happened so fast, and no one had any answers. The doctors were dying just as quick as the patients. Just as quickly as it happened, everything went still and silent. There was no more TV's or radios. Everything is just white noise. Blank screens and then it all went black. The power grids exploded in some areas causing fires, which with no one here to put them out, are still burning through California. Its pretty much a burnt waste land at this point and spreading up into Washington and the states around its borders. I stay in front of it as much as I can. I had a few working cars but with no fuel stations surviving the fires, I had to do most on foot. I found a bike and peddled for awhile but I broke the tire and that was that. I have no idea where I was going to go now or if I would even reach Virginia. I was just about into Texas at this point and the rain was starting to fall heavy for a few days, I had hoped it would put out whatever fire was near me. I had yet to see the familiar glow in the distance. But I wasn't going to stop trying to put some distance in.

I packed up the small amount of things I had into my hiking pack and I set out to the main road up a large steep hill. As I walk I see some cars on the side of the road, most likely where the cars drifted once the person died at the wheel. I could smell the bodies from here, at this point I was used to it. With so many bodies just rotting away all over the place, there was often strong unpleasant odors especially close to towns and city's are unbearable. But I had to find some food and water and I had to deal with it to do that, so I pushed on until the next exit, checking the cars for anything useful, seeing if any of the cars would start or if there was any fuel in them. Some were abandoned, others had bodies in them. None of them had much as far as supplies. No one had any warning or any time to prepare. If there was some sort of panic that lasted more then a day, there would be more cars packed with useful things on the road. However, the grocery stores weren't picked over too bad and had a lot of things to take, if you could bare the smell of rotting food and flesh. Life was abnormally calm for me even though I was the only one that seemed to be left. I had cried all I could cry, all I could do was just keep going, maybe on the east coast things would be different. I wanted to believe that. But the more I pass through, the more wasted dead lands I see, the less hope I have. Even if my grandparents made it like I did, how long would they last without any sort of care or medicine. I hadn't seen them in a few years, but I knew that they were not in the best of health. I had to try, I had to see if there was anyone left that I had as far as family went.  What else was left?

As I walk though the town, I check the cars one by one, I find a white Malibu, that looked pretty new and the keys were handily dropped on the ground next to the car, next to the poor women who must have owned it. I step over here and put the key in, it starts right up for me and I rest my head on the steering wheel. It had been a long time since I was able to put some real miles in. A little closer to Virginia. I drive slowly weaving around the deserted cars. I find a grocery store. There seems to be the average amount of cars for a typical day in a small town, hopefully the smell wasn't too horrible. Before getting out of the car I tie a bandana around my face and put some Vicks under my nose. The one and only thing that I found to keep me from wanting to gag every two seconds. I still check the cars and find a few gas cans in the back of the truck. They were full and would at least be another full tank worth down the road. In the store I take a cart and make quick work of filling it with water and foods that I can cook easily or will last a long time. I find some boxes in the back and fill them with as much as my car will fit. I wouldn't need to stop for awhile. Of course I take some things that im not even old enough to have, but at this point who cares. I'm the only one left around here, who else will take it if I don't. I guess the rules don't apply anymore. Up the street is a fuel station, and despite my previous luck with them I pull in. Fortunately for me the pumps were on and there seemed to be some sort of solar panels on the roof. Here I was in the middle of the end of the world and im amazed that a fuel station is solar powered. Inside there were several empty fuel cans so I took them out and fill them and top off my tank. It takes me a bit to clear out the trunk enough to put the gas cans in but I figured it was time well spent. The more fuel I had the better.

I notice that the gas station also has hot water, so I decide to take advantage and slip into the bathroom for a quick wash up. Since the coolers and freezers were still on, I microwave a hot pocket and sit down to eat it. It had been awhile since I ate anything other than canned food, let alone meat. After four of them I felt stuffed to the brim. Even so I cooked a few more to take with me. A part of me wanted to stay there, were I could have power, cold drinks and some hot food. But, the longer I waited around the less likely my grandparents had if they were alive. After a restroom stop on an actual toilet I hit the road and make my way back to the high way. I was going to put as much miles in as I could, I would drive until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.


A few hours into my route I come to a literal stand still. Cars backed up for miles. I turn around and go back the way I came getting off at the closest exit. I found a fuel station that had a map and ate my hot pockets as I tried to find a way around to bypass the big traffic jam. I drive thick into the back skirts, following the map, if I went a few miles around farm country, I could get back on the highway, hopefully it would be enough to get around the cars. If not I would have to find another route. As I drive I see the animals drifting along aimlessly in the fields, I wondered if they would survive in their little farms without anyone to tend them. I wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out, but it was still a comfort to see at least some kind of living thing. I hoped one day I would find someone else who had made it, and preferably someone who could hold a conversation. I have started to talk to myself, just to hear a voice, even if it is my own. It gets too quite, especially at night. At times I just sing out at the top of my lungs because I cant take the quite anymore.

I get to the on ramp to the highway and I get on hoping that there wont be a line of cars blocking me in. I sigh when I get to the top of the ramp and see there is still a long line of cars. I find my binoculars and I stand on the roof of the car.
"Well, shit."
 It goes on for as far as I could see. The highway was out. I would need to find a way to get to Virginia without it. I guess I would need some more maps. But for the moment, the sun was setting and despite all I ate earlier, I was hungry again.  I assumed it was the lack of substance walking all that way through the woods. Driving up the first drive way I see and  I pull into a little farm house. Inside there is a few bodies but it doesn't take me long to pull them out of the house. The house would still smell but maybe if  I opened the windows it wouldn't be so bad. I go inside and test the light switches but nothing happens.
"No solar power here huh, too bad."
 Using the last light of day I manage to find a supply of candles and set up in a bedroom upstairs. Using a little charcoal grill from the garage I make myself a little fire to heat up the room and cook some soup. I find some clothing that fits me really good, nothing better then the feeling of clean clothing on your skin. Also a rarity these days. I settle in for the night and fall right to sleep on the cloud like mattress. I dreamt of before, as I always do. All I had left of everything I knew was in my dreams. My only way to see them all again or to feel apart of the world like I once did. When I wake, its back to lonely and death.