Fission

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"I bet it was Russia. Or China...maybe even North Korea." Colby rocked back and forth in the seat beside her. His jittery nature made Camila uneasy. Here she was on a forced road trip with three convicts she saved for a smoking van. The world was falling down around her and she had no one in her family or friends to confide in. All she had was these three strangers. At one point Camila fell asleep from exhaustion. Her dreams turned into nightmares as her head lay on the window beside her. She was only awakened when the car slammed to a halt. Camila sat up in a frantic state looking around.

"What happened?" She gasped.

"We need to get off the road. There is a blockade ahead." Darren pointed.

"Maybe it is someone who could help us." Camila leaned forward to have a look.

"Naw...I don't trust it. You learn things in jail, especially how to trust your gut." Colby shook his head.

"What are you talking about?" Camila asked.

"The city was hit by a bomb, and maybe the whole country....who knows. All I know is people are panicking. Most are just trying to do what is right for them and their family while others...well they are looking out to take advantage of people." Ian explains

"Like criminals?" Camila raised a brow as she glanced at the prisoners in the car with her.

"Yes we are criminals, but we weren't the ones who hurt other people because we liked it. We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Me...I was at the bar when my girlfriend called. She was in trouble with her ex. I got in my car and tried to get home, but wrecked. Got a DWI and went to jail. Darren here, he was in the army. On leave, he got into a fistfight with his brother. The cops arrived and arrested him and his brother due to finding drugs in the house."

"We got in a fight because he was smoking weed and he knew better." Darren sighed.

"Colby here he is just a meth head." Colby rolled his eyes at Ian.

"I got hooked when I was selling to feed my sister." Colby gave Camila a pitiful look.

"What I am trying to say is there are far worse people than us to be with. Killers, rapists...abusers. This is going to bring the worst out in people. People who would have never thought to sink to a low level like that you know"

"I understand." Camil sat back. She felt a bit bad for judging them. They were just normal people stuck in a bad situation.

"It would be better to travel during the day. And we might want to ditch the car and anything else valuable. Don't want to give no one any reason to come to us, you know."

"I know we need to find a change of clothes. Can't be walking around in these prison clothes." Colby suggests.

"Is there any place, in particular, you need to get to?" Darren turned to ask Camila.

"Yeah, like a relative's house close by? Besides New Orleans obviously." Ian asked. Camila sat back in an almost zombie-like state. Her eyes were all cried out and the thought of being utterly alone was so overwhelming she didn't know what to feel.

"I have no one left. My whole family and boyfriend were in New Orleans." Just when she thought she couldn't cry anymore, a tear escaped her left eye and trailed down her cheek.

"Sorry." Ian felt bad for bringing it up again.

"I think we will camp out off the road and tomorrow figure out how to get to Bogalusa." Darren put the car in reverse and turned down a dirt road.

The three journeyed for a bit over the next few days. Camila hated to leave all but a backpack behind, but she knew she needed to travel light. Only essentials were needed and a saxophone was not essential. By the third day, Colby and Ian got into a fight. It was so bad that Ian almost knocked the skinny man out. This caused division which then in return caused Colby to split from the group. He wanted to go on toward Alexandra which was east of where they were headed. The four were now a trio. The next they arrived at Ian's baby's mother's home. However, no one was there. The place was ransacked. Camila related to the way Ian ran throughout the rooms looking for his child. When he did find them dead in the backyard, the scream he let out made her blood run cold. Darren did his best to console his friend, but it was no use. That night Ian hung himself. So much tragedy Camila couldn't understand how she was still sane.

When the morning came she and Darren buried the bodies in the backyard silently. It wasn't until that afternoon did they exchange words.

"I was thinking that we should gather what little supplies we can and head north?" Darren suggested.

"The farther we are away from major cities or towns the better chance we have of survival." Camila nodded in agreement. Even though she really didn't know what to do, she knew him being an army guy and being trained for these types of situations Darren would be knowledgeable more than the average citizen. Plus he was all she had tight now for protection. She was a city girl. She didn't know how to hunt or fish, less alone how to fight and survive.

"Can you teach me?" Camila asked.

"Teach you?" Darren was a bit confused.

"How to survive this?"