Surviving, Not Living/Issue 11

This is Issue 11 of Surviving, Not Living, titled 20 Years Ago Pt II.

Issue 11:
In shock, Bobby scooted across the floor and let Sarah sit down on the sofa.

“My two best friends had just died. I had two newly mother and father-less babies in the back seats. I just couldn’t do it.” Sarah explained.

“Hey!” Amelia sounded offended. “I had just lost my parents.”

***

Sarah couldn’t wipe her tears away as she drove so she just let them roll over her chin and fall from her chin. Millie hadn’t stopped crying since the incident. Sarah had no idea where she was driving to, she was going to drive off into the sunset. Without a care in the world, baby Bobby sat and watched Millie.

“Where are we going?” Millie sniffed.

“Somewhere.” Sarah snapped, immediately regretting her tone of voice.

“Where are we going to sleep?” Millie cried, noticing the setting sun.

“We’re going to have to camp tonight.” Sarah told her.

“What?! No way!” Millie exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, Millie. There’s no other choice.” The dark-skinned woman replied. “We’ll set the tent up inside the abandoned gas station, I’ll lock the doors. It’s going to be okay.” But really, Sarah knew it wasn’t going to be okay.

Half an hour later, Sarah rolled the car into the small town where Bobby had been delivered. Under the cover of dark, Sarah and Millie unpacked the car and ran into the gas station.

Sarah secured the door tight with her shotgun and ran along the side, pulling the metal shutters down, covering the shattered windows.

Millie pinned the tent down in the corner and began to set it up as Sarah carried Bobby in his car seat.

“Hey, Millie...” Sarah called her. “I’m sorry, they were your parents.”

“I know.” Millie sourly snapped. “I’m only thirteen.”

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“Let’s hit the hay... It’s been a rough day.” Sarah threw the sleeping bags into the tent and they unrolled themselves.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">Millie climbed into the tent and, within minutes, fell asleep. Sarah layed awake, staring at the sleeping Bobby. After uncomfortably trying to sleep for an hour, she climbed out of the tent.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">Sarah walked out of the tent and browsed the shelves. There wasn’t much left, just a few books and months old magazines. Her eyes drew to a specific book. The word ‘diary’ was printed on the front. Sarah flipped through the book, it was empty. She grabbed a pen from the side and retreated back into the tent. A tear fell from Sarah’s cheek as she recalled the events of the night.

<p align="CENTER" dir="LTR">***

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">Back in the present, a huge roar distracted the three from Sarah’s story.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“I told you two to fucking go to sleep.” Sarah snapped. “The lights are on and we’re creating too much noise, the infected know that we’re here!”

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“It’s okay, the shutters will protect us.” Bobby told her.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“Calm down.” Amelia held Sarah’s hand.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">A stroke of unluckiness fell across the house as one of the shutters on the living room windows fell down, exposing the hundreds of infected surrounding the house to their next meal.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“The... roof... now...” Bobby whispered. Amelia quickly grabbed the shotgun and Sarah grabbed the axe. Bobby grabbed the hanging chord and pulled the trap door down, a small ,metal ladder fell down. Sarah climbed up first and as Amelia was halfway up the ladder, the infected smashed through the window.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“I’ll meet you outside!” Bobby shouted to Amelia as he ran off. “Stay on the roof!”

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">Bobby dissapeared into the darkness as Amelia climbed up the stairs to join Sarah onto the rooftop.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“Where the fuck is Bobby?” Sarah screamed.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“The infected got into the house so he ran off.” Amelia explained.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">All of a sudden, a figure emerged from the house with the filtering gear strapped to his back. It was Bobby.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“You’ve got to time it perfectly!” Bobby shouted. “Jump when I say.”

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">The infected began to turn around, noticing Bobby. He ran off into the forest and the infected followed him, making it safe for Amelia and Sarah to jump down.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“Ready?” Amelia asked Sarah. The two held hands as they jumped, landing safetly onto the ground.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">Amelia took out one of the wandering infected and Sarah took out another with a swing from the axe. The two stood back-to-back as they each took our several more infected.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“Duck!” Sarah called as she turned and shot an infected steadily approaching Amelia. Amelia ran to the last infected and grabbed her knife. She stabbed the beast in it’s eye and it fell to the ground.

<p align="LEFT" dir="LTR">“Bobby?!” Amelia called as she and Sarah ran off into the forest, following Bobby into the night.

Previous/Next Issues
<p dir="LTR">Previous: Issue 10 - 20 Years Ago                                       Next: Issue 12 - Sleep Like a Baby, Run Like a Cheetah